Forced Mafia Bride (Yezhov Bratva #2)

Chapter 24 – Nikolai

Four Months Later

Every day for the past months had not been what I expected. A fucking rollercoaster ride with my wife was not what I’d looked forward to after Paris. Mustering the most strength I could, I threw the moss-green stress ball across the room, watching it fly above Anatoly’s head.

Goddamnit. Goddamnit all to hell.

Anatoly didn’t so much as flinch or bat an eyelash. Picking his fingers, and without lifting his head, he murmured, “It’s that bad?”

Bad?

I wished it was fucking bad. Then, I’d have at least had breakfast this morning. I wouldn’t have had six breadsticks thrown at me or gotten a smack on my chest after advising her to skip carbs and wine for the health of the baby. If it were bad, s he’d have allowed me to kiss her good night last night. I would not have had the pillow flung at my head instead.

What I was experiencing was worse.

If it wasn’t the strangest of cravings, then she was crying for no reason. And if she wasn’t crying, she was definitely getting mad at me for something insignificant and deciding she had justifiable reasons not to speak to me ever again in her life. While the doctor already explained that it was normal to have these experiences as her pregnancy progressed, her mood changes were strong and fast enough to give me a disastrous whiplash.

I didn’t understand a fucking thing, and while I wanted to, I just wanted my wife back.

The last time I saw her smile was one week ago, on the day I finally allowed her to eat spicy chicken nuggets, large fries, and a double chocolate milkshake. Her smile had been so huge that nothing else seemed rewarding enough than watching it plaster on her face.

And the next day, when the smile melted off, darkness covered the Earth.

Driving my fingers through my hair, I fixed one hand on my hip and gazed at the sunset through the glass windows. The last time I saw the sunset, she’d been pinned to the glass walls. Her legs around my waist. Naked fair skin with the glow of an angel. Beads of sweat running rivulets down her hair to her neck. Her small lips on mine, muttering the sweetest words about how much she loved me and how good I made her feel. While I fucked her.

That was four fucking months ago.

I hadn’t fucked my wife in four months.

According to the doctor, we had to put a pause on sexual activities, again, considering the baby. And if I said the pause wasn’t driving me out of my mind, I’d be lying.

Groaning, my fingers combed through my hair again, and behind me, Anatoly mimicked the Joker’s sick chuckle.

“Don’t I wish I was married?”

I walked back to the desk, sitting on the edge, glaring at his sarcasm. “Don’t even fucking start with me.”

Scrutinizingly, Anatoly crossed his hands over his chest, arching a questioning brow at me. “I’m sure this can’t be bad for you. You’re Nikolai. The Niko Yezhov . You don’t have a fucking Achilles heel. You can handle anything.”

The indifference in his tone made the words sink like a lowly pebble slowly drowning to the bottom of an ocean. But I wished it was true. Usually, I could handle anything. Where Rosa was involved? Not likely. I wished I had a rein of control on this one. If wishes were horses, beggars would be fucking riding.

I kicked my legs, getting off the desk. Briskly, I snatched my car keys and jacket.

I was pissed, confused, and certainly frustrated. Even with all that, all the justifiable reasons to sleep over in the office with a poor excuse for work, I couldn’t wait to see her again—my biggest craving. I craved to see her smile, to hold her, touch her.

My entire being ached for her. She’d been asleep when I left this morning. Her cute lips twisted in a frown and perfectly lined brows drawn. I tried to touch her but withdrew after she mumbled a sleepy, “ Go away .”

Her sleepy rejection stung worse than a bullet wound. Regardless, I’d watched for a moment longer before I walked away.

And now I wanted to go back.

“Come on, let’s go. I can’t decide if you’re being serious or sarcastic. And I’m definitely not seeking marital advice from you.”

He busted out laughing, rising from his chair. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

“For this particular book, I fucking will.”

When we arrived at the underground parking lot, I tossed the keys in the air, and the bunch jingled when he caught it. I hopped into the passenger’s seat, adjusted it to relax, and inclined backward. Thinking hard about it, I realized something. Anatoly was wrong.

