The Life She Wished For (Birds of Paradise Book 2)

by ChaShiree M.

  My lungs expanded and deflated all within a span of seconds. Never has she been sexier, more radiant, and strong; than she was right now at this moment defending our lives and love to her family.

  I need to fuck the shit out of her. Right. Now.

  I need to get these people out of our house, so I can take her against this table right next to the sweet potato pie. She tastes better.

  But first…

  “With that being said gentleman, if you follow me.”

  Oh boy. Mikhail and my brothers have walked away to go to the office and I let out a big sigh of relief. The tension and darkness leave the room with them. Now I can enjoy my sisters and show them the house without feeling like I must choose. I look around the table and notice Quetzal is missing. Shoot. I hope she didn’t get lost going to the bathroom.

  “Guys I am going to make sure Quetz didn’t get lost going to lady’s room.”

  “Sweetie she said she was going to the kitchen to get a knife for the pie. You know her weakness is sweets.” I giggle because it so true. She would rob a bank if you told her she could have an unlimited supply of Twinkies.

  Walking towards the kitchen I hear what I think is a moan, followed by a rumble. Not sure what is going on, I walk faster to the door and to my surprise and utter fancy, I see Quetzal and Lucca in a hot lip lock. I immediately start to close the door when I hear him say, “Don’t keep shit like that from me. I understand not telling your sisters, but me Princess, I should always know when you are being threatened.”

  I close the door then, but I am worried. Who is threatening her? Why hasn’t she told anyone? I make a mental note to talk to her about it later. I close the door quietly and walk away. When I get back to the table the girls are curious about my swift return without a knife, but I cannot hide the smirk on my face.

  “Phoenix. What are you smiling about? What happened?”

  I look at Kea and she must have guessed because she busts out laughing hysterically.

  “Ha. She says I’m in denial. Lying hussy.” Kea says in between belly laughs.

  “Would someone please tell me what is going on?” Before I can answer Fae, Quetzal returns to the table looking flushed and thoroughly kissed. Kea and I look at one another and fall into fits of laughter. Of course, Q plays the innocent.

  “What? What is everyone laughing about?”

  “Now I see. Quetzal, who were you playing tongue hockey with?” Oh crap. Tongue Hockey. That sets us off even more. By now I have tears running down my face and am having stomach spasms from all the laughing.

  “Shut up you guys. I don’t want to talk about it. Are you giving us a tour or not?” Although I am still laughing, I can see sadness in her eyes and it is what finally sobers me.

  “Quetzal. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about whatever is going on with you and Lucca?” I hear a gasp before I realize what I have said.

  “Lucca? You and Lucca? Quetzal why didn’t you tell me? Does Ren know? He knows, doesn’t he? And he didn’t tell me? Oh, that man is in serious trouble when we get home.”

  “Fae please calm down. Your pregnant. No one wants to worry you. We love you and our new soon to be born niece. Please just focus on that. The rest of us are fine. Now if you follow me ladies, I will show you around”

  Once we make it to my office, of course followed by Vuolo and Vultan because god forbid they let me handle this without them. When I turn around at my desk, I realize her brother-in-law, Colton, and one of their men also followed us. Ok. Apparently, we are going to have a fucking show and tell circle now, see who muscles flex the hardest.

  Great.

  “Gentleman.” I stand leaning against my desk arms crossed. I want them to know they don’t phase me. I will let them have their say, but in the end, nothing will change. As I expected, it was the older brother Braxton that speaks first.

  “What would a successful businessman like yourself want with an 18-year-old girl? You can have any woman you want. What? Not enough people to manipulate and play with? You got to come after our sister? Fuck that!! You will tell her that you made a mistake, she is too young for you and ask her to leave. The jig is up Mikhail. Time to let her go. You had your little fun.”

  “I will do no such thing. Next. Anyone else have something to say?”

  “You son-of-a-bitch, I don’t care how much money you have, you will never be good enough for her. Let her go to be with someone who will cherish her and is worthy of her light. That is certainly not you.”

