Page 68 of Bratva Bastard

Within a few minutes, my brothers piled into the room, all dressed in their spiffy suits. “Well, don’t you guys look nice,” I said, gesturing throughout the room. “Though, you don’t outshine the groom.”

“Oh, whatever,” Zoran joked, “We all know I’m the sexiest son of a bitch in this room.”

He raised his hand to ruffle my hair, but I swept it away, shouting, “No! Crissy will kill me if my hair gets fucked up.”

His hand receded and he laughed. “Doesn’t that sound familiar?”

Just like on his wedding day, when I tried to mess his hair and he cried out that Gabby would have him neutered. Only, Crissy was pregnant, so she already had her baby. Which meant my hair was to remain untouched.

A knock on the door sounded, and my mother stepped inside. Her head tilted as her eyes scanned the room, a soft, “Aww” leaving her lips. She stepped up to me, her hand on my shoulder as she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“I can’t believe the last of my boys is getting married.” She swiped the tear away, smiling. “You’ve all grown up so much, and now look at you. About to be a father, have a wife. I’m so proud of you. All of you,” she said, gesturing to all of us, even Zoran. Though Zoran wasn’t her son, he’d spent enough time with my mother for her consideration.

“You’re going to make a great husband and father, baby. I love you.” She kissed my cheek, walking over to the door, pausing. “You guys have about five minutes until the ceremony starts.”

“Yeah, and this time we don’t have the wedding coordinator to get our asses out there,” Zoran said with a laugh. Meanwhile, I shuddered at the thought of that wedding coordinator from his wedding. Possibly the only woman I’d ever been scared of.

“I’m ready,” I said, knowing it to be true in more than one sense. I was ready for everything, all of it—baby, wife—I couldn’t wait to have it all.

* * *

“How’s itfeel to be married to a bastard like Maxim?” Zoran asked, his arm swung over her shoulder as he swayed between Crissy and Gabby, hammered off his ass.

“Babe!” Gabby shouted. “Get off of her before you spill wine on her dress! That dress cost a fortune and it’s fucking gorgeous. Jeez, don’t you know anything about women?”

The room erupted in laughter, every important person in my life present. Though we’d had a small wedding, it was filled with so much love and warmth. And family.

We chose to have the wedding in Trancoso, at Dimitry’s house, because that’s where we’d been living the past month while we planned the wedding. But now that we were married, we’d be moving into our own place—somewhere much nicer than Crissy’s old house, which she didn’t want to live in anymore because it reminded her too much of her mother. If only I could have met her before she passed…

But having my brothers and their families with me now, and my mother after she’d been gone for so long, it felt like we were all finally connected. Reunited at last.

All the guests who weren’t family had left, and it was just us remaining.

“To answer your question, Zoran,” Crissy said in a loud voice to reach over the laughter. Everyone stopped to listen, and she continued. “I’m not married to a bastard because Maxim has a family.” She raised her glass of water, motioning to each of us. “And I’m so honored to be a part of this family now. Thank you all so much for everything you’ve done. To family!”

Everyone held up their glasses—all the pregnant women sipping water or juice—and we all cheered, “To family!”

“I have an announcement,” Sophia said, her belly even bigger than Gemma’s, which made me snicker to myself when they were around each other. “Because I’m super pregnant, I’m not flying anymore. So, we’ll be staying in Trancoso for a while.”

“That’s great,” Gemma said, pulling Sophia into a side hug. “You guys can stay with us. We have more than enough space, and I’d love to get a little practice with changing diapers and stuff before the baby comes.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that. Besides,” Sophia declared, raising her voice for everyone to hear. “It’s time us women—the five of us—get to know one another. Living so far away from my family is killing me! So, I expect us all to bond. I want to get to know each of my sisters, and my new mother-in-law, who I’ve barely spent time with. We’re family, dammit. I need someone to gossip about my husband with.”

We all laughed, knowing she was teasing—though not really.

“I’d like that,” Crissy smiled, her face radiant in the light. My solnechnyy svet. She looked so beautiful in her gown, a simple gown that made her look like the classy, dignified woman she is.

I silently watched her interact with the other women, already beginning their gossip about all of us men, Gabby being the first to say, “Well, Zoran leaves his dirty socks in the middle of the hallway.”

“That’s nothing,” Willow chimed in. “With Ivan, it’s all about the cars. I mean, he even names his cars! What’s up with that?”

Shaking my head, I glanced at my mother, who watched me with a knowing smile. She stepped forward and raised her glass, for what I thought was a second toast.

“I’d just like to say that I’m so happy to be here with my boys, and I can’t wait to grow close to every one of you. My boys, my girls, and even my grandbabies.”

Everyone cheered for that, whether they took a drink or simply said, “Yeah!”

For the first time, everything felt right.

After some of the magic had died down, and Gabby and Zoran had passed out in the couch on the porch, it was just the brothers and our mother, sitting at the kitchen table.

“Mom, why did you leave them?” I asked, curious for my brothers’ sake, why she would ever leave and not say anything.

“It’s quite the story, Maxim. Boys, listen up, and I’ll tell you everything.”

* * *

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