Chapter 15: Sierra

"Are you okay?" Artem asked me, his eyes boring into mine in one quick glance.

I managed to smile and give a positive reply, but deep down, I was fucking nervous. Not because I hadn't been around celebrities and public figures much but simply because I might end up running into Madelyn.

She didn't know about my situation yet, and this wasn't how I wanted her to find out that I was married to Artem or that I was carrying his baby. Madelyn was from an affluent home; her parents were among the most important personnel in the city of Chicago. Having that in mind, the chances of running into her at this event were quite high.

I knew Madelyn could be anywhere here, and the longer we stayed, the higher the chances of meeting her. My husband was acquainted with a lot of powerful power that ran the city, and I wouldn't be surprised if Madelyn's parents were friends with him.

How awkward would that be, having him introduce me as his wife? Fuck! I couldn't even bear the thought. I couldn't bring myself to imagine the reaction on Madelyn's face. This was really weighing me down, and it was because the secret was too heavy to carry alone. None of my family members were aware, not even my best friend. But how was I supposed to have told them that I was married to a mafia boss who had first kidnapped me for being a witness to his brutality, then married me soon after, and now I was carrying his baby? I didn't have the courage to face my reality in their presence, and that was my biggest weakness.

I needed to come clean sooner or later, and all I was doing right now was only delaying the inevitable. They were going to find out one way or another, but how they would react would depend on the method with which they learned the truth. It would make more sense if I told them myself, and as a reasonable adult, I was going to. But I just needed more time to gather the courage required for the job. Maybe the day I'd finally do that, I would be drunk as fuck so that talking would be much easier.

But other than Madelyn, there was someone else that I feared running into more, and they were the reason for my unease. The chances of meeting this individual were off the charts, and things might not end well when we met. It was certain that our paths would cross. I could already feel it. The tension was overwhelming, and my heart was threatening to explode.

I'd kept this secret from my husband since the day I'd snuck up on his conversation in his office, and it had been killing me ever since. What kind of a person was I? A fucking secretive one. I was keeping secrets from my family and friends while simultaneously keeping my husband in the dark about something so important. But in my defense, it was a necessary evil. These truths shouldn't be revealed—not yet because once everything was out in the open, nothing would remain the same. The exposure of this secret I was keeping from my husband would change the entire narrative of my story, and I couldn't guarantee that it would end well.

I'm so fucked up, I thought to myself, considering all the possible ways this could end, and sadly, it depended on how they all would take the revelation.

In my head, based on the analysis I made from how well I knew each of them, there was a seventy percent chance that they wouldn't take it well, and that scared the shit out of me.

"Artem fucking Tarasov." The voice caught my attention, snapping me out of my thoughts.

The conversation with Gilbert Grey helped calm me down; he was humorous with a friendly personality that eased me out of this stress that had weighed me down for a long time. It felt good being cracked up by some of his jokes, and even though Artem insisted that Gilbert Grey wasn't as normal as I thought, I still wouldn't let that change the first impression I had of him.

Now, something else occupied my mind while Artem was proudly introducing me to his business associates—thoughts of my husband and how I was starting to see a different side of him. Kara was right when she said her brother wasn't all bad. He was becoming more gentleman-like these days, and maybe it was because I was pregnant with his child, or maybe it was because he'd finally decided to treat me better. But whatever the case, I loved the way he looked at me now.

Sex with him had been more than mind-blowing, and I was never able to resist him—except for this evening, anyway, and that was only because he hadn't pushed any further. If he had, I'd have fallen, giving in to his touch.

But it was beyond the sex.

These days, my husband and I were starting to bond on an emotional level. I was beginning to see his softer and more playful side, and it was so scary because now was not a good time for my little secret to reveal itself. I was finally coming to terms with my reality, and things were falling into place. But for how long until the truth scattered everything?

You're not fucked up. You're strong. Keeping all of this inside and still finding a reason to smile all through is a sign of strength, a voice said to me, and a small wind of relief blew across my face.

"Chris, meet my wife, Sierra," Artem's voice called, pulling me out of my thoughts.

What the fuck? My heart skipped a beat as I set eyes on the tall man my husband was introducing me to. It really was him— Chris, Madelyn's boyfriend. If he was here, then that meant that she wasn't too far behind. Shit! I wasn't ready to face her now. Hold on a minute. How do Chris and Artem know each other?

