Page 31 of Trapped by the Bratva (The Valkov Bratva #5)

DMITRI

I sat back with my brothers and watched my wife laugh with Becca and Nadia.

My wife. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get over the primal pride that filled me when I saw Hannah and knew she was mine forever. That sexy nurse wore my ring. My baby boy was growing in her belly. We would be a couple forever and ever.

And that completed me.

“I’m not saying it can’t happen…” Alek joked to my right.

I smirked at him. “I am.”

Margie, of all people, had caught the bouquet when Hannah jokingly tossed it over her shoulder.

“Not because she’s too old,” I said of the housekeeper who was so much more to all of us. “Nothing like that.”

Nik laughed. “Because she doesn’t have time for a man in her life.”

The idea of Margie meeting a man and wanting to be remarried was silly. No one would ever pass all of our requirements.

“She’s too busy,” Ivan said. We all watched on as Margie teased Emily to run after her, holding the bouquet out for the toddler who wanted to tear at it.

“A godmother times four,” Alek said.

“So far,” I added.

“Once Becca ever decides to evict our baby,” Ivan drawled, “that’ll be five.”

“It’s the other way around, man.” Alek shook his head. “The baby decides to come out when they want to. Nothing you can do to change it.” He sighed, likely recalling Mila’s long delivery.

“And when my son is born, too,” I added.

“Nice of you and Hannah to try to even it out.” Maxim laughed. “Poor Pyotr is the only man out there.”

My nephew was loving the attention too, smiling and cooing at the women fawning over him.

“Even it out?” I joked. “Alana, Emily, Sophia. That’s three. Pyotr and my son make two.”

Ivan shrugged. “We didn’t want to find out.”

I glanced at Maxim. “What about you?”

He smiled at Nadia. “Eh, we’re not in a rush.”

“Isn’t it crazy, though?” Nik said. “We’re all married men, or about to be. Babies all over the place.”

“I still wouldn’t worry about Margie being the next in line,” I joked.

They all laughed along.

“I think she only caught it because she’s the only unmarried woman here,” Alek said.

And that was by design. Hannah and I wanted to keep it small and simple. If she wanted a huge production of a wedding, I would have made it happen. But I was glad that we were on the same page. It wasn’t the wedding itself that mattered, but the marriage that would form.

We had so much going on already. My recovery.

Her pregnancy. Our new home to settle into.

Soon, it would be more challenging yet. She was going to finish her degree.

I was already getting more involved with a mission with Maxim and Nik, trying to figure out the final placement for the trafficked women we freed from the Ortez Cartel.

Life was busy and about to get busier, but it was all good.

“The last time we stood at an altar,” I said to Alek, “it was to intervene on our cousin uniting us with the enemy.”

Alek grunted a dark laugh. “And tonight, I was your best man as you married your nurse.”

“At least we’ve come full circle with the Kastavas,” Ivan said. “They’re no longer a threat.”

I sighed. “New ones will come.”

They always would. Even though we were changing, becoming more domesticated as married men and fathers, we were Mafia men. We would always be involved with the dark side of right versus wrong. We would never stop living by our own rules and laws of life.

To be a member of the Valkov Bratva, we were expected to be loyal to our last breath.

“But we all managed the time to find our wives,” Alek said, almost wistfully.

I laughed. “And I don’t care that I was that last one to do so.”

I didn’t. The timing of it didn’t matter. I was just grateful that Hannah came back into my life after that one night we encountered each other.

She was my future, and I couldn’t wait to start the rest of my life with her and our son.

As if she knew I was thinking about her, she turned and sought me out. She smiled upon seeing me, and as she approached, I raked my gaze over her sexy body only made more beautiful with our child growing in her belly.

“What about Elijah?” she asked after she sat on my lap.

“No.” Maxim shook his head. “No, no, no.”

“Oh, come on!” she retorted.

“No, I veto too. No nephew of mine will be the name of the Rossinis’ former capo.”

She deadpanned. “Do you guys keep a kill book or something? To remember all their names?”

Her question wasn’t a serious one, and I laughed before I kissed her. Choosing our son’s name wasn’t easy. We all had too many reasons to veto.

“Trust me, some of them just stood out.”

“What about Roman?” she asked, rubbing her belly.

I grimaced.

“Again, the Rossinis,” Maxim said.

“No, I think that was the name of that one spy from the Giovannis before they broke apart,” Ivan said.

Hannah growled, shaking her head.

“We’ll go through the baby name book again,” I told her. “We’ve got time.”

“Not much time.”

Margie joined us, breathing heavily from all the running with Emily.

“Are you next in line?” Ivan teased of her setting the ragged bouquet on the table. Her act of catching it implied she’d be the next bride.

“Oh, shut up, you. I’m not getting married again.” She fluffed her hair. “Once was more than enough for me.”

None of us spoke up. Margie had suffered under her husband’s abuse, and we couldn’t fault her for wanting to stay single.

“Besides, you all keep me too damn busy.” She smiled, proud. “All those beautiful babies.” She caught sight of Emily chasing Nadia. “All these wild hellions,” she teased, winking at Ivan.

“Margie?” Hannah said, tilting her head to the side.

“Yes, dear?”

“Do you have any ideas for a name for our baby?” she asked.

“Hmm.” Margie pursed her lips. “Let me think about it. We’ll find something.”

“Something that won’t be vetoed?” she challenged.

“Yes. We’ll think of something.” She sipped from a water glass and looked at us one by one.

“What about Magnus?” Hannah asked.

“What, is he going to perform Shakespeare?” I teased.

She narrowed her eyes at me, looking so damn sexy and sassy with that expression.

Before she could open her mouth and argue, I nudged her to get up. “Come on. Dance with me, Wife.”

Her face changed into sweet surrender, and I fell in love all over again with her smile. “Didn’t we already?”

“Yeah.” Of course, we had. Our reception was small in size, but we were doing all the traditional things that came with these events.

“I just want another excuse to put my hands on you,” I said as I held her close.

She laughed lightly. “You’ve had your hands on me all night.”

“Not like this,” I said as I brought her closer yet. Sliding my fingers over her ass, I pulled her toward me.

“You’re not thinking about baby names at all, are you?” She kissed my cheek.

“Not anymore.” The second her soft, warm body came flush to mine, I ceased to think well at all.

“What’s on your mind now?” she asked, still kissing up along my jaw.

“Getting this dress off you.” I dipped lower to kiss her bare shoulder. The change in my posture put a different amount of stress on my ankle, though, and I fumbled in my step. We weren’t dancing as much as we were slowly swaying to the music.

She caught me, hugging me with a solid grip.

I couldn’t help the sigh that left my lips.

“Don’t be disappointed,” she reminded me, always the cheerleader and optimistic one about my recovery.

“I’m not.” I was, a little. I was impatient to be back to my normal fitness level, but at least I wasn’t using the cane today. I considered that a win.

“How could I be disappointed about anything?” I kissed her deeper. “I’ve got my wife. A son on the way. A new home to christen with making love to you on every surface in every room.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Are you disappointed that Avilov got away?”

“He didn’t.” He would be in prison forever. “Revenge wouldn’t keep me company forever, Darling.”

She stared into my eyes, letting me see all the love she held for me.

“But I will.”

I kissed her, swearing the same right back at her.

We will. We’d be together, in love and surrounded by my family, for the rest of our lives.