Epilogue
Sarah
Five months had passed since the kidnapping and massacre at the warehouse, and Dmitri was finally starting to relax.
Just a little.
He still insisted on daily bodyguards for me and Alexis, and he’d put tracking devices in so many places that I didn’t even know where they all were. He’d also upgraded the security at the house. We already had a good system, but there were now more cameras and saferooms.
It was all over the top, and I appreciated it. After what I’d been through, I needed to feel secure to get past it, and Dmitri had made it happen.
For a while, he was obsessively checking in with me throughout the day, and I knew he harassed the men guarding me for hourly updates. It was intense, but he’d recently backed off on that a bit.
There would always be dangers associated with being with a man like Dmitri, but I thought he was probably starting to accept that the active threat was officially gone. He’d killed Baldoni, and what was left of the Italian mafia was too busy dealing with their leadership disputes to actively come after the Bratva. That could change down the road, but for now, no one was actively trying to kill Dmitri or hurt me.
That was a good thing, because today was Alexis’s fourth birthday. We were having a party at a park that Dmitri hadrented out and secured with a ridiculous amount of bodyguards surrounding the area.
“Uncle Nikolay!” Alexis called out when she saw Dmitri’s trusted friend walking over with a bunch of balloons. He was using a stick and looked so different from the big man who had fearlessly protected Alexis at the gym. He would recover though. It was touch and go at first, but he was tough.
I watched with a smile as Alexis led him over to where all the kids gathered.
In addition to some of her friends from nursery, and Dmitri’s men’s kids, Mira’s twin boys were there as well. The kids were all having a great time, and it was no wonder, since Dmitri went out of his way to make this a perfect party for his spoiled little girl. There was a children’s performer, bouncy houses, and a ridiculous amount of sweet treats.
Alexis was clapping along to a song being performed with chocolate smeared around her mouth, and it warmed my heart to see her so happy.
Dmitri came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to the side of my neck. Sighing, I relaxed back into him with a smile. I loved how openly affectionate he was with me and our daughter. He was still a tough mafia boss, and he received a lot of respect and healthy fear for that, but he was never afraid to let the world see his softer side. Only around us, though.
Gina called me his weakness, but I didn’t see it that way. Alexis and I gave him a purpose beyond just duty to the mafia. He was passionate because of us and determined to keep us happy and safe. That made him stronger, in my opinion. We’dalwaysbe stronger together.
His hand slid down my arm and over my hand, his thumb brushing the ring on my finger. It was the engagement ring he gave me a month ago. We were set to be married next year, and I couldn’t wait to call him my husband.
“It’s time to sing happy birthday,” he said as my mom brought the cake out with four candles lit.
We went to Alexis, and Dmitri picked her up. Everyone sang, even the stoic Maxim, and Alexis was all smiles as she blew out her candles with Dmitri’s help. After that, we all ate and watched her open more presents than any four-year-old could ever possibly need.
It was a great day.
That night, Alexis was exhausted. Being four years old was a lot of excitement for her, and she was having trouble staying awake in the bath as I washed chocolate off her face and dirt off her hands.
Dmitri helped me with bedtime, but he was able to handle much more these days than he had in the beginning. I watched him kiss her forehead as she looked up at him with sleepy eyes, and I knew this was the right time to share my news.
So, I took his hand when we left our daughter’s room and led him downstairs.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, and I couldn’t help smiling.
He was always so concerned about me. I had a feeling that my news would just make that worse, but I didn’t truly mind it. I liked the way he showed that he cared.
“Not at all,” I said, sitting on the couch and patting the space beside me.
He sat, turning to face me. Excitement bubbled up inside me, and I took both of his hands this time, needing the contact while I told him what I’d known for the past three days.
“I’m pregnant,” I said. “Eight weeks.”
He blinked, processing. “What? Are you… are you serious?”
I just nodded with a smile, my throat tight with emotion.
His eyes got bright, and when he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, I suspected he was trying to give himself a moment to get his emotions under control. My mafia man was overcome.