Epilogue

EPILOGUE

ELIRA

" I guess he's already paid the dowry," Asher mutters, her jaw working as she gazes around the back room of the banquet hall in disapproval. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and her thin brows are nearly touching.

She's referring to the money Maksim deposited into Mami's account a month ago, before we were even engaged.

I turn back to the mirror with a smile. "We're not that traditional."

"Oh, so should we give it back, then?"

My nose crinkles as I snicker, smoothing an imaginary stray hair back into the updo that took an hour and a half to perfect.

"What's so funny?" She cocks her hip out like the drama queen she is.

When I meet her eyes in the mirror, a surge of joy overtakes me.

Back home, back before , there were times I thought I could kill her. We fought like crazy, but having her here these past few weeks… I don't know if it'll ever get old. And I don't think I can ever go back to the way things used to be. When I look at her, I see a gift I'll never take for granted another day in my life.

"Maksim is family now, zemra . Give the man a chance."

Her lips purse as she swings her head away, freshly-curled, brunette locks swaying. "Maybe him. Maybe . But not the sister. She's tactless."

"Yeah?" I shrug and apply powder to a brush before dabbing my face. "She said you're a fucking cunt ."

Asher's jaw drops in shock as her head swings back my way, and I laugh while dipping the brush in more powder.

"See what I mean?" She throws out her arms. "Mami would scrub my tongue with soap if I said such a thing."

"I know, I can still taste it."

"Then how can you condone it?" she demands like it's a criminal offense. If she knew about the criminal offenses I do condone, she'd really freak.

But that isn't what this is about. She was always going to find something wrong with my new family. She just needs time.

"Maksim doesn't parent that way."

"He doesn't parent at all."

"Then you two should get along well." I turn to her and wink, but she doesn't react to it.

Her pretty brown eyes glisten as she looks at me seriously. "Are you happy here?"

My smile falls slowly, and I turn toward her before nodding. "Of course, I am." I gesture to my dress, one far superior to the one I came to America in. The engagement ring on my hand is fit for a queen, and despite me insisting we had a perfectly good ring already, this one wasn't stolen. It was chosen, just for me. Not earned, just gifted. Maksim doesn't make me feel like I have to earn anything. Maksim makes me feel like I've already completed everything in the world I set out to do. Maksim makes me feel whole.

"Look at me. Don't I look happy?" I ask, unsure what she sees.

Tears well in her eyes, and her lips twist to one side as she looks away and nods. Seeing the hurt on her face, I understand. She just misses me. She misses me the way I miss her, only she isn't the one who left.

I open my mouth, ready to say more, but she comes to me and throws her arms around my waist, hugging me so tightly, my lips part with surprise. My eyes close with a sigh as I lay my cheek on her head and hug her back.

When she pulls away, she looks at a scar on my chest that I worked hopelessly to cover up. Her fingers run over it before she looks me in the eyes.

"You look beautiful."

" You look beautiful ."

I shiver as Maksim's warm breath kisses my neck, his fingers entwining with mine as we come together for our first dance.

"You're a sight for sore eyes yourself." I whisper back to him as the music starts to play. It's a song Mami picked out, one she and my father used to listen to with me when I was a little girl. I never plan on telling them the truth about him. He isn't worth the heartache. He isn't even worth spoiling a song over.

So now, with my feet moving with my husband's and all our loved ones watching, I let the music sweep me away.

Something brushes my back, and I lift my head up as money starts to rain over us, a wedding tradition I neglected to tell Maksim about.

I glance at the guests doing the tossing then look at Maksim with a smile. "How the hell did you?—"

"Mami," he interrupts, reading my mind.

I laugh under my breath. "We don't need the money."

He shrugs. "Neither do they. Tradition is tradition."

Without warning, he twirls me, making me let out a tiny gasp before I recover, and cheers ring out. When he rolls me into him, he whispers in my ear. "Do you think I'm not going to get my turn? I have traditions of my own, lislchka ."

"Oh, do you now?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And I suppose these are wedding night traditions?"

His hand subtly curves over my waist. " Mm-hmm ."

We move together, my neck craning to look at him as I smirk. "Tradition is tradition."

When his lips spread into a stupid grin, my heart floods. He's a liar. A deceptive, manipulative, dangerous man.

But fuck, he is mine.

"I love you," I say to him in case my vows didn't cut it.

His grin falls as his gaze drops to my lips. "I love you too, lislchka ."

Thank you so much for your interest in Maksim ! I'm thrilled to have introduced you to the world of the Petrov Bratva, and I hope you're ready for more.

The next book up is ALIK , a twisted dark romance between Alik and his neighbor across the hall. He moved next door to her six months ago because she's the daughter of a DEA agent the Bratva wants to keep an eye on. Little does he know when he's ordered to kill her that she's been stalking him for months, but when he learns of her obsession, well … things get a whole lot more complicated.

If you like strange characters who might be a bit loony, this one's for you!

"Put the knife down, Olive."

She lowers her eyes to the blade, then gives me a challenging stare. "Why?"

When I don't answer, she laughs. "Am I scaring you, baby?"