Page 66 of Dark Bratva Christmas

I rush back and stand in front of her, grabbing ahold of both of her hands and smiling as I tell her to open her eyes.

She looks at me before taking in her surroundings. Her blue eyes soak in all the light from the glittering Christmas lights hanging in an arch above us. She smiles at the aisle I created in the snow with candy cane sidewalk lights and small Christmas trees decorated with red and gold ornaments.

“What is this?” Catarina lets out a laugh. “It looks like a North Pole wedding or something.”

I chuckle, my cheeks burning in the cold. “We didn't get married on our own terms, and because of that, we never exchanged wedding vows,” I explain.

I clear my throat. “This isn't an official ceremony, and no one else is around to witness it—thank fuck, because I feel like a cheesy weirdo. But it doesn’t matter, because this isn't for anyone else. It's just for us to commit ourselves to each other,not to our families, not to peace. This is just because I love you, and I want to share this moment with you.”

“I can't believe you did this,” Catarina says, completely awestruck. I pull a folded-up piece of paper out of my pocket, and Catarina clasps a hand over her mouth in surprise. “I didn't prepare anything.”

“It's okay,” I say, laughing as I squeeze one of her hands and begin. “It’s more important that I give them to you. Our marriage began unconventionally, and I thought I could never truly let you into my life. But soon enough, I realized you were mine, not just in name, but in heart. You became something I couldn't live without. Now, you are my world, the mother of my children, and the reason my house feels like a home. Without you, I wouldn't know love, and for that, I will be grateful to you the rest of my life. I promise I will always fight for you, protect you, and give you everything I have. I promise that I'll always love you, no matter what.”

I fold up the paper and stare at her, watching as a few tears stream down her face. She uses her shoulder to wipe the tears away.

“You don’t have to say anything,” I reassure her, leaning in for a kiss. But she shakes her head.

“I've actually thought about what I would have said to you at our wedding a thousand times,” Catarina laughs. “On that day, I wanted to hate you. I wanted you to know how much of an asshole I thought you were. When I realized what was happening, I didn't think there would ever be a chance I couldlove you. I had someone else in my heart, and I wasn't willing to let any of that go. But…”—her voice cracks—“Over the last year, you've shown me that I don't have to. You've accepted that there is a part of me that will always love Mikhail, and that doesn't terrify you. Nor intimidate you. And that’s real fucking love.”

Catarina squeezes my hands tight, staring up at me with a smile. “We might have started off on the wrong foot, but you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You gave me our two sons. You showed me what it is to be in love beyond just the infatuation. You've given me more joy than I ever thought you could. I am yours, but you're also mine. I love you so much, Matysh.”

She takes a deep breath and nods her head to let me know she's done.

“I think this is where we would have said ‘I do,’ then someone would have told us to kiss,” I say, leaning in. I point up so she sees the fact that I've hung mistletoe above us. “I had to make sure you’d actually kiss me.”

Catarina laughs and wraps her arms around my neck, standing on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. I hold her in my arms, the blanket dropping from her shoulders as I scoop her up and carry her back inside.

I bring her to bed, lying down next to her, knowing that the two of us never have to be apart again.

Because I’ve burned the whole world down for her once.

And I know I’d do it a million times over again.

The End