THREE YEARS LATER
If someone had told me I would ever be sitting in a toddler’s bed, telling them bedtime stories, I would’ve shot them.
Me, with toddlers?
Me, telling stories?
I don’t know what I was thinking when I figured impregnating Rai was the best idea. But that’s the thing—I wasn’t thinking.
I didn’t count on the tiny humans who would invade our lives and demand all our attention—and more.
As if Nikolai’s cockblocking activities weren’t enough, I somehow ended up knocking up Rai again, even though I didn’t mess with her pills that time. She was the one who went on without birth control and ended up pregnant.
She gave birth to not only one baby, but two. Yes, that’s correct. We have identical twin girls, Mia and Maya, who are almost two years old now and have their mum and aunt’s spiky natures.
Rai and Reina keep saying they remind them of themselves, especially since they’re both blondes like them.
The twins settle on either side of me, and Nikolai is in the middle, as I sit down to tell them a bedtime story. I picked one from the countless children’s books on the shelf, but Nikolai pushes it away. “We already know that one, Daddy. Something new.”
“Something new!” Mia agrees.
“New! New, Daddy!” Maya pulls on my sleeves.
These little shits are my kids, but they’re demanding as fuck. Rai says they take after me. Ha. Me? They give me a run for my money. Even Godfather can testify in my favor.
“Fine, fine.” I close the book. “So, once upon a time, there was a monster.”
The kids’ eyes bug out at that. They love stories about monsters more than those about princes.
“The monster didn’t know what to do.”
“Why?” Maya asks. “Was he hurt, Daddy?”
“I guess you can say that. He was hurt badly.”
“Poor monster.” Mia pouts. “Can someone come and kiss it better?”
“No!” Nikolai protests. “He’s a monster. No one kisses him.”
“That’s right,” I continue. “He was all alone and with nowhere to go. He felt empty and with no purpose and always thought his existence didn’t matter. To make it worse, other monsters wanted to kill him.”
“Oh,” Maya and Mia say at the same time, their little chins trembling.
“And?” Nikolai’s eyes are as huge as saucers.
“He was saved by a strong princess.”
“Really?” Maya’s expression lights up.
“Yeah, my little pumpkin.”
“Is the princess very beautiful?” Nikolai asks.
“The most beautiful princess to ever exist.”
“Like Mommy?” Mia stares up at me.
“Just like your mommy.”
“And then what?” her sister asks.
“Yeah, then what, Daddy?” Nikolai follows.
“Then, she took him to her castle and healed his wounds. After that, they gave birth to three beautiful monsters who looked just like you.”
The twins giggle, and I tickle them. Nikolai tries to escape, but I bring him in, too, until the three of them are squealing and gasping.
After expending so much energy, it doesn’t take them long to fall asleep. I carry Nikolai to his bed, but don’t bother with the twins. They always end up sleeping next to each other, anyway.
“Good night, my little monsters.” I hit the light switch, and their room fills with images of dim stars.
We eventually moved out of the main Bratva house soon after Nikolai was born. I demolished the small cottage by the lake and built a house that’s worthy of Rai and our family.
Sergei’s cancer is in remission, and he’s still reigning over the brotherhood.
Mikhail has been obviously favoring me over his other sons—my half-brothers—who need sense beaten into their psychotic heads. But, well, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
I never thought our lives would be full of unicorns, and honestly, neither Rai nor I could adapt to that sort of a boring existence. She lives for the excitement as much as I do, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
As soon as I close the door, slender arms wrap around my waist. I smile as I turn around to face my beautiful wife.
Her lips meet mine, and I kiss her with a hunger that hits me in my bones. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been together; there’ll never be a day when I’ll get enough of this woman.
“Were you telling them our story just now?” she whispers against my lips, running her fingers over my chest.
“Maybe.”
“You’re not a monster, Kyle.”
“I was once. I still am sometimes.” I bite her lower lip, sucking on it before I release it. “Do you want to see my monster side tonight?”
“You know I wouldn’t say no to that.”
“Fuck, baby. I’m going to devour you.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Say the magic words.”
She wraps her arms around me, sighing. “I love you, Kyle.”
“And I love you, Rai.”
Then I’m carrying her into our bedroom as she laughs, her happiness ringing in the air around us.
Our happiness.
THE END
