Epilogue Valentin

ten years late r

W aking up beside my wife never gets old. She's so beautiful and the foot sticking up between us doesn't dim it. Pulling on Mila's leg, she giggles like her mother and tries to burrow further into the sheets. Our four year old daughter, who is the spitting image of the woman who owns me, pops her head out like it was her choice and I didn't have to drag her out.

She puts a finger over her lips as I sit her on my stomach but decides to scream anyway.

"Mommy's sleeping. Shhhhh."

Dani's lips twitch, proving she's already awake and I fuck with her.

"I know she's lazy, isn't she, oomnitsa ?"

Mila narrows her eyes at me and puts her fists on her hips, unhappy with anyone bad mouthing her mother. I'm surrounded by hardheaded people as Dominik busts through the door and shouts, "Don't call my mom lazy. "

Fuck me, these kids don't have volume control.

Swinging my legs over the bed, so Dani can have some rest away from their noise, I guide them out of the room and take them down to the kitchen. It's weird as fuck carrying an eight and four year old while Viktor sits as a grown ass man arguing with Tali.

"It's not a gimp mask, dickhead. It's just a mask."

My heart speeds up knowing they're talking about his fights. I'm not even forty, for fuck's sake. I'm way too young to have a heart attack, but it batters against my ribs every time he steps into the cage.

Dom is too inquisitive and looks up at each of us asking, "What's a gimp mask?"

Shooting both Tali and Viktor a look to shut the fuck up they hold their hands up trying to hide their laugh as I bullshit my way through not telling my eight year old about people's fetishes.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

He stares up at me and I squeeze his cheeks to stop him asking more questions. It doesn't stop the chatterbox despite his lips being pushed together. "I'm older now. I want one."

Tali chokes on his laugh and Viktor hides his face. But my youngest, my baby girl, decides to join in.

"Daddy, please can I have one?"

Her sweet voice stops the laughter and Viktor stretches his arms out, taking her from me. He kisses her cheek and stares into her eyes as his voice deepens. "No and no one will ever go near you with one."

She's a spoilt brat and screeches, "I want it. Dom gets one."

I take her off her brother's lap before they start arguing or she hits him and hold her up. The little brat smiles innocently and tilts her head to be cute as fuck. "Love you."

"I'll get you a princess crown if you're nice," I offer. She quickly nods and stares at Dom, so he doesn't ruin it for her. They're thick as thieves and he throws himself into the seat beside his brother. The stroppy mood is unnecessary, but he quizzes Viktor on his upcoming fight.

Sitting Mila with Tali, I hope she's back in her slapping phase and knocks the fuck out of him. She gets it from her mother and her little hand has a nasty sting. Perfect just like Dani.

The house is full of kids, and I hear Vlad's before I see them. Dom's mood shifts instantly, and he rolls his shoulders. Viktor comes to my side t o escape whatever shit they're going to cause as I get their breakfast ready. He's my height but I feel the urge to look towards my knees when he asks, "Does Mom know what's happening today?"

There's no nerves on his face but he's too good at hiding shit. I push my own feelings aside about the decision he's made with a non-answer.

"Do you want her to?"

The scar on his face has faded enough not to be seen in certain lights, but the dark part of his iris will always be there pointing out my failure. He turns his head knowing what I'm doing as I focus on it to make sure the heterochromia hasn't grown again.

"She'll just be upset. And stop staring at me like a creep, this is why I moved out."

Both parts of what he says is bullshit. He's keeping the fact that Carly will die today a secret as not to upset Dani. There's no emotion over the cunt who gave birth to him but he's full of thoughtfulness for the one he calls mom.

I hand him his plate and check his eye again. "You moved out, so your mother didn't question your girlfriends doing the walk of the shame."

The first time Dani saw the poor girl, she invited her to breakfast. It was cute and awkward as fuck. Being an ass with spending so much time around Tali, he raises a brow and points out the obvious.

"How old was I when you were my age again?"

I swear to fuck if he makes me a grandfather when I'm not even forty I'll have a heart attack for definite.

He laughs to himself and looks like a kid again as Dani pads into the kitchen. She goes around the table kissing each child's head and includes Tali in the lineup. Viktor waits until she's in reach to wrap his arm around her shoulders and kisses her crown. He proves he's an adult with a twisted smile and filling her in on a conversation that didn't happen while testing my heart rate.

"We were just talking about the benefits of having kids young."

Dani's reaction is the same as mine with the addition of trying to be supportive while I'm having heart palpitations.

"You're eighteen, but whatever decision you make we'll help you."

The shit eating grin puts me at ease knowing he's doing this on purpose just to fuck with me.

"I've done better than Dad, I made it a year longer. "

Dani doesn't see through his bullshit, always thinking he's innocent but he's a Vartanov, it's in our DNA to fuck with people. His pause is dramatic as fuck as she eats his lies. Setting her at ease, he kisses the top of her head and laughs.

"But you're too young to be a grandmother so I'll wait."

She visibly relaxes while he laughs to himself and nods to the hoard of kids all screeching over each other. "That right there is human contraception."

Dani has more patience than anyone I know walking straight toward the noise as Tali swaps places. Vlad's old ass joins us and it's like the old life looking at the new. Viktor claps his hands together pulling me out of my reverie.

"Come on you old bastards, we've got places to be."

Tali and Vlad walk ahead, and I pull him to my side kissing his forehead. I wish he stayed a baby forever and didn't have blood on his hands, but it's his choice to be initiated and his choice what to do with the bitch's life. Trying to push me away he grumbles, "You still need cuddles at this age?"

We're at the door when my wife follows after me and I stop in my tracks allowing Viktor to walk ahead. I will never get bored of calling her by her title and she wraps her arms around my middle. Her voice is soft and gentle as always. Yet, she shows that despite her gentleness she accepts her life.

"Don't let him be alone with her."

I cup her face with both hands and press a kiss to the tip of her nose as Dom opens his incredibly loud mouth.

"Stop touching my mom!"

Mila joins in instantly like his little cheerleader shouting, "Yeah!"

If there is anyone as territorial over Dani as me, it's that little shit. He's psychotic and starts fighting with Vlad's son, Vasili, as he glares at me. Dani turns and her authoritative voice gets me hard every time.

"Dominik sit down and stop punching people."

He softens instantly, he's too much like me and drops into his seat for the only person he listens to. But I love my life, and all my annoying kids. Especially the woman who controls us all. I ignore my own son glaring at me as I kiss my wife. I've been in love with this woman since I was a child and there's not a day that goes by that I ever waiver.