Page 20

Chapter Twenty

Elena

“W hat is the meaning of this?” my mother demands as she yanks on my arm, tugging me away from Aiden. “You were supposed to marry Viktor. Viktor! Not this.. this…” She waves her hand at Aiden. “Not this filthy hitman who kidnapped you.”

“Get your hands off her,” Aiden warns.

She huffs. “Do you hear this man? Thinking he can tell me what to do. I am Elena’s mother. I am the great Viktoriya Romanov. You will show me some respect.”

“I don’t respect you. Not when you’re manhandling Elena.”

“You stupid girl,” she says to me. “You could have had everything with Viktor. Wealth and prestige. Instead, you’re choosing this man?”

“I love him,” I say simply.

Erik sighs, rubbing his hand over his face. “And that’s the problem. Viktor is going to start a war. The very thing I wanted to avoid. Maybe I can still convince him to come back and change his mind.”

“Erik,” Anya says. “Elena isn’t going to marry Viktor. She doesn’t love him.”

“But I cannot have a war on our hands again.” He cups her face, drawing her in close. It’s a very intimate gesture. “I cannot risk you getting hurt because of this.”

“Well, it’s happening,” Dante says. “And I’m not crazy about it either. I don’t want Nadia to get hurt.”

“I doubt Viktor would hurt us,” Anya says as she pulls away from Erik and takes her sister’s hand. “He’s not going to hurt any woman. I’ve never gotten that sense from him. But you and your men are at risk. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Exactly. So I should go convince Viktor to change his mind.”

Anya shakes her head in a quick motion. “Erik, Viktor is not going to change his mind. Elena just told him that she had sex with Aiden. That she’s in love with Aiden. He’s not going to marry her now. It’s done, unfortunately. But there is some good that can come from this.”

“What?” he scoffs.

Anya gives me a soft smile. “Allow Elena and Aiden to marry.”

I gasp. Beside me, Aiden stands up straighter.

“You would do that?” I ask.

“Their relationship is what’s gotten us into this mess,” Erik grumbles.

“I know. So we rectify it. If Elena doesn’t marry Aiden, she’s ruined forever in the eyes of the Bratva. This way, if they marry, it’s another way to cement your power with Dante.” She looks to Dante. “Am I right?”

Dante contemplates the offer. “She’s right. Our combined forces can take on Viktor. And we need to stop fighting. It’s not getting us anywhere. We need to learn to trust each other.”

“That’s hard to do,” Erik admits.

“Don’t I fucking know it. But if we want to stop Viktor, then we need to be on the same side to do it. No more fighting. Aiden is my friend. It would help if he could live and marry Elena. It would help cement the Mafia and Bratva together.”

“He’s not even the Mafia,” a man in the crowd shouts. One of Erik’s men.

“He is when he works with me,” Dante snaps back. “This is a good deal given the circumstances.”

“It is,” Anya says. “And I can’t believe I just agreed with Dante but… here we are. Erik, if you allow Elena and Aiden to marry, then some good can come from this. It will build trust between you and Dante and it will help you stand against Viktor. And this way, Elena’s reputation won’t be ruined. And she can be happy. And I suspect, so can Aiden, even though I don’t know him well enough to know.”

“It would,” Aiden says, taking my hand in his. “It would make me happy.”

“You want to marry me?” I ask him.

His eyes soften as he gazes down at me. “I never told you because I didn’t want it to hurt as much but I love you, Elena. I want to be with you and if this is the way, I’ll gladly take it.”

With a gasp, I throw my arms around him and he holds me tight, making me feel safe and warm.

“See?” Anya says. “They clearly love each other. Let’s not deny them this. You can try to make amends with Viktor later.”

“I don’t know how,” Erik states.

She places her hand on her husband’s cheek. “You will figure it out. For me and our future baby. You always figure it out. You managed to become allies with your enemy.” She nods at Dante. “If anyone can make amends with Viktor, it’s you. Just give him time.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith into a man who just declared war on us.”

“I’m putting faith into the fact that Viktor is not an evil man. Just a scorned one. He’s not stupid. He’s amassed a lot of power because he’s a smart man. He won’t want to put his own sister at risk. You can find another way to appease him but it’s not going to be with Elena. And honestly, it shouldn’t be with any woman. I don’t like when women are used as bargaining chips for men and power. That has to change.”

Erik’s lips shift into a small smile. “You’re always so smart, aren’t you?”

“That’s why you love me. Now, let’s let Elena and Aiden be happy. One good thing.”

With a sigh, Erik turns to me and Aiden. “My wife makes good points. And she’s right. Viktor is not an option right now and even though I’m not exactly happy about this, some good can come from this. You two can marry.”

“It’s a good thing you’re already in a wedding dress,” Dante comments.

“Right now?” I ask.

