Epilogue
Dmitri
Five months later…
The city of Las Vegas stretches as far as the eye can see from my office window.
On the streets below, ordinary people are going about their lives. They have no clue who truly runs this city. Who pulls the strings they didn’t even know existed.
Over the past five months, I’ve been busy. As the new Pakhan, I’ve had to fill the Council with new members who I trust, force out loyalists to the former Council members, and ensure the other Bratva families embrace the new way forward.
I don’t have time for traitors, and I’ve already had to bring my fist down on a few families who refuse to acknowledge the Bratva’s alliance with the Irish.
Things will be different now, and we’re already witnessing record profits and fewer deaths and disputes since going into business with the Irish.
Just in time too.
Cara’s due date is only two weeks away. I want our son to be born in a better world, one with less bloodshed than the one I was raised in. And I can’t fucking wait to meet him.
“The bar on Fremont will open back up on Friday,” Sean says from behind me.
I turn around, snapping back to our business meeting. “Good. In a few months, we can put it to use for some of our other business ventures.”
Sean nods as he stands from one of the chairs in front of my desk. “We should think about pushing the Armenians out of the city.”
“You don’t think we can coexist with them?” I ask him.
“Not when they keep snooping around our properties,” Sean remarks.
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes from where it sits on my desk, always within an arm’s reach. As soon as I see the screen, a smile stretches across my face. “It’s Cara,” I tell Sean before answering. “I was just thinking about you and our son, milaya,” I tell her.
“Dmitri…I need you to try to remain calm and not panic, okay?” my wife says, her voice tense.
Of course I’m going to panic now.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her, causing Sean to go completely still.
“It’s probably nothing,” Cara says, sounding out of breath. “But, um, Leo’s taking me to the hospital just to make sure.”
“Let’s go!” I tell Sean as I jog out the door heading to the elevator with him right behind me. “What’s probably nothing, Cara?”
“The baby hasn’t been moving as much as usual…”
Oh God.
I pound my fist against the down button over and over as if it’ll make the elevator arrive faster.
“The doctor will probably tell me he’s just running out of room and send me home,” she says with a forced laugh.
“You’re doing the right thing,” I assure her. “Sean’s with me. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“Okay, we’re going inside now. See you soon, okay?” Cara’s voice cracks at the end and I know she’s trying her best to be strong, so I won’t lose my shit.
“See you soon. Everything is going to be fine, milaya. Do you hear me?”
“Uh-huh.” Now she’s sniffling.
“I love you,” I tell her.
“I love you too,” she replies before ending the call.
“Fuck!” I exclaim just as the elevator arrives. Sean and I rush on and hit the button for the lobby.
“Cara’s in labor?” Sean asks while I text my driver to tell him to get his ass to the front door.
“No. She’s worried about the baby. He wasn’t moving as much…” I tell him, then swallow around the lump in my throat.
“Oh. Well, I bet he’s just sleeping more, saving up his energy for the big day, yeah?” Sean says, his voice strained.
“I hope that’s all it is,” I tell him.
Neither of us say another word as we ride down and wait for Arman. It’s only a few minutes, but it feels like years go by as I keep an eye on my phone for any updates from Cara.
“Get us to the hospital as fast as possible. Run every light you can,” I tell Arman when we throw open the doors and climb into the SUV.
“Yes, sir,” he says in understanding.
Only once we’re heading toward the hospital do I finally take a breath.
“I’ll send some of my men to the hospital,” Sean says as he types on his phone.
“Oh, right. I didn’t even think…”
Things have been calmer but that doesn’t mean we can afford to let our guard down, especially not when it comes to the safety of my wife and son.
“You’ve got more important things on your mind.”
“Right,” I agree just as an incoming call comes in. “It’s Leo,” I mutter. “Tell me she’s okay.”
“How far away are you?” he asks instead of answering my question.
Shit.
“Drive faster!” I direct Arman then tell Leo, “Ten minutes or less. Why? What’s happening?”
“You need to get here fast, Dmitri! They’re taking Cara back for an emergency C-section.”
“A fucking C-section?” I exclaim and Sean’s face goes pale. “Why?”
“Something about the baby’s heart rate being too low. All I know is they didn’t waste any time. Cara begged for her phone, but they said they needed to get her into surgery…”
Jesus. She must be terrified. Alone and terrified.
“Tell them to fucking wait!” I demand, grabbing onto the passenger seat’s headrest as Arman speeds through a turn. “I’m on my way. We’re almost there!”
“I’m sorry, Dmitri but they can’t wait any longer!” Leo replies.
“Fuck. You’re right. I know that. I’m just…fuck! I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I tell him.
