Born into Sin: An Age Gap Dark Mafia Romance (Devils Will Rise: Melnikov Legacy Book 1)

18. Natalya

Mind-blowing pleasure races through my body, ripping me from my dream and straight into an orgasm. Disoriented, I open my eyes and the first thing I see is Dominic’s dark eyes on mine, his bloodstained hands gripping my thighs, and his gorgeous mouth wrapped around my clit. He watches me come, groaning against my pussy at the sight of it. Instead of the pain that Alexei caused me, Dominic is giving me pure bliss to wash it all away.

“Dom,” I moan, barely able to catch my breath because of the shallow breathing I’m forced to do. My hands reach down so I can run my fingers in his hair, and when he rims my clit with his tongue, I rock my hips harder, greedy for more. “Don’t stop,” I beg, desperate for more pleasure, for a release from the pain that’s been a constant since Alexei put his filthy fucking hands on me.

Dominic watches me while giving me a slow lick, flicking his tongue at the last second like a smack to my clit. I tense in surprise, but when he blows a soft breath over my sensitive skin and flicks his tongue again, I fist his hair tighter and rock up for more.

“Someone’s greedy,” he whispers, ghosting his lips over my aching pussy in a teasing way that has me moaning his name again.

“I just want what you promised me,” I tell him. “I believe you said something about not leaving me unsatisfied.”

He grins and nuzzles his nose against my sex like he’s drinking in the scent of me. “I wonder how many orgasms it would take to satisfy my principessa.”

“Only one way to find out.”

His deep, sexy laugh pulls a big smile from me, and when I let go of his hair so I can run my fingers over the dried blood that’s covering his hands, he watches me with a raised brow, curious to see what I’ll do.

“I take it you made it there in time and that I no longer need to worry about the Zolotov Bratva.”

“I did, and you do not.” He kisses my inner thigh while keeping his eyes locked on mine, slowly working his way back to my pussy. “I cut his dick off for you, sweetheart, and then I took his balls. He died slowly and in excruciating pain.”

I try to muster up some guilt about what had to have been a truly horrific death, but I can’t do it. I don’t feel guilty about it. I just feel relieved that he’s gone and I don’t have to worry about him anymore.

Dragging my fingers along Dominic’s chiseled jaw, I whisper, “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me for protecting you, principessa. Anyone who touches you is a dead man.”

I think about what he’s said, and then ask the question that’s been worrying at the back of my mind. “What happened to the guy who let Sveta and I into La Dolce Vita?”

He groans and runs his tongue up my slit. “You ask too many questions.”

“I asked one,” I point out, but he ignores me and slides his tongue into me, fucking me in slow strokes that force me to focus on my shallow breathing instead of wasting precious air on questions he’ll just continue to ignore.

“No fair,” I pant out, but he just laughs and grabs the backs of my thighs, spreading me wide so he can delve in even deeper.

“Come for me, principessa,” he growls against my pussy. “I’m going to make your cunt into a beautiful mess. I want you sloppy and swollen, I want my face covered in your juices, and I want to feel your thighs shaking around my head.”

All I can do is moan his name in response when he slides his tongue back into me while spreading me wide with his hands, exposing every inch of my pussy to him. He brings the pad of his thumb to my clit, rubbing me while he keeps stroking my inner walls with his tongue. The sensations are overwhelming and all at once, and when I whimper at the first hints of my orgasm, he rubs me harder, pushing me over the edge again.

I’m quickly learning that Dominic is skilled at everything he does. He reads my body perfectly, increasing and decreasing the pressure as needed, keeping me riding the climax until my whole body is shaking and I’m desperate to have him inside me, because as amazing as his mouth feels, I need him. I need to feel him spreading me wide and claiming the deepest parts of me.

“Dom,” I whisper, one hand pulling his hair and the other tugging on the collar of the shirt that he needs to quickly rid himself of. “Please.”

He gives my clit another lick and then pulls back to look at me, eyes darkening at the sight of my splayed-out pussy.

“God you look beautiful,” he growls, using his thumbs to spread me wider. “My little principessa’s cunt is so fucking sloppy for me. Your pretty pink pussy is begging me to fuck it.”

He leans closer, letting the heat of his breath ghost over my clit, and when it makes me clench, he groans, watching my inner lips move.

