Epilogue

Mallorca, Spain

Eight months later

“It’s kinda cold here,” Nick said, squinting in the sun as we stepped off Viktor’s private plane. “But I like that the air is clean. What’s that sweet smell?”

“Flowers and fresh air,” Viktor said as he walked beside us. He had insisted on carrying every bit of luggage but my shoulder bag—which Nick was insisting on carrying. “The almond trees are blooming.”

The island was a paradise, even in the chilly early spring. I could see why Viktor’s friend Dimitri had chosen this place to convalesce. Apparently, he had an estate here that included its own fully-appointed clinic.

It was here that he’d retreated, in secret, after the attempt on his life. But he was not a young man, and a bullet to the lung had left him with a long road to full rehabilitation. Looking around at its beauty during what was the bleakest time of year almost everywhere else, I could see why.

Two huge Spanish men with deep island tans came out to meet us and take our bags. Viktor insisted on helping me into the limousine himself. Pregnancy hadn’t made me as clumsy or fragile as he seemed to think, but his protectiveness had gone into overdrive as soon as my bump had started showing.

Now, four months into our marriage and about the same amount into my pregnancy, I was in the sweet spot between first-trimester morning sickness and third-trimester gargantuan-ness and exhaustion. It wasn’t just Viktor and Nick doting on me, either. His men did as well, especially his lieutenants, two of whom had become good friends.

Tolya, Viktor’s best friend and a giant bear of a man, was responsible for some of the most amazing meals I’d had in my life. He even whipped me up some cherry blossom ice cream during one of my weirder craving attacks. As for Alexei—he was the friendly guy from the dog park, and he now always brought his puppy over for Nick to play with, and he’d been very helpful in getting me information on all of my uncle’s holdings, and how to access them.

I knew Viktor kept me far away from most of the darker dealings he had to face in his business. But the men I had met didn’t remind me so much of a criminal organization, if you ignored the tattoos and the fact that everyone was armed. They felt like family, more and more.

The limo took us up into the flower-covered hills, through a tall iron gate, and onto the estate. It was beautiful in an eccentric way, mixing traditional Spanish landscaping with areas that had been allowed to stay mostly natural. The sprawling mansion mixed the traditional with the modern in odd ways too, with ceiling-height windows of armored glass beneath tiled timber eaves.

The door was heavily carved, ancient-looking oak, but balanced so perfectly that when the men opened it for us it barely creaked. Beyond, a lean, elegant figure stood in a pale silk suit, silver-headed cane in hand.

“Dimitri!” Viktor finally left my side so that his friend would not have to hobble forward, and they embraced like brothers. He kept a hand on Dimitri’s shoulder as he turned to beckon us forward. “It is good to see you. This is my family.”

I nudged Nick, who was having an attack of the shies, and he took my hand and we walked forward. It was a strange feeling, like meeting royalty—or the closest thing Viktor had now to a father. “Hello.”

“Hello there!” He looked to Viktor to introduce us, his crow’s feet deepening with his smile.

“This is my wife, Emma, and our son, Nick.”

He kissed my hand light as a breeze and shook hands with Nick. “Yes, Viktor has told me your story over the telephone. How lovely that you were reunited after everything that happened.” He gestured down the long, arched hallway. “Come, I have luncheon waiting, you must be starving.”

“We’re in the process of finalizing the joint adoption paperwork,” Viktor told Dimitri as they walked. The quiet tap of the cane on the tiles was the only reminder that he was still recovering, he moved quickly enough that I ended up being the slowest. Nick hung back a bit with me, keeping hold of my hand.

“And the inheritance matters?”

“All go to Emma, and on our deaths, to Nick.” Viktor let his relief show in his voice. He was open with this man, almost as open as with me. I relaxed a little more.

“Ah, that means that young Nikolai will be able to choose whether to go into the family business, or not.” Dimitri glanced back at us. I smiled and nodded.

“Yes,” Viktor confirmed. “It should be a choice. Leon would want it that way.”

“So would my sister,” I said softly.

We passed one of the windows, which looked out onto the flowered hills, all coming to life in the early spring sun. One day, when Nick was a man, we would tell him the whole story. What really happened, who was involved, and why. It would be a heavy burden for him, but he would have a right to know.

And at that time, he would learn his father’s business, and the choice that we would leave open to him. Enter the ranks and work his way up, as his father had, or live a safe life with our wealth and our people to protect him from our enemies.

As for the little girl in my belly, one day, she would have the same choice. Just as I had made. In or out, mere family, or Brotherhood.

But for a long time yet, they had the right to be children. My childhood had been stolen, Viktor had given up his so his brother could have one. Our children would grow up with as much innocence, safety, and joy as we could give them, and they would grow up strong.

With a father like theirs, how could they not?

THE END