Epilogue - Tatiana
THREE YEARS LATER
I played with the devil and the result was a fairytale. It wasn’t all roses, there were thorns too but I loved every single moment with him and our children.
It turned out the devil was exactly what I needed in my life. My villain became my hero. My husband. My lover. And most importantly my friend.
True to his word, Illias and I were partners. Sometimes he still liked to protect me and keep stressful things from me but I cut that shit right off. He was demanding, so was I. He needed a lot of love. So did I.
Turns out my gazebo man was a romantic at heart.
He had purchased the property that brought us together and every now and then, when we needed time alone, we’d fly there and he’d show me exactly how good we fit.
Not that I doubted it. Never again would I doubt my husband. He owned me, but I owned him too.
That was how marriage worked.
Placing the pregnancy test on the bathroom sink, I washed my hands. I couldn’t help flickering my eyes to the little window on the stick. I just celebrated my thirtieth birthday last week. Illias took me to Paris - just the two of us. It was our first trip alone since we’d had the twins.
It was magical. Everything with my husband felt like a fairytale dream come true.
He booked the Eiffel Tower, just for the two of us.
We wined and dined, then took a stroll, enjoying the magnificent views as he whispered the world was at our feet.
I grew up not seeing love, at least not the kind between a man and woman, but somehow the idea of it always lingered in my heart.
It wasn’t until I tasted it myself that I saw the power of it.
“How does it feel having Paris at your feet, Mrs. Konstantin?” my husband had asked with his strong arms wrapped around my waist.
I’d turned my face to the side, so I could drown in my devil’s eyes.
“Nothing beats the feeling of having you, Illias.” I loved him so much that sometimes I swore I could feel thorns pricking my skin.
“As long as you’re with me, I wouldn’t care if we were in the middle of a jungle. But Paris at my feet is nice too.”
I’d leaned back against his strong body, letting his heat seep through my skin. “Now, please touch me,” I’d pleaded half-teasingly. “I’ve never been fucked on top of the Eiffel Tower. Show me how good it feels.”
He did. The noise of Paris couldn’t reach us, but my heart thundered just the same as he touched me, owning my heart, soul, and body. I screamed his name, letting it carry over the wind while he whispered how much he loved me. How happy I made him. And how we’d make more babies.
It was bound to happen again when we both ignored protection and fooled around day and night. I was just surprised that it had taken this long, if I was indeed pregnant again. He’d made it no secret he wanted more children. It was fine by me because I wanted a big family. A happy family.
Leaving Paris in my memories and bringing reality into our bathroom at our manor in New Orleans, I returned to the original reason I was hanging in the bathroom while my little ones threw Legos all over my bedroom.
The pregnancy test.
Two pink lines stared back at me and I smiled. “Daddy’s gonna be happy,” I murmured softly.
My twins busted through the door, ignoring my need for privacy and Astor reached for the used pregnancy test.
“No, no, no,” I scolded. Luckily, I was fast enough and I snatched it out of his reach, tutting him softly.
“What that?” he asked, that determined look that reminded me so much of his father, staring at the unfamiliar device. “That mine.”
I rolled my eyes. “Astor, that’s not yours. It’s in Mommy’s bathroom. It’s Mommy’s.”
He watched me pensively, contemplating my words. “Papa’s bathroom too. That Papa’s.”
I shook my head. If I said it was daddy’s, he’d reverse it. “You’re too smart for your own good,” I muttered. He didn’t seem impressed, his attention still on the pregnancy test. I didn’t want to throw it away. First, I’d take a picture and send it to Illias. Maybe it’d bring him home faster.
He and my brothers had some business in L.A. to tend to. It had only been two days, but I hated sleeping without him next to me.
Anushka giggled and I turned to find my daughter’s face white as a ghost. She applied a shitton of concealer. A chuckle tore from my throat. “Anushka, you’re supposed to use just a tiny bit, not the entire tube on your face.”
Her toothy grin flashed. My two babies might be twins but they were like night and day.
Even at his tender age of three, Astor could be overwhelming.
A force to be reckoned with. Much like his father.
Anushka, while definitely not meek, worked in a slightly different way.
She observed until she was ready to pounce like a wrecking ball to achieve her goal.
Neither boded well for our peace in the future.
Yet, I wouldn’t change it for anything. It was our family. Our children. Our happiness.
I pulled both of my babies into a hug. “Mama loves you so much,” I murmured.
It was something I said to my children every day.
My brothers told me every day. They didn’t hear it every day, but they made sure I didn’t feel neglected like they had.
It made a difference in my life. I’d be sure to make an even bigger difference in our children’s lives.
“Should we take a picture to send Papa?” I asked. “He’s missing us and it’ll make him happy. Maybe he’ll hurry home?”
Astor and Anushka eagerly nodded and I snapped the photo in the next breath.
You never knew when children would change their mind.
Anushka’s dark curls framed her face and those blue eyes hid her strength while Astor’s dark eyes hid the little mischievous devil of his soul under his light blonde hair that made him appear like an angel.
Typing in my husband’s number, I sent off the photo of his children with a simple message. * We miss you.*
The pregnancy test could wait. For now.
Beep. The reply was instant.
MY MAN: I miss my prince and princess too. Thank you for the photo. Now send me a photo of my world.
I grinned, lifting my eyes to the twins. “How about one more photo for Papa? He wants one with Mama in the picture.”
They both rushed over and I grabbed the pregnancy test. If he wanted his world, this was it - pink lines, twins and I. “Everyone say selfie,” I announced.
The twins mumbled something that was nothing like ‘selfie’ but I snapped the picture, then studied the photo. The same face stared back at me, yet so different. Maybe it was all in my head, but happiness stared back at me. My cheeks were flushed. My eyes shone.
I was at peace.
Sending off the picture to the love of my life, I shifted towards the sink. “Okay my beautiful Anushka. Let’s clean up your face. Mama wants to kiss your cheeks, not foundation.”
She giggled, looking behind me.
A pair of strong arms came around my waist and I squealed in surprise.
“Hello, Mama.” The scent of citrus and sandalwood drifted around me and I twirled around, coming face-to-face with my husband.
“You’re home,” I exclaimed, my lips widening into a large smile.
Illias’ eyes were warm on our little family.
“Right on time too,” he murmured, his warm mouth skimming over my skin.
The twins pushed their little bodies between us, but my husband didn’t let me go.
Instead, he lifted Anushka while I lifted Astor up and the four of us stood in the middle of our bathroom. Together.
He pressed his free hand to my belly, our eyes drowning in each other. Stars shone in his dark as night eyes, trapping us in our own universe.
“I am such a lucky man.” Our noses brushed together. “The luckiest man alive.”
“You made me the luckiest woman alive,” I rasped.
This man had taken me on a journey that I wouldn’t have missed for all of the treasures in the world. It was a different kind of chaos - the one born out of love.
“You and me,” I murmured. “Together.”
“Together. Forever.”
THE END
For a preview to the Thorns of Omertà Series, Book Two, Thorns of Death, make sure to keep reading.