22. Ivan

CHAPTER 22

Ivan

A ll I really needed was for her to trust me.

Lucia and I are in one of the hotel rooms, almost ripping our clothes off in our haste. I'm not even sure how we got here. I vaguely remember requesting for a key, but it's all a blur—especially since all I really want is her. Right now. After going a week without a taste, I feel like I'll die if I don't get to fuck her right now.

She seems to share my desperation, kissing me just as hard while unbuttoning my shirt. She's standing in front of me in only a matching blue bra and panties, and she looks almost divine. Her beauty takes my breath away every time. Once my shirt is off, I start walking her to the bed but Lucia shakes her head, placing a hand on my chest to stop me.

"Wait," she says softly. "I want to make you feel good."

I don't even get to question that before she's sliding to her knees and undoing the buckle of my pants. She pulls both my pants and boxer briefs down until my cock is standing erect in front of her face. I jerk once when her hands wrap around me.

"Fuck," I whisper as she strokes my full length once, twice, looking up at me with a taunting expression on her face.

"Tell me, Ivan. Do you want me to make you feel good?"

"I want you to do whatever you'd like to me, milaya . You can even break my heart. It's yours and it'll continue being yours," I confess.

Her eyes grow softer. "I don't think I deserve you."

"And yet you have me anyway, baby."

"Yes," she says simply.

And then she opens her mouth wide and swallows most of my length inside. She keeps eye contact as she laps her tongue around my cock, deep throats it until her face reddens, then bobs her head up and down, creating more friction with her tongue.

It feels fucking good. My hand slides down to her hair, gripping it tight as she fucks me with her wet mouth.

"You're taking me in like a good girl, milaya ," I say, alternating between stroking her cheek and her hair

She hastens her rhythm at the praise, her hands sliding up and down my cock while she continues to suck me as much as she can.

"That's it," I murmur when she massages my ball. "You're doing so well, krasavitsa ."

My words are nearly incoherent at this point. I throw my head back, feeling a tingling building all over me. And while I'd love to come into her throat, tonight what I really want is to come inside of her. I tug on her hair to stop her movements and once she does, I'm pulling her to her feet

"I wasn't done," she protests, making me smile

"I know, baby, but what I really want is to come inside of you."

I reach behind her for the clasp of her bra, undoing it easily and freeing her breasts. Her nipples are hard and the sight of them has me groaning softly. I tease one with my finger, eliciting a loud moan from Lucia.

"Oh god, Ivan."

I lean down to bite her other nipple and then suck on it. She makes these noises that go straight to my head. I love the sounds she makes. I run my tongue over her nipples once more before kissing her lips.

"Get on the bed, kneel, and spread your legs for me, baby," I order after a breath.

She doesn't hesitate to do just that. The sight of her on her knees, ready and waiting for me, has me groaning softly.

She's still wearing her panties. I shift the material to the side and thrust a finger inside of her.

"Fuck, Lucia. You're so wet for me. You want my cock?"

"Y-yes," she answers shakily.

I can't deny her any longer so I'm ripping the panties, which has her glaring backward.

"You have to stop doing that!"

"No," I say with a smile.

I would stop if I didn't think she secretly likes it when I lose control like that.

The annoyed expression on her face disappears pretty quickly when I dig my fingers into her hip and thrust inside her all at once. Her body jerks, but her pussy swallows me whole, milking my cock.

"Fuck. You feel like mine," I say, sliding out of her before thrusting back in. "Say it, Lucia. Say you're mine."

She nods frantically, looking over her shoulder at me as her tits jiggle from the force of my thrusts. Her back lowers further, allowing me to slide in even deeper. Her whimpers grow even louder and I can tell she's close. I slow down, knowing what she needs, ramming into her at a steady pace that has her entire body stiffening. She comes with a scream that triggers my own orgasm. We ride the wave together, and once we're done, I collapse onto the bed, pulling her down to my chest as I do so.

I'm breathing heavily, my mind a jumbled mess. Neither of us speaks for several moments.

"Ivan?" Lucia calls quietly.

"Yes, baby?"

"I want us to get married," she announces.

Those words have me arching an eyebrow. I glance down at her and she's looking at me with a steady expression, sincerity in her brown eyes.

"We'll get married, milaya . That's a foregone conclusion."

"No, I think I want to get married earlier. We've never picked a date. How do you feel about a wedding in two weeks?"

My eyes widen. "Are you being serious right now?"

The words almost don't sound real.

She nods. "I want you, you want me, and I don't ever want to be apart from you again. I'm sure, Ivan. Let's get married."

