Accidental Bratva Daddy (Bratva Blessings)

Chapter 25 Luka

The soft glow of candlelight dances across crystal glasses and fine china as I watch Natalia's family gather in our dining room. The scene before me feels almost surreal—Elena arranging flowers in an antique vase, Alina helping Natalia set the table, their laughter echoing through the space like music. After everything we've been through, this simple moment of domestic peace feels like a miracle.

My wife moves with natural grace between her mother and sister, her dress highlighting the subtle curve of her stomach where our twins grow. She's radiant tonight, happiness lighting her from within. Every so often, her eyes find mine across the room, and the love I see there still takes my breath away.

"The table looks beautiful, girls," Elena says, adjusting a place setting with practiced precision. Her silver-blonde hair catches the light as she works, reminding me of the society photographs I'd seen of her in her prime. She carries herself with the same elegant poise, but there's a warmth to her now that was absent in those glossy magazine shots.

After a few minutes, Elena drifts over to where I stand near the window. Her blue eyes—so like Natalia's—study me with an intensity that reminds me of her late husband.

"Thank you, Luka," she says softly, her voice thick with emotion. "For saving Natalia, for protecting all of us." She pauses, blinking back tears. "I don't know what we would have done if..."

The words trail off, but I understand what she can't say. If Viktor had succeeded. If we'd lost Natalia. If our family had been destroyed before it truly began.

I shake my head gently, keeping my expression calm despite the surge of protective instinct her words trigger. "Igor was a good man," I tell her, meaning every word. "He would have done the same for you all." I glance toward Natalia, watching as she arranges silverware with meticulous care. "That's why we're naming our son after him."

Elena's sharp intake of breath draws my attention back to her. Tears fill her eyes as the weight of my words sinks in. For a long moment, she simply stares at me, one hand pressed to her heart. Then, with a small nod of approval, she steps forward and pulls me into an embrace.

The gesture catches me off guard. I can't remember the last time someone other than Natalia hugged me. But Elena's gratitude is sincere, her acceptance of me as part of her family clear in this simple act. Awkwardly, I return the embrace, patting her back gently.

When we return to the dining room, Natalia and Alina are just finishing with the place settings. Their heads are bent together as they work, auburn and chestnut hair mingling as they share some private joke. The sight makes something warm unfurl in my chest—my wife reconnecting with her sister, healing the rifts that Viktor's machinations created.

"They're naming him Igor," Elena announces, her voice still thick with emotion.

Alina's head snaps up, her eyes widening with delight. "Really?" She looks between Natalia and me, practically bouncing with excitement. "That's perfect! But what about your daughter? What will you name her?"

Natalia's eyes meet mine across the table, a soft smile playing at her lips.

"Nadezhda," Natalia says, her hand drifting to her stomach. "It means 'hope' in Russian."

"Hope," Alina repeats softly, testing the name. "It's beautiful."

As we take our seats for dinner, the conversation flows naturally toward the future. Natalia shares her vision for a new clothing line, her face animated as she describes sustainable, affordable baby clothes that will be accessible to families across Russia.

"The market is saturated with either cheap, disposable items or ridiculously expensive designer pieces," she explains, her passion for the project evident in every word. "I want to create something in between—beautiful, well-made clothes that regular families can afford. An ode to the old world, to Russia before the world became so complex.”

"It's brilliant," Alina chimes in. "Especially with the focus on sustainability. That's becoming huge in the fashion world."

I watch Natalia's eyes light up as she outlines her plans, and I can't help but smile. This is the woman I fell in love with—brilliant, driven, always thinking of ways to make the world better.

"Luka has agreed to be my primary investor," she adds, flashing me a grateful smile. "Now that he's retired, he's looking for legitimate business ventures to support."

Elena's eyebrows rise slightly at the word 'retired,' but she says nothing. We all know what I'm retiring from, but some things are better left unspoken, especially on a night like tonight, when we can all celebrate and come together.

As the evening progresses, I find myself increasingly aware of how right this feels. The way Elena fusses over the temperature of the borsch, insisting it needs more dill. The way Alina teases Natalia about her pregnancy cravings. The easy flow of conversation, punctuated by bursts of laughter and shared memories.

For the first time since my parents were murdered, I feel part of a real family. Not the cold, calculated alliances of the mafia world, but something warm and genuine. Something worth protecting at all costs.

Looking around the table, I see the future I want for our children. Igor and Nadezhda will grow up surrounded by love, untouched by the violence that shaped my life. They'll have Sunday dinners with their grandmother and aunt, birthday celebrations filled with laughter instead of tension, holidays unmarred by the shadow of criminal enterprises.

"You're awfully quiet," Natalia murmurs, her hand finding mine under the table. "Everything okay?"

I squeeze her fingers gently, bringing them to my lips for a quick kiss. "Everything's perfect, my love."

And it is. Or at least, as perfect as our complicated lives can be. There will always be challenges—my past isn't something that can be erased with a simple retirement announcement. But looking at my wife, at her family that's become mine, I know we can handle whatever comes next.

Because this, right here, is worth fighting for. Worth dying for, if necessary. But more importantly, worth living for.

The sound of Alina's laughter draws my attention back to the conversation. She's telling a story about Natalia's first fashion show, complete with dramatic hand gestures that have everyone in stitches. My wife's cheeks are flushed with embarrassment, but she's laughing too, her whole face lit up with joy.

This is what family should be, I realize. Not power plays and betrayal, not violence wrapped in loyalty's clothing. Just love, pure and simple. Complicated sometimes, messy often, but real.

As I watch Elena pull Natalia into a tight embrace, whispering something that makes my wife's eyes fill with happy tears, I make a silent vow. Our children will never know the life I lived. They'll grow up in the light of days like this—surrounded by laughter, secure in the knowledge that they are loved.

And anyone who tries to threaten that peace will learn exactly why I was the most feared man in Moscow. Because while I may be retired, some instincts never fade.

But for now, I push those darker thoughts aside and focus on the warmth of the moment. On Natalia's smile, on Elena's acceptance, on Alina's infectious laughter. On the future we're building, one family dinner at a time.

This is home. This is family. This is everything I never knew I needed until Natalia crashed into my life and turned my world upside down.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.