"Sierra, meet Chris, one of my associates," Artem added.

"Associates?" My brows rose reflexively at his statement.

"Yes, Chris is my weapons dealer. He supplies me with the ammunition I need. I must say, his arsenal is quite remarkable," Artem explained.

Does Madelyn know this? I doubt that—she'd not stick around with him if she found what he was doing.

"Hold on," Chris said, finally recognizing me. "I know you, don't I?" He peered closely. "Yes, I do remember you—you're Madelyn's best friend. We met at the club that day."

"I remember you, Chris," I said, a little upset at the young man for being involved in this business and still going after my best friend. It was hypocritical, but that was how I felt. "How is she? Is she here with you?" I looked around for her, although a part of me wished that she wasn't here.

"Who, Madelyn?"

Who else, dum dum?

"She's fine, I guess," he answered

I frowned at his response. "You guess?"

Chris sighed heavily. "Yeah, we haven't spoken in a while. She dumped my ass."

Way to go, girl! At least you've managed to escape this life.

I caught Artem casting a stern look at someone in the crowd. Curious as to who had caught my husband's attention, I traced his gaze to a man in an impeccable suit exchanging pleasantries with a small group of people at a distance.

Fuck! I exclaimed.

My knees started to quake, and my legs suddenly turned to jelly. I had narrowly escaped bumping into Madelyn, but sadly, I wasn't so lucky as to escape this confrontation.

The man walked toward us, and the nearer he drew, the faster my heart raced. Artem seemed like he detested the man's presence, and from the look in both of their eyes, I could tell it was a mutual hatred.

"Niall Donovan," my husband called softly as the man halted in front of us.

"Artem Tarasov," Niall said with the same tone, his eyes fixed on me with a blank expression.

My legs could no longer carry my weight, and I was praying that the ground would open up and swallow me alive, or better still, that I would just drop dead. Unable to be a part of whatever business or unfinished business they had, I put my head down, trying so hard not to show my fear. The outcome of this confrontation was unclear in my head, and Niall wouldn't stop stealing subtle glances at me. He hadn't said anything yet, and if only he could just pretend not to recognize me, maybe then I'd survive this evening, and so would the innocent people at this event.

Calm down, Sierra, calm down. Discreetly, I drew in deep breaths, in through my nose, out through my mouth. Usually, this technique worked, but not this time. It's not working. Fuck. I was praying that my husband wouldn't notice Niall's momentary gazes at me because then, shit would get real quicker than I could blink. I didn't want that.

"Are you here to start a fight again?" Artem asked him, his brows furrowing at Niall. "Might I remind you how it ended the last time?"

"I lost men that night because of you," Niall said, glaring at Artem.

"Good," Artem said. "Keep that in mind before doing anything stupid."

I noticed instantly that Artem's men, scattered around the hall, were subtly reaching for their guns, their eyes fixed on us.

Oh, God, no. Not now, please.

Niall saw they were ready for anything. He scoffed and faced Artem. "Tell your men to stand down. I'm not here to fight." He added, "Even though you have my right-hand man holed up in your cell."

"Don't worry, we're going easy on him," came Artem's sassy response.

Niall was clearly pissed at Artem's arrogance, but he just smirked and said, "This is neither the time nor the place to talk about this." He fully shifted his gaze in my direction, and his eyes settled on me. "Who's the girl?"

Artem wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me closer. "She's my wife—my darling wife." He flashed a taunting grin at him. "Marriage is a beautiful thing, Donovan. Unfortunately, you can't relate to that."

"Your wife, ehh?" Niall's eyes wouldn't leave mine for a second, and he didn't seem moved by the fact that Artem was mocking him.

His composure in the face of adversity was remarkable, and I was glad that he'd handled the situation well. I knew he wasn't going to say anything to Artem. I saw in his eyes that he couldn't take that risk, considering they were sworn enemies and I practically lived with Artem. Etched in Niall's gaze was the concern for my safety, and it was clear to me that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

"They say he who finds a wife, finds a good thing," Niall said to Artem.

"Indeed," my husband replied, pulling me closer just to gloat.

"Congratulations," Niall said and took one last look at me before leaving.

I let out a soft exhale as he walked away, blending with the other people. I'd survived tonight, but what about tomorrow, or the day after? For how long did I plan on keeping this secret?

How long until Artem found out that I was Niall Donovan's daughter—that his archnemesis was actually his in-law?