It's a little crazy, but I feel it with every fiber of my being—the need to be as close to this woman as possible. Even in marriage. I'd walk down the aisle tomorrow if she wanted us to.

"Okay, Lucia. Let's get married."

The next two weeks go by in a rush and before I know it, I'm standing at the aisle in front of the woman of my dreams. Lucia is radiant in her wedding gown.

She looks up at me, her eyes bright and full of emotion, and for a moment, the world narrows to just the two of us. The weight of everything that's brought us here, the struggles, the fights, the moments of doubt, it all melts away, leaving only us.

The priest asks me to begin my vows and I take a deep breath, steadying myself before starting to speak.

"Lucia, the moment I met you, my entire world realigned. I knew even then that my life would be changed forever. You came into it and completely knocked me off my feet. I never expected to find what we have right now—in fact, I actively avoided it. But it's so easy with you, baby. You make it easy for me to smile, to lose control. You make it easy for me to feel joy because you constantly radiate it. You're my sun, Lucia. And I'm so incredibly grateful for every moment I get to spend in your orbit." I pause in my speech before saying most important words of all, "I love you so much, krasavitsa . And I promise to love you for the rest of our lives."

She's crying by the time it's over.

"Thank God my makeup's waterproof," she jokes, eliciting laughter from the people gathered to watch us get married.

Between my position in the Bratva and Lucia's position in the Cosa Nostra, we've gathered quite a lot of people. Not everyone's happy about the union, but they observe and truly I couldn't care less about their presence. All I care about is her.

When I look away from Lucia, my eyes land on her sister, who's also looking a little teary-eyed. She's holding Lucia's bouquet and standing to the side of the pulpit, performing her duty as her sister's matron of honor. It took a lot of convincing before Lucia could get her to believe that this is truly what she wanted. I understand where Aurora is coming from, as an older sibling myself. She wants to protect her sister more than anything else.

She still hasn't warmed up to me fully, but we're getting there. Finally, it's Lucia's turn to say her vows.

"Ivan," she starts, "you're definitely not what I was expecting. But I think my heart connected with yours the minute I saw you. I tried so hard to ignore that connection. I tried to fight it when I really should have been embracing it, because it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. You make everything in my life worthwhile. And you make it so incredibly easy to love you, Ivan. I'm so thankful to you for all you've done for me. And I promise to always be there for you, to trust you every day, to choose you every day. I know there'll be bumps in the road ahead, but I'll gladly go through them as long as you're by my side. You may be a grumpy old man at times, but you're my grumpy old man and I love you so much," she ends sweetly.

I chuckle, despite the lump in my throat. "That was beautiful, sweetheart," I whisper.

The priest says a couple of other things, and then we get to my favorite part.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," he announces. "You may now kiss the bride."

And just like that, my family grows. There's a small ache in my chest when I think about the other member of my family that should be here today, but I know Alexei will come back eventually. And when he does I'll make things right with him.

My lips meet Lucia's as a note of finality rings within me. The kiss is soft but filled with all the emotion, all the love I feel for her. It's a promise, a commitment that goes beyond words. As I pull back, our foreheads resting against each other, I feel a sense of peace wash over me. This is where I was always meant to end up.

The reception is in full swing on the second floor of my hotel. Large arched windows line one side of the room, reaching from the floor to the high, ornate ceiling. Through them, the fading light of the evening spills in, casting a warm, golden glow across the room.

The tables are draped in ivory linens, with centerpieces of white roses and greenery, echoing the flowers from the ceremony. Crystal glasses catch the light, sparkling like diamonds, and the air is filled with the soft murmur of the guests' voices and the gentle strains of music.

Lucia only just left my side because, unlike her, I'm not a fan of constantly having to greet people and accept their insincere congratulations. I'm standing aside at the bar, taking everything in while my eyes track my bride's movements across the room. Lucia's changed into something more comfortable, a shorter dress that doesn't make her look any less radiant.

All too soon, my quiet bubble is dissolved when Adrian Rossi approaches me. I already know what he wants to talk about.

"So you're really not responsible?"

I stare at him for a couple of seconds, my gaze calculative. I still don't like the man very much, but after Lucia and I broke up, I needed something to distract myself so I decided to look into his mother's murder. I had my suspicions of who could be responsible and I was proven right.

"You wouldn't be letting me marry her if you thought I was," I state.

Adrian nods. "That's true. She seems to trust you for some reason, and I trust her."

"And?" I prompt.

"What?"

