Appointment with the doctor“Are you sure? Where are you? Mike is nowhere to be found.”I sighed before whispering.“I don't have enough time to waste talking about Mike, Sasha.”“What did he do now?,” her voice turned serious.“I'm not even sure he did anything,” I said heavily.“Then what happened?”“I was nearly killed just a few hours ago.”“You're kidding, right?”I stayed silent. I guess my silence spoke for me.“Margaret! What the hell? It has to be a damn joke. They almost killed you, and you're still there with them?”"I would be dead if it weren't for him," I already knew who she was talking about."That's the least he could do after nearly getting you killed, damn it!""They were going to kill him too, Sasha.""Why do you defend him? What does he mean to you?""He's the father of my child, Sasha.""Are you serious? Are you going to use that shitty excuse? I'm just telling the truth.""Don't do this, you're my friend, you should support me.""And you, for a change, should li
Things from the Past I saw the skin on his neck flush and how he began to tap his leg. Then my eyes roamed over his large hands and up his arms.I looked at the veins that were firmly marked, which distracted me from what the doctor was doing, and I only noticed when she finally inserted the probe into my groin, making me bite my lips from the discomfort.I looked at the monitor, and although I couldn't distinguish anything on the screen, I stared at it intently.I could worry about Nikolay later; this came first."Alright, there it is... right there," she pointed out, and only when she pointed to a small spot did I find it.Tears welled up, and I simply let them flow because I was inevitably happy. Very happy.Come on, this was practically a miracle. Many women with my same condition never managed to conceive, but I had succeeded. And while these weren't the circumstances I would have wanted, it could be worse; it could always be worse."I estimate about nine weeks, give or take a d
Caught Red-HandedI also noticed that they were all blond, except for Nikolay, the older man, and the girl at the opposite end of the couch. Let me assure you that my baby will have good genes; everyone in Nikolay's family was attractive and looked like display models.I turned around and looked back at the box before sighing and running a hand through my hair.«Damn, how you enchant me, my artwork, my Maggie.»The memory hit me like a bucket of cold water, reminding me of how while still inside me after the first time he came, Nikolay whispered those words in my ear.I thought he had said my name. How stupid of me.Damn, now I was even more eager to read the contents of those letters. I took another one that seemed to be the last one, as they didn't even have a date, so I was forced to guess.«Margot:I don't think there's a need to list my mistakes for you to acknowledge them, and yes, there are many. Yes, I hurt you, but I'm just a man, one who made mistakes and now apologizes, and
A special necklaceIt hurt to think about Sasha, my crazy best friend, with whom I hadn't spoken much since all this madness came into my life. I miss her so much."Ready?" Nikolay's voice startled me as he appeared at the door."I'm ready," I nodded, watching him approach with a necklace in his hands. I furrowed my brow. "What's that?""The final detail you're missing," he informed me before standing behind me and arranging my hair to one side. "You need to start acting like a woman of society. We're going to see someone very important.""Who's this someone?""You'll find out when the time comes. For now, you'll have to endure your curiosity," he replied sharply. "Wear this necklace today. All the women in the gang have one. You've probably seen Sariah and Melisa wearing them.”"Theirs aren't so... obvious," I said, because the black stone wasn't what one would call discreet."You're the president's woman.""I didn't know being the president's woman meant I had to wear a leash like I
Meeting Berta"You're a woman," I said, confused, and looked at Nikolay. "She's a woman.""In theory," Nikolay replied with a half-smile before looking at her."Careful, darling," the woman warned. "If you say things like that, you could hurt others' feelings, and if you hurt mine, I could even remove the men who care for your brother.""Mike?""Do you know how my brother is? Have you seen him? Please, tell me how he is!" I almost begged, and my desperation was more than evident.A smile spread across the woman's face before she glanced at Nikolay."You should be careful with your woman, Nikolay. Who knows what could happen if it's discovered that the wolf has nothing less than a sheep for a wife...""She's still learning," Nikolay indicated in a tense tone before looking at me. "I need a favor.""And I need to know something; I suppose our honesty deal still stands, doesn't it?"I sat down slowly, watching as a sly smile crept onto Nikolay's lips."Of course, but first let me introdu
Curiosity killed the cat.I immediately stood up and left the room, hurrying downstairs to find Margaret.I spotted her heading towards the lounge area of the venue, which was less than three meters away from the table where Arnold's men were.I walked quickly and soon reached her; her eyes connected with mine, filled with surprise and fear."Where did you think you were going?" She had the decency to look down."We'll talk about this later.""Later," she huffed, "it's always later, you never tell me anything. It's always the same!""Careful," I warned, because her words could be drawing attention from people around us.I could literally feel eyes darting towards us, and I tensed. Damn it."Margaret, we're leaving now, this instant. You're going to turn around and get your ass to the car. We're being watched, and if you keep causing a scene, this could end badly."Her eyes now held fear as she glanced towards the group."Let's go," I said, and she just nodded.We made our way to the