“That’s exactly what I want you to do to my cock, sweetheart. I want to feel you gripping me, pulling me in deeper. Can you do that for me, principessa? Can you grip my dick and pull me into your sweet little pussy?”

“Yes,” I whisper, tugging on his shirt even harder, desperate to do everything he just asked of me. “Get naked, Dominic.”

He gives a soft laugh and nips at my clit. “If I didn’t need to be inside you so badly, I’d punish you for how goddamn demanding you are.” I feel his teeth softly graze my clit. “I told you I don’t like to take orders.”

“And I told you you’d get used to it.”

I tug on his shirt hard enough to break a few buttons while he gives another deep laugh. “That’s a bespoke Giorgio Armani shirt you just ripped, sweetheart.”

“It’s your fault. You’re the one who’s refusing to get naked. Stop being so stubborn. I need to feel your skin on mine.”

He hears the truth in my words. He can tease me later all he wants, but right now I need him. Pulling back, he steps off the bed just long enough to rip his shirt off the rest of the way, not caring that he’s popped off every button I’d left on there, and pulls his pants and boxer briefs off. My eyes run over the sculpted, olive skin, drinking in the sight of him. My legs are still splayed open, and before he gets back on the bed, he groans and fists his cock, slowly stroking himself while he watches me.

“You drive me fucking crazy.” He brings his body to mine, carefully pulling the T-shirt I’m wearing off, groaning when my breasts spill free. “I was going to wait until you’d had more time to heal, principessa, but you’re impossible to resist.” He cups one of my breasts, filling his hand with me as he kisses his way up my neck. “Every time I see you, I want to fuck you. Every goddamn time.”

“Good,” I whisper, moaning when he nips at the skin below my ear. “I hope you always feel that way.”

“I will.” He says it without a shred of doubt in his voice, making me instantly believe him. And if the conviction behind his words wasn’t enough, then the way he’s kissing me would be. One hand gently cups my face while he kisses me slowly and deeply, always mindful of my injuries and being careful to not cause me any more pain.

When he lowers his hips and drags the head of his cock along my soaking wet slit, I groan and open my mouth even more for him while wrapping my legs around his waist. His thick head presses harder against me, parting my lips but not sliding into me.

“Remember what I said, sweetheart.” His dark eyes bore into mine as he breaks our kiss and hovers his lips over mine. “I want to feel you clench around me. I want to feel your body begging me for my cock.”

His thumb lightly grazes my bruised cheek as he slides his thick head in. I groan and grip him tightly, smiling when I see his jaw tense and his eyes grow darker.

“Good fucking girl,” he growls. “Suck me in, sweetheart.”

I tighten my inner muscles, gripping him as hard as I can, feeling my body slowly suck him in as he works with me and gently thrusts his hips, sliding into me one thick inch at a time until I’ve taken him all the way in.

“Goddamn,” he groans against my lips and settles his body against mine so we’re locked together in stillness. “Mine, principessa.” He kisses me softly, prolonging this moment of the two of us joined together as deeply as we can be. “You are mine, sweetheart. Your pussy.” He rocks his hips so I can feel the movement deep inside me, and grins against my lips. “Your womb.” When I smile, he nips at my top lip. “Your mouth.” Grazing his fingers along the side of my breast, he trails them down my waist before sliding beneath my ass to cup one of my cheeks. “And as soon as you feel better, this tight, virgin ass is going to be mine too. I can’t stand knowing there’s a part of you that I haven’t claimed. I’m a greedy man, principessa, and I want it all. Every single part of you.”

My body tenses at the idea of him filling my ass, but then his mouth is on mine, and he’s kissing me so thoroughly that it’s impossible for me to think about anything other than how goddamn good this feels. He works his hips slowly, fucking me in a languid rhythm that lets me feel every goddamn stroke of his cock as he slides in and out of me.

“Dom,” I moan, clutching him tighter and letting him chase the pain away.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart. You’re getting it nice and slow tonight, but don’t worry, I’m going to make you come so fucking hard.”

He kisses me around the moan I give, angling his hips and keeping his hand on my ass so he can tilt me up just enough to have him hitting my clit with each deep thrust he’s giving me. Pleasure builds between my legs, creating an ache that only intensifies with each passing second.

“I can feel you getting close, sweetheart,” he murmurs against my lips. His hand finds my breast again, pinching my nipple just hard enough to sting, and just hard enough to stoke the flames he’s already created inside me. He makes me burn for him. My body obeys him now, and when he growls at me to let go and come, I do. My ribs won’t allow me to scream like I want, so I cling to him, panting my breaths to keep the pain at a minimum.