From the moment Rosa walked out of the Bercyna and into my car, my Achilles heel had been formed.

****

“Rosa?”

Flinging the bunch of keys on the dresser, I dumped the jacket on the bed and unfastened the buttons on my shirt. “Rosa?”

My voice echoed around the house, met with a cold, silent response. I’d never panicked before, not even when the worst things happened. So, this sinking feeling, like icicles creeping around the corners of my chest, and the sudden sweep of worry that enveloped me couldn’t be signs of panic.

“Rosa? Where the hell are you?”

I plucked my phone out to place a call. Avian had been on ground patrol duty. He said no one saw her leave the house. The cars were untouched under the shade. He wasn’t lying. I’d have been alerted the second she left the house, but I received nothing. Bare-chested, I marched out of the room, searching from every room in the house to the kitchen, to the foyer, and then outside.

I went round the house and….

My heart stopped thrashing crazily against my chest.

Under one of the trees in the backyard, with lit lamp posts lined across the pathway, she sat on the iron bench, her head thrown back, gazing at the stars. A gentle breeze ruffled the tips of her hair, and the hem of her white sundress flapped alongside it. I walked up to her, treading lightly to suppress my annoyance.

“I called out your name a dozen times.”

Like a little kid still reeling from the euphoria of virtual reality, slowly, her head lowered, and her focus came back to me, her lips holding a wistful smile.

“Three times, Niko. You called me three times.”

Her voice didn’t hold the usual anger I’d gotten used to. Instead, it was sullen and grave, like an echo of despair and immense pain. I searched her face: no tears, but there was a deep, unveiled longing. Despite the faraway look in her eyes, fuck, s he was breathtaking. The pregnancy had done a number on her cheeks and the rest of her body. She’d gained a bit more weight, making her look more adorable.

“Then, why didn’t you answer?”

She scoffed, the smile fading away. “You won’t believe me, but it sounded like your voice came from a million miles away. I guess I was somewhere else, in my own world.”

Exhaling deeply, I sat beside her, observing the subtle way her eyelashes fluttered when she nibbled her lips.

“Rosa?”

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

She looked up at me, eyes turning glassy under the golden light. Then, her gaze, as sad as it was, swept over my bare chest, and her frown deepened. “Where’s your shirt?”

“The shirt is not important.”

“It is. It’s freezing cold out here,” she mumbled under her breath while taking the purple shawl off her shoulders to wrap around mine. “Do you want to get sick?”

Narrowing my eyes, I caught her jaw in my grip and forced her head up to really look at me. While watching her fuss over my health was cute, she was not okay, and it was driving me nuts trying to figure out who I was going to put a bullet in.

“I’m not going to get fucking sick, Rosa. That is not important. Tell me why you’re sitting out here alone and why you were lost in your own world. What the fuck happened?”

And just like that, she crumpled in my arms, sniffling as she wrapped her arms around my torso and buried her face between my neck. Still, no tears but an excruciating pain I suddenly wished I could bear for her.

“Today makes it another year since Father died, and it made me remember everything else: what life was like with him around before the accident. He was the only one who cared. My mother dumped me with him, and he accepted me with open arms. No one loved me like Father did. No one.” She choked on a sob, hugging me tighter. “I mean, one would have thought that a man as busy as Cedric Gallagher wouldn’t have the time to raise a daughter among two sons. But he proved those thoughts wrong. He watched over me like a hawk and did the best he could to always show up for me. That was what took his life—caring for me.”

I lifted her face from my shoulders. “Don’t say shit like that.”

“But it’s partly true.” With a dry chuckle, she shrugged a shoulder. “Sure, Ronan confessed that he and Sean played a huge role in the accident. They wanted him out of the way because of their greed for power. But if you think about it, Father would have never died if he hadn’t come back home that day to take me to that darn party. Twisted, but I had a hand in it.”

