HopelessnessMargaretWherever I went, I couldn't see him because of the hood covering my head.I trembled from head to toe, praying to the heavens that Nikolay would realize soon and rescue me from the hell I was surely being taken to. I tried not to sob and held my belly protectively, straining my ears to whatever I could hear.I wanted to see where I was going; the uncertainty was killing me, as well as the sadness of not being able to see Nikolay, not being by his side as planned.Who would be the son of a bitch capable of planning something like this? Of ending my happiness in just moments?I felt my eyelids weighing heavy from the time I had been imprisoned; I didn't even have a sense of how much time had passed. My head throbbed with pain, and my legs trembled; I felt like I was going to faint.They released me, and I fell to the ground, hearing murmurs around me; I groped to retrieve my phone, but it was snatched away from me, and soon I had three silhouettes in front of me, o
Reality or fantasy I felt Nikolay, even before seeing him.I didn't know how to explain it; I just knew he was there, even before stepping off the bus.I looked ahead, and although the streets were almost empty at that hour, I could see Nikolay; the darkness of the night didn't allow me to see him completely, but I could tell it was him, and apparently, he had seen me too.He walked towards me at a fast pace, almost trotting. If my legs weren't weak and I wasn't pregnant as I was, I would run to him. But I didn't need to run; Nikolay came to me, he dropped my bag on the ground and enveloped me in a tight and comforting hug.I couldn't care less about the bills inside; I just wanted to be in Nikolay's arms."Margaret, darling," he whispered in my ear. "Damn, baby, I missed you."I felt whole like I hadn't felt in months when I was finally taken into his arms. His voice, his arms, his smell, his face... I missed everything about him.I didn't want to ever separate from him again, never
Nightmare"Come on, my love," he spoke with a seductive tone that made me grimace in disgust. "Don't tell me you feel nothing. Everything's for you," he ran his hands over his torso.I felt my stomach churn.He sat on the bed and placed a hand on my leg. I jerked away and removed it."I swear to God I'll kill you if you touch me again," I said fiercely."If you're not mine, you won't be that bastard's," he replied in the same tone."Don't even mention him!" I shouted. "You don't even compare to him, Nikolay is a real man, I can't even feel a shred of desire for you, you idiot.""You asked for it," he looked at me with anger and frustration. "You'll come to your senses, Margo. I love you."I didn't even know what he meant by that, but I was afraid he might be hurting Nikolay or someone else I cared about, like Sasha.The door closed, and thank God, I was left alone. I lay down on the bed and cried silently. How much longer would this last?I caressed my belly, much larger than the last
RescueI didn't give a damn who that bastard was associated with, he could be associated with God himself for all I cared, but all his allies would fall by my hand, just like the damn Nazis."We're ready, sir," Tyler spoke by my side, and I nodded, feeling my weapon and praying to heaven that the sicko hadn't done anything to her."The damn Nazis wouldn't even do something close to what I plan to do to you, bastard," I muttered to myself, a malicious grin on my face. "I will make you suffer like never before for taking my woman. You can count on that."We drove several cars to the address Tyler had given us. There was a lot of underbrush, and the place was secluded. It took us many hours, and I was already anxious to get my hands on that damn bastard, but he was elusive and escaped at the first opportunity, leaving me with murderous cravings to chase him to hell itself."Will, take charge!" I pointed to the little house where my Margaret should be and went out to hunt down that damn s
Reencounter"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, ma'am, we searched for you tirelessly," he looked at me intently, "Nikolay has had it the worst, he didn't want to eat either and could barely sleep, he seemed like a living zombie, he just planned to rescue you and see you again."I felt a tightness in my chest."He should have stayed to rescue me," I muttered with a pained voice.Will sighed, probably thinking the same as me."I told him to stay, but you know how stubborn he is, besides rescuing you, he wanted to seek justice and take revenge, he couldn't bear knowing that his brother…""He's not my brother anymore," I said with a dry voice, my chest burning with pain."Well," he said compassionately, "Nikolay is very impulsive and would do anything to protect you, he almost went crazy without you, so he wanted to have Mike's head before he fled the country, but he assures that he'll be with you as soon as we arrive in Moscow.""Okay," I sighed, leaning back in the seat."He hasn
A dream come trueShe stood up and her arms tightly wrapped around my neck, we hugged while we cried and let out all the pain of these past months without being with her.I caressed her thin and fragile body and wanted to scream in frustration, her crying was heart-wrenching, and my heart shattered into a thousand pieces seeing her so bad.I buried my nose in her soft hair, and her warm scent invaded my senses. Jasmine, home, Margaret. My Margaret.I kissed her head, her cheeks, and her hands frantically, desperate to feel her."I love you, I love you. You don't know how much I missed you, I was dying without you," I looked into her eyes, flooded like mine, and we hugged, unable to stop crying.How much harm had been done to us.She looked at me and inspected my face, touching my cheeks and arms, probably still believing she was dreaming.She hugged me tightly and cried."Shhh, it's okay, baby, I'm here with you. I'll never leave you alone again," I stroked her hair and back. "I love
Love and DesireI opened my eyes to behold the most wonderful sight I could have during all this time.My wife, the mother of my baby, and the person I loved most on this planet, slept peacefully by my side, wrapped in my embrace.Now I was sure that heaven must be exactly like what I feel when I see Margaret sleeping beside me.I moved carefully not to wake her; she had fallen asleep not long ago, and I wanted her to rest.I took a shower and dressed casually; dark jeans and a blue shirt. I kissed Margaret on the head and went out to put order in our world.My wife was sexy, beautiful, intelligent, powerful... she had it all, and she was all mine.I looked up and saw her in the doorway, wearing one of my shirts and her long legs bare. Damn, I already had an erection just from looking at her.She approached me slowly, skirting the desk, and leaned against it, sensually crossing her legs. I ran my eyes over her body, licking my lips, and looked into her eyes, full of desire and lust.I
Settling accounts"Are we sure we won't run into fifth-rate hitmen who'll just waste our time?" Leonid spoke, the first words he had uttered all night.Will and I exchanged a look at Leonid's question."Why do you think Arnold is here? He can't afford security for his old house, he fled and ended up in the worst district. We'll go in and out walking. Our cop friends don't show up, even when they're needed. It's the worst place Arnold could be," I replied."But what if we go in and it's just a woman with her two kids at home? No one can know we entered," Leonid countered."It's 3:00 am, if there are kids, then they're sleeping. Worst-case scenario, we ask her to give them voluntary amnesia for the nice sum of $10,000," I reasoned."The only dead one today is going to be Arnold, right? Promise me that," Leonid demanded."The only blood we're seeking to shed is Arnold's," Will assured Leonid.Everything happened quickly. We entered the house. It's a mess; broken things and smells like sh
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