“I love you,” he whispers, rocking into me, filling me as I clench down even harder around him. He kisses me through my orgasm, and right when I think it can’t possibly last any longer, he moves his hand from my ass cheek. Pulling away from our kiss, he keeps his eyes on mine and brings a finger to my lips.

“Suck, sweetheart.”

As soon as I part my lips, he slides his finger in, rolling it around my tongue and groaning when I close my mouth and give him a good suck.

“Good girl,” he says, slowly pulling his finger free.

I watch him, not knowing what he has planned, but when he brings his hand back to my ass and then slides his wet finger along my crack before pressing firmly against my tight hole, I gasp as my body freezes.

“Just relax,” he murmurs, kissing me again while he circles the pad of his finger over my skin, igniting all the nerve endings I never knew I had.

“Fuck,” I moan against his lips, feeling him smile before he thrusts into me again while teasing my ass. He finds a rhythm that leaves me shaking and dragging my nails down his back. I’m not sure what I’m begging for. I just know I need more. He fucks me faster, his breaths erratic as his body tenses beneath my greedy hands. He’s close, but he’s not letting go until I do. I try to hold out, not wanting this moment to ever end, but then he growls and nips at my top lip in warning.

“You think you can fight it, principessa? You think you can fight what my cock wants to give you?” He lets out a deep, masculine laugh. “Fucking try it, sweetheart,” he taunts, and then he slowly slides his finger into my ass while he rocks his hips, dragging the thick head of his cock along some hidden goldmine of nerve endings deep inside me, and I let go, because he’s made it impossible not to, and the smug laugh he gives makes it clear that he knew I would. There was never a chance of me fighting this, and as the pleasure washes over me, I can’t understand why I ever tried in the first place.

“Please,” I beg, feeling my pussy pulse around him in rhythm to the orgasm that’s thundering through me. He knows what I’m asking, what I want, and with one last deep thrust, he groans my name and lets go.

My arms and legs tighten around him as I suck his tongue between my lips, wanting him as close to me as possible. He grows even bigger inside me, a feeling that always surprises me, that makes me feel like I’m going to split apart in the most delicious way, and then his thick shaft is pulsing with each shot of his seed, and I grip him even tighter, desperate and greedy for every last drop.

“Jesus,” he pants against my lips when he’s finally empty. He kisses me while slowly sliding his finger out of my ass, both of us completely spent, our bodies relaxed and still humming with the aftershocks. “I love you so goddamn much.”

I kiss him again and then smile up at him when he lifts up onto his forearms, being careful to keep his weight off me while staying buried inside me.

“I love you too.” I run my fingers over his chest, tracing the intricate tattoos before grazing the bullet wound scar from the time my dad shot him. Dominic has several scars on his beautiful body, but this one always makes my chest feel tight. “I want to lock the door and never let you leave.”

He smiles and grabs my hand, kissing the palm of it. “Sounds perfect to me, principessa.”

Raising my head, I kiss the old scar, running my tongue over the rough skin as he cups the back of my head and presses his mouth to my ear. His deep voice and Italian accent send a shiver through me when he whispers, “Every single thing I’ve gone through, the pain, the loss, all of it, has been worth it because it brought me to you.”

I hold him tighter and kiss his cheek, savoring every second of this moment because as much as I’d love to lock him in here with me, we both know it’s never going to happen. I’ve just tied myself to a very dangerous man, and if I’m going to love him and be his wife and the mother of his children, then I need to go all in and love and accept him as he is. There’s no half-assing this.

“I’m glad it brought you to me,” I whisper against his skin. “I know your life is always going to be a dangerous one, but you’re worth it, Dominic. You’re worth everything.”

He kisses me again and then slowly slides out of me, frowning when I wince. “I shouldn’t have fucked you.” Worry hangs on every word out of his perfect mouth.

Cupping his face, I hold him and force him to look at me. “I don’t ever want to hear you say those words again.”

He lifts a brow at my tone and bites back the smile he wants to give.

“I’m serious. You can regret a lot of things, but not us, Dom, never us.”

“You’re right, principessa, and I could never regret anything with you. I just meant that I should’ve shown more restraint and let you rest for a few more days.” He turns his head and kisses my palm. “I don’t seem to have any willpower when it comes to you.”

