Chapter 22 - Ninel
After having dinner with Artyom five days ago, things had been great between us. As promised, he ordered me the car that I wanted and I chose a Mercedes. We also discussed the art gallery I wanted to open, but I decided it would be best to wait until after the baby was born, and he agreed.
He told me that Yegor delivered my credit cards back to Lev and he also returned my phone to me.
While I was in contact with my sisters, a part of me was afraid to contact my brothers.
Because even though things had gotten better between Artyom and I, that didn’t mean anything had changed between him and my brothers.
But, I couldn't help but feel guilty that as I let the relationship that I had with my brothers slip between my fingers I was trying to build one with my husband.
And the key word here was…trying…
Because Artyom was as controlling as he was possessive.
We fought over everything: what I ate, when I should rest, even how many laps I took around the estate daily to prove I was getting enough exercise.
Then he brought home classical music and headphones, ordering me to strap them to my stomach so the baby could “enhance his fetal development.” His words, not mine.
And of course, he insists it’s a boy, another thing that made me want to rip his tongue from his mouth.
As though having a girl first would make him less of a man. It was infuriating!
However, in our bedroom…in his arms, every inch of me was his to command. I needed that escape, those moments to connect with him. But when we stepped back into the world, that bond fractured. And the distance between us stung and created a hollow ache in me, one that grew daily.
Perhaps I only trusted him in the dark, when no one could see.
Behind those closed doors, I could strip away the masks my family had taught me to wear.
There, I became my truest self: vulnerable, unguarded, his.
Our stubborn wills built the tension, and only there did it unravel.
If only he’d meet me halfway out there instead of trying to control everything.
I wasn’t one of his men. I was his wife.
I wished he’d listen to me sometimes. I hated that I only felt close to him in the bedroom.
I wanted that same unity when the sun was up, when pride wasn’t in the way.
But, could I really be happily married to Artyom and cut all ties with my brothers, if my husband insisted on keeping them at arms length?
Katya had told me that Artyom and my brothers did in fact settle the negotiations for our marriage. But, every time I brought up seeing my brothers, he’d tell me he didn’t want to talk about it and then crush his lips to mine, making me forget what I had asked him in the first place.
Now, we sat in his car on the way to his family’s mansion.
His siblings would be there as well as my sisters.
And I hadn’t seen Vera, Katya, and Mariya since the last time, and I needed to update them.
But, Kira comes to visit and stays with me when Artyom has to work late or doesn’t come home until the next day.
When we pulled into the estate that the Rykov family mansion sat on, I saw Tomas, Jaroslav’s driver, and Rocco, Lev’s driver, standing in front of their vehicles, indicating that Katya and Vera were there.
Tomas and Rocco were dressed in tactical gear, earpieces snug in their ears.
A few other SUVs lingered in the driveway.
Before I could focus on the other cars, Artyom switched off the engine, cupped my face, and pulled me into a kiss.
When he pulled away, his eyes searched mine.
“I wasn't totally honest about today,” he said, his face unreadable.
My heart slammed against my ribs. “W-what do you mean?”
“Your sisters aren't the only ones here…your brothers are, too.”
Instead of relief, a wave of anxiety rolled through me.
“My brothers…are here?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“They need to see you. To make sure you're alive. Stay there. I’ll come around.”
I froze, heart hammering. And then my gaze fell to the outfit he had picked. I’d chosen a dress, but when Artyom saw it, he carried it to the closet, and returned with fitted jeans and a cashmere long-sleeved turtleneck.
Vera had warned me he’d been telling my brothers I was being mistreated. Was this his way of messing with their minds? They knew I hated long sleeves and turtlenecks, and alarm bells would ring in their heads. They’d wonder what scars I was hiding beneath my clothing.
Dressing me like this was a power move, which meant that Artyom’s mind was still on revenge. He probably just wanted to remind my brothers that they no longer controlled me, and every step I took was now under his watchful eye.
I sighed heavily just before Artyom opened the door for me and took my hand. As I stepped out of the car, Ruslan and the two guards hopped out of the SUV that had trailed us, and joined a group of Rykov men patrolling the grounds.
Quietly, we made our way to the front door, my pulse quickening with every step.
Once inside, we made our way to the lounge.
The hallway was silent. Neither laughter nor voices bounced from the lounge into the small space as it used to.
An uneasy shiver slithered down my spine as all eyes turned toward us, when we stood at the entrance of the lounge.
