ThreeDays Later
Ive won’t leave my side, and I love that. He told me work canwait. He’s more focused on me getting well. My ankle is in a cast, as is my wrist. I didn’t care. Ive loved me. Just as I loved Ive.
Rose was going to make a full recovery, but Hubert didn’t make it. There was going to be a funeral for him. Ive had already told me his family would be taken care of.”Hot chocolate,” Ive said. “Michael also said that he’ll stop forcing you to have the marshmallows.”
This made me laugh. Rose snuggled against my side and Ive sat on my other side, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
“I love you,” I said.
“Charlotte, you own my heart.” He took my hand and pressed it against his chest. “I love you with all my heart.”
“All I ever wanted was for someone to love me.”
“And I’m the one who will love you forever.”
Tears filled my eyes, because Iknew Ive wasn’t just saying that. I wasn’t a mistake to him. To him, I’d become the love of his life.
Three days ago, I thought Iwas going to die. That life had been so cruel. I should have known Ivan had a plan. He’d come to my hospital room when Ive had stepped out to get some coffee.
Ivan told me he knewthey were going to take me. That he had his man and woman in place. I knew what he’d done. Ive was pissed at him and refused to talk about him. I knew Ivan didn’t have any other way of taking out the cartel, so he used me. I should be pissed off, but I’d seen the look in Ivan’s eyes. He had done what he thought was right, and I couldn’t hate him for that, so I forgave him. I was Volkov. I’d do whatever was necessary to protect the Bratva as well as my husband. Always. My life was theirs.
And my loyalty was to Ivan, but it was also to Ive. I loved him with all my heart and he’d been the reason I hadn’t given up. I would fight for him, for us, always.
Charlotte
Five Years Later
We had two children with a third on the way.
Ive held one child in his arms, while I held the other. Rose was in front of us as we looked toward the camera.
Memories. That was what we made now. Family memories.
Our son, IvanJunior, was a terror waiting to happen. Our daughter, Anastasia, was a sweet little girl.
We didn’t know the sex of our third child. Ive and I liked to keep it a surprise. I had a feeling Ivan Volkov had a way of finding out the sex, bribing the doctors as he always knew what presents to bring to the hospital on the day I’d given birth.
It had taken Ive a long time to forgive Ivan after what went down. I wouldn’t let him be angry at the man.
I wore my ink with pride. Ivan Volkov had wanted me, had seen my potential when I’d only ever been seen as a mistake, a piece of trash. Nothing worthy. He’d not tossed me aside, but he’d given me a place. Married me to one of his brigadiers. I don’t know if Ivan realized I would fall in love with Ive, but I had done so. I loved Ive with all my heart. My family meant everything to me.
My past no longer defined who I was. I wasn’t Lottie. I wasn’t nothing. I wasn’t trash. I was Charlotte Yahontov. Ive’s wife. The mother of his children.
We all said Merry Christmas and to complete our picture, Rose farted, and we all scrunched up our noses.
IvanJr. wriggled out of his father’s arms, wanting a cookie. I let Anastasia down, and she crawled across the floor.
“New family pictures,” Ive said.
I’d gotten into the habit of taking a brand-new one every year. I had promised myself I would never waste a moment of life. Life was too fucking short.
Wrapping my arms around my husband, I tilt my head back, and smile up at him. “Do you hate it?”
“No, it makes you happy and that is worth everything.”
This made me giggle. I loved this man so damn much.
****
Ive
Iloved getting my wife pregnant.
I loved fucking my wife.
I loved making love to my wife.
I loved everything about my wife.
But I hated when she had to give birth. Fucking hated it. That day, I heard her screams and they would stay with me forever. The sounds she made now as she gave birth made me want to pull out my gun and shoot all the medical staff in their fucking faces. Michael and Vlad were out in the waiting room taking care of my son and daughter, while I stayed with my wife. She squeezed my hands and screamed hard, whimpering after one long push.
“I can’t,” she said, whimpering.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.” Ihad promised myself we only needed one child. Then our daughter had come along. I’d made the same vow, and now we were about to have our third child.
For three years, we didn’t have any children. Five years later, we were about to have three.
Charlottepanted and the doctor told her to give one more final push.
I held the love of my life as she squeezed my hands. I was tempted the next time I had to punish someone, to use my wife, because she had a fucking death grip on her.
Then I heard that precioussound. The opening of lungs. The childish scream that said our baby was alive.
She collapsed against me.
The doctors took our child, and I watched and waited, and then one of the nurses brought over a baby, swaddled in pink. We had a daughter.
She was placed in my wife’s arms, and as I looked over her shoulder, I knew I loved this child just as much as I loved my others.
Charlotte leaned back and I stared into her eyes. I loved my children, but none of themcompared to this woman.
I’d not wanted to be married. I’d not wanted Charlotte, but Ivan Volkov had been right to force me. He’d given me my territory and a woman to love. Even as I hated that fucking bastard, I was also grateful to him.
My life was complete.
TheEnd