“Good,” I tell him. “Hopefully that means I’ll always get my way.”

He laughs and kisses the tip of my nose. “You’ll always get what I think is best for you, sweetheart. That’s the best I can promise you.”

“I’ll take it.” I smile and add, “You’re old and set in your ways.”

He mutters something in Italian and shakes his head like he can’t believe what he’s just heard. “Older,” he corrects, “and wiser. I know what’s best for you, especially when it has to do with your safety.”

I smile at his stubbornness and give one of his perfect, round ass cheeks a sharp enough smack to have him raising a brow at me.

“You did not just fucking spank me.”

“It was a love pat. I also know what’s best for you, and I thought you could use it.”

“Jesus Christ,” he mutters. “My little fiancée is crazy.”

“Crazy about you.”

He smiles at my corny line and stands up, walking into the bathroom and giving me a perfect view of his ass with my reddening handprint on it. I can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, laugh it up,” he hollers out at me. “Just wait until you’re all healed, sweetheart. I wonder how many handprints I can leave on your ass.”

I don’t have a smartass comeback for that one, and he’s still smiling about it when he comes back with a warm washcloth in his hands.

“Spread those pretty thighs for me, principessa.”

I do as he says, sighing when the warmth of the cloth hits my tender sex. “Thank you.”

He leans down and kisses me. “I will always make your pussy sore, sweetheart, but I promise I’ll always take care of you afterwards. Now be a good girl and rest while I go get you some food and some more ice for your ribs.”

I’m too tired to move, so I just nod and close my eyes, drifting off to sleep before he’s even come back. He wakes me and then insists on feeding me while I keep the bag of ice on my ribs. When I can’t keep my eyes open a second longer, he gets in bed next to me, wrapping me in his arms while I drift off to sleep again.

The next morning after he’s helped me shower and dress and iced my ribs again, he smiles and kisses me before saying, “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh yeah?”

He laughs when I wiggle my brows at him because we both know I’m way too sore from last night to do anything right now.

“Not that kind of a surprise, sweetheart, but I do love your enthusiasm.”

I watch him walk to the door, and when he opens it, Svetlana comes running in. Ignoring the “Careful,” that Dominic yells at her, she jumps on the bed and then pulls me in for a surprisingly gentle hug.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” she whispers into my hair.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I don’t ever want to go through anything like that again.”

She pulls back and runs her eyes over my bruised face. “That bastard,” she hisses, but then her eyes soften when she looks at my stomach. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant.” She grabs my hand and gawks at the diamond on my finger. “And getting married.”

With a laugh, she looks over to where Dominic is still hovering near the door, watching to make sure I’m okay.

“I bet you’re not so mad about us sneaking into your club now, are you?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “I’m still pissed about you two putting yourselves in danger. I would’ve ended up with Natalya no matter what, so sneaking out wasn’t necessary.”

Svetlana huffs out a breath and waves off his comment. “Potayto, potahto.”

“It’s scary how much you’re like your dad,” he tells her. Then looking at me, he smiles and says, “I’ll leave you two alone so you can visit.” He walks over so he can kiss me, and then he can’t help but fuss with my blankets and make sure everything is to his liking. “I’ll have some food sent up.”

“Thanks.” I smile up at him as he gives me a wink and then starts to walk away.

As soon as the door is shut, Svetlana laughs. “Wow, that man is whipped.”

“So am I,” I tell her because it’s the truth. I’m just as head over heels for him as he is for me. “How’s everyone doing? My dad told me about Vitya. That was crazy, Sveta. You’re like a kick-ass hero.”

She sighs and lays down next to me, turning her head so we can still see each other. Her honey-brown eyes aren’t as vibrant as they usually are. She’s still the same best friend I remember, but there’s a sadness hanging on her that wasn’t there before.

“I was terrified,” she admits in a whisper. “I woke up and went looking for you, and then I saw him lying there, and there was so much blood, Nat. I didn’t know what to do, and all I could think was that you were lying somewhere nearby, bleeding out just like he was.”

I grab her hand, squeezing it in mine when she looks like she’s about to cry. Svetlana is not a crier. She cracks jokes, she deflects, she will do just about anything in order to not cry, so seeing her eyes turn glassy tells me everything I need to know.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “When Andrik grabbed me, he told me if I fought him, then he would start killing everyone I love. I couldn’t risk it. I saw Vitya, but I thought he was already dead.”

