𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 • 22|| ❝𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬❞

>𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃

· ·•◦───────·✧·──────◦•· ·

𝐌 𝐈 𝐋 𝐀 • 𝐎 𝐑 𝐋 𝐎 𝐕

The sun soon settled and the rain soon took over the sky, forcing the drops to scatter onto the ground outside. There was no light other than the tiny speckles that came from the dots in the dark sky. I'm in Kristian's bedroom, there was no other available rooms in the house. Nikita took mine; Kristian's mother needed a room and Leonid stayed in his now and again room. They all needed to be close tonight, and that I understood.

Kristian comes in a few seconds later and takes in a deep breath as soon as he shuts the door, "Well, that went well." I state and watch as his nod reassures me. "I'm sorry that I'm stealing your room tonight." Although Kristian and I are now married and we've crossed some barriers I swore never to cross, I can't just suddenly take over his life, let alone his bedroom. His privacy.

"It's fine, stay as long as you need to." He walks over to his washing basket in the corner of his room and begins unbuttoning his shirt. In a split second I find a cotton T-shirt being thrown at me along with a pair of cottoned boxers. "You can wear those tonight, don't worry, the boxers are new." I thank him and turn to the bathroom, dressing myself as quick as I can, I took a shower not long before they all arrived so it wasn't like I needed another one, but I felt like I needed to if I was in the same proximity as Kristian tonight.

I glance around and find some of Kristian's deodorant. I quickly spray myself once under each armpit and hide it back up onto the shelf. Once I'm dressed, I pace into the bedroom and find Kristian already in bed, wearing nothing but boxer briefs.

"It's fine, come in." He speaks. I do as he says and tuck myself in the other side of the bed, bringing the duvet close to my chin. I feel Kristian move around. I quickly glance over my shoulder and find Kristian facing the other way, he's turned the lamp off and now the room is pitch black.

He sighs and the weight against the headboard encounters the wall greeting a small wobble. "Thank you, Mila." I find myself smiling, but I don't know why he's thankful. For giving my body as a distraction? For helping reassure him when it came to seeing his family again? I wasn't sure which for some reason was causing thoughts to hoard in my mind.

"Am I just a distraction to you?" I turn around and stare at him as I ask the question. But I receive daggers from his eyes. He turns the lamp back on and looks at me with dark eyes.

"Why would you think that?" He asks quietly, calmly.

"Just, you've had a lot on your plate recently, I don't want the things that happened the other day to just be a distraction, I don't want you to think that of me, no matter how much I liked it." I admit and find an emotion wave across his eyes, it wasn't annoyance, it wasn't anger. It was lust. He comes closer to me, inches from my face.

"You aren't just a distraction Mila, I'm not sure what you are, but one thing for certain is you're my wife." He looks at me, then to my lips. I find my stomach fluttering again and then Kristian's hands are on my face, cupping me closer so our lips can touch. Our tongues collide and dance with each other once again, my hands run through Kristian's thick locks, he pulls away quickly to face me. He gives me a serious look before talking, "I'm not good with feelings Mila, understanding or feeling them, but I'm willing to try." And with that I melt myself back onto his lips, allowing that sentence to repeat on my mind.

· ·•◦───────·✧·──────◦•· ·

I wake up to an empty bed, no warmth is being provided beside me. I look around to find a note from Kristian, telling me he'll be back around lunch, there's something he needs to sort out. Meanwhile, Elias is still here to keep an eye on Me, Nikita, and his mother.

Making my way to the living room I'm hit with a delicious smell, I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I follow the trail instead. Reaching the kitchen finally makes my mouth water, Nikita is pulling out a baking tray with all sorts of cookies on it. I wouldn't have thought we had all these supplies, but knowing Igor he probably went to the shops recently. I smile at her and wait patiently until the cookies begin to cool. "They aren't ready yet Mila." She looks at me and chuckles. Her eyes dart to behind us where Polina's daughter comes in with a brush, dusting off the floors. She looks at us with a smile and continues.

"Hey, why don't you take today off? Spend the day with your mum." I state and pull out some money for her to take. "Maybe get a treat for you both." I smile. She nods and thanks me before hanging up the broom and walking out of the mansion.

"You're very kind Mila, considering you tried to kill my brother." She chuckles. "You should've known you wouldn't win against him." Looking back, I should've known I wouldn't have, but I was impulsive and controlling. It was suddenly an addiction that I needed to attend to in order to fulfil my needs.

The cookies have finally cooled down which made me reach over to the bowl and indulge in the taste. The crumbled cookie made my mouth water and the melted chocolate chips were the best, nothing could beat a homemade cookie. "These are great." I say with my mouthful. I look at Nikita who is laughing and thanking me, but her eyes drift behind me and a sudden flush is painted lightly across her cheeks.