Tightly, she clutched her chest as if she couldn’t breathe. Her cheeks puffed, and her face reddened. “It kills me, Niko.” The tears were pouring now, first as a silent roll down her cheek, then like a broken dam letting all the way out. “It kills me to know there’s nothing I can do to bring him back.”

Quietly, I held her because that was the only thing I could do while she cried her eyes out. I patted her back, one slow tap after the other.

“When I was younger, in my early twenties, I attended a charity event with Egor. That was the first time I met your father.” She stopped sniffling and looked at me, anticipating what I had to say. “You might not have understood a lot of things then, but Cedric Gallagher had a big reputation: powerful, ruthless, honorable. We never liked the Irish. There’s always been some invisible feud between us, but unlike your brothers, Cedric had our respect.”

A smile touched her eyes, and the next laugh that came out of her mouth was genuine, like a mix of relief and a breath of fresh air. She put her head on my shoulder and cupped my knee with a hand. “Thank you.”

Warmth curled around my chest, spreading to my toes. I’d been with more women than I could count, but there hadn’t been a moment with any of them that measured up to what I felt now, sitting on this bench with Rosa holding me like I was her everything. Fuck, it was so intimate, it felt like home.

Lifting a brow, I looked down at her pretty face. “For what?”

Rosalyn sighed. “I found your words comforting. You know, after losing him, I was trapped with my brothers and wanted nothing more than a life without them in it. I have that wish granted, and I am glad I am with you.”

Before I could stop it, a snort passed my lips.

“Hey, what was that for?”

I looked straight ahead. Avian and another man were passing by the pathway, and when their eyes met mine, they whispered between themselves and hurried their steps.

“Lately, it doesn’t seem like it.”

“It doesn’t seem like what?”

“Like you’re glad you are with me. I am always getting on your nerves, and we sleep in silence.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It’s not been the easiest journey navigating through this.” She pointed at her protruding belly, earning a short laugh from me.

The spontaneous instinct to touch her kicked in, and my hand moved on its own will, covering her small hand over her belly. She smiled up at me, her glassy green eyes twinkling when she said, “Can you feel it? It moved.”

“You mean he moved.”

She swatted my arm and sat up straight. “What if the scan was wrong and our little miracle turns out to be a girl?”

“You don’t hear me arguing; the love will be the same. I’m just excited to meet our baby boy.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

“You know, we should name him after your dad,” I suggested, remembering her stories about her father.

She looked up, eyes wide and lips parted. “What? You’d really do that?”

I nodded, enjoying the glow of joy that quickly spread through her face.

“Perfect! I think I already have a name. Father’s name was Cedric, so I’m thinking…something similar?”

“Like?”

“Cian Nikolai—after him and you.”

Laughing, I hugged her close, feeling my chest swell with pride, and kissed her forehead. “Then, Cian Nikolai, it is.”

Chapter 25 – Rosalyn

By the time the chicken was cooked, the kids were already halfway through stuffing their faces with burgers and fries. Swaying her hips with purposeful strides and feminine grace, Freya emerged from the kitchen with thick muffins in one tray and brownies in another, and behind her, her husband, Egor, had the decorated tray of grilled chicken.

The house buzzed with Yezhovs everywhere: distant cousins, cousins, uncles, and aunties. Children played around the house, a few of them running around with water guns and being yelled at by their mothers to take the gun fight outside.

It was fun to watch everyone mingling, like small worlds in a much larger one. The older girls, perfect Generation-Z representations, went upstairs for privacy while the boys played sports outside.

I stuck closer to Freya and Yezhov, embracing the warmth that came with their side talks and laughter. A few men were gathered on the table, bantering in their language, but we paid them no heed.

Alina was the first to spot the brownies her mother dropped on the table. With giddy excitement, she abandoned her plate of unfinished fries and rushed to take one out of the tray. Freya smacked her hand away with playful affection and turned her away from the table, earning a low chuckle from Egor, who was now seated at the head of the table, and ready to eat.

“We had a deal, girlie. Burgers and fries in exchange for my scrumptious dinner. You and your brother chose the former.”