“He looked it,” she says, giving me a half-smile. “As soon as I felt his pulse, I knew I had to try and save him, even if he was kind of a big, silent dick to us.”

I let out a soft laugh and keep squeezing her hand as she continues.

“Thank god, Pyotr was there. The guy is like a walking encyclopedia of everyone’s blood type and health history. We were a match, so I insisted he start a transfusion.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “I honestly didn’t even know that shit was possible. I stayed up late with Val one night, and he was watching some war movie where they did a transfusion on the battlefield. Pyotr tried to talk me out of it, tried to tell me it wouldn’t do any good, that Vitya was too far gone, but I told him he’d better get that damn needle in my vein or I was going to start poking around on my own. I guess he knew how pissed my dad would be if I returned with a mutilated arm, so he finally gave in and connected us.”

“How’s Vitya doing?”

She huffs out a breath and rolls her eyes. “I went to visit him in the hospital, you know, after saving his life, and all he did was grunt at me. Was it a thank you for saving my life grunt or a get the hell out of my room grunt? Who the hell knows? He’s infuriating.”

I smile because men don’t frustrate Svetlana. She admires their beauty, wishes she could maybe date a few of them, but no one has ever caught her attention and weighed on her mind.

“Stop smiling,” she grumbles. “Tell me exactly how Uncle Lev took the news of you being knocked up and engaged.”

I’m saved from having to answer when there’s a soft knock at the door. When I holler that it’s okay to come in, one of the maids that I’ve only briefly met, comes in with a smile and leaves a huge tray of food on the bed for us. We thank her and as soon as she shuts the door, we dig into the brunch Lucia’s prepared for us.

“Start talking,” Svetlana reminds me before taking a big bite from the filled doughnut that Dominic taught me is called a bombolone.

While we eat our fill and then some, I tell Svetlana every single detail of everything that happened. By the time I’m done, I’m so stuffed I can barely move, and I’m ready for my afternoon nap. When I start to yawn, she shoves her empty plate aside and stretches out on the bed, groaning at how full she is.

“I need to get going before Dominic comes up and kicks my ass out. He made me promise a million things before he’d even let me up here, and one of them was that I’d get my butt moving if I saw you yawn. He also thought two visitors would be overwhelming.” She stops to playfully roll her eyes. “So everyone else will be visiting on a rotating schedule that I’m sure Dominic will be making and texting to everyone.”

“He’s just worried,” I say with a laugh.

“I know. It’s kind of cute, and I’ll be sure to tease him about it for the rest of our lives.”

“You’re going to be in my wedding, right? I need you up there with Yelena.”

“Of course.” Svetlana laughs. “God, Mia is going to kill you.”

“There’s no way she can’t be my maid of honor, so she’s going to just have to grit her teeth and wear a damn dress for one afternoon.”

“I’m so glad I’ll be there to witness it. Please tell me you’ve chosen pink as the color for your bridesmaid dresses.”

“Do you honestly think I could ever pick anything else?”

Svetlana laughs and claps her hands. “I’m going to take so many pictures.”

“She will truly love that.”

We both laugh at how uncomfortable my sister is going to be. We both love her to pieces, so it’s not out of meanness, and I’m sure she’ll get back at me when she gets married and forces me to wear black cargo pants and combat boots or whatever the hell else she decides on for her wedding. I’ll do it with a smile on my face, just like I know she’ll wear whatever I pick out for mine. My little sister is a lot of things, but she’d never ruin my special day by throwing a tantrum. She’s just not that kind of person.

Dominic must have some sort of sixth sense about me, because as soon as Svetlana and I hug and she stands up to leave, he’s walking in to check on us.

“Please don’t tell me you have hidden cameras in here,” she teases him. “I mean, it’s kind of kinky, but also really fucking creepy.”

“I don’t have hidden cameras in our bedroom, Sveta. I just know my fiancée must be getting tired, and it’s time for me to ice her ribs again.”

Svetlana laughs but pulls him in for a hug that I can tell surprises him. He smiles at me over her shoulder and returns her hug.

“Congratulations on the baby and the wedding. I knew you were a goner the second I saw you looking like you were going to have an aneurysm when you saw her on the dance floor.”

“Don’t remind me,” he groans. “I wanted to kill that little fucker who groped her.”

“I did break his nose,” I remind them.