Bowing my head, I pinch the bridge of my nose and pray. That’s all I can do now. Pray for Cara. For our son. It’s completely out of my control and I fucking hate it.
Sean pats my shoulder and braces me when Arman takes another sharp right turn.
“They’re going to be okay,” he says. “My girl is tough. She’s been through hell and back. She’s going to do fine. My grandson too.”
“I know. I know Cara’s strong, it’s just…I can’t do anything to help her or him!”
And there are at least a hundred horrible possibilities of what could go wrong flooding my mind.
I need to get to Cara.
I have to make sure that she’s okay.
“Oh, come on!” I shout as the cars in front of us refuse to get out of the way.
Arman expertly weaves us in and out of traffic until we finally pull into the parking lot of the hospital.
“I’ll stay out here for now,” Sean offers. “Come get me when it’s over, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I agree.
My heart slams against my ribs as I jump out of the still moving car and run full speed to the entrance.
When I approach the front desk, a nervous receptionist asks, “Can I help you, sir?”
“Surgery. No, labor and delivery. Where is it?” I ask her, the words coming out in a rush. Even while staring death in the face, I don’t think that I’ve ever felt so much adrenaline pounding through me before. We should’ve done the damn hospital tour!
“Down that hall. Just follow the signs,” she tells me as she points to the left.
I head that way, finding every sign that points me in a different direction like I’m in a damn maze.
Frustration collides with my worry as I turn another corner, my eyes finally landing on a small sign that says labor and delivery.
“Hey! I need to find my wife!” I call out to the first doctor that I see. “Where’s Cara Ivanov? She’s having an emergency C-section.”
The nurse or doctor in scrubs relaxes when she realizes I’m just a worried father and not on an angry rampage. Going behind the desk, she says, “Let me see what I can find out.” It only takes her a moment on the computer before she says, “They’re finishing up. It shouldn’t be long …”
“I can’t see her now?” I ask.
“No. I’m sorry. I can take you to the waiting room and they’ll let you know when she’s settled in recovery.”
“And the baby? Do you know…”
“That’s all I know right now,” she tells me before she turns away.
I’m right on her heels as she leads me down the hallway and into an empty waiting room.
Then, all I can do is pace around while pulling my hair out until a nurse comes to get me.
“Oh, thank God,” I say in relief when I finally walk into the room and see Cara sitting up and holding a small bundle in her arms. She smiles brighter than the sun when she sees me. “There you are! I just sent Leo out to call you.”
My phone is buzzing in my pocket, but I ignore it as I walk up next to her, my eyes snagging on the small baby swaddled in a blanket.
If there was a deadly threat in the room, I wouldn’t have noticed because it’s impossible for me to take my eyes off my wife and son.
“He’s here.”
“He’s here,” Cara replies with a soft laugh.
“You’re okay? Both of you?” I ask her as I grab her free hand and lean down to press a kiss on her forehead.
“We’re okay,” she replies. Her face is red and I know she’s been crying.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” I tell her.
“There was no time. Everything happened so fast. The doctor said it’s a good thing I came in when I did. If I had waited…” she starts and then shakes her head while smiling down at our son. “He’s perfectly fine now. His heart rate is normal and his lungs are clear.”
“Good. That’s really good to hear,” I tell her.
“Say hello to our son before they take him to the nursery for observation.”
Now that I know that she’s alright, I finally glance down and see our son’s face for the first time. My chest aches so badly it hurts as he blinks up at me with his big, dark blue eyes. “Wow, milaya. He’s…fucking perfect.”
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Cara replies as her voice cracks. She sniffles as she smiles at me. “Do you want to hold him?”
I nod, feeling my eyes burn as she places our son in my arms. “He’s so small. He weighs nothing.”
She laughs softly. “I bet he’ll grow up big and strong before we know it.”
“He will. He’s already more powerful than he knows, just like his mama.”
Cara went through the most terrifying moment of her life without me beside her.
She won’t have to face anything else alone.
“I’m here now,” I tell her. “Rest.”
Cara leans her head back on the pillow as she watches me hold our son for the first time. “I was thinking we could name him Mikhail. What do you think?”
I smile, my heart skipping a beat just at the sound of our son’s name. “I would love that.”
“Mikhail Ivanov,” Cara murmurs, her voice full of adoration.
“Mikhail Ivanov,” I repeat as I lightly brush my finger against my son’s tiny fist, still in awe of how small he is. He really is perfect. I already love him so damn much that it nearly kills me when the nurse takes him away, even though I know I’ll see my son again soon.
Mikhail.
After everything Cara and I have survived, somehow we made it here, welcoming our son into the world.
A world that will one day be his to rule.
The End