Chapter 22 Anika
ANIKA
In the weeks that pass, my feet heal, and after my terrifying confession to Miko, it feels as if we’ve turned over a new leaf.
More than that, it feels as if some ghost inside me has been laid to rest.
I feel saver than I ever have, and despite my initial fear of falling for him, I can’t deny that my feelings for Miko are growing day by day.
As I stare up at him in the bright morning light that pours through the window, I take a second to appreciate just how handsome he is.
With a jaw cut from marble and full lips beneath a thin, straight nose, he doesn’t have the same traditional Italian features as the rest of his brothers.
But then, I suppose he wouldn’t if he was taken in off the streets as a child. I’ve heard the stories about the adopted Chiaroscuro brother, but I’m curious to hear it from his side.
As if sensing my eyes on him, Miko turns his head, his icy-blue gaze finding mine, and he smiles. “Finally awake, sleepy head?” he teases, closing his computer and setting aside so he can lean down to brush my lips with his.
I hum contentedly, snuggling closer to his side. “Were you working in bed again?”
“Well, I couldn’t very well move without taking away your pillow,” he points out as I breathe in his masculine scent and nuzzle his chest.
“But it’s the weekend,” I whine.
“Revenge doesn’t know the meaning of the word, topolina. And neither does business. But I promise I’m taking the rest of the day off.”
“Good, because your brother should be arriving any time now,” I observe, glancing at the bedside clock. I never fully appreciated having one until my week of seclusion without it, and now, it’s one of the first things I check when I wake up each day.
Ten fifteen, I really did sleep in. But that’s not the worst thing in the world. I’ve been having some crazy dreams lately, which leave me exhausted when I wake up.
And even if I give Miko a hard time about bringing work to bed, I like that he knows I sleep better when he’s with me. I didn’t even have to tell him.
“You’re right,” Miko agrees, pressing a kiss to the top of my head in a tender gesture that feels so out of place coming from such a dangerous-looking man. “We should get up and get dressed—unless you’d like to meet Leo in your pajamas.”
“You know I’m not wearing any,” I whisper with a wicked grin.
“That’s right,” he growls, rolling on top of me and trailing kisses down my neck as he explores my naked body with one hand. “But no one gets to see this perfect body but me, topolina.”
I gasp as his fingers dip between my thighs, brushing across my clit before they stroke between my folds.
Miko hums his approval, the tantalizing sound vibrating through my core.
“Wet for me already?” he teases.
“I think you mean still wet,” I fire back, then I rock into his palm with a moan as he spears me with his fingers. “I thought we needed to get ready,” I say, my voice too breathy with arousal to sound like I’m teasing.
“We’ll make it quick,” he promises, making me smile.
There was nothing quick about it.
By the time we make it downstairs, two guests have joined Miko’s younger brothers at the table for lunch.
“So nice of you to finally join us,” the unfamiliar man quips as he rises from his seat. “Your brother gives up his inheritance, and within a month everyone’s forgotten what it means to respect him, it would seem.”
“Leo,” Miko chuckles, striding across the room to pull his brother into a hug.
I’m surprised to find the second oldest Chiaroscuro is just a few inches shorter than Miko himself. His frame isn’t nearly as muscular, but he still looks impressive in his casual jeans and polo shirt, and there’s no mistaking his similarity to his younger brothers.
He has the same proud nose and wolfish smile, though his eyes are a rich brown and twinkle with a playfulness that the others don’t have.
Maybe it’s because they’ve been here, handling the aftermath of their family’s destruction while he’s been in hiding.
But I have the sneaking suspicion that it has more to do with the woman sitting next to him.
I’ve heard about Sora Tanaka’s unparalleled beauty. I’ve even caught glimpses of her at some of the high-society events that Pyotr and I used to attend. But seeing her up close and personal is something else entirely.
She’s clearly of Japanese descent, with lush, straight black hair that she’s left to fall down her back in a thick, dark curtain.
Her skin is like the finest porcelain, her delicate features perfectly placed in the most symmetrical face I’ve ever seen.
And her big, almond-shaped eyes are a deep onyx that almost looks silver when they catch the light.
She smiles warmly at me, rising from her chair as well to reveal a stomach that’s just starting to show signs of the baby she’s carrying.
“Leo, Sora, let me introduce you to my wife, Anika,” Miko says, turning to look at me. “Anika, this is my brother Leo and his wife.”
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” I say, and I mean it.
It’s been over a month since Miko and I got married, and I had yet to meet the brother Miko claims to be closest to until today.
But then, until recently, things have been too volatile with the Yakuza for them to come out of hiding.
Not when Sora’s family has disowned her and Leo has a target on his back.
With a baby on the way, Leo hasn’t wanted to take any chances, especially when it comes to his wife.
At least, that’s what Miko told me.
“The pleasure’s ours,” Leo says, his smile charming.
“Well, sit down so we can hear about what our big brother’s been up to,” Gio chides, giving me a wink so I know his prodding is meant exclusively for Miko.
Then he gestures for one of the kitchen staff to bring us each a plate.