“That you did, principessa. Sexiest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen.”

Svetlana laughs and gives me a wave before walking out. “Call me!”

“I will,” I promise her, sighing when Dominic lifts up the bag of ice he’s brought with him. “I’m tired of being sore.”

He moves the tray to the dresser and then walks over to me.

“Can we at least do it in the sunroom?”

He smiles at my request and leans down to pick me up, carrying me into the sunroom that he’s been fixing up for me. There are a few more comfy chairs, two bookshelves, and a hammock chair. When I point to it, he lets out a soft laugh. It’s big enough for both of us, but he still keeps me on his lap as he sits back into it. The sun streams in from all the windows, and it’s quickly become my favorite room in the house. When we’re situated, he gently presses the ice to my cracked ribs. Brushing back my hair, he kisses my forehead.

“Much better,” I sigh when he starts to gently rock us.

“I’m sorry you’re still so sore, baby. We’re going to get you all fixed up, and then we’re getting married, and then I’m going to enjoy watching my wife slowly grow bigger with our baby.”

I can’t help but smile at how damn happy he sounds. Resting my head against his chest, I snuggle into him, more than ready to become his wife.

One Month Later

“You look so beautiful.”

I look over at my mom and smile. We’ve both been crying all morning, but ever since having my makeup finished, I’ve been trying like hell to keep my eyes dry. I know it’s a losing battle, but I’m still trying. We’ve been planning this wedding for a month, and even though Dominic hired a wedding planner so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything, it’s still been a crazy time. It doesn’t help that my morning sickness kicked in a few days ago. I’ve been spending every morning with my head in the toilet, an event that Dominic insists on being present for so he can hold my hair and rub my back, and then the rest of our days have been spent visiting with his aunt and uncle, who recently flew in from Italy for the occasion. A bunch of his distant relatives also decided to come over, and, as a sign of respect, all his men will be here too so they can witness their boss getting married.

I push aside all thoughts of how many sets of eyes are going to be on me today and turn my focus back to my reflection in the large mirror in front of me. Dominic’s Aunt Maria got in touch with me shortly after he told them about our engagement and asked me to send her my measurements. The pregnancy isn’t showing yet, but we all know that’s not going to last much longer. She’d worked whatever kind of Italian magic she has, which probably had a lot more to do with throwing the Alessi name around instead of wands and potions, and surprised me with a handmade Valentino wedding dress. I’d nearly fainted when I’d seen it and scared Dominic half to death, but in my defense, it is the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen.

The delicate lace and high neck make it look both feminine and modest, but even though it’s modest, there’s nothing frumpy about it. It hugs me like a second skin until it fans out gently around my legs. Dominic loves knowing that he’s the only one who’s ever seen me naked, so while the lace gives a muted view of the cleavage that’s definitely grown during my pregnancy, it’s still hiding me from full view.

“You just look so beautiful,” my mom says again, wiping at her eyes.

I squeeze her hand and smile. “So do you, Mom. You look amazing in that dress.”

She’d kept with my pink theme and chosen a dress that’s a few shades lighter than the bridesmaid dresses I’d picked out. It’s in the same style too, an apron neckline with spaghetti straps that crisscross all along the open back. The soft fabric billows out the perfect amount, falling right at their ankles to show off the pink heels they’ll all be wearing. I’m also wearing my pink heels, the ones that Dominic is obsessed with, but mine are hidden beneath my white dress. I plan on flashing him later on during the reception.

“I’m so happy for you.” My mom reaches up to fix the delicate veil that falls along the back of my hair. She laughs at the tears that start to fall again. “Promise me you won’t move to Italy. I can’t handle having you that far away, especially once our grandbaby gets here.”

“I promise I won’t. Dominic wants to stay here, and so do I. I can’t imagine being separated from you all.”

Dominic’s aunt and uncle would like nothing more than for us to move to Italy, but neither one of us wants that. Our future is here, and we both know it. I give my mom another hug, and then she kisses my cheek and tells me she loves me.

“I’d better go check on things and make sure Dominic is doing okay. I’ve never seen him look so nervous before.” She laughs and squeezes my hand one last time. “I still can’t believe I’m younger than my son-in-law. We always thought Mia would be the one to go and do something crazy, but you’ve one-upped her this time, kiddo.”

I smile at my mom’s teasing. “I’m sure that won’t last for long.”

