Forced Marriage Vows

21. Anastasia

CHAPTER 21

Anastasia

M y heart is pounding in my chest. Mikhail took the news much worse than I thought he would. I was expecting him to listen to me in his cool, aloof way without showing any emotion. But his face was completely open, unguarded when he heard the news.

I saw him go through shock, then surprise, and now he’s angry. I’m not sure I blame him for that.

I meet Sierra at our apartment’s lobby. She’s been ushered in by one of the guards Mikhail insisted on sending to her apartment to pick her up. She doesn’t look happy about that at all.

“Being treated like a criminal wasn’t part of the deal when I said I’d talk to Mikhail,” she mentions as soon as she sees me.

“I know, I’m sorry. He’s just being…” I trail off, but she seems to get it.

“How did he take the news?”

“Much better than I expected,” I lie. There’s no use freaking her out further. “Just relax, okay? Where’s Jalen?”

“He’s with his grandmother. I figured Mikhail and I would hash things out first and decide the next stop before I brought him over.”

I nod. “That would be best. Come on.”

I lead her into the elevator and before long we’re standing outside the penthouse door. I’m nervous again, but for a completely different reason. Mikhail used to be in a relationship with her. They were happy. I guess a part of me is worried about feelings being rekindled now that they’ve found each other again.

Don’t be ridiculous, Anastasia , a voice whispers in my ear.

Which is honestly valid. I’m married to the man and he just spent last night giving me all the reassurance I need while fucking my brains out. We’ll be okay. I open the door, leading Sierra in.

Mikhail’s the first thing we see. He’s standing a few feet from the door, arms crossed over his chest. They both stare at each other for a long moment.

“Morozova,” Sierra finally says, her shoulders stiff.

“Colby.” He nods, blue eyes glittering with rage.

I make sure to stick by Sierra’s side, just in case he decides to do something untoward.

“Is this the part where I fall down on my knees and beg for mercy?” Sierra asks with a grimace.

I’ve noticed she tends to use humor when she’s nervous.

Mikhail snarls, “Don’t tempt me, Sierra.”

I sigh softly, stepping between them both. “How about we all just calm down and take a seat so we can discuss this amicably?”

“Amicably?” my husband grits out. “She kept a child away from his father for three years.”

“Honestly, you should be thanking me. Do you have any idea how stressful newborns are?”

I glance at her with wide eyes. “Sierra!”

She runs a hand through her hair, an apology in her eyes directed at me. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the person you should be apologizing to,” I say, gesturing at Mikhail. “He has every right to be mad.”

“I know,” she says softly. “He’s just really scaring me right now.”

I smile, crossing over to Mikhail’s side. “Quit glaring at her, babe. She’s here to make amends. Let’s all try to be nice. For Jalen’s sake.”

That seems to be the magic word. Both their expression softens before Mikhail lets out a soft breath.

“Why don’t we have a seat?” he asks.

The three of us head into the living room. I sit beside Mikhail, while Sierra perches on the love seat. It’s silent for a little while, awkward, until I lightly jab my elbow into Mikhail’s ribs. He grunts quietly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, opening up the conversation.

Over the next twenty minutes, Sierra tries her best to explain while Mikhail listens.

“I’m really sorry,” she says once she’s done. “I know nothing I say can make up for the time you’ve lost.”

He seems appeased by that. “I’m sorry you had to go through it alone.”

I can tell she’s genuinely surprised he said that. I’m just proud.

“How’s your brother doing?”

“Elijah moved to Louisiana a couple years ago. I barely see him anymore,” she replies sadly. “If you’re wondering if I was alone during the pregnancy, I wasn’t. I had my mother and my best friend. They helped me through it all.”

“Are you in a relationship?”

That question raises red flags and I’m about to narrow my eyes in his direction but I ease off for the sake of my newly inherited stepson.

“I’m not really big on dating. Jalen’s the only man in my life,” she explains, which makes me smile.

“What have you told him about me?”

“Nothing, to be honest. He’s only just started speaking in full sentences, and he recently realized he doesn’t have a father like most other kids. I haven’t told him anything about you. When he asked a couple weeks ago, all I said was that you were on a long trip. I’m not sure he understood but it seemed to appease him for a while. Look, I’m really sorry, Mikhail.”

“It’s fine. Considering I can’t get back the three years I’ve lost, all that’s left is to look forward to the future. When can I meet him?”

Sierra hesitates, which causes Mikhail to tense beside me. I completely understand her hesitation, though. She’s already opened up to me about her reservations and it’s a really big step, introducing Jalen into this world.

“I promise he’ll be safe, Sierra. He’d never let anything happen to his son,” I tell her.

“No one will hurt him,” Mikhail agrees gruffly.

“Okay,” Sierra breathes. “You can meet him in two days.”

I let out a breath of relief and Mikhail smiles for the first time since Sierra walked through the door.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

“Sure. Plus, it’s not like I have much of a choice. If I said you couldn’t see him, I would have probably had twenty-plus men breaking down my front door to take him away from me.”

The look in her eyes tells me that this was a genuine fear.

Mikhail frowns. “I wouldn’t have done that to you, Sierra.”

“Thanks,” she says gently, offering him a small smile. “Is there anything you’d like to know about him?”

“Everything,” he replies immediately.

