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Ever since I met Kat and the tests came back confirming she was my blood, with Mila locked away in her father’s condo, that wrath came to life and accompanied me as I sent my fist into the new Balakin head’s face.
Alphonse was a cousin of Sergey’s and tried to fill the power gap. The man was clueless and talentless, but he still tried his hardest to fight back. I got a few good swings in before the scrap was broken apart, Aleksei teeming with anger as he yanked me back while the Balakin goons did the same to their man.
Ivan would be furious the moment he found out, but I didn’t care. I needed somewhere to direct my fury. I needed that release to keep myself sane.
I wasn’t out to kill the guy but to rough him up and flex our power in Miami. I wanted to protect my child and send them the message that I would do whatever it took to make that happen.
The Morozovs were alive and well, and we never backed down from anything.
Steam gathered in the bathroom, slicking the mirror and every surface with condensation. I exhaled deeply, scrubbing away at the dry blood. The diluted fluid turned the water pink as it streamed against the shower floor and swirled into the drain.
It wasn’t the greatest part of the job, but I was used to seeing it anyway.
My mind wandered to Kat then, and how touched I had been already just from seeing her. From finally being around her, prepared to offer her anything she wanted. If she demanded the world, I would give it to her without any questions asked.
In such a short time, she became the center of my life, and I would do anything to keep her happy and healthy.
But it wasn’t just Kat I needed to protect. Her mother was a package deal, no matter how I felt about her. No child should be taken away from her mother, and regardless of how badly I wished to avoid her, Kat needed her, too.
To my dismay, Mila made it impossible for me to forget about her. She made me want her without lifting a finger, even if she ran from me once.
I’d have my fill of her sooner rather than later, after the wedding. Maybe then I’d be able to get it out of my system and focus on more important things. Like spending time with Kat, and the war against the Balakins.
No matter the issues in my personal life, I had to be on top of my game, and offer myself as the soldier my brother needed. This family was all I had, and I’d be damned if I let them down.
The wedding struck dread in my gut, and I sighed, running the bar of soap across my body.
I doubted Mila even had a proper dress. That formed a pit of regret in my stomach, even if I didn’t understand it.
The wedding would be nothing but a rushed one to secure our alliance and to ensure we didn’t weasel out of our deal. It would be sealed, and Grigory Lukin would have his way.
Clenching my fist around the soap, I grimaced at the thought of his triumphant smirk, and I dropped it carelessly. Once I was thoroughly rinsed off, I shut the water off and stepped out, breathing in the thick steam that filled the room.
I toweled down and dried my hair before wrapping it around my waist and padding into the bedroom. My suit was already laid out on the bed, along with my black shoes and tie.
Sighing, I got ready as quickly as I could, aware that my brothers were already waiting in the church. Catching hell about starting problems with the Balakins was the least of my worries at the moment, and I pushed everything aside while I got dressed and sorted myself out.
Regret gripped my entire being as I got in the elevator and made my way down, absently counting away the seconds of my life as an unmarried man.
The worst part of it all, I had considered marrying Mila before anything was out in the open. I wondered what it would be like to wake up next to her every day, to know she would be waiting for me at home, or in one of our nightclubs.
It wasn’t how I had imagined it, and everything was stained by her lies.
“Cheer up,” Aleksei murmured to me smugly with his arms folded behind his back, standing with me and our other brothers at the pulpit. “This is a wedding, not a funeral.”
I scowled at him, firing back, “It could turn into a funeral if you’d like.”
Ivan knocked the back of Aleksei’s head, correcting him with a warning look. Aleksei straightened himself out, despite his persistent smirk.
Surprisingly, they all dressed up in their suits and shined shoes, the only indicator that a wedding was about to be underway in the church.
Looking around, only my brothers, Reina, Dmitri, and one of Grigory’s men filled the building, waiting for the makeshift ceremony to begin.
My unimpressed expression transferred to Grigory Lukin at the far end of the aisle, urging Kat to move down with a basket of rose petals in her hands. His impatient hand against her back, wanting her to hustle made my blood boil. He wanted it done as soon as possible, to ensure our part of the bargain was fulfilled, and he could get everything he wanted.
Grigory stood up again as Kat wandered down the aisle by herself, tossing the petals as she saw fit. She seemed confused as to why she was there, yet still happy to be given a job appropriate for her.
Watching my daughter walk in her pink dress, her smile bubbling as she saw me made my heart squeeze. Getting to know her better was the very thing I looked forward to the most, having the chance to make up for the lost time.
