Page 110 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva
It feels normal. Familiar. Safe.
Night falls before I realize how late it’s gotten. The shadows stretch long over the rugs, the house soft and warm under the quiet hush of evening. The girls both yawn at the same time and laugh at themselves.
As they kiss my cheek and leave, they promise to visit again soon, and I walk them downstairs. Adrian opens the car door for Jennie, and she turns to wave at me one last time. I wave back, and beside her, Zoe leans her head on Lukin’s shoulder. The men help them into their cars like it’s second nature—like they’ve been doing this all their lives.
Kaz and I stand together in silence as both cars roll out through the gates. He takes my hand, lacing our fingers together, and we turn to walk back into the house—together.
***
Two weeks later, we have our wedding in the garden just the way we wanted it.
The garden has never looked more beautiful. It’s just past five in the evening, and golden light spills over the hedges, brushing the petals of the white roses with a soft glow. The staff have strung up fairy lights in the trees, and a quiet breeze carries the scent of fresh lilacs.
It’s simple. Nothing grand. Nothing public. Just the way we wanted it.
Our closest friends and family gather beneath the arbor—Adrian and Jennie standing hand-in-hand, Lukin and Zoe seated near the front, their smiles easy and full of warmth. Niko lingers near the back in all black, of course, and Milos is beside him, surprisingly well-dressed for once. Maxim stands in front of them all, holding the small leather folder that holds our marriage license.
He smiles at us. “I found the license online. Totally legal. Totally binding. And totally fitting.”
Kaz squeezes my hand, and I glance up at him. His tie is crooked, and his hair refuses to stay in place, but he’s never looked more like mine.
We don’t follow a script. There’s no priest, no traditional readings. Just us. Just our promises. Kaz turns to me first. There’s no paper in his hands. No rehearsed lines. Just raw truth.
“I take you,” he says slowly, voice hoarse, “as the only thing that makes me human.”
Something cracks wide open in me. I start crying—hard. But I’m still smiling. I can barely speak through it, but I hold him, hands shaking as I say, “And I take you, Kazmir Rusnak, exactly as you are.”
And just like that, I become his wife. No fanfare. Just a long, deep kiss that tastes like forever and forgiveness.
And around us, our little circle claps quietly. A new beginning, in the most unexpected place—with the most unexpected man.
But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Epilogue – Violet
It’s been a year since our wedding. The estate is quieter now.
No more sudden gunshots in the night. No barking orders, no distant screams, no crunch of boots on bloodstained gravel. Just birdsong, the soft rustle of trees outside the window, and the sweet hum of lullabies playing on a speaker tucked into the corner of the nursery.
I’m barefoot, rocking slowly side to side on the polished wooden floor. The sun is pouring in through the tall windows, and in my arms, wrapped in soft linen, is the center of my world.
Lev Kazimir Rusnak.
Our son.
He’s only a few months old but already commands the attention of everyone on this estate—guards, staff, even the most hardened men melt when they see his chubby cheeks and tiny fists. He has Kaz’s piercing blue eyes and my lips, though Kaz insists he sees none of me in him and all of himself. I see both of us. And I see a better world in him.
I press my lips to the top of Lev’s soft head and exhale slowly.
Kaz promised me peace. And for almost a year, we had it.
Until last week. A message came in from Niko.
The first Solokov son is still alive. He escaped from LaFarge that night.
I told Kaz to ignore it. We had peace now. We had Lev. A family.
But he looked at me with that kind of ache only Kaz can carry. He dropped to his knees in our bedroom—this man, my husband, the father of my child—and he begged for one more chance. One last strike. One final thread to cut.
