Page 19 of The Bratva's Hostage

As Elena reached the altar, Lucas gently lifted the veil, revealing a face set with both grim determination and a touch of vulnerability. The sight of her sent my heart racing with anticipation.

She is mine. I didn’t even know I wanted her so badly.

The officiant began the ceremony, and I struggled to focus on what the priest was saying. This was the biggest step of my life so far, and not for the first time, I was assailed with doubt.

I could tell she was nervous, despite her steady gaze and her commendable attempt to show strength. This was a woman I could rely on, a woman who was willing to get things done, regardless of the cost. I certainly could have done worse for a wife.

After what felt like an eternity, the priest finished, and it was time to exchange vows. We both read mechanically from pieces of paper in turn, with Elena’s eyes fixed on me the whole time.

The vows echoed through the church, filled with promises and the heavy weight of expectations. Somewhere deep inside, I wanted this to be real. The feeling was new to me.

When the time came to kiss the bride, I did it delicately, yet the only thoughts in my head revolved around all the things I wanted to do to her when night came, and it was time to consummate our marriage.

She was hot and irresistible, and her perfume filled my head with desire. Her soft lips tasted better than I could have imagined, and I found myself wishing the ceremony was over already.

I promise I will make you happy, my Italian princess.

Scattered applause rang through the church, and I wondered if anyone in the congregation was truly happy about this union. There were no winners here, just two people striving to mitigate their losses.

The wedding party took place at my place, despite Nikolai’s misgivings. He didn’t want the enemy to be inside our home, and I had to remind him that the entire arrangement was his idea in the first place.

Plus, if we were going to be partners, there had to be some level of trust established between the two families. There was no better way than inviting people into your home.

That didn’t stop him from arming the guards to the teeth and cordoning off several sections of the house to non-Wolkov party guests. That promised to cause some friction, but it seemed like a fair compromise for both parties.

Elena was the perfect bride, and we spent the entire time together. I introduced her to the family, and her smile was big enough to almost make me forget how much she hated my guts. Almost.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Dimitry said when I introduced her to him. “I’ve heard the most fascinating things about you. This is my wife, Olivia. You’d be shocked to know just how much you both have in common.”

I cast him a hard look and he grinned at me. Olivia and Elena chatted easily, and I could have mistaken them for old friends. I envied her ability to be at ease in seemingly any situation.

“You have an interesting family,” she said when we were alone again. “Must have been fun growing up in your home.”

“You don’t know the last of it,” I replied, scanning the crowd. “We have one more brother, but the wedding was too short notice for him to make the trip in time.”

I was barely done speaking when Katrina jumped into my arms. “Cousin!” she shrieked. “Mama told me to wait until the adults left you alone.”

“Aren’t you a sweetheart,” I said, tossing the young girl into the air. She shrieked and laughed, her high-pitched voice filling the garden. “My goodness, you are growing up too fast.”

I caught Elena watching Katrina and me with a curious look in her eyes and I set the young girl down. “This is my cousin, Katrina. I love this girl as if she were my own daughter. Don’t let her size fool you, she’s only seven.”

Katrina scowled. “You say that as if I’m a child.”

“That’s because you are, huh? Katrina, this is my lovely wife, Elena.”

Katrina beamed, showing two missing front teeth. “Hello, Elena. Nice to meet you.”

Elena genuinely smiled this time and bent down to talk to Katrina. She spoke playfully and softly, and more than once Katrina giggled, held her stomach in amusement, and then they both hugged each other. Watching them, I found the sight pleasantly desirable.

Could this be our life? Was it possible for us to have a loving family of our own? Considering the circumstances, it was most unlikely. There was no love in our marriage, only duty. I doubted that we could ever have a real family life.I can only hope that she won’t hate me for the rest of our lives.

I looked up and saw Fyodor heading towards me, sporting a grim look. With a sigh, I left the girls and walked towards him. A brawl had probably broken out somewhere. It was optimistic to expect this day to end without a few of those.

Chapter 10 - Elena

Maksim and I saw the rest of the guests off together. A long day of tolerating angry glares and plastering fake smiles on my face left me feeling used and empty. The only thing I wanted to do was get into bed and sleep for a whole week.

One glance at Maksim and I could tell we were in the same boat. He looks so exhausted. Neither of us had planned for this, but we went through it regardless.

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