Page 91 of Savage Little War

I smile at him, knowing that I’m blushing. He still gives me butterflies when I see him, and he says things like that.

As the officiant addresses the crowd, I gaze up into Dmitri’s blue eyes, seeing the love in them. The passion. The determination.

All the things that he feels for me. What I think he can see in my own eyes.

“Dmitri will now say his vows.”

Dmitri smiles at me, and it feels like we’re the only people in the world. “Cara, you’re the most incredible thing to ever happen to me. You’re everything that I’ve ever wanted, even if I didn’t know it when we met. You inspire me. You fight by my side. You love me in a way that no one else ever has.”

I swallow hard as the tears try to resurface again.

“I promise that I will love you, cherish you, and protect you for the rest of our lives. You’re mine until my last breath, milaya,” Dmitri tells me.

It takes me a solid thirty seconds to fight my tears back before managing to say my vows.

With every part of me, I know that this is the man that I was always meant to spend my life with. And as we exchange rings and seal our promise of forever to each other with a kiss, I feel happier than I’ve ever felt before.

This is the moment that we’ve fought for. Bled for. Killed for.

It was all worth it.

After the ceremony, so much is a blur.

It’s fun, but a little chaotic. We all move into the nearby ballroom, and it doesn’t take long before liquor is flowing, and music is playing.

I move from guest to guest, many of whom I’ve never met, thanking them for coming and encouraging them to eat, drink, and dance. It’s going to be a long, fun night, but one without bloodshed.

“Congratulations!” Andrei says as he and Luca stand by the open bar

“Thank you,” I tell them, accepting a hug from both. “And thank you for keeping my husband alive last night.”

“He was a badass,” Luca replies, his smile a little stiffer than normal. “He’s the Pakhan now.”

My heart jumps. “Wait, what?”

“Dmitri crowned himself Pakhan,” Andrei says. “He’ll be a damn good leader as he reforms the new Council.”

A proud smile crosses my face as I nod in agreement. He will be a good leader. He’s meant for it.

“I think Mr. Badass wants to dance,” Luca tells me as he motions behind me.

I turn around and see Dmitri on the edge of the dance floor with a smile on his face. Not even three seconds later, I hear the announcer’s voice as he stands on the stage with the live band.

“Everyone, gather around. It’s time for Mr. and Mrs. Ivanov to have their first dance.”

My stomach flutters as I walk over to Dmitri, taking his hand and letting him lead me to the dance floor as everyone surrounds it. “Don’t let me trip and fall.”

Dmitri chuckles and turns me to face him, our hands falling into place. “Never.”

As the slow, romantic music starts, we move and sway together, falling into a natural rhythm. My nervousness melts away as he holds me close, our eyes locking.

“I heard you made yourself Pakhan,” I say.

Dmitri smiles and shrugs. “Someone has to lead the Bratva. I’ll make sure we all thrive again, that everyone has a voice. Our new allies will make us stronger than ever before.”

I glance in my father’s direction, sharing a warm look with him before turning back to Dmitri. “So, you’re like a king now?”

Dmitri chuckles as he pulls my body closer to his, his lips hovering next to my ear. “And you’ll be my queen, ruling beside me as we raise our family together.”