  Cannot argue with that point.

  “You’re right Apollo. I should allow her to be with someone worthy of her, but as we all know I am a selfish man and I want her. As for someone that will cherish her, no one and I mean no one will cherish her, adore her, love her, and protect her like me. I know to you she is your little sister and I imagine if I had one, I would be just like you. But Phoenix is a woman. Not only that, she is my woman. She is the very air I breathe. I didn’t know I was alive until the moment I saw her. Didn’t know I had a heart that could beat until the moment she spoke to me. And I didn’t know my lungs could inhale, until the moment we touched. Without her I am nothing. You have my word that I will honor her and make her happy if it is the last thing I do.”

  I know action will be needed to prove to them I am sincere, but I hope they can see the determination in my eyes. I almost think I have them convinced until Jairo delivers the blow.

  “Honor her huh? What a beautiful speech, if it weren’t for the fact that we know the secret your keeping.”

  I manage to maintain my features, not giving away my worry about which secret. Either one can bring my whole house crumbling down before I get the foundation cemented. So, I play it cool, like I would with any other negotiator.

  “My secret. Is that so. And what secret would that be?” And he slays me with one word.

  “Elizaveta.”

  I hear the twins gasp on either side of me and I know my shade must of paled a bit. If I don’t want to lose Phoenix, I must compose myself and get them to see.

  “So, you have discovered. May I ask how you know?”

  “Doesn’t much matter how we know. I just want to know how you plan to honor her by making her the other woman?”

  Shit.

  Fuck.

  I feel faint, the walls are closing in on me. If they walk out of here and tell her what they have learned, she will ask me, and I won’t be able to lie to her. Undoubtedly, I will lose her this very night. Panic is rising in my chest. This is an uncomfortable position to be because I never let the enemy get the upper hand on me, or see me sweat. And right now, they are the enemy and I am sweating.

  “It’s not what you think. She is my wife in name only. Ten years ago, I entered into a work contract with her father. My part of the deal was to marry his daughter to get her into certain circles he couldn’t infiltrate, to further is business dealings. At the time, I didn’t know he was part of the Bratva, on the business side. Once I found out, I have been angling to extricate myself from them, but to no avail. I have never lived with her as husband and wife, nor have we ever slept together. Your sister is the only one to ever occupy this space in my chest and the only one that ever will. The moment I knew she was going to be my future, I have been cleaning up everything I had going on. I am going to make sure nothing is remotely involved in anything illegal. As far as Elizaveta, I assure you, it is being dealt with as we speak.” I look at the twins when I say that, and they each give me a nod letting me know they are on it.

  “We know this, Mikhail. We would never come here without all the facts. Doesn’t change the fact that you are lying to her and that…is not honoring her.”

  He has a point and I have been struggling with this myself. But again, I can’t risk losing her by telling her.

  “I agree and that is not my intention. I am going to fix this as soon as possible. Your sister and I are taking a trip in a week to L.A. for the Metropolitan Opera Charity event. I plan to ask her to marry me there. Th
is whole situation will be rectified by then, I assure you. I would like to leave this room and be able to tell Phoenix that we have reached an understanding. Can I tell her that?” I ask as I extend my hand to Braxton. As I expected, he waits a beat before shaking it, but he did.

  “So, I can put the grenade away then?”

  “Damn it Jairo. I told you to leave the grenade at home. Fucking pyro.” Jairo chuckles and pats Braxton on the back. I thought I was crazy. Shit. I move to lead the guys out of the room, when her brother-in-law decides to speak.

  “Do you know who I am?” He asks me. The truth is, I know he looks familiar, but I can’t figure out where I know him from.

  “I do not. Should I?”

  “My name is Anthony Renaldo Castro.” Seriously. Fae is married to a mobster and they are worried about me? I say as much and they all start grumbling about extenuating circumstances.

