Page 44 of Forbidden Vows

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever. I can’t believe you remembered that.”

I told him about my love of John Keats when we were still in Paris on our honeymoon, lounging in the morning sun on the rooftop terrace of our hotel.

“I remember everything,” Anton replies.

The more I see, the more I learn about the mansion—its history and the events that took place within these walls—the more fascinated I am by the Karpovs and by the Bratva overall. I was never one for romanticizing the Chicago mob, I was, after all, raised by them. The Russian mafia, however, seem to have a certain class, a particular style in both their personal and so-called professional fields.

“We Irish are a tad simpler,” I chuckle as we stop in the kitchen. The sheer size of it practically takes my breath away as I look around at the seemingly endless maze of dark red stone counters and grey wooden cabinets. “You might as well open a restaurant here; you already have everything you need.”

“Yet when there’s an official Karpov function with up to two hundred people attending, you’d be amazed how small this kitchen seems.” He plants a kiss on my temple, then pours each of us a glass of iced tea from one of the four giant fridges.

He gives me a curious look. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just… it sometimes feels too good to be true. This thing between us.”

“Hey, we got lucky. There’s no use in looking a gift horse in the mouth.” He pauses and checks his phone. “Andrei wants to meet in my office. I have to go for a bit.”

“That’s okay.”

“Let me take you to our suite upstairs first, so you can relax and get comfy. As soon as I’m done, I’ll join you.”

“And we can try that bed.” I give him a wink.

“We can try that bed.” He smiles and kisses me softly.

Three hours fly by.

Laura is kind enough to take me on a tour of the rest of the property, allowing me a unique opportunity to learn more about the Karpovs and their business dealings across the city. It’sjust as I suspected—dark money that partially finances social projects across Chicago, while the bulk of it is split between further shady investments with just enough legitimate fronts to keep the government at bay.

“What’s your place in all of this?” I ask her as we take a seat on a bench in the back garden. It’s so nice outside; I don’t want to go back in just yet.

“I’m a Bratva wife, first and foremost,” Laura says with a wry smile. “I represent Andrei wherever I go, so I have to look the part. Not that I mind. Besides, Andrei spares no expense for this particular endeavor. A Karpov lady has to look her best.”

“And then I came along,” I chuckle.

She gives me a sad look. “You’ve been misled your whole life, Eileen. It’s not about how thin you are. You’ve got more style and class in your pinky finger than your stepsister does in her entire body. Trust me, you’ll have no trouble fitting in whatsoever.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“Besides, the Karpovs like their women shapely. More to love, they say,” she laughs lightly. “Andrei, however, had to understand that my metabolism is a bit different.”

“He tried to fatten you up?”

“And then some.”

We’re both laughing now.

“He loves me for me, not just for my body,” Laura sighs deeply, her eyes sparkling with affection as she gazes out upon the garden. “And it feels good to know that no matter what I look like, my husband will always lay the world at my feet.”

“So tell me, what’s a day in a mob wife’s life like?” I ask.

“I’m going to guess it’s not much different than a mob daughter’s life,” Laura replies.

I shrug. “My dad was always strict, and we always had protection, but he didn’t interfere too much in our daily activities.”

“That’s basically how it is here, with just a few exceptions. Usually, the Karpov wife doesn’t leave the premises for the first few weeks. You live here, you breathe here, you get accustomed to the rhythm of everything, and then, slowly but surely, you start attending public events at your husband’s side.”

“Are you serious?” I gasp, suddenly feeling as though I had just been kicked in the gut.

---