Page 89 of Trapped By the Bratva

“Hmm.” He opened the door for me, standing with his cane while he waited for me to get into the passenger seat. “You’ll change after the wedding?” he guessed. “One for the ceremony and another for the party?”

I had to wait until he rounded the car and got in the driver’s seat before I could reply. “No. I can’t pick between the two, so Mila insisted I get both.”

“You could model them for me.” He smiled smugly as he drove. “I could help you decide.”

I huffed. “Last night, you said it didn’t matter what I wore. Ever.”

“Because I prefer you naked.”

I laughed. “I am not getting married naked.”

“Good. Only I get to see your bare body.” He took my hand and sighed. “You ever think about this?”

I laughed harder. “Getting married naked? No!”

“About getting married at all.” He glanced at me, serious and pensive. “If you ever would.”

I sighed. “Hmm. Yes and no. Sometimes, I’d wonder if it would be easier to find a sugar daddy or something. To get a man who’d provide for me so I wouldn’t have to work a lot and have Melissa take all my money.”

He furrowed his brow.

“But then just as often, I figured I would never want to get married because I’d hate to give up my independence. I had it since I was a child to survive.”

I frowned. “And then, I realized how good it would be to have a family, a real family, and I wondered how I’d ever have babies without meeting a non-sugar daddy man who wouldn’t challenge my independence.”

He blinked, perhaps regretting asking me that philosophical question at all after my rambling reply.

“Do you think being with me is a threat to your independence?” He looked at me quickly. “Being in the Bratva and always needing to be secure?”

“No.” I leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Not at all.”

“Okay.” He didn’t sound sure.

“I can’t wait to officially be your wife,” I told him. “You’re not a sugar daddy. I earned every dollar of putting up with your stubborn ass in those first weeks of your rehab at home.”

He chuckled.

“And you don’t threaten my independence. I appreciate having the protection, and it doesn’t confine me.”

“Good.”

“And I’m thrilled to be starting a family with you.”

He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles.

“What about you? Did you think you’d ever marry?”

“Before Alek stole Mila off the altar? No. Since he did, it seemed like all of us brothers fell, one by one.”

I smiled, watching his handsome, rugged profile. “You sure have.”

And I was over the moon to be a part of the Valkov Family’s expansion.

30

DMITRI

Isat back with my brothers and watched my wife laugh with Becca and Nadia.