Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 89985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“No, it doesn’t.”
He took the ring out of the box and I watched, terrified in case the ring didn’t fit, but it slid right onto his finger. I had guessed at the size. Did this mean Peter and I were destined to be together?
In that moment, it felt so fucking right, and I threw myself into his arms, not wanting to let him go. Not now. Not ever.
He belonged to me, just as I belonged to him.
Epilogue
Niamh
Five Years Later
I watched as my husband and our five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter were in his arms by the edge of the pool, and then they jumped inside. I laughed as he pulled them out of the water. He was teaching them to swim, and he promised me he wouldn’t just throw them into the water.
Both of our kids had on armbands to help them float to the top. Not that they needed it. Peter wouldn’t allow them to drown.
When I’d given Peter that wedding ring five years ago, I had done so not knowing I was already pregnant with our son, Ivan Peter Orlov. Peter had insisted we name our son Ivan. As for our daughter, I knew it was a risk, but I had named her Kaitlyn. In a strange way, if it hadn’t been for Kaitlyn, Ivan would have never been in the hospital, and I’d have never met him. I wouldn’t have known Peter, and I wouldn’t be one happy woman enjoying the sunshine in the backyard.
I was also four months pregnant with our third child.
Peter loved when I was pregnant. We loved having kids.
Our marriage wasn’t perfect. There were times we did fight and didn’t quite meet eye to eye, but we never broke up. We always came back together and figured out how to make it work.
Ivan had known that I’d not said a word about what I knew about Kaitlyn, and after he learned about my pregnancy, I had the Volkov tattoo wrapped around my wrist. I had wanted it around my ankle, and I knew Ivan had been tempted to give me what I wanted, but all the wives of the Brigadiers who had earned their places held the same ink in the same place. It was ivy surrounding a V. It was a beautiful, delicate design.
With our son and daughter paddling in the water, Peter swam toward me, pulling me into his arms. I laughed as he tickled my armpits before sliding his arms around my waist.
“How are my precious bundles?” he asked.
This made me smile. “I’m feeling like the size of a tank, but I think he or she is okay.”
We didn’t know the sex of the baby. Peter loved the element of surprise. For a guy who wasn’t big on surprises, he loved it when I surprised him and when our babies did.
He kissed my neck as our children gave out a squeal. “Thank you,” he said.
“What for?”
“For choosing me.”
As if I had a choice. I had fallen in love with Peter when I first met him, and that love had grown. There was no one else I wanted more in my life than Peter Orlov. The love of my life.
****
Peter
I should have known peace wouldn’t last. Not when Ivan had the rest of the Brigadiers descend on my territory. Slavik, Aurora, Adelaide, Andrei, Charlotte, and Ive, as well as Victor, The Butcher, and The Beast were all invited to my country home to enjoy my barbeque, and the time I intended to spend with my wife and kids.
In our own way, we were one big, happy family. Our kids were all playing in the pool.
Niamh was enjoying the other women’s company, and I got to watch her. With pregnancy, she just glowed. I knew through Ivan’s pregnancy, we’d both been nervous. I had to coax Niamh out of the penthouse because she’d been so afraid of losing another baby.
Once Ivan was in her arms, though, everything was okay. We’d known it was going to be okay.
I glanced over at The Butcher and The Beast, who were playing with the kids in the pool, and I couldn’t help but look toward Ivan, who was also watching them. Victor was also talking with Slavik and Ive.
“Have you made your choice yet?” I asked.
“I will make my choice when I have to.”
“You know, you could always get The Butcher and The Beast to come to some arrangement. Maybe marry them off or something.” I offered it as a suggestion.
Ivan merely nodded his head, but he didn’t say a word.
“Thank you,” I said, after a moment’s silence.
He turned toward me. “Not just for helping me all those years ago and trusting in me, but also for giving Niamh to me.”
Niamh had signed over all the Byrne empire belongings, which included a great deal of money and several properties. She told Ivan to do with it as he saw fit. Last I heard, the money had been invested into the properties, and hostels had been set up for men and women who’d been abused.