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Children ran around the house, their little feet goingpatter, bitter, patter,on the checkered marble times—past the foyer, into the kitchen, and out to the backyard—jumping and squealing excitedly. The living room equally vibrated with enthusiastic energy and, from the kitchen, loud music played.
It was no one’s birthday. Lilianna said the news called for a celebration.
I didn't recognize the artist but Giselle said the title wasLivin'& Lovin'and that it sounded way better than Oprah's music. Honestly, I didn't care. In my mind, I was glad to be a positive influence.
We walked past the hallway, giggling, with glasses of Rosé and slices of lemon in our hands, and chatting about whether or not I would go with conventional or princess-style. They wore flip-flops, loose shorts, and colorful t-shirts, and let their hair down. While I opted for a long ponytail, and a black romper.
We joined the kids outside to continue our chat. The pitch-black sky spread across like a dark, clean slate, stretching far and wide beyond what our eyes could see. The stars were not out; still, it was mesmerizing.
The field was airy, the grasses were a bit overgrown, but there was a section that had been cleared, for tonight's purpose. Bright orange and red fiery flames burned in the center on a low fence-like iron barricade encircling it and a trail of thick dark smoke rose up to the heavens.
Giselle had proposed a pool party but Lilianna thought a bonfire would suit the occasion better. Watching the picturesque view now—the men gathered by the fire and the kids running towards them—I couldn't but agree.
Lazily, and with no care in the world, we strolled towards the lit section.
“Butterflies in your tummy?”
Giselle swirled the glass of wine in her hand and glanced at me with a bright smile. She slid her hands and teased the luscious waves of hair, picking a handful and letting them drop.
“Maybe just a little?”
“That's a fucking lie,” Lillianna teased, her speech slurring. She was tipsy—or most likely drunk. We had to hold up because she had a swagger in her steps.
“Someone's had a little too much to drink,” Giselle commented and, “Ow!” Our heads bumped against each other's but we laughed off the sting.
“You have a lot more than just a little fluttering in the tummy of yours. What you two have is love. It's been one month since … and you still don’t keep your hands off each other.”
Since the war.But she wasn't going to say it. They didn't talk much about it anymore—what happened with the Camorras? Lilianna said the family needed to move forward and faceotherobstacles.
“That’s never going to stop,” Giselle chuckled, and I blushed.
We got to the fireplace and the men turned to us, their faces lit in bright tones from the crackling flames. They stood together, Sergey, Nikolai, and the man who was soon to be mine in a few hours, tall and towering, compared to the small kids hugging their shins, each of them staring with hard looks on their faces.
At the sight of their wives, Sergey and Nikolai's heavy gaze softened. Giselle moved towards her husband and Sergey marched closer to take his wife.
“Hi,” she mumbled sleepily and leaned against her husband. His eyes settled on me and I felt my stomach sink. His gaze was hard and direct. The orange light reflected on his black hair that was sleeked back, and on his firm jaw.
At that moment, Sergey looked ten times more intimidating than I'd ever seen.
“You.” His tone was cold and detached. His broad back faced his brothers, shielding me away from their sight. If he wanted to kill me, he could do so now and it'll be too late before any of them saved me.
I teetered backward with wide eyes and gulped. A low growl rumbled at the back of his throat. “You almost got my family ruined.”
A string of apologies rolled on my tongue and I got ready to dish them out… anything to save my life. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.”
His spine stiffened and he straightened. The embers in his sights dulled and he grunted. “I know.”
What?
I couldn’t believe my ears. Sergey Vadim just said somethingrelativelynice to me. I arched a brow and frowned, feeling a tinge of my confidence boost. “You... you do?”
He sighed and shifted his weight, to support Lillianna who’d passed out with her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. They looked cute together and, despite their notable differences, like the sweetest couple ever.
“You’re a part of us now, Mariana. My brother chose you and we all see that you are good for him.” He gave a curt nod and crouched, gathering his wife in his arms bridal style. “Welcome to the family.”
He brushed past me and, honestly, for a minute I couldn’t breathe.
“Mariana?”