“Oh, don’t I know it,” she says, giving me a wink. “Let’s enjoy it for the day, though. She can do something crazy tomorrow. Today’s your day, baby. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

I bite my lip to keep from crying and watch her walk out the door. Turning back to the mirror, I make sure everything is in place, when I hear a soft knock.

“Come in,” I say, expecting Svetlana, but it’s my dad who walks through the door. The piercings are obvious, and his hair is still a tad too long, but most of his tattoos are hidden by the tux today, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looked nervous.

“Princess,” he whispers, smiling at the sight of me in my dress. He quickly closes the distance and wraps me in a hug that’s not near as delicate as the one Mom gave me. “Just say the word, and I’ll get you out of here, honey. We can sneak out the back. I’ve already mapped out an escape route. No one will be the wiser.”

I laugh because I know he’s joking…well, mostly joking.

“I don’t want to run away, Dad. I want to marry him.”

He sighs and kisses the top of my head. “I know you do. I just thought I’d offer it in case you didn’t know it was an option.”

Pulling back, he looks at me, and the fatherly love in his eyes has mine tearing up.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married, princess. You were supposed to wait until you were in your late twenties at the earliest. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet.”

“Dad, this is not goodbye. I’m not going anywhere.”

He raises a pierced brow at me. “He’s taking you to Italy.”

“For our honeymoon,” I say with a laugh, “and we’re coming back in two weeks.”

“You better or your uncles and I will be on the next flight out.”

“I’m not so sure Italy is ready for the Melnikov brothers.”

My dad laughs. “Probably not. His uncle is having a hard enough time being civil to us. If it wasn’t for his wife, I think he would’ve already pulled a gun out.”

I shake my head at him and pat his chest. “He just remembers that you shot his nephew.”

“Yeah, well he deserved it. Dominic’s dad never warmed up to us either, so I guess it’s a family thing.”

“Well, they seem to love me,” I tease, pulling a smile from him.

“How on earth could they not? You’re perfect, always have been.” He cups my hand in his, and I watch his lip ring move with the big smile he’s giving me. “I’ll never forget holding you for the first time. You were so tiny.” He laughs at the memory. “I was so afraid I was going to squeeze you too tightly or accidentally drop you, but you just looked up at me with your big, blue eyes and wrapped your tiny hand around my finger. You weren’t worried at all. You trusted me completely, and I love you just as much now as I did then. Nothing will ever change that, not even marrying a goddamn Italian.”

I give him a wobbly smile and wrap my arms around him in a big hug. “I love you, Dad, and I promise you will never lose me. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll be in different houses, but I’m going to visit so often that you’ll hardly notice it.”

“You better, princess.”

“Can we come in?”

We both turn to see my Uncle Vitaly’s head peeking around the door. “I might have taken a few photos of that sweet moment,” he says, holding up his phone.

“Dad, you’re terrible,” Svetlana says, scooting around him and coming into the room, and then once she’s through, it’s only a matter of seconds before my entire family is barging in with big grins on their faces and my mom is giving me a half-hearted I’m sorry look as she walks over to stand next to my dad. He smiles down at her and pulls her tightly against him.

“They wanted to say hi,” she tells me with a laugh.

I look at my aunts and uncles and cousins and then turn to Svetlana. She just shakes her head and mutters, “This is like our dance recital all over again. We really can’t take them anywhere.”

“Our family was born to stand out, Sveta,” Uncle Vitaly says before pulling me into a hug. “Besides, what are they going to do? It’s not like they can get mad at the bride.”

Uncle Danil hugs me after Aunt Simona and says, “You should have seen him, Nat. He just told the waiters to start handing out wine. You might be saying your vows in front of a bunch of intoxicated people.”

“Oh, come on,” Uncle Vitaly jokes. “Like they weren’t already a little drunk.”

“He’s impossible to keep in line,” Uncle Matvey says when he hugs me. “We just gave up and stopped trying years ago.”

“You look beautiful,” Aunt Alina whispers in my ear. “Dominic’s a good man, and I’m so happy for you two.”

“Thanks, Aunt Alina.” I don’t even bother fighting the tears as I’m passed around to everyone. My cousins are all in tuxes, too, and Yelena and Svetlana look beautiful in their bridesmaid’s dresses. When I get to my brother, I hug him tightly, knowing I’m going to miss the hell out of him.