Anya shrugs. “Why not? It would be better to marry you now before Viktor can do anything. It will help keep you safe.”

“And Aiden gets to live?” I ask.

Erik sighs. “Aiden gets to live.”

“Are you ready to do this?” I ask Aiden, staring up into his warm eyes.

“If you’re ready.”

“I love you, so yes, I want to marry you.”

Aiden hugs me close. “Then let’s get married.”

Finn steps forward and grabs Aiden’s shoulder, pulling him away from me. “Hold on. Are you seriously going to do this? You’re going to choose to work with Erik and Dante? After everything?”

“They’re the ones who are going to keep me alive. And if I can be with Elena, then I’ll work with whoever I can to make that happen.”

“But it’s supposed to be you and me, working together, killing together. You’re just going to give that up?”

“For Elena? Yes.”

Aiden’s words warm my heart like nothing ever has. For the first time since my father died, I feel my heart starting to heal.

Finn scoffs. “I can’t fucking believe this.”

“You still killed Ivan,” Erik says to Finn. “That can’t go unpunished.”

“You’re going to kill me?”

Dante raises his hands and cuts Erik off before he can speak. “Since we’re allowing Aiden to live, I think we should do the same with Finn. Show mercy. Put any war behind us.”

“But he killed Ivan,” Erik growls. “He needs to be punished.”

“And he can be,” Dante agrees. “Just not killed. We can torture him, then let him go.”

“Just for him to strike against us again? For him to kill another of my allies?”

Dante arches an eyebrow. “Your allies? Don’t you mean our allies? We need to start working together better, Erik.”

“This is bullshit,” Finn hisses. “You can’t control me.” He whips out his gun and points it at Erik and Dante. Both men shield their wives from him. “My own brother is betraying me. I refuse to work with anyone who thinks they can control me. I will not be placated just so you men can feel better about yourselves. Either kill me now or let me go.”

“You have a fucking gun pointed at us,” Dante says.

“Then I’ll kill you before you get the chance to kill me.”

Aiden steps in front of Dante. “Just go, Finn. Before you get shot. Before you kill someone else. Just go.”

For the first time since I’ve met Finn, I see pain in his eyes. I didn’t know that he was capable of that.

“You’re really choosing this?” he asks his brother.

Aiden nods once. “I am.”

“You’re not even sorry?”

“No.”

Finn stumbles back down the aisle. “You’re going to regret this, Aiden. You’re ruining everything for some girl.”

“When you find love someday, you’ll understand.”

“I will never fall in love. I’m incapable of it.” Finn walks backward until he reaches the church doors. His eyes are saying goodbye. He slips through a crack in the doors and is gone.

Finn is going to be trouble in the future, I just know it. But for now, he’s not a problem I need to deal with.

Aiden wraps his arm around me. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Why are you sorry? You can’t help who your brother is.”

“But he hurt you. And I can’t make myself kill him.”

“I know. He’s your brother and he always will be. But he doesn’t need to be a part of our marriage.”

“Our marriage, huh?”

“Let’s hurry this up,” Erik says. “Before anyone else storms through those church doors and tries killing us all.”

Aiden holds my hand as we stand on the dais.

“This is a mistake,” my mother says. “She cannot marry him.”

Erik holds up a hand to silence her. “It’s happening, Mrs. Romanov. You will not get in the way.”

“I can and I will.” She runs up the steps and shoves herself between me and Aiden. “You cannot marry this man. He is a hitman. He’s done terrible things. Be smart about this, Elena.”

I glare at my mother. I want her to feel all the pain and suffering she has caused me over the years. “I am done listening to you. You’ve controlled me long enough. I’m moving out and you’ll never see me again.”

She gapes at me. “You can’t mean that.”

“I do mean it, Mother. You’ve been nothing but terrible to me all my life. And finally, I am strong enough to leave you. You can be all alone. You pushed me away. That’s on you.”

“You can’t mean that. Elena.” She reaches her hand out towards my face but Aiden grabs her wrist.

“Stop,” he warns. “Get out of the way.”

When my mother doesn’t move, he turns to Dante. “Can you get her out of the way?”

A sinister little smirk crosses Dante’s face. I have to remember that he still has some darkness in him. So does Erik. And so does Aiden.

Dante grabs my mom around the waist and hoists her down the steps. She tries fighting against him but he only holds onto her tighter.

Aiden and I turn to the priest, who looks uncertain about everything.

“Can we begin?” Aiden asks him.

“I’m not sure. I was supposed to marry Elena and Viktor today. Not… you.”

“Just do it,” Erik snaps, making the priest flinch. He probably knows what will happen o him if he doesn’t marry us right now.

After clearing his throat, the priest begins the service. This time, I listen to every word. I want to be as present as I can be in this moment with Aiden.

