Mafia King’s Bride

37. Ana

THIRTY-SEVEN

ANA

The knock on my door jolts me awake. For a moment, I’m disoriented, unsure how long I’ve been napping. These days, exhaustion is my constant companion.

It must be Viktor, I think, my stomach knotting with dread. He’s probably here to tell me my time’s up, that I need to make a decision. I’ve been dreading this moment, putting it off as long as I can.

I sigh heavily, my feet dragging as I make my way to the door. What am I supposed to tell him? That I still don’t have an answer? That I’m torn between protecting everyone and following my heart? That I miss Dmitri so much it feels like a physical ache, a constant hollowness in my chest that nothing can fill?

My hand hesitates on the doorknob. Maybe if I’m quiet, Viktor will think I’m not home. But no, that’s just delaying the inevitable. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation to come.

“Viktor, I—” The words die in my throat as I open the door.

It’s not Viktor.

It’s Dmitri.

Standing right there, in the flesh, looking at me with those intense eyes I’ve dreamed about every night since I left.

I blink hard, certain I must be hallucinating. This morning, I could have sworn I saw him sleeping beside me, but when I reached out, the bed was empty.

Just another cruel trick of my desperate mind.

But this . . . this feels different. More solid. More real.

I shake my head, trying to clear it. “This can’t be real,” I whisper, more to myself than to him. “You can’t be here.”

“Anastasia,” he says, so softly it brings tears to my eyes.

Then he’s holding me, and I’m engulfed in his warmth, his strength. My hands roam his body, needing to make sure I’m not dreaming.

“Oh my God,” I choke out, touching his face. “It’s you. It’s really you, Dmitri.”

“ Kotyonok ,” he whispers, and then we’re kissing. I pour everything into it—my fear, my longing, my love.

As I break down in his arms, he covers my face with kisses, wiping away my tears. He doesn’t need to say anything. Him being here is enough.

“My love,” he murmurs, “I thought I was a dead man without you.”

I want to tell him how sorry I am, how I wasn’t really living either, but suddenly, panic grips me. “Dmitri, you can’t be here. My father threatened to kill you if I came back. He’ll start a war. I can’t let that happen. I can’t lose you.”

My mind races. How did Dmitri find me? Did Viktor crack under pressure and tell him? Or worse, did my father somehow set this up as a trap?

“We have to leave,” I insist, pushing away from him even as every fiber of my being screams to hold on tighter. “It’s not safe. My father?—”

The room starts to spin, black spots dancing in my vision. The stress, the lack of sleep, the shock of seeing Dmitri—it’s all too much. My knees buckle, and I feel myself falling.

“Ana!” Dmitri’s voice sounds far away as everything fades to black.

When I come to, I’m in an unfamiliar bed. For a moment, panic sets in. Where am I? Did my father’s men find us? Then I hear Dmitri’s voice, low and soothing, guiding me back to reality.

I blink awake, disoriented and panicked. “Dmitri, we have to go! My father?—”

“Shh, kotyonok ,” Dmitri soothes, his hand warm on mine. “Everything’s alright now.”

I shake my head frantically. “No, you don’t understand. He’ll hurt you. How did you even find me?”

Dmitri’s eyes darken. “Viktor told me everything.”

“Everything?” I whisper.

He nods, jaw clenching. “About your father’s threats. The ultimatum he gave you.”

I close my eyes, shame washing over me. “I’m so sorry, Dmitri. I thought I was protecting you, but?—”

“Hey,” he cuts me off gently, cupping my face. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

As I lean into his touch, I notice a bandage peeking out from his shirt. “You’re hurt,” I gasp. “What happened?”

Dmitri hesitates, conflict clear in his eyes. “Ana, there’s something you need to know.”

My heart races as he recounts his confrontation with my father. The threats, the hidden gunman, the sniper. By the time he finishes, I’m numb with shock.

“Papa’s . . . dead?” I whisper.

Dmitri nods solemnly. “I’m sorry, Ana. I never wanted it to come to this.”

I don’t know how to feel. The man who raised me, who I once adored, who then used me as a pawn, is gone. Part of me wants to grieve, while another part feels relief.

“I don’t know what to say,” I admit, my voice small.

Dmitri pulls me close, his warmth anchoring me. “You don’t have to say anything. Just know that I’m here, and I love you. We’ll get through this together.”

As I bury my face in his chest, letting his steady heartbeat calm me, I realize that for the first time in weeks, I feel safe. The war I feared has been averted, but at what cost?

I don’t have the answers, but wrapped in Dmitri’s arms, I know we’ll face whatever comes next together.

Dmitri holds me close, murmuring comforting words. I let him, even as I try to push down the complicated mess of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

I won’t mourn the man who put us through all this. Nikolai Petrov might have been my father, but in the end, he only cared about himself.

Still, a small part of me, the little girl who once thought her daddy hung the moon, weeps silently.

I sigh deeply, feeling the weight of everything bearing down on my shoulders. It’s been a wild ride, from our tumultuous wedding to those first confusing months, wondering if Dmitri hated or liked me, all while fighting that undeniable chemistry between us.

And then, finding out?—

Wait.

My heart starts racing, panic rising in my chest like a tidal wave. How could I have forgotten, even for a moment?

“The baby,” I gasp, my hands flying to my stomach protectively. “Oh my God, Dmitri, the baby!”

His eyes widen, and I realize with a jolt that I never told him. Guilt crashes over me, mixing with the fear and panic already churning inside.

“I—” I swallow hard, trying to find the right words. “I found out I was pregnant the night before I left. I’m three months along now.” My voice breaks as tears well up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry I kept this from you. I wanted to tell you, but then everything happened, and?—”

To my surprise, Dmitri gathers me close, his strong arms enveloping me in a comforting embrace. “I know, my love,” he murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. “The doctors did a blood test when you were brought in and then checked the baby. They are just fine.”

Relief washes over me in waves so powerful I start to tremble. “You knew? And...and the baby’s okay?”

He nods, pressing a kiss to my hair. “Our baby is perfect, kotyonok . Strong and healthy, just like its mother.”

I break down then, all the fear and worry of the past months pouring out of me. “I’m so sorry,” I hiccup against his chest. “I should have told you sooner. I was so scared, and I didn’t know what to do, and?—”

“Shh,” Dmitri soothes, his big hand rubbing circles on my back. “It’s okay. I’m here now. We’re all going to be okay.”

I pull back slightly, searching his face. “You’re not… angry? About the baby, about me not telling you?”

His eyes soften, a smile tugging at his lips. “Angry? Ana, finding out about our child is the most incredible news. I just wish I could have been there for you from the start.”

Fresh tears spill down my cheeks, but this time, they’re tears of joy. “We’re really doing this?” I whisper. “We’re going to be parents?”

Dmitri’s hand joins mine on my stomach, and the tenderness in his touch nearly undoes me. “We are,” he says, his voice full of wonder. “And I promise you, Anastasia, I will love and protect both of you with everything I have.”

For the first time in close to a month, after repeating empty reassurances to myself night after night, I finally believe that everything will be okay. Here, in Dmitri’s arms, with our baby growing inside me, I feel safe. I feel loved.

I feel like I’m finally home.