Tense MeetingNikolay"Who's going to tell me what the hell is going on here?" I asked, with all the present brothers seated in front of me.I looked at each of the faces present, and none of them met my gaze. I glanced at Will, who wasn't even looking at me either."Not even my vice president?" I asked, staring at him intently.Will's look let me know that we had to talk later."I'll do it," Sergei said, standing up. He looked at me with dark and vacant eyes. "I want Petrov's sentence to be applied to Dimitri.""What's the reason you want such a gruesome death sentence applied, which is only used in case of betrayal? If that's the reason, he'll die today, but brother, if that's not the reason…" I sighed, before looking at Sergei and simply saying, "you know I can't approve the sanction.""He kidnapped my wife and sold her to the fucking trafficking line in Mexico! He sold her like she was a damn thing, she's probably dead or being raped, who knows! Tell me if that doesn't warrant the
Plans "I have evidence, but not here. I have to go get it. Don't you believe my words?" Sergei replied."I'm the leader of the band; I can't authorize anything without the necessary evidence.""Yet you have no problem killing whoever you want, right?" I felt Will's eyes on me the instant Sergei finished speaking.I had no idea where I found the patience to respond calmly."Whoever I kill has nothing to do with you; I only answer to the elders. Only when it comes to something related to our brotherhood, if you truly want justice, you'll do what's necessary, understood?""As clear as water," he replied, gritting his teeth. "I know exactly what I have to do," he assured and left, slamming the door in the process.I looked at each man present and took a deep breath before speaking."Is anyone else here in agreement with Sergei that our brotherhood needs another leader? If anyone else is, stand up and leave, because Levy won't be leader as long as I'm alive."None of them stood up, which
A New LifeMargaretIt had been a year since my brother's death. He was buried in the park where we used to go for walks when everything was fine, long before we discovered where he was getting the money that kept us afloat.Nikolay didn't understand why I still felt affection for my brother, despite everything he had done. I didn't even know myself, but I supposed I was grateful to him for taking care of me when we were alone in the world.However, now I was not alone and would never be again.It had been a very long year, but finally, Nikolay had left behind the mobster life he had led before he met me, although that didn't mean he couldn't afford the luxuries to support his son and me.In fact, our wedding had been postponed at my request. I wanted a peaceful atmosphere and to avoid any misfortune."What's wrong, darling?" Nikolay asked me with a concerned expression."It's nothing... I was just thinking..." I bit my lip, letting out a brief sigh."It's supposed to make you stop t
Recovering KatrinaMargaret The next morning, I changed my clothes and headed towards Katrina's room. It had been some time since I had set up her crib in the adjoining room, and I felt very strange without my little one nearby. Although thanks to her and John, Nikolay was back by my side, and this time I wasn't going to lose him for anything in the world.I had arranged to meet him in Central Park, but first I needed to feed and bathe Katrina.I entered her room and approached the crib with a smile... a smile that froze on my face when I saw the empty crib. I tried not to lose my mind, but it was very difficult.Then, I remembered the kind conversation I had with Mike, and something didn't add up.I had never wanted to harm anyone, but I knew that if I found the man I once called brother, it would be very difficult for me not to kill him for taking my daughter.I ran to the living room and called Nikolay, who answered on the second ring. I couldn't help but tell him the events hasti
Perverse PlanMikeI knew I had behaved like a pig with Margaret, but I was truly going crazy without her, and it had always been the two of us... until that damn Nikolay Ivanov got in the way.I had to lie that I was going to distance myself from them to get him off my back, but I also knew people and had my tricks to give his men the slip, and with the help of a favor, I was already on my way to New York.Margaret didn't want to see me, but I needed to confirm that the rumors about her giving birth to a daughter from that damn Russian mutt were true. I needed to see it with my own damn eyes.I glanced at the clock. It was lunchtime, and for sure my Margo was with that guy, living the life I had yearned for all my life.Since the confrontation we had that night in the park, I had avoided crossing paths with him by all means, and I even gave Margaret a choice, but I had to leave far away and now I was back.I couldn't believe what had happened; Margaret had gone through a lot, and the