Alexei jogged up to his sister’s side, and as if they’d pre-planned it, they whined together in one voice. “But the food took so much time.”

The duo were the cutest pair I’d seen. It had been an hour since Niko and I arrived at his brother’s house for dinner and, in that hour, the children had been the most entertaining to watch, running between their parents’ legs and offering to help even if their father insisted they sit this one out, in order to not get hurt.

They bubbled with so much life and joy, and I couldn’t help but wish I experienced such a liberating childhood. Like their parents, they were as charming as they were beautiful. Alina was the exact replica of her father and uncle , while Alexei took the softer features of his mother.

Egor pointed and muttered something to them in Russian, making Alina’s jaw drop comically. Freya laughed while looking over the food arrangement on the table while Alexei ran to his father and jumped on his leg.

At the same time, Niko stepped up behind me, the heat radiating from his body when he leaned down to whisper into my ear, “ Listen to your mother and go finish up your fries. The both of you won’t have the chicken until tomorrow . That’s what he said.”

His husky voice made my toes curl in my ballet flats, and grinning from ear to ear, I tilted my head backward, staring up at him.

“My very own translator.”

“I love you.” He pecked my lips and walked away to continue his phone call with a hand tucked into his pocket. Very businesslike, very sexy.

“You guys are so cute.”

Freya’s voice brought me back to the present, and suddenly feeling self-aware, I could feel my cheeks heating up under her stare. We were seated at the table now with Egor at the head chair, chatting away with his children. They were so adorable, going back and forth, probably presenting their arguments on why they should have extra dinner tonight.

And I was right.

Nikolai and his brother shared more resemblances than I thought. Their sense of style—though Niko’s was slightly more relaxed—their voices, deep and throaty, though Niko’s had a delicious husky tone that made me swoon every time I heard it, and their eyes….

Okay, maybe I was a bit wrong. They were similar, but their differences were more pronounced. Niko’s gait was more languid than his brother’s. Their hair, the way they laughed, the tattoos. Most of all, there was just something about Niko that made me believe he was designed just for me.

“Sometimes, we’re not that cute.”

Tonight was my first meeting with Nikolai’s brother but the second time encountering his sister-in-law, Freya.

The first time we’d met was randomly at a social event. I was surprised she’d even remembered and somehow made me comfortable enough to feel like we’d known each other for a lifetime. In addition, she was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but be drawn in. Even now, only dressed in a simple halter dress, with her long hair brushing her hip, I wondered how she managed to look so young with two kids in the picture.

She laughed, turning to the dishes on the table. “Keep saying that to yourself; maybe you’ll believe it.”

“Uncle Niko!” Alina startled us, rushing to my husband and running face-first into his knees. Swiftly, he caught her with his free hand, steadying her before major damage was done.

“Be careful so you don’t hurt yourself.”

Relentless, the young, energetic kid kept tugging on his pants to get his full attention. “Uncle Niko.”

Cradling his phone between his shoulder and ear, he squatted to pick her up and muttered something to the person on the other end of the line before hanging up. Then, he bopped the tip of her nose with his index finger and blessed her with a smile that blew me away.

“Yes, Alina, you have my full attention.”

With a pout, the young girl with the ribbon-tied pigtails pointed at her father. “Papa doesn’t want us to have dinner. Don’t you think that’s cruel? Please do something about it. I really want Mommy’s chicken.”

“But you and Alexei already consumed a full pack of burgers and fries.”

When her eyes snapped to his, I had to admit, I found the girl’s glare impressive. In split seconds, she just looked like Niko when he was annoyed. Steadily, I watched them drag back and forth on the issue. While Alexei was snuggled up against his father’s chest, playing Candy Crush on an iPad, Aline was determined to fight for her rights till the end. But it was heart-warming to see Niko’s affection for the kids and how well he related with them.

In between one of Alina’s presentations on reasons why chicken tasted better than burgers, Niko punctuated her sentence with a hearty laugh and an intense stare in my direction.

“After number ten, I stopped counting how many times he’s looked at you like that.”