Lunch is an experience like I haven’t had before. It feels like Leo is a puzzle piece I hadn’t even realized was missing until all five brothers are back together.
He brings a sense of chaos to the room, but also a sense of levity, an wordless energy that the other four thrive off of.
I can see why he was the chosen heir—even if he’s three years younger than Miko. Miko might have the most commanding presence.
He certainly makes a fearsome leader that the men respect. But Leo effortlessly brings the brothers together, uniting them against the world.
“So, where have you two been holed up lately,” Miko asks, his voice rich with a warmth that makes my stomach quiver.
“We’ve found a little cottage along the water on the southern tip of Maine,” Leo says as Miko, Gio, and the twins listen with rapt attention. “It’s a safe spot.”
“A sweet spot,” Sora adds, taking his hand on the table and giving his palm a soft squeeze.
When Leo looks at her, I can see the love between them. It fills the air around them with a golden glow of happiness, and my heart squeezes.
From what I’ve gathered, their marriage was an arranged one as well—and it didn’t start off smoothly.
In fact, from what Miko’s told me, Sora hated Leo from the start, and he gave her no reason to change that opinion.
It’s no secret that the Tanakas and Chiaroscuros have been at each other’s throats for decades.
Their rivalry even supersedes the animosity Pyotr had for Don Augusta.
But apparently, Sora’s parents used the union as a diversion so they could betray the Chiaroscuro family. And when Leo found out, it nearly tore their marriage apart.
But somehow, Leo and Sora found their way back to each other, and now, it would be impossible to miss how in love they are.
“The baby’s doing well,” Sora says when prompted, her smile radiant as she looks down to place a hand on her belly. “We’ll know the sex after our next appointment.”
Leo places his hand on top of hers, and something inside me squeezes.
A desire I’ve never had before to know that feeling floods my core.
With Pyotr, the thought of having a child was terrifying. I didn’t want to subject my child to someone so unpredictable and violent. But with Miko…? The possibility doesn’t completely horrify me.
After lunch, the brothers take Leo to the den so they can discuss where things stand on the plot against their enemies.
While I could care less if they spoke about it while I was present, I imagine it would be a tender subject—considering Sora’s family is one of the clans they intend to get revenge upon.
So, I take her for a tour of the gardens, a vibrant space that I think she’ll enjoy as a distraction. Our conversation is light, easy even, as we talk about the weather in Maine and how different her life is from the one she led in Chicago.
I get the sense that Sora and I could be friends if she lived closer.
We have a lot in common—from families who raised us in the Mafia lifestyle to forging our mettle in marriages to men we didn’t know.
But I’m happy to hear that Sora’s experience has been far more rewarding than my year of marriage to Pyotr.
I can only hope that Miko and I will find a level of happiness that Sora and Leo seem to have found.
“So,” Sora says, looping her arm through mine as we reach the far end of the garden path. “How are you handling your new role?” she asks, turning the subject toward me as she glances surreptitiously at me from the corner of her eye.
“Well I think.” The answer comes with a hint of surprise because, even if I’m slowly starting to realize that this new life might be something entirely different from my last marriage, it’s still hard to believe it’s real sometimes.
“Really?”
Sora sounds oddly even more surprised, and I frown as I try to make sense of her tone.
“Is that not what you expected?” I ask, a sliver of doubt working its way into my stomach.
“I mean, no. I suppose not. Just… my time under Don Augusta’s roof was challenging at times. And considering you’re married to Miko…”
A growing sense of dread swells inside me at the hint of foreboding in her voice, like being married to Miko would most definitely be risky in her mind.
“Is that a bad thing?” My question comes out breathy, barely more than a whisper.
Confusion flickers across Sora’s face, followed by a sudden reluctance, as if she’s afraid to talk.
“I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily bad,” she hedges.
“But if I’m perfectly honest, Miko’s always terrified me.
Or maybe it’s more his temper—I don’t know.
I probably just never got over him throwing a knife at me. ”
I can feel the blood draining from my face at her confession, and my heart stutters just thinking about the openly aggressive act of throwing a knife at someone.
It goes completely against all the reassurances Miko has fed me that there is no excuse to hurt a woman.
Heat climbs up my neck, and I stop to face Sora, anxiety tightening around my throat. “I haven’t seen that side of him yet, except for the day he killed Pyotr.”
Sora looks relieved as she releases a breath and smiles, but I’m not ready to let it go just yet.
“He really threw a knife at you?”
“Oh, well yes, but it was only the one time, and he didn’t hit me with it,” she tries to backpedal, and when she sees the expression on my face, she rushes to explain herself.
“Honestly, I didn’t get to know Miko that well before Leo and I had to go into hiding, and he seems much happier in his new life than he was during the time I spent under the same roof as him. ”
Her words sound dangerously close to the kind of excuses I used to make for Pyotr, and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. But I just nod and turn to keep on walking.
Still, the guard I’d slowly started to let down around Miko feels like it’s coming up again.
Was I naive to think this happiness could last?