  “Ah. I see my name rings a bell. I simply wanted you to know, who I am. Phoenix is like a sister to me too and we share a special bond. Need I say more? Now if you’re going to be with Phoenix, we all need to have a meeting about security and such. We need to develop some sort of system of checks and balances, so we are in constant feedback about who is watching who and where.” Ren states as a man who is used to being in charge.

  “I agree. You gentlemen are more than welcome to come to my office in the next two days and we can handle this. My walls are soundproof. We will not be disturbed or overheard. That work for everyone?”

  Everyone bobs their head and walks out the door except the twins. Once I think they are no longer in ear shot I blow.

  “How the fuck did they find out about her? I thought the trail was cold when you searched it? They had to have been tipped off. Shit this is turning into a clusterfuck. If you guys don’t fix this, everything is going to go FUBAR. You got it?”

  Last night was intense and fun at the same time. I was nervous about my family, my brothers especially, meeting him and accepting us. It turns out I was worried for nothing. They didn’t exactly give their blessing, but they trust me to know my own mind and they aren’t going to interfere. Although I am worried about Quetzal, I am otherwise happy. I am living my very own dream come true.

  The problem I am currently facing now, is tonight. Tonight, Mikhail and I are going to a Russian charity event and I am scared enough I could faint. I don’t know the first thing about balls or formal events. What if I embarrass him, or say the wrong thing? I begged him to let me stay home by telling him I am totally ok with not going, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He said he kept me to himself long enough and now he wants everyone to see his most precious possession above all else.

  For this, I have enlisted the help of my sisters and my friend Celeste. They are taking me shopping today to look for an evening gown to wear. I am excited to get to dress up. Plus, it has been ages since my sisters and I have spent time together outside of someone’s home.

  When I step out of the town car and tell the driver to pick me back up in about in two hours, the first person I see is Celeste.

  “Eeeeeee…my friend. You have hit the jackpot. How are you? I haven’t heard from you in ages it seems. Has he been keeping you locked up in his sex dungeon…tied to the bed with your legs spread eagle… banging you from here to kingdom come? Huh huh…tell me. I want all the deets.” Celeste rambles on in her usual fashion.

  Goodness gracious. Even with all Mikhail and I have done, Celeste still can make me blush.

  “Celeste, seriously. Your imagination. Tsk tsk…you know very well the reason we haven’t talked is because you were gone to Boston with Ron. Speaking of, you never did tell me what the rush visit was for and why…” My question was cut off by her showing me her hand. And not just any hand, but the hand with a gigantic rock on the ring finger. I immediately hug her and start jumping up and down. It is about time. Those two have been together since we started freshman year. He is three years older than her, but that didn’t stop him from seeing her, and never letting her go.

  “OMG!!! Celeste. I am so happy for you. Tell me everything. How did it happen… I mean I thought he was going to wait until he finished his residency to ask you to marry him? I am so happy he didn’t, but what happened?” I ask her excitedly not bothering to catch my breath.

  “Whoa there, speedy Gonzales. If you slow down I can tell you. You know he went to Boston for a few months to get everything situated for when he starts his residency. He has a few boards to take to get offered the official position and yada yada. Well the week after he left, I was so miserable and sad that I made myself sick. I ended up with a fever and not moving out of bed for about 3 days.”

  I feel so horrible because I have been so wrapped up in my new life, I didn’t know.

  “Celeste, I didn’t know. Why didn’t you call me? I could have come over and made you soup and to make sure you were ok. I am so sorry I have been a horrible friend.”

  “Phoenix, stop. I am happy for all you found, especially considering all you have been through. I didn’t call you because I wanted you to focus on you for once. Now wipe your face and listen.” She says and kisses my cheek.

  I clean my face and pay attention to all she says about the changes in her life. I don’t want this to be about me and I want her to tell me, before my sisters get here and interrupt. “Go on.”

  “So, after a week, I go to the doctor because I am still feeling lousy. It turns out I am pregnant. They say probably about 12 weeks already. Can you believe it?”

