Deadly Vows (Avilov Bratva #2)

35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Aleksandr

Two days had passed since the wedding, and I was still adjusting to the feel of the ring on my finger. It felt like the beginning of a life I hadn’t thought I’d ever be capable of having. A family bound not by blood or duty but by love. Talia was mine now, truly mine in every way, and Sasha and Maxim were as much a part of me as my name or past. But there was more to this future than just us. The baby growing inside of Talia was another symbol of everything I wanted for us - a new start.

I’d been thinking about the nursery for weeks. I’ve been imagining the space, picturing how it would look. I wanted it to be perfect, not just for Talia but for our child. It had to be warm, safe, and full of light - the kind of room that could erase the darkness of the past for both of us.

As I stood outside the room that would become the nursery across the hall from our bedroom, I took a deep breath. I wasn’t used to the domestic role of planning and decorating, but for Talia and our child, I would do anything.

Sasha and Maxim were just as excited as I was. When I told them the plan, their eyes lit up, and they couldn’t stop asking questions about what we would do and how we would decorate. Moments like this reminded me how much had changed.

Sandy had agreed to take Talia shopping, something I was grateful for. She knew how to distract Talia and keep her away long enough for us to turn this room into something special. I trusted Sandy with that, and she understood what we were building here better than anyone else.

“Are we painting today?” Maxim asked, his voice filled with authority. Sasha stood beside him, holding a paintbrush as if ready for battle. “You have to paint up and down with even strokes. I saw it on a YouTube video.”

I smiled at the eager look on his face. “Yes, today we paint.”

The nursery had been a blank slate until now, its walls soft off-white. But I had spent hours thinking about what colors would work best and what would make the space feel like a sanctuary for our baby. Ultimately, I had settled on a soft gray-blue, the color of a sky just after dawn, with accents of pale gold that would give the room a gentle warmth.

I stood up, looking over the supplies laid out on the floor - cans of paint, brushes, rollers, and stencils for the intricate designs I wanted to add. The furniture was already on its way - a crib, a rocking chair, and shelves that would be filled with toys and books. I could picture Talia’s reaction and how her face would light up when she saw it all come together.

“Are we going to paint clouds on the ceiling?” Sasha asked as she glanced around the room.

I nodded, impressed with her memory. “Yes. We will make it look like the baby is sleeping under the sky. What do you think?”

“I think I want clouds on my ceiling, too,” she grinned.

Sandy poked her head into the room, glancing at her watch. “Talia’s ready to go. I told her we would look at some baby furniture and clothes. She won’t suspect a thing.”

“Good,” I said, walking over to her. “Thank you, Sandy. I’ll owe you for this.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “You don’t owe me anything. We’re family. This is going to be amazing.”

With that, she left, and I could hear Talia’s laughter from the front hall, fading as she and Sandy left for their shopping trip. The moment the door clicked shut, I turned to Sasha and Maxim, who were already eyeing the paint cans.

“Let’s get started.”

Hours passed in a whirlwind of chatter and work. The soft gray-blue paint went on easily, transforming the room from something sterile into something that felt full of possibility. The kids had been more help than I’d expected. Sasha was focused, carefully painting the lower walls, while Maxim took charge of the clouds we added to the ceiling.

Each cloud was unique, some large and fluffy, others wispy and faint, blending seamlessly into the sky’s soft blue. We added a touch of pale gold to the edges, giving them a warmth that made the entire room feel bathed in sunlight, even with the curtains drawn.

As we worked, I could feel something shifting inside me. This wasn’t just a project. It was a promise. A promise that this child would grow up surrounded by love, in a home where they would be safe, where the chaos and violence of the past wouldn’t touch them. I would protect them, just like I had protected Talia, Sasha, and Maxim.

The furniture arrived in the afternoon. The crib was white, with delicate carved details along the edges. We set it on the wall across from the window. The rocking chair was deep, rich mahogany, and I could already imagine Talia sitting there, holding the baby, and gently rocking them to sleep.