Freya brought me back again. She was having a sip of wine with her brows jerking upward.

I blushed. “ Like what? ”

“Like all he can think about is you and… you know…” she added the last part in a whisper. “ Fucking ….”

Oh, my gosh.

I went from red to scarlet, shaking my head to hide my smile. Although I didn’t mind, she apologized for being too raw and said it was one of the things she’d picked up from her husband. I found it hard to believe the circumstances leading to their relationship. It was as rare as the love they had. A detective— well, former detective— and a mobster.

She waved a shiny silver spoon at Nikolai. “Niko? When are we finally going to dig in? I might just abandon this chicken and heat up some fries, you know?”

“He wants us to die of hunger.” Egor pitched in, addressing everyone, but his eyes were fixed on me.

I gulped.

The aura surrounding this man was enough to make anyone fall on their knees in fear, but the children and his wife paraded around him like he was an ordinary man selling flowers on the street.

“Maybe if you asked him, he’d comply in a heartbeat.”

Reacting was easier with a forward and blunt Freya, but how was I supposed to respond to a teasing Egor? Even if we’d gotten acquainted pretty fast, and he formally acknowledged me as his sister-in-law, I wasn’t sure how to act around him.

Be nice?

Tease back?

Be formal?

Thankfully, Nikolai swooped in to save my tied tongue. Flashing a smile at Freya, he put Alina down and stationed himself behind my chair. “We’ll eat soon. I’m expecting someone.”

Egor’s brows dipped, and he sat up straight on his chair, intertwining his fingers as he leaned forward, but before a word came out of his mouth, the doorbell sliced through the silence, and Niko was quick on his feet to attend to the visitor.

Hushed voices echoed through the foyer, followed by quiet emerging footsteps, and when Nikolai ushered Nadia in, the silence that fell was deafening. I held my breath.

From the periphery, I saw Freya’s hand creep towards her husband’s. She covered the back of his big hand and squeezed gently. And when I looked up, I understood why.

Egor had the look of a predator ready to kill. Ready to kill my husband. The lines on his face contorted to deadly strokes, his pupils narrowed dangerously, and his jaw clenched. He was livid.

“Alina. Alexei.” The rest of his words flowed in a hot Russian rush.

Judging by the quiet manner the children obeyed and carried their leftover fries into another room, I didn’t need Niko’s translation to know he’d asked them to leave.

“You didn’t mention anything about inviting strangers to our family dinner, Nikolai.”

I couldn’t see my husband’s face, but the firmness of his voice was adequate proof to know he wasn’t planning to back down either.

“It is a family dinner.”

“With a stranger in our midst?”

“She is not a stranger, brother. Nadia is our—”

A loud crack thundered in the dining room when Egor’s fist struck the table, and my shoulders trembled when his chair scraped the floor, flying backward. “One more time, Niko. I dare you to say her name one more fucking time.”

Nikolai stepped up to him, his face in full view. He appeared calm, but the fire in his eyes was as stubborn as his brother’s. “Nadia is family. She’s ours, our blood. Tossing her away like fucking trash won’t change what happened. She made a mistake.”

“A mistake? She chose that bastard over her family; that is what she did. I fucking warned her, and she didn’t listen.”

“How many times did I listen to you when I was younger? How many times did you listen to Papa when you were younger? And when Grandpa threw so many girls in your face to pick a wife, how many did you marry?”

Freya adjusted her seat and tilted toward me to whisper, “Don’t worry; they’ll be over this soon. If anybody asked me, I’d say Niko did a great job bringing Nadia here. This reunion was long overdue. I’ve just never seen Egor this upset about anything.”

“I can understand because they rarely ever show their emotions. He must have been hurt pretty bad after their sister left.”

“Yeah.”

We whispered back and forth, flashing encouraging smiles to Nadia, who stood at the side like a sad bystander while everyone else watched the drama between the brothers simmer.

Then, very abruptly, it stopped.

Our conversation paused midway, and we dragged our eyes back to the contenders, only to see Egor pull back his chair to the table and sit down grouchily.