My brothers and sister stood on one side, while Yegor, Zahkar, and Kira lined the other. Katya and Vera lingered in the middle, holding Evie and Alexi. As the women rose and moved toward me, Artyom squeezed my hand once before letting go, striding to the bar, and my stomach twisted.
Mariya was the first to pull me into a hug. “Nins! I missed you!”
“I missed you too!” I whispered, holding her tight.
She stepped back, letting me embrace the others and kiss Alexi and Evie. As they moved away, I watched Vera and Katya walk across the room and hand the kids over to Yegor and Zahkar, whose stern faces broke into broad grins.
My eyes drifted to Jaroslav who stood at the back of the room. His eyes darkened as shoved his hands into his pockets, his legs crossed at the ankle. Lev, Marten, Pyotr, and Avit approached next, each enveloping me in warm hugs.
Lev was the last to pull away, his hands lingering on my shoulders.
“Fuck, Ninel, it’s good to see you. You good? Did he hurt you?” Lev asked, his voice strained. His eyes searched my face for any sign of a lie.
Without meaning to, my eyes darted to Artyom. He was nursing a drink, eyes locked on mine, and my chest tightened. I looked back at Lev, whose eyes had now narrowed, forcing a small smile.
“I’m good. Thank you guys for coming today.”
“Trust me,” Marten grunted, as he glared at Artyom. “Nothing would’ve made us miss this little soirée.”
“And why the hell are you wearing that?” Pyotr’s mouth was pressed in a thin line as he nodded to my top.
“Because I wanted to?”
Why the hell was I so nervous! These were my brothers for Christ’s sake!
“Or because you're hiding bruises? Because if you are…” Marten's unspoken threat made the air crackle between us.
I huffed out a breath of air and placed my hands on my hips. “I said I'm fine. Have I ever lied to you guys when it comes to the important stuff?”
They shook their heads.
“And I wouldn't start now…”
I met their eyes and they nodded, an unease settling between us despite my reassurances.
“So, Nins, are you burning up Artyom’s credit cards like you did Lev’s?” Mariya teased.
I laughed, grateful for the brief shift in mood.
“If you must know, I am.”
That was a lie, but I knew if I had said anything else my siblings would've questioned me.
“I'm just glad I don't have to do ‘Shopping with Ninel' duty any more.” Avit’s mouth curved into a slight grin.
“Those were the best days of your life!” I teased.
“No, the hell they were not!”
My siblings laughed.
I glanced around the room, my eyes falling on Vera and Jaroslav. She stood before him, hands on his chest, but he remained stoic, his eyes never leaving Evie.
“Give me a minute. I want to say hi to Yegor and Zahkar,” I murmured and stepped away.
“Hey, Ninel,” Zahkar greeted me as I approached, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. Yegor did the same, balancing Evie in his arms.
“Do you mind if I hold her?” I asked Yegor, keeping my voice steady despite the tightness in my chest.
Yegor handed her over. “Hey, Evie, look how big you’ve gotten. Auntie Ninel hasn’t bought new things for you in a while, has she? I’ll have to fix that soon.”
I cooed at her, and smiled before subtly looking in Jaroslav's direction. He gave a slight nod, which I took as a quiet thank you, before wrapping his arms around Vera and focusing on her.
Just then, Katya walked up to me with her phone.
“Say cheese!” she grinned.
Yegor placed his hands on my shoulders and Zahkar closed in with Alexi.
“Cheese!” we said in unison.
Katya then moved over to Jaroslav and Vera, snapping a quick selfie with them. She wandered through the room, taking pictures, laughing and chatting with everyone, shifting the uneasy energy hovering in the space. Mariya took the cue and walked over to Artyom, and began chatting with him.
A few minutes later, Vera gently took Evie from my arms. She and Katya made sure the children got a picture with everyone in the room. It was amazing how much having children around could dissolve the stiffness between two families. Slowly, the ice began to crack.
Taking their cue, Kira pulled out a deck of cards and called over her brother. “Yegor, wanna choose a Safin for your losing team to play Spades? I’ve got dibs on Marten!”
Yegor laughed. “You seem to have forgotten who taught you to play, sis.”
“And you seem to have forgotten that the tiny grasshopper one day becomes the master.”
“Today won’t be that day,” he replied, turning to Avit. “You play Spades?”
“I can beat my siblings with my eyes closed,” Avit snickered, moving to the table. “I’m a way better partner than Marten.”