She laughs. “He’s just like every other three-year-old boy. He likes to draw and paint and he’s always getting himself stuck in the weirdest places, which annoys me to no end. Just days ago, I had to get his hand unstuck because he’d jammed it into a pipe,” she says, smiling fondly.

“Oh, and he’s always running around. I have a keep a tight leash on him when we’re in public. He’s in constant hide-and-seek mode. I lost him in the park once and found him hiding under the jungle gym.”

She tells us many more stories and we both listen attentively. I find myself falling in love with a little boy I’ve never met. It’s easy to do so, especially since I know he’s a part of Mikhail. After a couple more minutes pass, I get up to make us some snacks in the kitchen.

When I return, they’re both laughing about something.

“You used to be a terrible cook, Mikhail. Remember how we almost got food poisoning?” Sierra asks, her eyes dancing playfully.

He rolls his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. Also, I bet I could out-cook you now.”

“And I see you still have that inflated ego,” she says, shaking her head.

“I’m serious about the cooking,” he tells her before his eyes meet mine. “Tell her, baby.”

I settle down beside him after placing the freshly squeezed juice and crackers on the table. Mikhail’s hand immediately goes around my waist.

“It’s true,” I agree. “He’s a better cook than me, which was extremely surprising to learn. I guess I have you to thank for that.”

“You’re welcome,” she says triumphantly.

They start talking about something else in the past and I fall silent, listening. A part of me can’t believe it was that easy to resolve things between them. It’s almost like they picked things off where they left off without missing a beat. It seems easy between them.

I try to pretend it doesn’t bother me. These feelings are irrational, after all. When it’s time for Sierra to go, I give her a hug and ask her to text me with updates. It’s already late by the time she leaves and I’m exhausted.

Mikhail has to take an important work call so I go on ahead to our bedroom to prepare for the night. I take a shower before settling in bed with my laptop. I’m going through the flash drive Lucia gave me for work. I was genuinely worried I’d lost it two days ago, but thankfully, one of the cleaning ladies found it this morning and got it back to me.

I’m still unsure if I’m qualified for what Lucia wants me to do, but I promised her and myself I’d try. So that’s what I’m going to do.

Mikhail enters the bedroom an hour later. His gaze roams my face when he does and then he’s moving to sit beside me on the bed.

“What’s wrong?” he questions.

Dammit. Why do I have to be married to the most perceptive man in the world?

“Nothing’s wrong,” I reply, keeping my gaze fixed on the laptop.

“We agreed not to lie to each other anymore, solnyshko ,” he reminds me.

I groan softly. “That wasn’t a lie,” I tell him. “I’m just trying to focus on work. Seriously.”

He makes a small noise I can’t discern, probably him trying not to call me out on my shit. I don’t look at his face as my attention returns to my laptop. Neither of us speaks for a long moment until I can’t take it any longer. I look at him, my brows raised.

“Is she the one that got you the SpongeBob apron?”

Mikhail chuckles. “Are you jealous, Anastasia?”

“Of course not,” I mutter. “It just seems weird that out of all your exes, she seems to have had the biggest impact on your life. Recent revelations aside, you’ve mentioned her twice before. Which means you probably liked her a lot.”

“I liked her as much as I liked all the women in my past,” he tells me. “My feelings for them are nowhere near what I feel for you, Anastasia.”

His words soothe something inside of me. When I look at him, sincerity shines in his blue eyes.

“I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I?”

“A little bit,” he says. “But I can handle it.”

I smile, placing my laptop on the bedside table and moving into his lap.

“I’m sorry, I should have asked how you were. Today’s been a lot for you. How do you feel?’

He has to think about it for a moment.

“Honestly, Anastasia, I’m fucking terrified. No one taught me how to do this. I’m not sure if I’m equipped to raise a dog, let alone a child.”

“You won’t have to do it alone. You’ll have me and Sierra as well. And being a parent isn’t something that’s really taught, you just learn as you go. Lucia helped me realize that.”

“Lucia seems like a smart woman,” he murmurs.

I run my hand through the front of his hair. “She’s the best,” I agree. “And you’ll be the best dad.”

“I certainly can’t be worse than mine.”

“Are you going to tell him?” I ask, referring to his father. “He’ll want to know he has a grandchild.”

“Maybe. I’m not sure I’m going to make Jalen’s existence common knowledge. At least not yet. The Bratva is still unstable, after all.”

The air in the room tenses, like it always does when the subject of my father and his evasion comes up. I avoid his eyes, looking down at the hem of his shirt.

“That’s a good idea. We should keep him a secret until we’re sure it’s safe.”

“How about you, solnyshko ?” Mikhail asks.

I look into his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, how do you feel about all of this? You’re my wife and now you’re essentially going to become a stepmother. Where’s your head at?”

I hadn’t really thought about my feelings. I’d been so worried about him and how he would react.

“Honestly, my head’s in a really good place. I like kids and I’m sure Jalen and I will get along just fine. Plus, I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’m not sure I want to have kids of my own. Maybe someday I’ll be ready, but not for a very long time. What do you think of that?”

“I think that sounds amazing, baby. And I’ll be ready whenever you are.”

“You’re the best,” I say, relieved, throwing my arms around him.

“I know.” His chest rumbles on a laugh. “And you know what I just thought of?”

“No. What?”

“Anthony’s reaction when I tell him about Jalen.”

I brighten at that, laughing softly. “Oh my God, I have to be there when you tell him. He’ll lose his shit.”

“Yeah, he will,” Mikhail says with a smile.