Chapter 33 Ivan
IVAN
The next day came like any other. This new routine of our version of domestic life began with Raisa and me getting Lev ready for school and dropping him off.
Even though these actions weren’t new, I couldn’t help but feel like this was a restart on life.
Questions had been addressed and we’d answered them.
Konstantin was alive, and he was pissed that Raisa was with me and that we’d had a son.
When we took it to the confederation of Bratva leaders, we “won” our case.
A blood test had been ordered, and if anyone still wanted to dispute that Lev was my son and heir, they could have those paternity results when they came in. Luka’s word carried well enough.
With him backing this acceptance and claiming Lev as a young member of the family, it was enough to get others in line.
What I found interesting, though, was how many people were still grumbling about Luka taking Gabriella as a wife.
Miguel Lopez was a rat, screwing over the Dubinin Family, the Riveras, and the Vipers Cartel.
He might have tried to find a get-rich-quick scheme lying to and manipulating other crime families too.
That was all on him, and any association with a family or group didn’t carry much weight, in my opinion.
“What are you thinking about?” Raisa asked as the car brought us back to Luka’s fortress of a residence after dropping off Lev.
I shrugged. “This and that. I was thinking about what we noticed people talking about yesterday at that council meeting.”
She arched one brow. “Well, I imagine Emil and a couple of spies were wearing wires to record some of the this and that.”
I smiled slowly, watching her relax in the back seat with me. She was truly one of a kind. I never had to worry about explaining anything to her. This woman had been born and raised in a crime family and wouldn’t ever be na?ve or clueless about how things worked.
She’d never shy away from when the going got tough. It bothered me to recall that she’d had to kill men herself, but that was only a sign of more respect owed to her.
I hadn’t found a woman to love and marry. I’d found a partner. An ally. That mattered so much more.
“Yes,” I replied. “Emil did take the necessary steps to ensure we could gather what auxiliary intel we could.” He always would. We all had to think outside the box in this effort to be one step ahead.
When we arrived at the house, she kissed me before walking off to find Gabriella, who had asked for her help with Andre this morning. Watching those two women form a friendship was just one more piece of how things were looking up around here.
I went to find Luka, ready to discuss more about what we learned yesterday.
He was in his study, finishing his coffee. Something else waited on his desk, and I had to laugh once.
“You don’t have to go to so much trouble to flatter me.”
He smirked, looking up from the array of rings splayed out in the flat cases. Allan stood next to the desk, nodding and no doubt there to offer my uncle his advice about the rings. I bet he’d retrieved them from the vault for him, too.
“Getting something to give to Gabriella?” I asked as I sat.
Luka shook his head. “No. Preparing for when you propose to Raisa.” He sat back as I leaned forward to peruse the jewelry that had been in the Dubinin Family for many generations.
“That will need to happen sooner than later,” he reminded me. “For the sake of Lev’s safety and everything else that’s going on.”
I frowned a bit. “I don’t want to propose to her because I have to.” I glanced up at him. “Like you did with Gabriella.”
“I told her that I would marry her because I loved her. I just didn’t really go about it well.”
He hadn’t gone about fighting with her well, either. He and Gabriella had made both of themselves so miserable for months when they could’ve just talked it out.
Hey, at least she only hid a pregnancy from you. Raisa hid her pregnancy, childbirth, and the first seven years of Lev’s life from me.
Eventually, the sting would disappear forever. As I looked over the rings, one of which I’d use to propose to her, I knew that the next child we had, I would be there the whole time.
“Perhaps you could simply have Raisa pick one for herself?” Allan asked.
I scrunched up my face and shook my head. “No. That’s not romantic.”
“Some would claim that it’s not romantic to hurry to marry a woman just so her father won’t cause trouble,” Luka said. “Why couldn’t he just be dead already?”
“He let too many people think that he was dead for so long that he became a forgotten name,” I replied. From how distorted he’d looked in that video, I bet Konstantin had needed extensive time in a medical facility to be stitched back together, then also lengthy spells of recovery.
I closed the flap over the ring case. “I’ll pick one later.”
Luka nodded. “Just don’t wait too long. We’re going to the church in an hour to look at it and see about planning.”
I chuckled. “I have to officially propose first.”
“Look at you,” Luka drawled. “Mr. Romantic. Propose. Make it fancy. But Gabriella is stubborn about having your wedding in a church. A ‘proper’ ceremony, since ours was simple. I guess she wants to live voraciously through you and Raisa.”
Allan collected the things to take them off Luka’s desk. “You could always renew your vows in a ‘proper’ ceremony.”
Luka nodded, dismissing it. “Yeah, yeah. But right now, we need to keep things in motion for you to marry Raisa.” He frowned at me. “What else can we do about that fucker?”
“It’s a shame he didn’t show up at the meeting.”
Luka rolled his eyes. “Of course he didn’t show up. He knows that he’d be shot dead on the spot if he showed his face.”