“Don’t cry, sis. I’m going to come and visit you all the time. Dominic’s house is awesome, and Dario’s been teaching me some new combat moves.”

“He has?”

Sasha gives me his devilish grin. “Dominic told me Dario is really good with close contact knife fighting, so I asked if he’d teach me.”

My brother is beaming as he tells me.

“I can’t believe Mom and Dad agreed.”

He shrugs. “It’s a good skill to learn. Plus, I need to spend time with my brother-in-law and his men. Family bonding and shit.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Just be careful, little brother.”

“Of course, sis.”

When I finally get to Mia, I pull my sister into a tight hug, and even though she’s trying like hell to not show how uncomfortable she is wearing a pink dress, I can still see signs of her discomfort. I’d compromised and let her wear black nail polish and her black Converse All Stars because I like seeing her personality shine through a bit, and she looks cute as hell in them.

“I promise you can change after we’re all done with the photos.”

She pulls back and gives me a half smile. “No, it’s all right. I don’t mind it as much since you didn’t make me wear the heels.” Her smile grows when she says, “Plus, Dad may have said he’ll think about a third ear piercing because of my willingness to wear a dress.”

I look over at our dad, who’s only a few feet away. He shrugs his broad shoulders and smiles. “What? The last time I saw little witch in a dress was when she was a toddler. The moment lasted about two seconds and then she ripped it off and ran around the house naked.”

“I stand by that decision,” Mia says with a smile.

My dad laughs and pulls us both in for a hug. “Neither one of you better ever change. You’re both perfect, and I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad,” we both say, hugging him back.

“I think the Italians are getting restless,” my Uncle Roman says, looking down the hall and out the large window that faces the backyard. We decided to have the wedding at home since it’s so much easier to secure, and the place has been bustling for days. Dominic hired a catering team so Lucia could just sit back and enjoy the wedding, and as hectic as the last few weeks have been, it’s also been amazing.

“Do I look okay?” I ask, running a hand down my dress, thankful that my ribs no longer hurt and my face has fully healed.

“You look beautiful,” my dad says.

“Stunning,” Svetlana adds while my sister nods her head in agreement.

“All right, let’s go take our seats like civilized people,” Uncle Danil suggests, giving me a wink. “Show them that Russians do know how to behave.”

“Since when?” Uncle Vitaly asks with a laugh. Aunt Katya smiles at me while she drags her husband from the room. The rest slowly follow, and soon it’s just my dad and me, waiting for our cue.

Before we walk out, he looks down at me and smiles. “Someone wanted to say hi before I walk you out there.”

Before I can ask him who it is, Grigori’s standing in the doorway. He looks like he’s lost a few pounds and he’s using crutches, but he’s alive and smiling, and I quickly close the distance so I can give him a hug.

“Thank you so much,” I whisper, being careful to not hug him too tightly while he’s still healing. “I’m so sorry, Grigori.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, Natalya. I’m just glad you’re safe,” he tells me. Pulling back, he looks at me in my dress and smiles. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. How are you feeling? Are you recovering okay?”

He laughs at my questions. “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me. I spend my days fishing and spending time with my wife.” He gives me another smile. “I think retirement suits me, and she’s thrilled to not have to worry about me all the time anymore.”

I squeeze his hand, happy that he and his wife are happy.

“Well, I better get back out there.” He nods at my dad and then gives me one last smile before leaving.

I turn back to my dad. “Thanks for sneaking him in. I’ve been worrying about him.”

“I know, and neither one of us wanted you to keep doing it. He’s happy, and he would’ve had to stop watching over you anyway since Dominic insists on having his own bodyguards around you now.”

I smile at his tone. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you, princess,” he says, squeezing my hand and placing it on his arm so he can escort me down the aisle.

He turns to me and kisses my cheek.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but let’s go get you married, honey.”

I smile up at him and squeeze his arm, because even though I’m about to get married and be a mom, I still desperately need my dad right now. Sensing my nerves, he keeps his hand over mine, letting me know without saying a word that he will always be there to support me, no matter what.

I take a deep, shaky breath, and when I hear the music start up, I follow my dad’s lead and step outside with him. It’s because of his unwavering love and support that I feel strong enough to embrace my future and join my life to Dominic’s. My family has given me the foundation I need, and marrying into the Alessi family doesn’t mean I’ll be leaving mine behind. I’ll always be a Melnikov. It’s just that now I’ll also be an Alessi.