Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“For me?” she asks loudly, eyeing the gift.
“Yes,” my father says.
She steps forward, sword still in her hand. My father kneels slightly, careful with his suit, and holds the bag out. Our daughter reaches in immediately, no hesitation, and pulls out a small stuffed bear. She squeals, loud enough that half the room turns.
“Bear,” she announces, as if she’s discovered a rare artifact.
My father’s mouth twitches. “Smart kid.”
She hugs it immediately, then looks at my father again. “You can stay?”
My father looks up at me, and for a moment, something real shows on his face. Surprise, maybe. Something like pride. He blinks and composes himself again.
“I will stay for a while,” he says.
After that, I’m able to relax a little more. I greet our guests and play with my daughter, and help her manage a tantrum when all the people and the gifts and the sugar rush become too overwhelming.
I’m not sad to see the end of the party. I visibly relax when my father leaves, and Viktor notices.
“He doesn’t have to come, you know,” he says diplomatically. “If you don’t want him here, say the word. Annetta won’t miss him. Your mother will be much happier knowing she doesn’t have to see him.”
I shake my head. “I know it sounds crazy, but he’s still my father,” I say hesitantly. “A long time ago, he was the most important man in my life. I don’t want our children to miss out on knowing him.”
“Children?” he asks curiously, raising an eyebrow.
I blush, cursing myself internally. This isn’t how I wanted to tell him. I was planning a whole dinner and a card with the ultrasound inside. Marriage to Viktor has turned me into a sap. So telling him like this feels a bit like a letdown. The proverbial cat is out of the bag, though.
“I found out last week,” I tell him, beaming.
His face immediately breaks out into a smile as his hands move to my flat stomach. My own hands press against my shirt, and I marvel at how different this experience is the second time around. No one is threatening my life or my child’s. I’m married to their father, and I’ve never felt happier in my life.
Viktor rests his forehead against mine and wraps me in his arms. “You have no idea how much I love you,” he whispers.
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
VIKTOR
Five Years Later
Anya and I sit on a bench as we watch our kids chase each other around the park. Annetta has the advantage of age, but Viktor Jr. is hot on her tail. He’s two-and-a-half years younger than her, but you’d never know it to look at him. He’s almost as tall as she is, even at four-and-a-half. He’s a big boy and she’s built like her mom. Baby Irina cries in her stroller, and I immediately lift her up and hold her against my chest.
“You’re going to make her dependent on you if you keep doing that,” Anya reminds me for the millionth time. “It’s okay for babies to cry.”
“Not my babies,” I answer petulantly. “I’ll never let my perfect little girl cry, will I?”
“Speaking of,” Anya murmurs, just as Annetta runs over to us with tears in her eyes.
“Donald says we aren’t allowed to play on the playground,” she says pitifully. “Why can’t we play with the other kids?”
How do I explain to my kids that it isn’t safe for them to play with random children in the park? Even with their half a dozen guards and both Anya and I keeping a watchful eye on them, there are some things that our children just can’t do because of who their father is.
“I have an idea,” Anya says, breaking the tension. “Why don’t we all go get some ice cream?”
Annetta’s face automatically brightens.
“VJ, we’re getting ice cream,” she screams to her brother, who immediately comes running.
We get ice cream as a family, though that requires my men to sweep the tiny little shop and give us the all-clear. Then we keep the shop closed while we sit inside, enjoying our ice cream as a family.
This part is easier on the kids. The shop is so small that they never question why we’re the only ones who come here. I always compensate the owners for their lack of business, and it works out fine for us.
Brooklyn is much more stable now, but that doesn’t mean it’s peaceful. After Mikhail’s death, things just sort of shifted into place. Every family got the power they needed, and I emerged as the clear leader of the borough. With a queen at my side.
Anya proved to be much more than a pretty face. Once Annetta turned two, Anya started helping me run my businesses. She has quite a mind for numbers. She’s helped us nearly double the profits of our legitimate businesses, and found ways to keep our security costs down without losing any of our protection. She’s an amazing partner, both personally and professionally.