Sasha placed the stuffed animals, a collection of soft, cuddly creatures that Talia had already started gathering. Maxim was determined to arrange the books on the small shelves. I couldn’t help but smile at how serious he was about it, carefully organizing them by size.

When we were done, I stood back and surveyed the room. It was perfect. The soft colors, the golden light, the feeling of warmth and safety, it was everything I had hoped for.

“Do you think Talia will like it?” Sasha asked, standing beside me, her eyes wide with anticipation.

I knelt beside her, pulling her into a hug. “I think she’s going to love it.”

By the time Sandy brought Talia back, the sun had set. The kids and I were waiting in the nursery, the lights dimmed just enough to give the room a soft glow. I heard the sound of Talia’s laughter, her voice filled with the same lightness it had carried ever since the wedding.

“Aleksandr?” she called, her voice echoing through the mansion. “We’re back! You won’t believe the things we found today.”

I stepped out of the nursery and saw her as she ascended the stairs. She was glowing, her cheeks flushed, and I smiled at the sight of her. Sandy followed closely behind.

“ Kiska ,“ I said, meeting her at the top of the stairs and taking her hand in mine. “There’s something I want to show you.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, but she followed me without hesitation, her curiosity clearly piqued. I led her to the nursery door and paused for a moment.

“Close your eyes,” I said softly.

She laughed but did as I asked, her trust in me unwavering. I opened the door, slowly leading her inside, carefully guiding her through the threshold without her peeking.

“Okay,” I whispered, my hand on the small of her back. “You can open them.”

Her eyes swept over the room, taking in the soft blue walls, the clouds on the ceiling, the crib across from the window, the carefully arranged stuffed animals, and the rocking chair in the corner. I watched her expression change from surprise to love, and it nearly took my breath away.

“Aleksandr…” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. “This is perfect.”

I pulled her close, pressing a kiss on her forehead. “It’s for you. For our baby.”

She looked around the room again, tears filling her eyes. “You did this while I was out?”

“Sasha and Maxim helped,” I said, glancing over at the kids standing by the crib. They were watching her with wide eyes, clearly eager for her approval.

Talia moved toward them, wrapping her arms around them and pulling them close. “Thank you,” she whispered, kissing the top of Sasha’s head and ruffling Maxim’s hair. “It’s beautiful.”

The kids beamed, and a warmth spread through me, the feeling of completeness that had been growing ever since the wedding now settling firmly in my chest.

“Now,” I said, clearing my throat, “how about we celebrate?”

Talia raised an eyebrow. “Celebrate?”

I nodded. “Family movie night. I thought we could all head to the theater room. Popcorn, ice cream, the works. What do you think?”

Her smile grew, and she nodded eagerly. “I think that sounds perfect.”

We spent the evening in the theater room, curled up on the large, comfortable sofas with blankets, pillows, and enough snacks to last a week. Sandy and Dimitri joined us, the room filled with laughter and the sound of Sasha and Maxim debating which movie we should watch.

In the end, we settled on an animated film that had Sasha and Maxim enthralled, their eyes glued to the screen as they munched on popcorn. Sandy sat beside me, smiling softly as she watched the kids, while Dimitri leaned back, pretending not to care, though I could see the amusement in his eyes.

Talia rested her head on my shoulder, her hand resting on her stomach, where our child grew with every passing day. I glanced down at her, pressing a kiss to her temple as the movie played on.

This was it. This was everything I had never known I wanted - a family, laughter, love. And now that I had it, I wasn’t letting it go. We were a family in every sense of the word, bound together by something far stronger than I had ever imagined.

As the credits rolled, I looked around the room. This was part of my life now, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I was truly happy.

“We did good,” Talia whispered, her voice soft and full of contentment.

I nodded, wrapping my arm around her. “Yes,” I said quietly. “We did.”