Chapter 55
MILA
Tears sting in my eyes as I silently help Daniil walk to Nikolai’s front door.
Just looking at him kills me to think of what that monster did to my baby brother.
“I’m okay, Mila. I’m alive, I’m with my big sis. We’re going to be okay,” he whispers.
“Hey, I’m supposed to be the one to say that to you.” My voice almost breaks.
“Maybe, you need to realize I’m not a kid anymore. We’re a team now.”
I nod and rest my head briefly against his bicep.
He’s right, he isn't a child. He towers over me and has dark scruff on his face.
But I’d still kick his ass if I needed to.
“This is a sick place, Nikolai.”
Nikolai raises an eyebrow at me in a silent question, before lacing his fingers through mine.
“Sick means cool, young person talk,” I whisper, hiding my grin.
“Oh. Right. Thank you.”
Daniil and I burst out laughing, even if it hurts every muscle in my body to do so.
Before we reach the door, it flings open, and Elena’s high pitched screams of excitement flood my ears.
My heart flutters seeing that beautiful girl grinning as she darts toward her father.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
She hasn’t even spotted the rest of us yet as Nikolai picks her up in the air and hugs her so tight.
Damn, I really want to cry.
He presses a soft kiss to her forehead.
“I missed you, Daddy. Please don’t go for that long again.”
Fuck.
That is all my fault.
I take a step back and Daniil squeezes my shoulder. I haven’t had long to catch up with him, but he’s so observant, so switched on. He will know exactly what’s happened and how I feel right now.
For so long, it was us against the world, now we have a new family to conquer with.
Nikolai whispers in her ear and the next thing, the brightest smile I’ve ever seen lights up her face as her brown eyes meet mine.
And I am home.
“Melissa!!”
She pushes herself out of her dad’s hold and barrels straight into my legs. Hiding a wince, I drop down to my knees and pull her in for a hug. Happy tears stream down my cheeks.
“Hey beautiful. Did you miss me, too?” I try to hide the croakiness in my voice from her.
“So much! Do you like my dress? Lara took me shopping this morning.”
She gives me a twirl, I can feel Nikolai’s eyes on us.
“It’s gorgeous, Elena. You look like a pretty princess. I love it.”
“I need to tell you something,” I tell her, gesturing for her to come closer.
Her eyes shine as she shuffles forward, back into my arms.
“My real name isn’t Melissa. My real name is Mila.”
She blinks at me a few times and looks back to her dad. She’s clever for her age, her dad taught her well.
I glance at Nikolai, he closes the distance between us.
“It’s fine, baby. It was just a little mix up, but we’ve figured it out. Mila, will be living with us from now on. How does that sound?”
She jumps up in the air and claps excitedly.
“Like a family?”
She looks between me and Niki and we both nod.
“And him?” She points to Daniil behind me.
I push myself up to stand, and wrap an arm around my brother.
“Elena. This is my brother, Daniil. He will be staying with us too, if that's okay with you?”
I look over to the door and Lara is leaning against the frame, watching everything with her arms crossed over her chest.
I can sense this will be a frosty reception.
Elena instinctively moves back against her dad, he picks her up. She’s looking at Daniil’s stump and I close my eyes.
Daniil does look battered and bruised. For a little girl, it’s probably terrifying.
He clears his throat behind me and hobbles up to Nikolai and Elena with a smile.
Despite the fact every step he takes looks like agony.
“I’m Daniil. Nice to meet you, Elena.”
He holds out his good hand and she hesitates before placing her tiny one in his.
“I might look a bit scary now, but I’ll heal. I promise, I won’t look this ugly all the time.”
Elena giggles. “You aren’t ugly.”
Nikolai shoots me a look and I roll my eyes.
“Hey, what’s your favorite color?” she asks him.
“Hmm, green. Yours?”
“Mine is purple, today, anyway.”
Nikolai chuckles before setting her down on her feet.
“Shall we go and see aunty Lara?”
Elena scurries up the steps and straight past Lara, who remains in the same place she’s been the entire time.
I grab Nikolai’s hand and squeeze.
“She’ll be fine, baby. I won’t tell her how many times you’ve stabbed me.”
I nudge him in the side and he fakes an exaggerated pout.
Nikolai helps Danny up the steps and shows him to his new room.
Leaving me awkwardly standing in the hall with Lara, who looks like she wants to smash my head against the wall repeatedly.
“Hi, Lara.” I break the silence and smile.
“Mila is it now?” She chews on her lip.
I nod. “Mila is my real name, yes.”
“Good to know.” She goes to step around me and stops, turning to face me.
“If you so much as bring a single tear to Elena’s eyes, or hurt my brother in any capacity again, I will kill you myself.”
There is a clear warning in her tone, I wouldn’t underestimate her either. She’s a Volkov. She may look skinny and well-manicured, but I bet she’s seen some things and has tricks of her own.
“I swear on my life, and my brother’s life, never again.”
She holds my stare.
“Nikolai is smart enough to make his own decisions, I trust him, for now.”
Phew.
This is going better than I had planned.
“Thank you. I love your brother, with all my heart. And Elena. I’ll earn your trust too, Lara.”
She gives me a smile, her features softening.
“You look like you’re in agony, want a coffee and some painkillers?”
I let out a laugh. I like this girl.
“That sounds perfect.”
Just as we get to the kitchen, Elena wraps around my legs tugging at my cardigan.
“Can we bake some pancakes?”
“We can have some for dinner, they are Mila’s specialty after all,” Nikolai announces as he walks into the room.
Lara turns, I can see the worry on her face and the tears welling in her eyes as she launches herself at her brother.
He awkwardly returns the hug.
They speak in hushed tones and she bats his arm lightly.
Kind of reminds me of me and Daniil.
“Where is Alexei? I thought he would be coming here?”
She twirls the rings on her fingers, averting her brother’s gaze. Hmm.
“He had to get back to Sheila.”
“Odd name,” I reply.
“For a flamingo. Yes.” he replies matter of factly.
“Do I want to ask why he has a flamingo?”
In the brief experience I’ve had with Alexei, it appears he does as he pleases, in every aspect of life.
Nikolai frowns as his phone rings and he slides it out of his pocket.
“Jax,” he greets, stepping to one side.
It’s only a brief conversation, but by the time Nikolai walks over, I know it was nothing bad, he seems happy.
“All okay?” Lara asks, handing Elena one of her dolls.
“More than okay. He’s on his way to the hospital with Sofia.”
I raise a brow, and then I remember. The pregnant wife.
“His son will be here soon. Another Carter to run havoc for us.”
He steps behind me and circles my waist pulling me against his chest.
“So you didn’t lie about everything before?” he whispers in my ear.
“What do you mean?”
“Your brother, his favorite color is green.”
“It is. And he exists. And when we fucked, that was also me. When you got stabbed and I got mad, that was me.”
He presses a kiss to my neck.
“And the love of cooking and pancakes?”
“Fuck no.”
He laughs and hugs me tight.
“How does it feel to be home?” I spin in his arms and link my arms around his neck.
“I should be asking you that question, since you are the one who is home now,” he murmurs against my mouth.
“Kiss her!” Elena chants in the background and Nikolai grins against my lips.
“I think someone is happy we are together again,” I tell him.
“Me and her both, baby.”
He kisses me gently and in that moment I am at peace in my life.
I know whatever the future holds, he is by my side.
I have my family. I have my love.
I am free.