Dominic came right in time and, for a moment, I didn’t even recognize him. He’d changed during those years and probably gained a new status. While nothing but hatred came from them toward me—not that I was expecting anything else, although they did nothing to help you through the years—relief poured from my every bone at the knowledge you’ll finally be free of this nightmare.
I know you will come to me once it’s all done.
All I have to do is wait.
Groaning loudly, I rested my forehead against the album while silently asking for forgiveness from Vivian, who had to go through all this alone. Just like me, in her greatest time of need, she was left alone, abandoned by the man who promised to always be there for her.
How could she even stand me?
Flipping to one last page, I noticed one last paragraph, shorter than the others, but the words there were like bullets to my heart.
June, 2017
You came.
And instead of mending the broken pieces of my heart… you destroyed it.
But despite that, I still love you. Is there ever going to be an escape from this all-consuming power you have over me?
I hate our memories. I hate that I still keep your cross and engagement ring, that I still have your photos where no one can find them.
I hate myself for this weakness, that is you, because you don't deserve it.
Placing the album aside, I walked to the balcony banister, squeezed it tightly, and poured all my emotions into it. My shoulders sagged while I breathed through my nose, calming the beast inside me who wanted to destroy everyone and himself for hurting his woman so badly.
I would soothe her pain with my love, with lovemaking, and wrap her in a cocoon so strong she’d never feel alone.
Meanwhile, the main person responsible for our suffering would die a painful death. Fuck common sense.
No one hurt what was mine and got away with it.
Everyone would pay for every tear my woman spilled.
Ten Days Later
Vivian
“Mom, will Daddy come to Grandpa’s?” Jake climbed back up on the seat next to where I sat and flipped through negatives of the recent photo shoot I had done to capture a generation of women who always chose to be a doctor as their profession. The family lived in Houston. I’d traveled there a few months ago to study their family history, and their story intrigued me. The most interesting part was that the women didn't go into medicine because it was tradition. They found their calling in it and loved being surgeons. As a result, I got shots of them during work, and they shared some of their old photos with me. Credit should be given when it was due. Because of them, I created an amazing collection of photos that I hoped to showcase in my gallery in the winter. That was why I traveled to Houston along with Jake, to get their written permission on the final photos.
“I hope so, sweetie.”
He frowned, clearly not liking my answer, and then he rested his cheek on my shoulder. “I’ll miss him,” he finally said, and I put aside the photos, enclosing him in my arms and ruffling his hair.
“You won’t even notice how time flies by.” While I didn't forgive my folks for not supporting me when I needed them most, they still loved Jake, and he loved visiting them. As long as everything was all right, I didn't mind him having grandparents. After all, neither Radmir nor I had any other living family.
I didn't count the Bratva as a family. I used to, back when Yuri, Gleb, and even Dominic accepted me as their sovietnik’s woman. However, none of them helped me, so I still held a grudge, and I wasn't sure anything would make me see them in a different light. Only time would tell.
“Grandpa promised me we could go fishing and camping!” His eyes widened. “All by ourselves.”
“He did, huh?” When would my father learn to consult me first before promising something to my child? He was fortunate I didn't mind it, because the fishing and camping happened on the ranch’s land. Growing up there myself, I wasn’t afraid of all the dangerous stuff that could happen.
“Yep. Can I take my camera with me?” Last Christmas, he got a special Polaroid camera from me to snap his favorite moments, and I thought it was a nice way for him to appreciate art.
“Sure, baby.” He grinned and then took out his iPad to watch some cartoon while I gazed through at the clear blue sky and thought back on the last ten days we had spent as a family.
We went to various malls, parks, ice-skating, and ice cream and pizza places. Jake wanted to show his daddy everything he liked, and we even attended the BroadwayPeter Panshow. The boys would hang together when I had work to do, and as Radmir had promised, the Bratva members were invisible to us. They probably followed us around; after all, he belonged to a dangerous world, but as long as they didn't traipse behind us in their black suits with stone-cold faces and scare my kid, I didn't care.
Jake was usually exhausted by the end of the day. He only had strength to grab a bite of dinner, and the minute his head touched the pillow, he’d fall asleep.
