Page 204 of Nine Months to Love

“Seriously. She told me this morning.”

Arielle blushes as red as the rose bushes. “I wanted to wait until after the wedding to say anything to you guys, but Mr. Blabbermouth here insisted he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

I pull Iakov into a bear hug. “Congratulations. That’s amazing.”

“Our kids won’t be far apart in age,” he says when we separate. “They can grow up together.”

The thought makes something warm spread through my chest. Family.Realfamily. Not the twisted, broken nightmare I grew up with, but something whole and good.

“I’d like that,” I say.

We talk for a while longer. About the baby, the business, the future, all the many blessings we don’t deserve but that we get to enjoy anyway.

Iakov has withdrawn all the FBI cases against me. Without his cooperation, the feds are toothless. He’s also accepted a position in my company—on the legitimate side, far away from the Bratva.

I want to build something clean,he’d said.Something I can be proud of.

I understood that. I’m trying to do the same.

When I finally pull away from the conversation, I go searching for my wife. She’s dancing with Babushka, the two of them laughing as they spin in slow circles.

I watch them for a moment. Then I cut in.

“May I?” I ask Babushka.

She pats my cheek. “I suppose I’ll have to allow it.”

I take Olivia’s hand and pull her close. The music shifts to something slower. We sway together, her head resting against my chest.

“Are you happy?” I ask.

“Ecstatic. Are you?”

“More than I ever thought possible.”

She tilts her head back to look at me. “Good.”

We dance for a while longer. Then I lean down and whisper in her ear. “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.”

I take her hand and lead her away from the party, deeper into the garden. The music fades behind us. The lights dim.

We walk until we reach a quiet corner, hidden by tall hedges and flowering vines. The stars are bright overhead. The air is cool and still.

I turn to face her. “I wanted a moment alone with you.”

“We just got married,” she laughs. “We’ll have plenty of moments alone.”

“Not like this.” I cup her face in my hands. “I love you, Olivia Safonova. More than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone. You changed my life. You made me want to be better. You gave me a reason to believe in something good in this world. I know I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes—God, so many mistakes. But I promise you, I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the man you deserve.”

“You already are,” she whispers, eyes glistening with tears.

I kiss her. Slowly. Deeply. Pouring every ounce of love and gratitude and hope into it.

“You’re going to make me cry,” she mumbles into the kiss.