Luka would have to get in line if he wanted that honor. I didn’t have to wonder if Raisa would kill her own father. I bet she would love the opportunity. That was how protective she was of Lev, a bold and brave mother.
“In all seriousness,” he said. “We need to have more plans in place.” He folded his hands on top of his desk. “I’ve already got more men tracking him.”
“To no avail, I bet. If he spent eight years hiding well enough that half of us assumed the rumors were true and that he was dead, he must be good at crawling in a deep enough hole that no one can find him.”
“Emil’s got men on it. Nothing was found from that email or the video file that he sent.”
I wasn’t surprised. Konstantin wouldn’t be stupid about this. Whatever his motivations were to be this determined about attacking us or getting Lev, he’d be calculating to execute his plans.
“Did anyone have luck figuring out where he’d filmed that message?” I asked.
Oddly enough, I had paid attention to those details. During the many times I played and re-watched that short video, I squinted and homed in on what was behind the old man.
He shook his head. “It couldn’t have been his former residence, though. That went up for foreclosure years ago when he first started his downfall, just before that bigger fight with the Cartel. Half was torn down and the other half is being remodeled into a medical facility.”
“He always had those places along the water, though,” I said. “Raisa never talked about him much, but she’d made passing references to Konstantin’s preference to be near the water. When we were traveling together that summer, she was never interested in river tours.”
“I’m sure he’s got somewhere to hide.” Luka drummed his fingers on the desk, pensive again. “I’m just concerned with how furious he’ll be to lose Raisa.”
“Because she dared to defy him at all?”
He nodded. “And because he might be clinging to some stupid idea that she’s still his to give away in marriage. There’s a chance he could still try to do that and get whatever payment he was counting on.”
I held my hands up. “Okay, okay. I get it. No time to wait.”
“You can have your romantic proposal,” he said, almost teasing.
“We’ll watch Lev tonight so you can pop the question.
But in all seriousness…” He trailed off to chuckle.
“Isn’t it a little late? You’ve been hung up on her for eight years.
I can see how much she still loves you. Romance is fine, but take Allan’s advice.
Have the romantic gesture later. A renewal of vows. ”
I sighed, standing when he did. “I know.”
“If it’s a matter of her safety—”
“Then I won’t take any unnecessary risks.” I didn’t want to have to explain it to Luka, but I really wanted to do this right. This time around, I wanted to give Raisa whatever she wanted to know I’d always make her dreams come true.
The urgency of our situation could skew my intentions, and that was the last thing I wanted.
“Who do you think he wanted to marry her off to?” Luka asked as he straightened his cuffs.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll beat them to it.”
He nodded. “It won’t be rushed. Not like it was when I made Gabriella my bride.” We left the room to go find them and tour the church. Luka was a man of action, and that included planning a wedding for me and Raisa.
“Ever since she pieced together more about how you and Raisa were together before and how her father is causing trouble, she got it all in her head that she could help out. That since she can’t do much else with her limited knowledge about how our world and politics work, that she’d be the hero and organize this wedding. ”
“You can’t blame her for assuming that any time one of us marries, it’s automatic protection in a claim.
” That was exactly what he’d done with her.
He’d married Gabriella so the rest of the world would know she was his and not to mess with her.
Miguel had tried, too. Every time Gabriella left this house, she was in danger. That faded with time, fortunately.
“Yes, I know.” He sighed. “But she’s really gotten it in her head that the second you and Raisa are ready to do this, she’ll have it all planned out and prepared.”
I smiled, seeing Raisa walking down the hallway. She approached with Gabriella, and I couldn’t believe I’d been so lucky to find this blonde beauty, lose her, then find her again.
No, I hadn’t found her.
She ran back to me.
I would spend the rest of my life making sure she didn’t regret that choice.
“I also wanted to plan to move once we’re married,” I told him before the women reached us.
“Oh, don’t tell her that.” Luka laughed lightly. “Gabriella is overjoyed to have Raisa here.”
“It’s not like we’d go far. But we need space.”
Luka nodded. “I understand. It’s the same as what Alexsei decided, wanting his own space for him and Misha. But wouldn’t you just move back to your place?”
“That depressing bachelor pad?” I shook my head.
“No. I want us to look together, all three of us. Lev’s opinions will matter too, especially since he and Raisa were on the go for so much of his childhood.
I want us to find a home together. But I’ve been waiting until Konstantin isn’t a threat anymore.
That’s why I haven’t pushed to leave with them yet. ” We were safest here.
“I understand. It’s like déjà vu. Gabriella was safer here.”
“So really, instead of hurrying my wedding to Raisa,” I argued lightly before the women reached us, “it should be more of a hurry to find Konstantin and kill him. So Raisa and Lev don’t have to go through the same thing of worrying about leaving this house.”
Luka’s gaze was cold and serious. “I agree. But until we can lock down a location on him…”
“It’s time for a wedding,” I finished for him.
I can’t wait.