"An apology for your baseless accusations, Rossi," I clarify.

He sighs dramatically. "Alright, fine. I'm sorry, Volkov. I shouldn't have accused you without proof. In my defense, someone did point me in your direction."

I nod in agreement. "Yes, and I know who it was."

Adrian's eyes widen. "What?"

"In fact, Rossi, I not only know who sent you the tip, I also found out who's responsible for what happened to your mother."

"Are you fucking with me?"

I shake my head. "I wouldn't joke about something so sensitive. The person who sent you the tip is the same person responsible. He was trying to throw you off his scent by accusing me."

His jaw clenches as he takes in that information. "Who is it?"

My gaze drifts around the ballroom, taking in the guests in attendance. He's here, laughing and talking like he did nothing fucking wrong. There's a code we subscribe to in the mafia. And this man has constantly flouted that code.

"You can't do anything reckless, Rossi. This is delicate information. If you make the wrong move, you risk ruining everything and then you'll never get your revenge."

He swallows once before nodding. "He's in the Bratva, isn't he?"

"Yes," I confirm.

"Why haven't I been able to find him all this time?"

"Because he used to be a ghost. I know there's a member of the Cosa Nostra referred to as the Shadow who also sits at the table. This man was our shadow. He amassed all his power without making his identity known. He was also a skilled assassin. Back then, the Pakhan and your father got into a bit of a skirmish. He was hired to simply kidnap your mother in order to scare your father a little. She was meant to be returned. But he's deranged. A sick fuck, if you will. He had a woman in his possession, and I'm sure you're already aware of all the unspeakable things he did to her before killing her."

Adrian sucks in a sharp breath. His face contorts into pain and sympathy swirls through me. No one deserves to go through what he's had to go through.

"Just tell me who it is," he says in a low voice.

"Remember, Adrian, you have to proceed with caution. He's out of the shadows now, but his position makes him nearly invincible."

"Who?"

My jaw clenched as I say the name. "Igor Vasiliev."

Adrian's sucks in a sharp breath. "The Pakhan," he realizes.

I nod. I've always known Igor was a sick bastard, but after finding out he was responsible for what happened to Adrian's mother, that's become even more clear.

As expected, Adrian's gaze lands on the man himself, who's standing in the middle of a circle surrounded by people intent on kissing his ass. He's come a long way since the days of being an assassin.

"You can't make it obvious that you know," I say sharply. "He's the Pakhan. Killing him wont be easy."

"I know," Adrian grits out.

"But I'll help you."

"Why?" he asks suspiciously.

"Because it'll make her happy if I do. And all I want is to make her happy."

We both look toward Lucia, watching as she flits about the room with a wide smile. I never want to see that smile dim. When she notices me staring, she arches an eyebrow in question, and I shake my head before looking back at Adrian. He's watching me with a careful expression.

"Maybe you're not such a bad guy after all, Volkov. Just keep her happy, alright?"

I nod. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"We'll talk more later. Thank you." He taps my shoulder once in respect before walking away.

Once he leaves, Lucia appears at my side.

"That looked like a heavy conversation," she notes.

I nod. "I'll tell you all about it later, moya zhena ," I say softly.

She smiles. "Okay. Do you want to dance?"

My lips press together. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," she says on a laugh, pulling me in the direction of the dance floor.

It clears, allowing us to take the center as Lucia wraps her arms around my neck. My hands land on her hips and I pull her closer. We start swaying slowly to the music.

"You're lucky I love you, krasavitsa . I can't remember the last time I did something like this. I don't think I ever have," I murmur

"There's a first time for everything, amore ," she says with a small contented smile, resting her head on my shoulder.

I hate that it's going to have to be ruined. Because there's something I didn't mention to Adrian. It's highly likely that the person Alexei is working with is also the Pakhan. I've had Ruslan watch Igor all night, waiting for him to leave. Because I know as soon as he does, something's going to go down. Ruslan gives me the signal in the middle of my dance with Lucia.

"Baby, I'm really sorry."

She leans away to look me in the eye. "For what?"

"What's about to happen."

I've barely finished speaking when there's the sound of a gunshot in the direction of the ballroom doors. Standing in front of them is none other than my brother. Beside me, Lucia gasps. Everybody scrambles for safety, running away from him. There's a closed-off expression on Alexei's face as he walks toward me and Lucia. I'd been hoping he'd have the sense not to do this today of all days, but, well, here we are.

I move in front of Lucia, standing between her and the gun in Alexei's hand.

"Hey, brother," he greets with a small smile. "Am I too late for the wedding?"