Page 7 of Sweet Child of Mine

“I know. I just missed you so much. When I lost my parents I was in so much pain and there was so much anger that it was easier to be angry at you than to miss you. I wish our reunion hadn’t been while I was so drunk.”

“I’ve been back for a couple of weeks. I watched you and tried to figure out if I should approach you and if so, how. I’m not a good man, moy tsvetok. I’ve killed many men, and done thingsthat would horrify you. I can’t change who I am. My family is bratva and I am bratva.

“I can’t promise you a life with a white picket fence and a husband who comes home from a day at the office. I can promise you that I will always love you, whether you want to be with me or not. I will always protect and support you. I will always be faithful. I may be a bad dangerous man, but never to you. I will never hurt you or our child.”

I watched as her eyes filled with tears as I spoke and I feared she would walk away from me. But those words were my truth. She reached up and caressed my cheeks with her fingers. “I love you Nik, and I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I want to be with you but I’m also scared and overwhelmed. Can you give me until the weekend to wrap my head around everything?”

“Know that I will have men watching you and protecting you, moy tsvetok. I have to.” I leaned my head closer to hers and captured her lips in a kiss that said everything I couldn’t. I let the kiss tell her how I felt, how I’d always felt. In a few days, I would bring her home and marry her as fast as I could.

As we broke apart to breathe, I looked into her eyes and told her, “I love you, my beautiful Leilani.” The soft smile that appeared on her face, brought joy to my heart as I held her to me.

After several long moments, she exclaimed, “Oh! I forgot. Do you want to see the little peanut?” She reached behind her and pulled out several black-and-white images. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked at the images. “See that little dot in that dark circle, that’s our baby. The dark thing is my uterus but that littlespeck is our peanut. Definitely has some cooking and growing to do.”

I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I looked at our baby. It was part me and part her. It was more than I could ever have dreamed of and it was with the woman who had always owned my heart and soul.

Chapter 4

Leilani

Tonight had been a crazy emotional ride. After telling Nik about the baby, he refused to not only let me go back to work but also to leave his lap. It had been wonderful but also so many levels of overwhelming. I knew I could never be without him, I loved him too much, I’d always loved him too much.

I just needed a night or two in my home, the small home I’d lived in ever since I lost my parents, to adjust and come to grips with how my life was changing. I know Nik wanted me to come home with him right away but I needed time. It was how I dealt with everything life had thrown at me. I just needed time.

I’d allowed his men to drive me home, and I knew there was one man at the front door and one at the back. I was sure there was probably more. As long as I had the time I needed without them in my face, I could handle it.

I went to bed and woke up earlier than was normal for me, and spent the day looking at photos, watching old videos, and reconnecting with my parents and the memories I had of them. Before I realized it, the sun had set and my stomach was growling. My phone buzzed with a message from Nik.

Nik: I love you.

Me: I love you right back.

Nik: How are you feeling?

Me: Good. Thank you for this. I needed today.

Nik: I’m glad. I told Daniil and Kostya. They are excited. Gianna is excited.

Me: Gian

My message ended suddenly as I heard a strange sort of pop sound. Then I heard another and another. Suddenly Nik’s man burst through the door, slammed it shut and pulled my table over to block it.

The man yelled at me in Russian, “Spuskat'sya! My podverglis' napadeniyu!” I had no clue what he’d said to me but the blood flowing down his arm told me all I needed to know.

I screamed in terror as my home suddenly became riddled with bullets, the man ran to me and pushed me to the ground, covering my body with his. I covered my head with my hands and prayed we’d make it out of this.

Igor the Giant’s phone suddenly started to buzz and when his phone stopped, mine started to ring, back and forth this happened multiple times while we were too busy trying not to die. Finally, I was able to move enough to answer my phone. It hadn’t dawned on me that Igor hadn’t answered his, or why.

“Leilani! Are you ok? We are on our way?”

Hearing Nik’s voice amidst the terror-filled chaos cut through the panic in my brain. I had never been so scared in my life, “Nik, help!” I cried out, my voice hoarse from all of the screaming I’d done. “Someone is shooting at the house.”

“We’re almost there, baby.” I heard him yelling at someone in Russian just as I realized Igor wasn’t moving.

I started to panic even more when I couldn’t get him off of me. Then I realized the shooting had stopped and that terrified me even more. “Nik!” I cried in a whisper. “They stopped shooting and I can’t move. I think Igor is dead and he protected me but now I can’t move. Oh fuck! Nik! I hear talking.”

“Listen, Lei, don’t try to move. Play dead under him I can see your house, I’m coming, my flower. I’m coming.”

As I heard the voices outside my door and could hear them pushing at it, I quickly hung up and tried to make myself as small as possible underneath Igor. I whispered into his ear, “If you aren’t dead, play dead and don’t move.”

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