“The earlier we start feasting, the better.”

Freya took the hint, rising to her feet to bring out extra plates from the kitchen while Niko withdrew with what looked like a triumphant smirk as he ushered Nadia to the chair beside their older brothers. He stiffened once she sat down, and she fidgeted with her fingers.

“Egor?”

He didn’t look at her. “What?”

A tear dropped on her cheek. “I missed you.”

His jaw flexed, but his fingers stopped drumming on the table. “You look skinny. Eat first, and we’ll talk later.”

****

More family members joined the long table; some of them I recognized, and others were unfamiliar. Smiling, I rose from the table to accompany Freya in serving the dishes. The aroma of vegetables, chicken, and Russian food filled the air, and for a moment, everything felt normal.

Until a subtle ache stirred in my abdomen.

I winced, clutching my belly.

At first, I dismissed it as indigestion from the strawberry shortcake I’d practically forced Niko to get me on our way to his brother’s house, but the ache intensified, spreading across my lower back.

Freya's keen eyes locked onto mine. “Rosalyn, are you okay? You can sit down if you don’t feel so good.”

I felt Niko’s concerned gaze on my face, but I smiled. I didn’t want anyone to worry, much less cause another scene during their family dinner.

“No, no, I’m good.”

“Are you sure?”

“She gets up once and suddenly has a backache. Weakness must run in the blood. Fucking disgusting.”

My hand hung over the side dish and the rest of my body went stiff. I didn’t need to pin the culprit with my eyes to know he was talking about me.

It was one of the cousins. I remembered his name after Niko made a brief introduction.

Viktor.

Dark hair, blue eyes, rough hands, and an arrogant smile. Similar to every other man in this house with the Yezhov blood running through his veins, Viktor carried an intimidating aura. Maybe too much for a man as young as he was.

That uncomfortable silence hung above our heads again, and even the children lowered their voices. Tears stung the back of my eyes, but I struggled to blink them back, promising myself that I wouldn’t cry.

I tried to muster an encouraging smile at Freya, but she didn’t return it. And her husband didn’t look too keen on smiling either.

“What did you just say?”

No.

Dread formed in the pit of my stomach at the sound of Nikolai’s voice and his chair scraping backward. Whispering, I waved a hand to get his attention. “Niko….”

He ignored me, narrowing his eyes at the man who sat across him. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Desperate for this to end, I tried again to get him to look at me. “Niko….”

Carelessly, the younger man shrugged. “I said she has Irish weakness flowing through her—”

Viktor’s loud scream echoed through the dining room and the hallways, draining the blood of the faces of the children and other distant relatives seated at the table.

It happened so fast; no one saw it coming. Not the silver glint of cutlery slicing through the air or the swift move of the fork plunging into Viktor’s hand, pinning his fingers to the table. I watched in horror as blood, the color of wine, seeped into the tablecloth, spreading to the edges of the dishes.

“This is a fucking warning to everyone with ears to hear.” The ice in his tone transmitted chills down my spine. “No one, and I repeat, no fucking one, has the permission to say shit about my wife or her family. You keep her out of your fucking mouth next time. Is that clear?”

Viktor didn’t respond. Red-faced and sweaty, he inhaled and exhaled with ragged breaths, rocking backward and forward with his eyes on his bloodied hand.

“I said, is that fucking clear?” Niko thundered, and Viktor nodded. “Good.”

He pulled back, and, feeling embarrassed and pressed with the overwhelming urge to cry my heart out, I started making my way to the kitchen when a pain more intense tore through every fiber of my being. My knees buckled under me, but Freya caught me before I hit the floor. My head lolled back as dizziness washed over me.

“Rosalyn? Look at me.” She tapped my cheeks, her expression serious. “How long have you been feeling this?”

“It’s been in and out,” I mumbled. “Maybe 20 minutes?”

Nikolai appeared by our side, holding my hand tightly, his eyes brimming with scorching anger and worry. “Freya, what’s happening? What’s wrong?”

“Niko, we need to get your wife to the hospital.”