Page 44 of Bound to the Bratva
I return to my seat and she sits across from me. “Likewise. Things could have gone so differently.”
She nods over and over again, “Yes, it could have. I’m glad it didn’t. Before we dive into anything, where’s Aria?”
I take a sip of my brandy, “She’s at the hospital going over some things with some parents. I’m going to naturally assume she has to deliver some not so great news and they’re discussing treatment options.”
Her mother frowns, “You know, I was overjoyed when she told me she wanted to be a doctor. I thought about how important of a job it was going to be, and how she’s the first physician to ever come out of my family…but when she told me her specialty my heart sunk. Constantly surrounded by cancer…it has to be sad. I can’t imagine how sad it really is.”
I know what she’s saying. Aria doesn’t talk too much about how things are every day, but on the good days, she shares the positive news with me. She obviously doesn’t give me patient information, but she will talk about what type of cancer they beat, how long they’ve been fighting, those sorts of things.
“I don’t know how she doesn’t take the sadness home with her every day, but she doesn’t. Your daughter is one of the strongest people I know,” I offer a soft smile, wanting her to feel my genuineness.
Her mother sucks in a deep breath and sighs heavily, “That’s because of the shit her father put us through when she was a child. She’d never admit it now, but she always wanted him to be around, for him to come to her soccer games, take her to the daddy-daughter dance…but he never showed. He only came around when it was convenient for him, and that took a toll on all of us, including my amazing children.”
“It sounds like he was a real tool.”
She cracks up laughing and snags my brandy, taking a sip. “Oh, you’re not wrong there. Her father is a selfish asshole, and one I will never be able to rid myself of, even if we’re not romantically linked anymore.”
Cocking a brow, my curiosity gets the best of me. “What do you mean by that? He shouldn’t be your problem anymore, considering you aren’t involved.”
She cracks up and finishes off my brandy. “See, that’s the thing. You’d think that, but it’s not true. He’s determined to torment me my entire life. The last one though, that’s fucking ridiculous.”
Ah, the whole keeping her captive until Aria married me thing. “Yes, I let him know my thoughts as soon as I heard about what he did. That was some next level bullshit.”
She licks her lips and stares at me plainly, “You’re just coming to the shitshow, sweetheart. Nikolai is a mess.”
If Nikolai’s such a mess, why am I married to his daughter?
The more I learn about this family, the more questions I have.
She clears her throat and gets straight down to business, leaning over the table. An overwhelming floral scent hits me like a ton of bricks. “So, tell me, how is marriage treating the two of you?”
I clear my throat, buying myself a moment. “I’d say it’s going rather well. Better than I expected, and I think she could say the same.”
She leans back against the cushion and smirks, “I hope she says the same, or we’re gonna have some issues really fast, buddy.”
I see how these women are so similar now, and it’s amusing. Aria inherited every bit of strength and resilience from her mother. Aria’s essentially a carbon copy of her mother, mixed with her father’s features. I’m glad Aria takes after her mother, though.
I crack a smirk, “I’m sure her report will be just as positive.”
Her lips sculpt into a sly smile, “Like I said, you’d better hope so.”
It’s refreshing to see a mother care so warmly for her children. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced such warmth coming from my own mother. Instead, most of my life I’ve been met with coldness, Vera too. We’re merely pawns on the chess board for our parents, needed, but never truly appreciated.
“I’m not worried in the least bit. We’re both adjusting well to our complicated situation, and I know everything is solid between us. Arranged marriage or not, we fit together exceptionally well.”
“Complicated,” She waves a hand in dismissal. “You’ll never forget that word, for as long as you live. There will constantly be power plays, turf wars, vendettas, and those who try to come in between your love…don’t let them succeed, Maxim. From what I’m hearing, you can tell what a great catch my daughter is, so don’t fuck it up.”
I chuckle, happy Aria has such a fearless mother. “I assure you, the last thing I want to do is fuck anything up.
Nicolina arches a perfectly painted on brow and cackles, “You know, I don’t think I ever introduced myself. At least formally I didn’t. My name is Nicolina,”
The waiter comes up, interrupting our conversation and asks if we’d like anything to drink. I order another brandy, and Nicolina does the same. To be honest, it’s a breath of fresh air to see how her mother is. We even put a couple of appetizers in while we wait, and soon enough he’s walking off in the direction he came in.
“Well, I appreciate you letting me know your name. Didn’t think you’d want me calling you mother,”
“Who calls their mom’s, mother?” Nicolina cracks up yet again, and I smirk.
“Me and my sister, but we were raised in Britain…so things are a bit more formal there.”