I never want to forget it.

When the time comes to exchange our vows, I’ve never been happier or more confident.

“Do you take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” Aiden states in a clear voice.

“And do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband?”

I don’t even hesitate. “I do.” My smile couldn’t be bigger. It honestly hurts my face but I don’t care because no one can take this happiness away from me.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss-,”

Aiden is already kissing me. It’s warm and soft and perfect.

It’s a kiss to start our new lives together – something neither of us thought possible. Even though there’s going to be a lot of storms ahead, as long as Aiden and I are together, I know we can handle anything.

Finn

I can’t believe my own brother betrayed me for a girl. Some inconsequential girl who he’ll get fed up with in a few months.

I’m now an outcast. Dante doesn’t want me working with him any longer. Aiden doesn’t want me. And that fucktard Erik is someone I’ve always hated.

I was taught by Patrick and then by Dante to hate the Russians. That they were conniving, greedy, little assholes who would fuck you over the first chance they got.

So it’s ironic that I’m turning to a Russian now for help.

The bar is upscale with black floors and low lighting and faint jazz music playing in the background. Fucking jazz music. This is not the place a man like me ever frequents. I go to shitty dive bars and sleep with cheap women for a night.

But this is the place Viktor Smirnov owns and right now, I need to speak with him.

He’s seated in a booth with two guards stationed in front of him.

“I need to talk with you,” I tell him.

He glances at me and scoffs before turning back to his drink. “Escort him out.”

Before his guards can grab me, I say, “Don’t you want revenge on Erik and Dante for fucking you over the way they did?”

He holds his hand up, halting the guards. “What about it?”

“Can I sit?”

With a sigh, he nods. The booth is one of the softest things I’ve ever sat on before. Upscale for sure. “What do you want?”

“I know you don’t like me and I sure as shit don’t like you. But it was my brother who stole your fiancée from you. Not me.”

“Bullshit. You were the first one to kidnap Elena.”

“But I never touched her. Never fucked her. Never tried to make her mine when she was engaged to someone else. I just wanted to hurt her. But now, I don’t give a fuck about hurting her. It’s not her I want to see pay. It’s Erik and Dante who think they can run this city. Who think they can make all the rules and tell everyone what they can and cannot do. I’m fucking sick of it.”

“What exactly are you saying?” Viktor asks, taking a sip of his drink.

“I’m saying we could work together to bring Erik and Dante down.”

“But won’t that hurt your own brother?”

“My own brother betrayed me. I want him to hurt for it. Trust me, I have no reservations about doing it.”

He leans back in his seat, eyeing me with suspicion. “But if you can turn on your brother like this, what’s stopping you from turning on me?”

My grin is savage. “Nothing. But I know Aiden. And I know Dante. Much better than you. You know Erik better than I do. We could work together to bring them all down. I have no loyalty to Dante or my brother. I just want to see them hurt. Don’t you?”

“I don’t agree with what happened. Dante made a fool out of me when he stole Nadia and then your own brother did the same thing when he stole Elena. I’m tired of it.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

He eyes his drink over. “It would be satisfying working with Aiden’s own brother to torture him. Give him a taste of what he did to me.”

“Exactly. Let’s burn them all to the motherfucking ground. What do you say?”

“I say that you’re crazy.”

“So?”

Viktor’s stern expression doesn’t change once. “But sometimes you need crazy to win.” He throws back his drink. “Ok, Finn. I’m interested. But if you try backstabbing me at any point, you’re done.”

“Understood.” My blood is thrumming with excitement. For bloodshed. For destruction. “So, what do you say?”

“You have yourself a deal. Let’s ruin Erik and Dante and your brother. Let’s take control of this city.”

Aiden

I carry Elena over the threshold to the apartment Dante had given me. I guess we’ll be staying longer than initially intended. Just long enough until I can buy Elena a new home where she’ll be safe from everything and anything.

Finn is still out there and who knows what he’s getting up to but I don’t let that worry me right now.

Right now, I just want to be with my new wife.

Wife. God. I never thought I’d be married. I never thought I’d ever find love. It was a wish I let go of many years ago when I made myself turn numb.

But now it’s a reality.

Elena giggles as I lay her on the bed. Her wedding dress is ridiculous so that’s why I don’t waste any time taking it off her.

She looks sexy in her white bra and panties. Good enough to eat.

“I love you,” I growl as I get on my knees and tug her hips to the end of the bed. I rip her panties down and place her legs over my shoulders.

Elena gasps the second my lips touch her clit. God, I could eat her out forever. She tastes like sweetness and the earth itself.

“Aiden,” she moans, tugging on my hair.

This is really it – we’re actually together. Somehow, it all turned out in the end, despite all the shit we’ll probably have to go through in the future.

