Assuming she wasn’t in a car, speeding away.
“Calm down,” Roman whispered in my ear.
“They’re late.”
“Yelena’s probably just fussing over Edith’s dress,” Damien offered. “She was a little disappointed with your bride’s choice of gowns. Yelena said it was elegant, but simple. She didn’t get to do any of the extravagant beadwork or tiny little stitches that she usually does for wedding dresses.”
That actually made sense. Anna wasn’t one for a ton of shine and glamor. She preferred her simple elegance, but Edith loved to be fussed over. After the proposal, Edith and I had become fast friends. We bonded over our love of classical music and our distaste for Anna’s mother.
I was happy she was able to be here for Anna on this day. Whether it was to love and support her or drive the getaway car.
At least, Edith was doing well in the new assisted care home. She and Alina's grandmother had started a nightly game of “Cards Against Humanity.” Their goal wasn’t to win, but to mentally scar the nurses they didn’t like.
“So, how does it work?” I said, breaking into whatever conversation the other men were having.
“The wedding night?” Damien asked.
“I think it might be a little late to explain that one to you, Uncle,” Pavel added with a laugh.
“No, the picking up of the bride and dragging her down the aisle.”
We all laughed, but I was only half kidding. Thankfully, before I could say anything else, the music changed.
I turned to look down the aisle and stopped breathing.
Anna stepped into view, lace framing her glowing face. Her dress was timeless, the soft fabric clinging to her curves like a vow. A vow I intended to repeat every single day for as long as I drew breath.
She walked arm in arm with Edith, who was beaming like a queen in her intricate dress.
Something in my chest caved inward, not in pain, but with something far less familiar. Surrender.
I never thought I’d get to this, not in my world, not in my line of work.
Love was for other men. Men who led quiet lives in quiet homes. Men who didn’t deal in death, who didn’t conduct business in back rooms or boardrooms that had to be swept for bugs first.
Instead, they lived their lives in homes filled with family, with children’s laughter echoing through the walls.
Other men, better men, deserved the life that I was stealing.
This life wasn’t meant for me, but there I was, watching my future walk toward me with a soft, almost serene smile gracing her beautiful face. I didn’t care if this wasn’t meant for me. I was taking it with both hands, and I was never letting go.
When she joined me at the arbor, I leaned over and first placed a kiss on Edith’s cheek then whispered a “thank you” in her ear.
She patted my cheek and then turned to take her seat as Anna’s hand slipped into mine.
I tightened my grip just enough for her to feel it, and her smile brightened. Her bright eyes didn’t show a single moment of hesitation, and the knots in my stomach loosened.
She was here. She was standing at the arbor with me, and she was going to be mine. My lungs finally filled with a full breath as my shoulders relaxed, and I allowed myself to be in the moment.
A moment where I wasn’t thinking about blood, power, or legacy.
Just her.
I could only think about the woman at my side and the life we would build together — filled with laughter, passionate nights that led to messy kids, warm music, and love.
I was giving her everything I offered: my loyalty, my name, my soul.
When she looked up at me, wonder reflected in her bright, clear eyes and a soft, knowing smile curved her lips, as if I was her entire world. I realized she was giving me something far rarer than I was giving her.
