Epilogue

EPILOGUE

ELLE

Seven Months Later

“You know how I always said I wanted to have like eight kids. Well, I take it back. I’m never doing that again.”

Lucia laughs as she cradles my newborn son in her arms.

“Now do you see why I’m hesitant to have another after Vivi? I’ve just stopped peeing when I laugh. I’m not ready to give that up yet.”

Anton shakes his head from his seat in the corner of the delivery room. “I really didn’t need to know that.”

Nina’s perched on the arm of his chair. “It’s true, though. You guys get a few minutes of fun while us women have to lose our bladder function and grow boobs the size of melons in order to provide you with offspring.”

“A few minutes? Ouch, better luck next time, Anton.” Dimitri chuckles, slapping his cousin on the back.

“Fuck off, I can last longer than you.”

Bianca scoffs. “Don’t swear in front of the baby. He has innocent ears!”

Danil laughs. “Not for long.”

I groan as I clutch at my side. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Dimitri looks around. “Can we wet this kid’s head already? I’m parched.”

“Dimitri,” Zara scolds. “Today is not about you.”

Dimitri looks at me with a sheepish expression, and I laugh again.

“You can open the champagne, Dimitri, it’s fine.”

He grins at me, which only makes Zara scowl more.

I love that the entire family is here to meet our son, including the kids. Though for the time being, they’ve been put up in the hospital daycare while the adults all enjoy a glass of champagne to toast to the newest member of the family.

While Dimitri is busy spilling champagne all over the hospital floor, Lucia hands me back my son before perching beside me on the bed.

“I thought I had two more weeks to mentally prepare for all of this.” I look down at the sleeping baby in my arms.

Lucia shakes her head as she glances sidelong at Mikhail, “In case you haven’t noticed, Koslovs don’t like to be told what to do. Vivi was just like this too!”

“Oh, I’m aware.” I chuckle.

“He looks like them.”

I gently stroke the head of dark hair and smile.

“He really does.”

Lucia gets to her feet. “Seriously, Dimitri, let me open the damn champagne.”

She helps Dimitri open the second bottle.

Lev is unusually quiet in the chair beside the bed, so I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze. He’s still not used to being around so many people, but I appreciate how hard he’s been trying over the last few months .

I smile at him. “Come and sit by us.”

He offers me a small smile as he slides onto the bed and pulls me against his side.

With Nina’s help, we got him set up with a new therapist as well as a neurologist to try and help him work through his trauma and blackouts.

After a few scans, it was concluded that Lev’s blackouts are actually seizures as a result of lasting brain damage caused by Igor.

While they can’t be cured, Lev has been able to manage them by taking medication and reducing stress, which I know has been a huge weight off his shoulders.

The last few months have been a learning curve for everyone. He’s spent the majority of his life isolated and alone, so to suddenly be welcomed into such a big family was a bit of a shock. But everyone has been really supportive in giving us space when we need it as well as reaching out too.

Even Alexei.

While I would love to bring Lev over to Alexei’s house for family dinner every month, I know it’s a lot for him. He’s always been an outsider, and I think it will take a long time for him to feel anything other than that.

So, for now, we’ve been spending a lot of time with Nina and Anton.

Nina has been incredibly helpful in preparing me for life with a new baby, and Lev and Anton have bonded over their mutual love for business. He’s taken Lev down to Espionage on many occasions, just the two of them, and whenever Lev comes home, he always has such a lightness to him that I’m still getting used to seeing.

I don’t ask too many questions about what they talk about, but I make sure Anton knows how much I appreciate him spending time with Lev.

“Right, does everyone have a glass?” Dimitri calls out over all the chatter.

Zara hands me a glass, and I eagerly take it. I’ve not had a sip of alcohol in almost nine months and after the last twenty-four hours, I think I deserve a tiny sip or two.

Dimitri holds up his glass. “Everyone, raise your glasses to?—”

Zara holds up a hand. “Hang on, we can’t toast without knowing his name! You have decided on a name, right?”

“Well…” I look anxiously at Lev, whose face has paled as all eyes turn on him.

Lucia glances between the two of us. “What is it? Oh god, you’ve not named him something weird, have you?”

Dimitri laughs. “What, like Danil?”

Danil gives him the finger. “Fuck you.”

Lev’s shoulders shake with silent laughter, and my lips pull up into a smile.

“We have a first name.” I reach for Lev’s hand. “It’s just the last name we’re unsure about.”

“I don’t follow…” Nina chimes in.

“Well…Lev and I…We wanted to know if you would all consider our son a Koslov.”

Lev keeps his eyes down, and a faint blush stains his cheeks as the room falls silent.

I glance at Alexei for confirmation, seeing as he is the head of the family, but his full attention is on Lev.

“You are our brother.” Alexei crosses the room, clasping Lev on the shoulder. “Which makes both you and your son Koslov.”

Lev gets to his feet and embraces Alexei I think for the first time ever. It’s an incredible moment to witness.

After so many years of thinking he was a monster, of isolating himself from everyone he’s ever cared about just to protect them, to finally see Lev surrounded by family and people who genuinely care about him has the tears pouring down my cheeks.

Nina bursts into tears herself before jumping to her feet and throwing her arms around her brother. To finally be free of the Ivanov name and to have found their true family at last is a huge moment for both of them.

For so long, Lev has beat himself up because of what Igor made him believe. And I will spend the rest of my life making sure he knows just how loved he truly is.

Danil smirks. “So, can we know the name of our new nephew or what?”

Lev looks at me. “Do you want to tell them?”

“Everyone.” I look down at the sleeping baby in my arms. “I’d like you to meet our son, Marco Andre Koslov.”

“To Marco!” everyone cries in unison.

Lev bends down to kiss me softly as all of our family clinks their glasses together to toast the birth of our son.

“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.

“I love you too.”

“Are you happy?”

“The happiest.”

He kisses me again before bending down and kissing the soft tuft of dark hair on Marco’s head.

Alexei raises his glass once again. “I also think we should toast to Lev, seeing as he is the newest member of the Koslov Bratva.”

Lev’s head snaps in Alexei’s direction, his eyes wide, as Alexei’s words register.

My throat thickens with emotion as huge smiles break out across every face in the room .

Alexei holds his glass in the air. “Everyone, raise your glasses to Lev Koslov.”

“To Lev Koslov.”

Alexei tips his glass to Lev alone. “Welcome to the family, brother.”

Getting reading for Danil and Emily’s story Sinful Promise