This confused me.
Ivan tapped his fingers on the table. “I was the product of one of my father’smany affairs. He was a violent man. Even though he didn’t control what I did, nor have as much power, he was a man who was used to the streets. He was nothing more than a common thug. I had a stutter. I was weak, and he discarded me. Actually, he hoped to kill me, but the guard that was sent to do the job couldn’t bring himself to kill a child, his boss’s son. A boy he’d, in a way, helped to raise. So, he helped me as best he could.”
“You were a child?”
“Yes.”
“It was being a child on my own that helped build who I am today.”
“You don’t stutter anymore.”
“Of course not.” Ivan smiled.
“Thank you for telling me that.”
“The Volkov Bratva used to be nothing more than a street gang,” Ivan said. “My father was into everything-drugs, guns, fighting, money, petty stuff. For the longest time I was afraid of him.” Ivan looked me in the eye. “You build these people up inside your head to be a lot bigger than they actually are.”
“I get that.”
“And being on the streets, I learned to read people. I learned a great deal about respect, loyalty, about all kinds of shit, and I knew that one day, not only would I kill my father, but I was going to take the Bratva from him. So I did, and my men, my brigadiers, swore their loyalty to me. I only made one bad decision, but other than that, I have built this up.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You’ve lived with a great deal of fear and pain, Charlotte, and it’s my vow to you, my promise, that you will never know such fear and pain again.”
This made the tears I’d tried to hold at bay come spilling out. “This isn’t fair.” I sniffled. “It’s my birthday, and I’m crying.”
“Let it out. Let all the pain out.”
I covered my face with my hands, and I tensedup as Ivan wrapped his arms around me, hugging me.
“Ive’s a difficult man, but he’s a good man. He will never harm you, and if you want to make your marriage work, where there’s a chance for him to love you, then you need to start talking. You need to start asking him for shit.”
He made itsound so easy, but it wasn’t easy to ask for anything. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Trust me. It is easy, and you’re a strong woman, Charlotte. You have been through hell, and now it’s time to realize that you’re not alone. You’ve got us. You’ve got a family, and now there’s no going back.”
I never thought I would do this, but I wrapped my arms around Ivan and held on. This man terrified my father. He instilled fear into many, but in that moment, he was nothing more than my salvation. I didn’t want to let him go, not ever.
He kissed the top of my head. “You’re safe now.”
It was crazy, but I believed that.
The door to the penthouse opened and closed. Ivan had already sent Hubert away. My guard had tried to make my day a little better, wishing me a happy birthday, offering to take me anywhere I wanted to go.
When I’d been younger and the day had gone by with no one else but Cassie wishing me a happy birthday, I’d thought about what I’d do or what would happen when I was older. How I would celebrate. I thought about getting drunk, or going out dancing, or having a big blow-out party.
Instead, I had spent the first birthday away from my father alone on the couch, my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them, with a man staring at me.
Until Ivan showed up.
Ivan let me go slowly, but I knew he wasn’t going to be caught hugging me in frontof my husband. Not for any other reason than Ivan didn’t like to be caught off guard. There was no secret love or any kind of affair. I got that now. Ivan and I were different and yet the same. He’d been cast aside, and even though that was what I’d been, each time my father was angry, I paid the price.
I got to my feet as Ive looked toward his boss then toward me. I had started to cry in Ivan’s embrace. His words had touched me to the very core. There was silence. I didn’t know what to say or do. Did hewant me to make a joke of him forgetting?
“Welcome home,” I said.
And much tomy surprise, Ive began to sing “Happy Birthday” to me. His voice was terrible, but what also shocked me was that behind him, Rage and Cassie suddenly appeared, as if his song had magically made them appear.
Seeing my sister made me so happy, and I rushedtoward her. Cassie let out a gasp, and pulled me into her arms, holding me tightly.
“I have missed you so damn much.” She held me tightly.
I looked past Cassie’s shoulder toIve and offered him a smile. At first, he didn’t look happy, and then it was like he saw me smiling at him, and he nodded his head. My sister was finally here.
“I love you,” Cassie said. “I told you I wouldn’t miss a single birthday, and I haven’t.” She pulled away and then held out an envelope for me to take.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Don’t be silly. Every woman needs a present on her birthday.”Iopened the envelope to see that it was clothing vouchers. “Thank you.”
“I know,” I said.
We didn’t have to pretend not to have fun. Cassie didn’t have topretend to like clothes she never wanted to wear, just so she could sneak them to me.