A ProposalNikolayI had to travel to Russia following an important lead and sort out some matters.I missed my wife and daughter terribly, so I sent for them when I realized my affairs were going to delay me more than expected.We then spent another week in New York. I made sure to see Margaret every day when I had a free moment, as the rest of the day I was busy running errands and working like crazy to wrap up all my business.I didn't want to condemn my daughter to a bad life, nor Margaret, although I wasn't ready to break this news to her yet.During those days, I didn't encounter Mike again, and that was a relief. The bastard had begged me for mercy, and although I usually didn't give it to anyone, I thought of Margaret and how sad she would be if I ended her only brother, even if he was an asshole.It's not like I cared in the slightest about what he thought, but I had to keep an eye on him from now on, mainly because he loved Margaret, or so he said. Besides, I was sure that i
Family DinnerI didn't know Nikolay's brothers well, but the last time they all appeared together; it had been fun, crazy, and overwhelming at the same time.One thing all the Ivanov brothers had in common was their love for splurging money and, above all, arguing with each other over any little thing.Although they hadn't had the chance to travel yet, Nikolay's brothers had photos of Kat, and they had sent her beautiful gifts, although I had to return one or two.It seemed that Yarik thought a necklace and earrings of rubies were appropriate for a baby who hadn't even turned two yet.After he got the message, he deigned to copy his sisters' gifts and sent toys and clothes. The only brother who had held baby Kat in his arms was Levy. Nikolay acted as if he didn't care, but he couldn't completely hide the smile on his face.But my daughter hadn't met her grandparents yet, and that terrified me a little.Victoria and Alexey Ivanov, as always, looked like they came out of a magazine, but
The Baby On The Way"LOOK AT THE DAMN ROAD, NIKOLAY IVANOV!" she screamed with panic, almost deafening me."Is it time already? Are you giving birth?" I felt my heart in my mouth, Margaret seemed to be pushing and I didn't want to receive her under these circumstances. "Damn it, what do I do?!""Just keep driving! Ahhhh!" she screamed and the pained groan sent shivers down my spine.I felt like I was going to lose my damn mind.We raced to the emergency room and they almost had to put me on a gurney, but I didn't want to miss the birth of my daughter, so I had to behave like a true man and get up from there, having one of the most memorable episodes when I heard my baby's cry.My girl, a beautiful baby girl whom I could smother with kisses, starting with those chubby cheeks."You're strong and brave, baby," I kissed her sweaty forehead and she smiled at me. "I'm so proud of you.""Thank you for being with me and for staying for the delivery," she smiled half-heartedly, looking quite t
LeakageDays later"Sir, I have to inform you about a Code Orange."Damn."What's going on, Tyrell?" A shiver ran down my spine."Sir, I've been called by the police, where Mike was detained, reporting that he escaped and they haven't found him yet."The hair on the back of my neck stood up."Tyrell, how is that possible?" I pounded the table in frustration. "Call Abel and sort this out now."My mind raced; I couldn't believe it. He was sick. Would he come here?Margaret.I looked at Tyrell with wide eyes, and he nodded with concern. He knew what I was thinking."Have Luca be Margaret's bodyguard. I don't want her going anywhere alone, understood?" Tyrell nodded. "Alright, I want Luca with her. I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll try to convince him," I sighed and rubbed my temples.This would be a problem, I knew it. This was a sign that someone like me didn't deserve to be happy; eventually, the darkness of my past would catch up with me, preventing me from being happy."Yes, sir.
HitsNikolayAfter leaving Margaret with my sister and Kate, I couldn't help but feel uneasy, like a strange premonition in my stomach.I was sure it wasn't paranoia; it was a feeling I had often when danger was looming, and I hoped none of our enemies would dare to ruin my wife's vacation, because they would have to deal with me.I was capable of pulling out someone's teeth one by one if they interfered.I tried to relax and called Will; he could surely cover for me for a few days while I stayed close to Margaret, just in case.I left the hotel where I was staying, wanting to clear my mind and wondering if it was Jennifer or that idiot Mike lurking around to continue messing with our lives.I strolled leisurely, contemplating the scenery, but something interrupted my peaceful walk. Someone managed to block me and threw me to the ground roughly.Seeing that it was Mike, I counted to ten. I had to avoid hurting him by all means, or Margaret would be angry. We hadn't talked about what w
JealousMy brother smiled."Don't worry, if they're leaving, we'll go after them," he said sympathetically.I raised an eyebrow."Seriously? I thought you didn't repeat," I joked. "And now you want to go after a girl? What happened to 'if I've seen you once, I don't remember you'?""I like her like no other, but you know what women want from us," he chuckled.Being in our position was sometimes a curse. You never knew when or who might stab you in the back. Women's eyes lit up when they knew you had money."I want to take it slow with her, get to know her, see how things go," he nodded. He was right to take it slow if he wasn't sure."If she's still around tomorrow, we can meet up for dinner or drinks around 4," he patted my shoulder. "I haven't seen you in quite some time," he reminded me.My brother and I got along very well, but we had both been immersed in work, unable to find anything else that motivated us more. Now I had found it: my precious goddess, and I had seen her displea