Page 99 of Forgotten Vows
“That one agent…” He sighed and smiled a different sort of grin. “It’s, uh, complicated. I’ll explain later.”
Laterwas right. It was time to go out there and get in place right about now.
Gabriella would be pissed if we didn’t stick to the schedule. I couldn’t tell if it was pregnancy hormones ruling her or if she was justthatinto dictating our wedding because she’d been stuck at home for her own. Her wedding to Luka in the ballroom in the house wasn’t shabby, but I probably wouldn’t understand anyway. Maybe it was a girl thing. Or maybe the details and décor and schedule didn’t matter. All I cared about was that when this was over, I’d be walking out of here with Raisa as my wife.
We exited the room as a group. Each step I took that brought me closer to the front of the church felt like one too many. I was impatient and so damn thrilled that we had gotten here.
Past the miscommunication.
Beyond my lie that I’d only used to ensure she stayed away from me to be safe.
Over the years apart, then the stressful reunion when she burst back into my life.
We’d gotten here regardless, ready to be Mr. and Mrs. because we loved each other and always would.
I smiled at the guests as I strode to take my position at the altar. Most of the guests in the church were Dubinins and associates. Raisa wasn’t sad that no Petrovs would be there. She’d truly cut ties with them, and by killing Konstantin, she put a final end to the family’s power. No one could blame her for shrugging a shoulder when asked about whereherfamily was. Even though we were about to go through with the wedding, she was already proud to say that her family was with me and Lev, then Luka and Gabriella, Emil and the rest. We were her family and always would be.
I wished she could’ve gotten ahold of that one cousin, though. A distant relative she’d tried to reach out to when she ran to safety with me. Kalina had yet to answer any of Raisa’s calls or texts, but I hoped we’d be able to put more resources intosearching for her relative. If she was so distant and more of a relative on Raisa’s mother’s side, then it wouldn’t be a risk, as if we were searching for a Petrov to hurt us.
Standing there as the music began, I let the excitement wash over me.
This was the true realization of kismet. We were fated to find our way back to each other in matrimony. I’d dreamed of this day. Fantasies had kept me company of marrying only this woman. Despite the years we’d spent apart, I never gave up the dream of having her as my wife. As the mother of my children.
She hadn’t protested trying for another son or daughter, but she admitted being too tired for practicing that with all this preparation for the wedding. With how she’d had to take her time to rest after Konstantin beating her, the recovery to feel complete again, I wouldn’t rush her for anything. I wanted the rest of her life to be easy and carefree.
I’dmakeit carefree.
My eagerness to have more children was just one more reason to want this ceremony to start then be over as quickly as possible. After tonight, I could have her all to myself. No sharing her with Gabriella as they discussed the wedding. No more of her meeting with Luka and Emil to fill them in on how they could find more lingering Petrovs.
With my official step back in the organization, a change that was taking a while to kick in, where I’d be more behind-the-scenes than fighting in the field as much, I could really devote my time and energy to being a family man.
It was all about balance. Those eight years when Raisa wasn’t in my life, I was devoted to working for my uncle, not caring about anything else. Now, I could flip those roles and dedicate myself to her and grow a family with her.
She showed up at the other end of the church with Luka. Moving smoothly, gliding toward me, she looked like a vision ofperfection. Leaving her long blonde hair down, she resembled an angel. A sweetheart with that easy, confident smile as she met my gaze, knowing that I would always be hers and no one else’s.
God, I love her so fucking much.
Witnessing my uncle escorting her down the long aisle was something else too. I smiled brighter at what his assistance like this meant.
He had been half the reason we’d broken up. The worry that he’d order me to stay away from her was one part of the obstacles we’d faced. That wasn’t a concern now. He looked proud to be the one to walk her down the aisle.
With her brave act of killing Konstantin, no obstacles would ever trouble us again.
I took her hand when they reached us. Luka kissed the top of her head and she hugged him before joining me.
“Ready?” She smiled after she whispered that simple question.
“I’ve been ready forever,” I replied.
Unlike Emil officiating our sham wedding at that party, the real and ordained priest took his time to enunciate the vows Raisa and I would share with each other. These weren’t raunchy jokes and ad-libbed lines of silliness like that summer wedding we’d pretended to have. This was the day we professed true promises that neither of us would forget or betray. In what seemed like eternity, it was time to say ourI dos, then to slip our rings on each other’s finger.
At last, I heard the words I’d been waiting for.
“You may kiss the bride.”
I held her close, tugging her in slowly so I wouldn’t miss out on a second of staring into her eyes. Seeing the wonder and adoration in those clear blue eyes added to the sentimental occasion. The second I brushed my lips over hers and showedthe rest of the world that she was now my wife, now Mrs. Raisa Dubinin, I felt like all my dreams had come true.
“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving you,” she whispered softly.
