Page 97 of Savage Bratva King

I smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

It takes her a couple of beats to catch on to what I’m saying, but the frown lines are still there between her eyebrows. Ivana gives her an encouraging nod. “I apologize too for lying to you about the pakhan and Elena.”

This one still stings. Tamara lied to me about Leo cheating on his fiancee, knowing that the situation was the complete reverse. When Leo and I were reunited, he told me that Elena cheated on him, and that he vowed, afterwards, never to allow another woman into his heart.

Until he met me.

“Can you forgive me?” Tamara asks.

Deep breath. “For Leo’s sake, I will try.”

She nods, and her gentle smile lights up her face. “Shall we?” She offers me her arm, and I take it, while Mel intertwines her arm with Ivana’s. “The pakhan is waiting for you.”

“It’s acceptable for the bride to be late.” Mel links her other arm with mine, and I wonder if the irony of her wedding being six years too late is playing on her mind today.

But I don’t have a chance to dwell on it.

The garden is filled with the fragrance of loose rose petals, and I can hear the hum of conversation reaching us from the guests already gathered around the Japanese pagoda.

My legs tremble, and my stomach churns as we make our way towards Leo.

When I see him, my breath hitches in my chest. He is even more handsome than usual in a dark-silver suit and an ivory lace cravat that coordinates perfectly with my dress; Mel must’ve helped him choose it.

His eyes lock onto mine, and my heart swells with love for this beautiful, strong, sexy man. I almost can’t believe that he is mine, but his smile is all that I need. His gaze doesn’t waver. He watches Tamara hand me over to my father before she and Ivana join him inside the pagoda as his best women.

And then I’m standing in front of him. He kisses my father’s hand, thanking him for blessing our marriage. I barely register my father kissing my cheek and placing my hand in Leo’s, or saying our vows, or the celebrant announcing that we are husband and wife.

I think that all I’ll ever remember of that day is Leo pressing my body against him and kissing me on the lips in front of our families and friends.

“I love you, my printzessa,” he whispers into my ear, his breath tickling my neck and sending shivers down my spine.

“I love you, Leo. I always have, and I always will.”

EPILOGUE

GIANNA

I reachone of the rooms on the top floor and sit heavily in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. My belly is so large now that even my thighs are screaming at me to get these babies out and give them a break.

“Not long now.”

I stroke my belly through my oversized T-shirt and mutter to myself. Or the twins. Or my thighs. At this point, I’m so used to talking to all three of us while I work that it’s like a three-way video call without the images on the screen.

This is how it will always be, and I’m so excited to meet the twins in a few weeks even though I’m still not prepared to deal with the diaper situation. I tossed it out there with Leo early in my pregnancy. He immediately adopted his pakhan expression, the one where his lips almost disappear, and he peers down his nose at the rest of the world simply waiting for them to acknowledge his top-of-the-food-chain status, and said, “Absolutely not.”

We’ll manage. We don’t have a choice, and Mel says it’s different when it’s your own baby; you’re not quite so squeamish. She also loves to remind me that I’ve faced far more horrific situations working at the refuge in Montenegro, so how can I let a bit of baby poop floor me.

“Here she is.” Mika bounds into the bedroom, still clad almost head-to-toe in leopard print, and perches on what’s left of my thighs. “Thought we’d find you playing hooky in one of these gorgeous rooms we’ve worked our butts off to finish before you pop.”

“I’m not playing hooky, I’m resting.”

A baby foot pokes her in the back for getting too close, and Mika sprawls across the floor like the drama queen she is.

“How do you live with that punishment, Gi? Your insides must be black and blue.”

I smile and cradle my belly with both arms like I can protect my babies from her insults. “I’m going to miss them wriggling around after they’re born. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Soon Cartier comes in carrying a heap of fairy lights. “This is the last room to decorate.” Her eyes are already on the ceiling, figuring out how many lights she’ll need. “Don’t mind me. You two just carry on lazing around and chatting about babies. I’ll work around you.” To prove the point, she strolls between me and Mika trailing strands of tiny bulbs over our friend.

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