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“What?” Winter asked, shocked by what Nicolai was saying. He knew that Aspen’s mother died when she was an infant, but the woman was married to Porter’s father.
“Her mother and I knew one another very well. Our families were of different social classes, but we were in love. I was forced into the life I still lead now and that Nala’s parents didn’t want her to be part of. She married Porter’s father. They had Porter, but things between them changed. She was going to divorce him. Porter’s father suspected that I was seeing Nala and wanted her. He threatened Nala and she denied our involvement together. Nala and I saw one another. She got pregnant with Aspen and was going to leave her husband when someone threatened her, Porter, and the unborn child.
She gave birth to Aspen, and I had planned to take Aspen, Nala, and Porter in and care for them. Their father found out, and Nala and the baby were used against me in a decision I had to make for the family. But before I could even make the choice, Nala tried to lure the men away from her home so that Aspen and Porter would be safe, when she was killed.
Her husband never knew that Aspen was mine, but probably figured it out as soon as she grew older. There’s no resemblance to him whatsoever. She’s mine. I kept her and Porter safe over those years and had my own family watching over her and Porter and keeping eyes on Porter’s father. But he was a cruel evil man who died knowing that he had caused his wife’s death.”
“My God. Porter and Aspen don’t know any of this?” Winter asked him.
Nicolai shook his head. “I suppose one day we will need to tell them. But for now I leave Aspen in your hands. Do not fail her ever. Let me know your decision.”
Nicolai and Karlicov left the room and Winter looked at the others.
“What are we going to do?” Winter asked.
“What’s best for Aspen. Just like always,” Zin stated.
“It’s a lot to decide on,” Weston said.
“We do like Nicolai asked and we discuss it with Aspen,” York added.
“We may have no choice in the matter. Andrei isn’t dead. He just disappeared. We’ll always worry that he will seek revenge and come after Aspen again. Protecting her and maintaining control and power may be our only option,” Storm told them, and they nodded their heads and looked at Aspen.
York covered her hand and smiled. “Are you going to tell her about Nicolai?” York asked Storm.
“She deserves to know. Besides, if she accepts our hands in marriage, then the bloodlines cross and we’d automatically marry into the largest, strongest leader of the Russian mob.”
“Holy fuck. Then the decision is made,” Zin added.
“Unless Aspen doesn’t want that life. We give it all up for her. For love,” Storm said.
“All I care about is loving Aspen and keeping her safe and all ours to enjoy and cherish,” Winter said.
“Agreed,” Zin stated.
“Agreed,” they all said as they watched over her.
* * * *
Aspen stared at her five loving men as they gathered in their bedroom at home in Salvation. They had explained so much to her that her head was spinning. She had a million questions, but the two on the top of her mind were about her father and about their decision to continue their lives both legit and not so legit.
“Will he ever want to see me and acknowledge that I’m truly his daughter?” she asked them.
Weston caressed her cheek and swallowed hard. “It all depends on the decision we make. If we all agree to continue this life half legit, half not, and take our rightful places in the family, then all will know that you are the daughter of Nicolai Merkovicz,” Winter said.
“If we decline it all and give it up to Dmitri, and just focus on our businesses that are legit, then there’s hope that we could live a normal life. However, there will always be that threat of Andrei returning to seek his revenge. Even now, we can’t exactly stop the connections as we’re trying to clean house of Andrei’s messes,” York added.
“I don’t see why you all need to stop doing what has been your lives for many years. It took a lot of hard work to get where you are today. This is your family’s reputation, too, Storm. I don’t have a problem being under your protection and under guard if you all decide to expand your territory. I just hope that you won’t engage in some of the things Andrei did for money. I’m not naive. I get what goes on and that this is a dangerous life. That you all could wind up behind bars or dead. But I also know we make a great team. I don’t want to worry about Andrei returning and gaining power. Maybe my father is right. Maybe it’s in my blood. I love each of you so much,” Aspen told them.
“We love you, too. But I was thinking that maybe we can still go more legit than not. The territory is huge. Dmitri, being my cousin and all, can handle a lot of it on his own. Things like this have been done for generations. I think letting other family members hold on to the control on the front would work perfectly, while we remain in the background, but have the final say,” Storm said.
“It’s the best of both worlds, and we still get to make sure things are done right, and that no one can infiltrate our empire,” Weston added.
“I’m in,” Zin said.
“Me, too,” York added and they all agreed that they would handle it this way.
Storm leaned closer to Aspen and kissed her shoulder. “So, how does it feel to be a mafia princess?” he teased.
