Page 121 of Beyond Enemy Vows

By the time the dust settled, Niko stood as Don of the Petrou family. The younger lieutenants who'd been under Stavros's paranoid leadership welcomed the change. The older ones who might have caused problems—well, they weren't problems anymore.

Naturally, a Kastaris-Petrou alliance forged, for real this time. Sealed not with business contracts or territorial agreements, but with love. With the life growing inside me.

A twig snaps behind me, bringing me out of my thoughts and back to the present. I turn to see Ares walking toward me in a crisp black tux.

"You look beautiful," he says, sitting down on the bench beside me.

"Thank you," I say with a smile. "You look very handsome." I brush off a leaf from his shoulder.

We sit in comfortable silence for a moment before he turns to me.

"I've always tried to protect you," he says suddenly. "Even when I didn't understand what you needed protection from. Even when I got it wrong."

"You did protect me," I say to him. "All of you did. You gave me the strength to protect myself."

His hand finds mine, squeezing gently. "Even if you're about to have babies of your own, you'll always be my baby sister."

"Babies? You think there's more than one in here?"

"God, I hope not. Petrou twins would be a nightmare."

We laugh together as I give him a playful slap on the shoulder. I feel as happy as I can.

"I have the best brothers in the world," I say, meaning it more than I ever could have before.

Ares smiles and then stands, straightening his jacket.

"Ready?" he asks, extending his hand to me.

I take his hand and rise from the bench, smoothing the front of my wedding dress where the bump is just beginning to show. The sound of music drifts to us from beyond the garden, the first notes of the processional.

I tilt my head back and look at the perfect blue sky, cloudless and infinite. I close my eyes for a moment, letting the sun warm my face, feeling the gentle breeze against my skin.

When I open my eyes again, I look at Ares and smile so wide my cheeks hurt.

"It's a perfect day to marry the love of my life."

I slip my arm through his, and together we begin walking toward the ceremony. Toward my new life as a wife, and soon, a mother.

EPILOGUE

Several Months Later

Ishift slightly in the narrow bed, every muscle in my body aching in ways I never knew were possible. My hair sticks to my forehead in damp strands, and this hospital gown makes me feel like I'm drowning in scratchy cotton. But none of that matters.

Because wrapped in the soft blue blanket in my arms is the most perfect thing I've ever seen.

My son.

His tiny face is red and wrinkled, his miniature fist curled against his cheek. Dark hair covers his head, Niko's hair. But when he opened his eyes earlier, they were unmistakably mine.

"He's so small," I say, running my finger along his impossibly soft cheek.

Niko sits beside me on the edge of the bed, one hand holding mine, the other hovering nervously over our son. He's stillwearing the same black T-shirt he threw on when my water broke at three in the morning. He looks exhausted too, but his eyes haven't left our son since the doctor placed him in my arms two hours ago.

"He's perfect," Niko says.

The baby stirs, his tiny mouth opening in what might be a yawn. Then he lets out a single, sharp cry.