I follow her gaze, finding Elias walking past in trousers and a polo top which enhances his muscular arms and tattoos. I turn back to Nikita and find her not drooling over the amazing cookies, but drooling over my bodyguard. "You're blushing." I comment, she looks at me with sharp eyes.

"I'm not." The lie rolls of her tongue too smoothly, I remember that look when she had an interest in someone, it was like the time we were in the shopping centre, I pulled her up on it and she was embarrassed for the rest of the day when I asked for his number for her, he didn't give it.

"Okay." I state and bite another cookie. She rolls her eyes at me and sighs.

"Alright, he is easy on the eyes." I cock my brow up finding her smile peak through her lips. "Very easy on the eyes." I chuckle at her watching as she goes giddy.

My mind travels to many different places, the thought of Nikita liking Elias isn't an ideal situation, if Kristian was to find out that his sister liked one of his men, he would keep them far away from each other as possible, and as a woman, I know that would be torture for her. She needs some excitement in her life now that she knows who her brother really is.

"I won't tell your brother you fancy Elias a little bit, but you have to be careful...If he finds out, your enjoyment will be short lived." I state and she rolls her eyes at me, shaking of the conversation as if she doesn't really care. But she definitely does, I saw it in her eyes.

𝐊 𝐑 𝐈 𝐒 𝐓 𝐈 𝐀 𝐍 • 𝐏 𝐄 𝐓 𝐑 𝐎 𝐕

Everything was finally falling into place, I ordered some bouquet of flowers to be delivered to my house while I was out today, one for each of the girls. A set of tulips for Nikita, sunflowers for my mother and yellow roses for Mila. She always said that red was too cliché.

"What's on your mind?" Leonid asks. Since he's found out we're brothers, he's been talking more. Less growly than normal, well, with me that is.

"Mila." I blurt without thinking about it for another second. It was pointless, the emotions were written across my whole face, if I was to lie about how I was feeling I'd be a moron, plus I'd be a liar.

"You like her, don't you?" He asks. I nod. I didn't know why I liked her a while ago, but now I know why. The simplest things to her smile to the way she acts makes me feel things I've never felt towards a woman before.

"How ironic, the woman who tried to kill you, you end up marrying and falling in love with." He looks at me with humour in his eyes, I could only hope he'll feel this way about someone. But the chances of that ever happening are slim. Leonid is as hard as they come, ruthless as they come. As a Pakhan you'd think I was bad, but Leonid was worse. Maybe he should've been Pakhan, he not only had it in his blood, but in the way he behaved too. He had barely any mercy.

"I'm sorry that you never got to be Pakhan, it would've been yours if father wasn't such a dick." I look at him and find him smirking, Leonid doesn't smile or laugh often, it would have to be something funny to twist his emotions around.

"I don't care about any of that Kristian, leading isn't my style and you know it. Hiding in the shadows and brutally killing people as my job is more my taste." He was right, when I found out he was my brother I couldn't see him as head Pakhan, yes, he had it in him. But it wouldn't be what he wanted, I knew it and I'm sure my other soldiers will know too.

"Now that we've dealt with yet another American issue, I think it's wise to call it a day, maybe get Erik and Maxim on it." Leonid nods. I would call Jace but with all the problems he's been having at the moment I don't think that would be ideal, I'm a selfish man but when it comes to family matters, it's a different story. Rosalie is sick currently, so Jace is having to step in more to take care of Nadia.

I send a message to Maxim and Erik to take over the jobs at the warehouse, I didn't want anything more other than to go back home and be with my family. Family. The only time I thought about the meaning of that word I pictured the Bratva, my men. But now it has expanded to not only my mother, but also my siblings and Mila. My beautiful Mila. That's what I had written in the card with her yellow roses. I had only stated the obvious, she was mine and she was amazingly beautiful. I never questioned her beauty and now she was all mine.

My phone vibrates in my pocket which forces me to pull it back out, I look at the ID which sends peculiar questions to my mind.

Pedro: Petrov, it's been a while since you've gotten back to me, you haven't forgotten about our truce, have you? I might have something for you next year. I'd get back in contact if I were you. You might miss out.

I leave the message for now, heading back to the mansion with Leonid.

· ·•◦───────·✧·──────◦•· ·

We finally made it back home welcomed by warmth and smiles. But the one that intrigued me the most was Mila's. I approach her and claim her in front of everyone, I place my lips against hers and feel the plump flesh against my lips. She's cold and the goosebumps erupt across her skin, causing my hands to climb out and hold her close to me.

"I think I might love you, Mila." I state, not fully understanding the meaning of love, but with Mila, I wanted to experience that feeling, I wanted to experience that feeling with her and only her.

"I think I might love you back Kristian." She smiles and everyone cheers, my mother especially has some sort of gleam in her eyes. She might've doubted that I'd be like father, but I have plenty of time to prove them all wrong. I wasn't my father, and this is my life, my story. And soon enough it was mine and Mila's story, our life. And this? It was only just the beginning.