25. Sabina
“Merry Christmas,” I say softly, sliding a sleek black box across the table toward Nikolai.
His blue eyes narrow slightly in confusion, then flick back to mine. The candlelight plays over his sculpted features, making him look both beautiful and dangerous.
“Sabina,” he says, his voice low. “You didn’t have to get me anything. I’m not…used to this.”
“It’s a little something sparkly,” I tease.
That earns me a low laugh, the sound vibrating through the air like a warm embrace. “Sparkly, hmm?” He tugs at the ribbon. “Christmas was weeks ago.”
“I know.” A smile tugs at my lips. “But it took me a while to get my hands on this. So, consider it a belated Christmas gift.”
He glances down at the box, his expression unreadable, though there’s a flicker of something—hesitation, maybe?—in his eyes.
The weight of the moment presses on us both, but I refuse to let it pull us under. Instead, I smile. “It’s about time someone spoils you for a change.”
He gives me a lecherous leer. “You spoil me every day, goddess.”
I laugh and nudge the box a little closer to him.
His lips quirk up in a faint smile as he reaches for it, his movements slow, deliberate, almost reverent. He lifts the lid, and for a moment, there is only silence. His gaze snaps to mine then back to his gift.
Inside the box is another box, one shaped like a sleek, angular Batman emblem, its glossy black surface interrupted only by the faint shimmer of silver etching.
Slowly, he opens that, too, and stares in silence.
Inside lies a masterpiece—a Jacob & Co. Batman-themed Gotham City watch. The dial is black-on-black, with the exception of the silver grey apertures and the yellow outline of the Batman emblem. The crown is decorated with the Bat-signal and covered with a rubber band patterned to mimic the tire tread of the Batmobile. The watch is conspicuous and discreet at the same time, but the case-back is not subtle at all, with a black Batman sketch against a shiny yellow background.
“Production was limited to 36 pieces,” I say, filling the silence when he doesn’t speak. I so desperately want him to like it.
His fingers brush over the watch, and when he looks up at me, his expression is unguarded, raw.
“Sabina…” he begins, but his voice falters. He clears his throat, his jaw tightening as he struggles for words.
“I wanted you to have something that reminds you of where we started, but also who you are,” I say softly. “Someone who’s been through hell and come out stronger. Someone who fights for what matters.”
His hand tightens around the box, and his lips part as if to say something, but instead, he sets the gift down and stands. Then he’s beside me, pulling me into his arms. His lips find mine, and the kiss is deep, tender, filled with a gratitude he can’t yet put into words.
When he pulls back, his hands frame my face, his eyes blazing with emotion. “I haven’t gotten a gift since my mother…” He pauses, his voice breaking. “This means more than I can say.”
I press a soft kiss to his lips. “So you like it?”
“I love it.” He takes a deep breath and smiles at me, the smile that comes from his heart, the one that reaches his eyes. “I’ve got something for you, too.”
“Nikolai—” I start, but he cuts me off with a shake of his head.
“Close your eyes.”
I hesitate, then obey, curiosity growing as I feel him step away. He’s already given me so many wonderful gifts, the most important one being the time we spend together, the joy he brings me.
“Open your eyes,” He says.
And when I do, my breath locks in my chest.
He’s kneeling in front of me, one knee on the polished floor, a velvet box in his hand. My heart stops, then pounds in my chest as he looks up at me, his expression unguarded, vulnerable, and so achingly sincere that tears spring to my eyes.
“Sabina Russo,” he begins, his voice deep and rich, resonating with a kind of emotion I’ve never heard from him before. “Love. I never thought that emotion was real, certainly never imagined it could apply to me. Then came you.”
The tears spill over my cheeks as his words wash over me, raw and unfiltered.
“Love is a revelation, dismantling everything I thought I knew about the world. About myself,” he says, his gaze never leaving mine. “I always believed trust was a weakness, but with you, trust is sacred, a bond that strengthens us both, a certainty that you will protect me as fiercely as I protect you. I always believed being vulnerable would make me a target, but you make me see that revealing my whole self to you makes me whole. Loving you is my redemption, my constant. Love is not just an emotion, it is a choice . One I will make for the rest of my life. I choose you, Sabina. I love you. Marry me.”
He opens the box, revealing the most stunning ring I’ve ever seen—a cushion-cut diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds, the band a delicate twist of platinum and gold. It’s elegant and timeless, yet bold enough to make a statement. It’s perfect.
I don’t hesitate. “Yes,” I whisper, my voice breaking. Then louder, stronger: “Yes, Nikolai. A thousand times, yes. I will marry you.”
He stands, slipping the ring onto my finger, and then his arms are around me, holding me tightly. His lips find mine, and the kiss is deep, intense, filled with every unspoken promise and emotion swirling between us. For a moment, the world falls away, leaving only us, wrapped in a cocoon of love and joy.
When we finally break apart, I press my forehead against his, my tears mingling with laughter as I hold up my hand, the diamond catching the light.
“This is perfect,” I murmur. “Exactly what I always dreamed of. The ring, the proposal…”
“Just the two of us?” he asks, his voice low, teasing.
“Just the two of us,” I confirm, my lips curving into a soft smile. “No grand gestures. No public displays. Just this. You and me.”
He cups my cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear.
“I love you, Nikolai,” I say, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotion in my chest. “I love every part of you. Even the parts you think I shouldn’t.”
He exhales sharply, almost as if my words take him by surprise, and then he pulls me into another kiss, softer this time, more deliberate. It’s a kiss that speaks of forever.
After a while, he leads me to the couch, where we sit side by side, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, my head resting against his chest. The city lights twinkle through the massive windows, a glittering backdrop to the moment that feels like the start of a new chapter.
I glance up at him, my fingers tracing the edge of the Batman watch on his wrist. “You know, this suits you,” I say with a teasing smile. “Dark, mysterious, both muted and a little flashy at the same time.”
He chuckles, the sound low and warm. “And the ring suits you,” he replies. “Beautiful, strong, and completely unforgettable.”
I laugh, and the sound feels light, freeing. The weight of the past has lifted, replaced by something brighter, something full of hope.
As we sit there, wrapped in each other, the world outside fades to a distant hum. There will be challenges ahead—of that, I have no doubt. But, together, we can take on anything. Together, we will carve out a life that is ours and ours alone.
In this moment, with Nikolai’s arm around me and the future stretching out before us, we are invincible.
THE END (FOR NOW)
Thank you so much for reading Dark Promise . I hope you love Nikolai and Sabina’s story as much as I do! Please consider leaving a review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend!
Vegas Vicious is a series of interconnected stand-alone novels about the Russo crime family.