  I realize I should close my mouth, but I am quite literally stunned. Pregnant. She is going to be a mom. Wow. I am trying to take stock of exactly what I am feeling. On one hand I am elated for her, but I detect a little jealousy as well and that makes me feel horrible. What kind of friend feels envy when their best friend has a happy event.

  “Hello. Earth to Phoenix.” Celeste says to me. I hope she can’t read all the emotions in my face. “Yes. I’m sorry. Just a little. Wow…a baby.”

  “Yea. Of course, I was an emotional mess after I found out and scared that Ron would be upset. You know. I thought he would think I was trying to trap him to keep him here. I was scared I would lose him and didn’t know what to do. My mom made me call and tell him, because she said that a man who loves me as much as he does would never think that of me. I told him, and he then sent me a plane ticket to go to him.”

  “When I got there we cried, laughed, made love, and then he asked me to marry him and I said yes. He told me he loves me more than life and he is happy I am growing a life we made together inside me and now I could never leave him. I mean, isn’t he perfect.”

  “Later that night he took me to his parents. When we got to their house there was some sort of party happening. The minute we walked in the door, every yelled surprise. Apparently as soon as we got off the phone he told his mom who threw together an impromptu engagement party and the rest as they say is history.” She says with a shrug of her shoulders and a huge grin on her face.

  “Wow Celeste. I wish you would have told me. But I am very happy for you. How do you feel? Do you need anything? Should you even be here right now? Maybe you should go home and rest.”

  “Phoenix, I am fine. A little morning sickness but other than that, just perfect.” She says rubbing her belly. She has always been slender and fit, so it is no wonder I didn’t notice the slight bump she has under her shirt. I am seriously out of touch with everything but Mikhail. Right as I am about to ask how this is going to work, my sisters pull up.

  “We will go out for lunch this week and chat. OK?”

  “Of course, we will. I have so many questions for you.” I say.

  “Girls. Are you ready to do some shopping? I have a serious hard-on for a purple pair of jimmy-choos. Let’s go before I have to gut a bitch for poaching my shoes.” Leave it up to Fae to go straight for the footwear.

  Shopping is an overall success or maybe too successful. I should have known they wouldn’t let me get away with just a dress and shoes. W
e found a dress for me. It is lace over a nude sheath, creating an illusion of nothing on under it. It comes down to my knees before flaring out like a mermaid to the floor. The sleeves are three quarter length, which I love because it is vintage like.

  My favorite feature is the back dips so low if it goes one more inch down you would see butt crack. The front is A-line across my chest with no cleavage showing. The juxtaposition is simply gorgeous and sensual. Innocent from the front and vixen from the back. Mikhail is going to lose his mind.

  I get a pair of nude and crystal encrusted red bottoms to finish the ensemble. In my eyes I am done, but of course the glam squad doesn’t agree. The next step is to purchase matching lingerie to wear underneath, which they decided I needed a whole lingerie reboot. My purchases increased to six additional sets of lingerie, a pair of diamond earrings, and a tennis bracelet.

  I contemplated a few times telling them about the car I noticed following us everywhere as we walked up and down the street, but I figured it is probably some extra security. Plus, I didn’t want to alarm them for nothing.

  After parting ways with the personal shoppers from hell, I head home to get ready. I want to surprise him by being dressed when he gets home. Excited and loving to see the express on his face when he sees me and loses control.

  Phew. Two hours is how long it took me to do my hair, shave everywhere, put on makeup, jewelry, and finally my dress and shoes. As soon as I slip on my shoe, Mikhail walks in the bedroom door and gasps. Taking a deep breath for the sole purpose of breathing him in, I turn slowly only to see that he has moved directly in front of me.

  “Sladkiy lisus. Sweet Jesus Phoenix.” He says rubbing his hands down his face. “What the fuck are you trying to do to me? How the hell am I supposed to let you out of the house looking like that?”