Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Then the mattress moved and mumbled in Russian. And I remembered and opened my eyes.
It was dawn and I was stretched out, naked, on top of Radimir. On top of...my husband. The whole world seemed to shift around me, everything suddenly different.
I lifted my head, careful not to wake him, and looked down at him. He looked so peaceful in sleep, as if whatever it was that drove him to do what he did was forgotten for a few hours. What is it? What happened to his brothers and their family that put him on this path?
And could I ever pull him away from it? My stomach tightened. I’d never thought of that before: I’d never needed to. A mafia boss would never give up his empire for his fake wife. But what about his real one?
Yes, I’d accepted that the Bratva was part of him. Yes, I’d fallen in love with him. But what happened now, now he was in love with me? What about the long term? What about kids? When he’d first told me I was marrying him, I’d been focused on the life I was losing. I’d never thought about what a life together would look like. My stomach shrunk down to a cold, hard knot. Can this really work?
But then I gazed down at him. At those gorgeous cheekbones and that imperious scowl. At the hard globes of his biceps that made me feel so protected when he wrapped his arms around me. I thought about him paying for Baba’s care, reading to me when I was ill and paying kids to buy books in the bookstore.
And then I nodded firmly to myself.
I was going to make it work.
I lay back down and, as soon as my cheek pressed against the warm slab of his pec, I felt my heartbeat slow, and my stomach unknot. Despite all the danger, I felt safer with him than I ever had with any man.
These doubts? I’d address them. Every one of them. I’d figure out a way. Because I loved him. And I wasn’t giving him up.
I was only just climbing out of the shower when there was a knock at the door. I threw on a bathrobe and padded over there, wet-haired and barefoot, because Radimir was in the middle of cooking breakfast. Through the door viewer, I saw Gennadiy...and the same two security guys who’d been there when we came home. They’ve been standing there all night?!
I let Gennadiy in and fixed him a mug of coffee and insisted on taking coffee out to the poor security guys in the hall, as well. Gennadiy, Radimir and I pulled up stools at the breakfast bar. “I’ve told The Eight what Spartak did yesterday,” Gennadiy told us. “They’re discussing it. In the meantime, they’ve called a ceasefire so we should be safe.” He studied the two of us thoughtfully. “Even so, it’s best if you avoid Spartak until this whole thing’s resolved. It’s probably a good thing you won’t be around.”
Radimir nodded but I cocked my head to the side, confused. “Why won’t we be around?”
Radimir turned to me. “We’ll be on our honeymoon.” I stared at him, and he looked mock-shocked. “Did you think I wouldn’t give you one?”
I gaped at him. “But...what?” Is he joking? “A honeymoon’s for...real marriages.”
Radimir stood, took my hands in his and looked right into my eyes. “This is a real marriage, now.”
I bit my lip and just melted. “Where are we—”
“Cancún.” He was grinning, enjoying my surprise.
He’d remembered, even though I’d just mentioned it once. Emotion swelled in my chest, until I could barely speak. “When?”
Radimir made a show of checking his watch. “We’re leaving for the airport in... thirty-seven minutes.”
“What?! I’m not packed!” I wasn’t even dressed.
“What do you need for Cancún? Passport. Sunscreen. Sunglasses.” His eyes gleamed. “A swimsuit.”
Books, I added mentally. “But I don’t have summery clothes…”
“There are shops at the airport. I will buy you whatever you want.”
“But the store—”
“I’ve already spoken to your friend Jen. She’s happy to watch the store. She said to say, “don’t worry and have a good time.”
Oh my God. I flung my arms around him. “Thank you!” Then I shook my head in amazement. “How did you book all this? When?!”
“Yesterday. Remember just before the wedding dinner, when I went to the bathroom? I made a few phone calls.”
He’d organized a honeymoon as soon as the wedding turned real. I hugged him even tighter. And then I ran off to get dressed.
Less than an hour later, we were climbing out of a limo at O’Hare International Airport. I started making my way towards the end of the long, snaking check-in line. But Radimir slipped his arm around my waist and led me to a small desk at the end of the room marked Platinum Club Check In. “Radimir Aristov,” he told them. Then he glanced at me proudly. “And my wife.”