I lick her harder, needing to consume all of her, needing to make sure she knows she’s mine. Elena arches her hips, panting and gasping for air. The little moans that escape her only serve to make my cock harder.

Right before she can come, I sit back and shove down my pants. I don’t even bother taking off the rest of my clothes. I just need her right now.

I thrust my cock into her. Elena’s pretty little lips part with pleasure and I can’t hold back any longer, so I kiss her with everything inside of me.

We cling to each other as we fuck. My hips thrust forward and her hips arch up. It’s a perfect rhythm.

Even though we’ve only had sex once before, Elena is a fast learner. She wraps her ankles around the backs of my legs and pulls me in deeper. Fuck. She’s perfection.

My hands slam onto the mattress to keep myself from falling on top of her. I thrust harder and harder into her.

Elena is just as desperate as I am as her hands dig into my back. Even through my shirt, I can feel her nails digging in. The pain only helps with the pleasure.

“Aiden,” she moans against my lips. God, I could hear her calling out my name forever.

“You are mine,” I say in a low voice. She trembles.

“I am yours.” Her eyes look up at me with awe and I’ve never felt more powerful than in this moment. Gone are my days of killing people for a job. Now, I’ll work for Dante and do as he tells me to do. I want to be the sort of man Elena can be proud of.

I want the stains of my past to be removed.

My pace becomes frantic. “I need you,” I groan out.

“You have me. Aiden!”

Our lips meet in a passionate, deep kiss that consumes both of us. We don’t break apart, not even as Elena tenses right before she comes, or when my own orgasm hits me.

We don’t stop kissing as our hips slow down, or when I lay on top of her, my cock softening inside of her.

Still, our lips never break apart as I slip out of her and pull her into my arms.

It’s only when she rests her head on my chest that we stop kissing.

“That was a much better wedding night than I ever could have hoped for,” she says.

“I’m glad. I can’t actually believe it. We’re married. We’re fucking married.”

Her laugh is like sunshine. “I know. Somehow, it worked out. Now we just have to deal with my mother. She’s not going to let this go.”

“It doesn’t matter what your mom thinks. We don’t have to be around her if we don’t want to. And if she comes by, we just won’t invite her in.”

“She’s going to try and make it hard for us.”

“We won’t let her. It’s you and me, Elena. That’s all that matters.”

She traces her finger along my chest, making me tremble. “What about your mom? I’d like to meet her.”

“You will. She’ll be a little sad she missed the wedding but she’ll understand. I know she’ll like you. She always wanted me to find love and now I have. There’s no way she won’t like you.”

“I’m happy to hear that. What about Finn? How do you feel knowing that you might never see him again?”

I sigh deeply and pull her closer into my body. “I doubt I’ll never see Finn again. He’s a hard man to make disappear. But he made his choices and I made mine. It was inevitable. We weren’t always going to remain the same. We went in opposite directions. I found love while he’s still stuck in hate. It makes me sad, I’ll admit. But I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything.”

“I’m sorry about your brother.”

“I know you hate him and have every right to.”

“I do,” she says. “But I know he means a lot to you and I know that must be hard to lose him.”

“I don’t want to talk about Finn any longer. I just want us to be together. We’ll get everything figured out. It might not be easy but we’ll make it that way.”

“I love you.”

I kiss her gently. “I love you.”

Elena

“Here it is.” I turn the canvas around so Aiden can see. “This is us.” I painted a portrait of us in an abstract way. There’s hints of us in the painting while surrounded by colors of red and orange. Colors of passion. Colors that represent us.

“It’s beautiful,” he murmurs. “I’ve never seen any of your paintings.”

The one I painted of Aiden is still at my mom’s house and I haven’t worked up the courage to go see her again. She’s just too much to handle. That painting is one I may never see again but it’s all right. I can just paint more.

“Now you have,” I say, snuggling into his side.

“I knew you had talent but this is something else.”

“I thought we could give it as a gift to your mom.” I met Fiona a few weeks ago and everything went better than expected. She was so welcoming and warm and made me feel like an actual daughter. Knowing I have a second chance at a mom is the best feeling in the world.

A second chance at a family.

“She’ll love it.”

“I want this to work,” I tell him. “You and me. Your mom. Our new family. Our new life. I lost my dad and as for my mom… I don’t know when I’ll ever see her again. I didn’t have a lot for a long time but now, I feel like I’m overflowing with so much. Thank you for that.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Aiden’s been working with Dante again and everything has gone smoothly. Erik’s been treating Aiden with respect, which I know means a lot to him. We have a future together now – something we never thought possible.

All it took was some sacrifices along the way but we’re here.

For the first time in my life, I feel seen.

And I’ve never been happier.

I finally have a real home and I’m not letting it go for anything.

The End

Read the fourth book in the series, Beautiful Deception, starring Inessa and Viktor HERE!