30. Amy

30

AMY

T wo months later…

"Oh, honey," the older woman told me at the table out back. "I'm telling you. I devoured sauerkraut. That was my craving. Nothing sweet like cake." She licked her lips.

"Sauerkraut?" I grimaced but smiled as I snacked on a second slice of wedding cake. "Really, Violet?" I wouldn't call this cake my craving. It was just too good and I didn't want to pass it up. I only planned to ever have one wedding day and one wedding cake, so I'd enjoy as much as I wanted when I could.

She nodded sagely. "It was all I could keep down."

"Well, I'm doing better now." Morning sickness wasn't confined to the first trimester for me, but I was getting the hang of managing it better. A routine helped—that and never letting my stomach be completely empty, like it had in the beginning .

"Goodness, no," Margie exclaimed from the seat to my right. She'd come as a guest to the wedding, and I loved to see her mingling with us like this. Ever the mother hen, though, her personality remained the same. "I won't be making up all that cabbage nonstop."

Violet grinned, gazing at the Valkov brothers out on the dance floor, talking and joking. She was one of the oldest members of the family, and she, like many others, was fond of those five brothers.

I couldn't blame her. I'd told Nik that I would be his wife today, and I felt like the luckiest girl to claim the best of them all.

"Henri just ran out to the deli to buy it for me." She sighed, likely thinking back to her life with her husband, who'd died earlier this year.

"Nope." I shook my head. "I'm not making that mistake again. I asked Nik for caramel delight ice cream once and he brought back caramel cookie ice cream."

Both older women stared at me for a long moment before giggling.

"Because of course, those aren't the same," Margie said around laughter.

I pouted, knowing they were teasing me. They were not the same. One had chocolate bits and the other had cream syrup.

"Will you be honeymooning for long?" Violet asked.

"No. We're too busy looking for a house."

Margie smiled. "And have you convinced him to get a kitten before a puppy yet?"

I sighed. "No." I set my napkin down. "He thinks we should just get both at the same time."

That man sure did love me, but I wondered if he was just as eager to have a dog or cat in the house because he'd never had a pet all his life .

"But in all honesty," I added, "I would put it off. One of the soldiers is really determined to bring more dogs as guards, and I'll head up that care."

"Sounds dangerous," Violet said.

What isn't in this life? I was learning to accept the ups and downs of being part of the Bratva. It had taken me a month or so after Diego was killed, but I realized one hugely important detail that kept it all in perspective for me.

Nik was a good guy. He loved hard, and he was raised to balance the good and evil in this world with a firm hand, unafraid of more violence.

At the bottom of it all, he loved me. I loved him. And that would just make it work.

I excused myself from the ladies, eager to hunt down my husband. He looked so dashing and sexy, cleaned up nicely in that tux when he faced me at the altar.

Alek did the honors of walking me down the aisle. With the summertime blooms in the gardens behind the mansion, it was silly to consider having the ceremony anywhere else.

Mila was my maid of honor too, and it was her I found before Nik.

Sniffling and wiping at her eyes, she leaned on Alek. Maybe they were dancing. I couldn't tell because they weren't moving much to the music, more like swaying.

"It was just so beautiful ," Mila said. All day, she'd been reminiscing about her hasty wedding to Alek. She wasn't jealous, but very hormonal and emotional.

"Mila, they have cake ready to be boxed up. If you want another…?"

She smiled, snapping to and standing straight. "Oh, I do. I'll be right back, Alek. "

Once she left, Alek tipped his chin up at me. I should have feared this Bratva leader from the day I met him, but I realized he was no different from Nik. A family man at heart.

"So, if I were to suggest to Mila that we do a vow renewal…"

I raised my brows.

"Would it be smarter to do it before or after the baby comes?" He cleared his throat. "I figured to ask you, seeing as you planned a hasty wedding while pregnant."

I exhaled and rubbed my swollen belly. "Oh, before."

"How come?"

"You'll be too busy after the baby."

I left him to find my husband, glad that he was sitting down. Claiming my favorite spot, his lap, I sat and sighed against him.

"Hello, beautiful bride."

"Hey, I'm the only bride."

He gave me that smoldering look. " My only bride."

I sank into his kiss as he put his hand on my stomach. "Did you eat?" I asked as I roved my gaze over the guests dancing. We'd had a simple dinner catered at the back yard of the mansion, but Nik had stepped away with Ivan for a moment.

I knew better than to worry or be sad. He could be called to help with any number of things at any moment, but I was glad to have faith that he'd always come back to me.

Nothing could keep us apart.

"I did. No cake, though." He ran his other hand up my short dress. "You can be my dessert later."

I smiled as I leaned against his chest. "You know I won't say no. "

I wouldn't. How could I ever turn down this bliss? Every morning, I woke up happy that my dreams had come true. I had my man, after all. Every night, I went to sleep grateful. My wishes had come true with Nik. We had our whole life to share and raise our family within his bigger family.

I belonged. I had a place, and my heart was full with the realization that I'd never, ever be lonely again.

"Easy there," Nik said as he felt the twins kicking. "Go easy on your mother." Every time he spoke to them, his voice held that note of awestruck wonder and love.

"Because I plan to love on her. Hard."

I giggled, kissing him with a mental promise in my mind. I vowed to cherish this day, and the rest of them, so long as he was there to love all three of us just like this—with his whole heart.