Page 54 of The Bratva King's Twins

I averted my eyes then as the tears threatened to fall, but I didn’t want them to. I was tired of the constant up and down with my emotions because of the pregnancy, and from going through a whirlwind of experiences over a few months.

I didn’t want to seem weak. I wanted to seem strong like Ari, even if I could barely handle the thought of anything happening to him.

“Look, I have to level with you,” he began, facing me completely with his hands against my waist. “This whole thing has me in a precarious place. I’ve been wanting to keep you out of this because of the obvious conflict of interest. I can’t stand by while your brothers get in the way of our operations, but I don’t want to hurt you by engaging with them. It could get ugly, and I need you to know it’s nothing more than business. If I had my way, they would stay out of it, and nobody would have to get hurt. I don’t want you to think I take any pleasure in this.”

Confused for a moment, I couldn’t understand why he was trying to emphasize that point so greatly. But then I realized why.

He assumed my heart was still with my family to some capacity. He thought I was worried about them, when in reality it was him I was concerned for.

The more I thought about it, the stranger I felt.

They were my blood, and I should’ve felt some sort of allegiance to them. I should’ve been afraid for their lives given who they were up against, but I wasn’t.

They were asking for it by getting involved in something they should’ve left alone, and there was nothing I could do about that.

If anything, they were betraying me by waiting so long to take action, after I had come around to the idea of being with Ari and starting a family together. I couldn’t even pretend to be on their side.

They treated me like I never mattered a day in my life, but Ari proved otherwise. He made me see that I was worth something, that I was important to him. No matter what I went through during my upbringing, he was the reminder that better things were possible.

“Ari,” I murmured, meeting his gaze with a swell of genuine pride in my chest as I looked at him. “I realize I never answered your question before, but my loyalty is with you and your family. I’m on your side.”

He took me in completely then, providing me with his complete and unwavering attention. For once, he seemed to be at a loss for words, unable to return with anything substantial enough. Yet his eyes gave away how much it meant to him.

Working up my courage, I continued, “Whatever you need to do, do it. They never had any love for me before, and I can’t ignore the person in front of me offering exactly that. Don’t let me or my connection to them get in the way of what has to be done.”

Dropping a hand to my stomach, I held the small bump there, aware that regardless of getting my permission to carry out any means necessary to get my brothers off his back, Ari also had to do whatever was necessary for our growing family.

He was doing everything for us, and that was all I could ask for.

Chapter 25 - Ari

There was no doubt in my mind how Vivian felt about me and our plans to raise our children together, but hearing those words from her seemed to cement it all for me.

Even if the feud was with her brothers, and she was caught in the middle, she didn’t hate me for it. Against all odds, she came around to the idea of me so completely that she was willing to put her complete faith in me.

She wasn’t upset or opposed to the idea of me stopping her brothers before they could cause any more problems, and it turned out I had been worrying for no reason.

I had her blessing, and that meant the world to me.

I didn’t know what to say in return at first, not while I was still wrapping my head around what that meant for us.

She was with me, and she was determined to keep it that way. Even if her family somehow came to retrieve her, she would want to stay.

But with her looking so delicate and committed in front of me, I couldn’t help but relax and be vulnerable myself.

“You don’t know how much that means to me,” I murmured, leaning closer so I could cup her cheek with my hand while I held her. “I’m completely committed to you, Vivian, beyond our marriage license. Beyond those half-assed vows. You saw me at arguably my worst, and you still managed to find something better in me. You’ve shown me it’s okay to be soft, even if I’ve only ever known had to conceal my emotions. You’ve brought out the best in me, and I want to be better thanks to you.”

Despite her brave face, Vivian’s eyes watered as she looked up at me tenderly. “A part of me didn’t want to believe you could be caring in the beginning. I kept searching for any reason to despise you and to be vindicated for it, but I stopped being able to see those reasons. I was terrified to be here, and I was even more scared to admit I was falling for you, Ari. I don’t know how you did it, but you showed me the things in life I was missing back home, and now I don’t want to be without it. I don’t want to be without you.”

“And you won’t have to be,” I returned gently, stroking her cheek as I took in every gorgeous feature of her face. “I promise to keep you and the babies safe, regardless of what it takes. I never thought I was capable of being loved, or of letting myself return that affection, but you changed all of that for me. I love you, Vivian.”

As more tears gathered in her waterline, I carefully placed a hand against her small belly and mustered up every ounce of sincerity I had. “For us and them, I’ll take care of everything.”

“I love you too,” she managed, despite the slight crack in her voice. Unable to fight back her tearful smile, she beamed up at me as I tried to dry her eyes. “You’re going to be an incredible father.”

As my heart squeezed, glad she thought so, I leaned in and sealed those words with a kiss.

She sighed against my lips, relaxing completely into my touch.

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