Page 66 of Nikolai

"Nikolai," Leah's palm finds my cheek, and I lean into her touch.

"I've got you."

Through the night, I watch Leah lay in my bed, sleeping. No bones were broken from the beating she endured, but bruises cover her face and most of her torso. The doctor gave her pain meds to help her rest and said within a few weeks, Leah would be able to resume normal activities and fly home. As for me, I suffered two fractured ribs during the ordeal.

Leah whimpers, reaching to the empty spot beside her. "Nikolai?"

Getting up from my chair beside the bed, I walk around, and slide in beside her, careful not to jostle her too much, as I ignore my own pain. "I'm right here, Malyshka." I take her hand.

"Hold me," she mumbles, trying to tug me closer.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"I would feel better in your arms," she states, and I can't deny her what she wants. Leah slowly turns to her side, and I snuggle in behind her, resting my hand on her hip. I bury my face in the crook of her neck. Her body relaxes against me, and she begins to fall back to sleep. "Don't let go," she whispers.

"Never."

Epilogue

Leah

Iknew Nikolai was worried about how I was going to take visiting my mother's grave for the first time, and if I'm honest, so was I. Knowing she is dead is one thing, but staring at the headstone with her name scrolled across it, is another. In a way, it makes it more real. I'm not sure why I waited so long to come here because it turns out, I don't feel anything but closure. The first couple of months after I was kidnapped, I felt nothing but anger. I was angry at her because had she put me first all those years ago, I would not have had to endure the years of abuse at the hands of that man, and she'd still be alive. I'm angry because she chose him over me. I was mad because she waited until it was too late to pick her daughter over the monster she'd married. I'll admit I felt guilty about it because that's what got her killed, but Nikolai quickly set me straight. He said she did what a parent was supposed to do. He's right. The guilt I was carrying around after I heard of her death, no longer eats me up inside. I spent my whole life longing for the kind of mother-daughter relationship the kids who grew up around me had. I longed for a real family until I met Alba and Sam, then later The Kings. First, Alba and Sam became my family, and soon after, The Kings adopted me as one of their own. It was they who showed me the true meaning of family. Then came Nikolai. My husband taught me the meaning of patience, true love, and loyalty. And one of the most important things he taught me was self-worth. He showed me I was somebody worth waiting for. After all, he waited a whole year before making me his. He now spends his days loving me and making sure I love myself. I've even become close to Demetri in recent months. Nikolai's father has shown me what it's like to have a dad. I genuinely feel like I'm a daughter to him and not just the woman who married his son. I no longer refer to James Winters as my father. Growing up, he was a monster, and now he is nothing more than an afterthought. He no longer controls my life or haunts my dreams.

"You okay, Malyshka?" Nikolai keeps his arm planted firmly around my waist.

I lean further in, drawing in his warmth. "Yeah, I'm good.

He squeezes my hip. "You sure?"

I nod. "I'm sure. I'm glad I came. It was time. I'm ready to leave the past where it belongs and move forward."

I loved my mother. She wasn't perfect, and she, despite everything, loved me in her own way. I know this because, in the end, she proved it. In life, we must learn to accept and let go of the things we can't change. We also must learn when to let go of the anger caused by others. As long as you hold on to anger, the person who hurt you, keeps that hold, even in death. I spent months being angry, and today, I'm letting go. I have a beautiful future ahead of me—a future that has no room for the negative energy I've been battling. As I stand in front of my mom's grave, I can feel the last bit of it leaving my soul.

"Are you ready to go?"

I stare down at the headstone a second longer, silently saying my final goodbye, then turn to Nikolai. "Yeah. Let's go."

As we make our way to the car, Nikolai asks, "What do you want to do today?"

I smile. "Do you think the family would be up for a cookout?"

Nikolai grins. "Hell, yes, since when are the boys not up for food and booze?"

Two hours later, the sound of laughter fills mine and Nikolai's yard. After Nikolai put a call into Logan, the whole club and their women didn't waste time showing up.

Sitting in Nikolai's lap on the back deck, I giggle at Quinn and Reid's banter. They are arguing over whose BBQ sauce is better. Logan shakes his head. "Some things never change."

"Whose turn is it to win this time?" Bella asks.

Alba once told me Quinn and Reid have the same argument over and over. Then everyone is forced to vote on whose BBQ is better. She says the guys take turns on picking a winner. She also says Quinn and Reid know the votes are done that way but still play along because it's standing tradition.

"Quinn's," Gabriel answers, stepping up to our group with his daughter in his arms. Valentina is so adorable with her little princess swimsuit and floaties.

I peer over his shoulder to see Alba wading in the swimming pool, watching her son splash around. Climbing off Nikolai's lap, I tell him, "I'm going to go change and get in the pool for a bit."

Nikolai tugs on my hand, and I lean down, kissing him. "I'll be back."

Once upstairs in the bedroom, I quickly change out of my dress into my swimsuit. A few weeks ago. I was shopping with the girls, and they convinced me to buy a two-piece. It's red, with high-waisted bottoms, giving me that vintage fifties look. The way the top plunges, makes my breasts look fantastic. Nikolai stands in the doorway of our room, and with his heated gaze glued to my chest, I'd say he agrees.

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