Vladimir

by Kat Mizera

  “So…we’re getting married?” he asked with a soft smile.

  She nodded, biting her lower lip. “I just texted the justice of the peace.”

  “What do I need to do?”

  She walked over to the buffet table and retrieved a small black box, handing it to him. He opened it and smiled, recognizing the wedding rings they’d bought months ago. He’d forgotten about them and now he managed a slight nod. He watched her send a text and within seconds he heard footsteps and voices coming from the stairs.

  Toli was first, a broad grin on his face, and right behind him were Sergei and Brock. Vlad had to swallow hard to keep his emotions in check. He’d never dreamed he’d have a moment like this and now it was here. He was about to marry the love of his life with his brothers, nephew, and friends in attendance. His family, he thought in surprise. He had family attending his wedding.

  Not that anyone could ever know. Sergei had flown in for Christmas and the three brothers, along with Tessa and Rachel, had sat down to discuss keeping their relationship a secret. There was no reason to make it public knowledge since that wouldn’t accomplish anything but alert the KGB of Vlad’s existence. With his random last name, which had been chosen by design at birth, and the dead end he’d supposedly reached in his search for his background, they hoped to keep him off the KGB’s radar.

  On a personal level, however, Toli and Sergei had welcomed him with open arms, happy to add a sibling to their family. Vlad and Toli were already close and Vlad had spent a little time getting to know Sergei better. They hoped to spend holidays and vacations together in the future, and there was a kinship he’d never experienced before. Today, however, added a whole new level to the meaning of family. He’d never had it, never understood fully what it meant, until now. Today, the plethora of emotions he was experiencing were almost overwhelming. Rachel in white. His brothers standing beside him. His friends and teammates here to support them.

  He’d had no idea how many people were “hiding” upstairs, waiting for Rachel to give the signal the ceremony was happening. Now Brock, Zakk, and Cody stood beside Toli and Sergei as the women hurried around finalizing details. He watched in detached wonder, only half-listening to his friends’ teasing, his thoughts a jumble of happiness and awe.

  Rachel looked beautiful. It wasn’t the custom-made full-length gown she was supposed to wear for their original wedding, but she would have looked beautiful in jeans and a T-shirt. Her hair was down, curled lightly around her shoulders, with a tranquility on her face he hadn’t seen in a long time. She caught him staring at her and turned, cocking her head ever so slightly, as if asking if he was okay. He responded with a brief nod and a wink before turning back to his friends, who were demanding his attention.

  “Last chance to run,” Zakk was teasing him.

  Vlad chuckled. “Not a chance in hell. You, however, have no room to talk. Your kid is about to turn a year old and you’re still not married.”

  Zakk flushed. “That’s up to Tiff and she hasn’t seemed interested.”

  “Perhaps it’s time for you to give her a nudge,” Toli suggested. “I think after our wedding disaster, she’s a little skittish.”

  Zakk nodded. “I don’t care if we get married or not. It’s just a piece of paper, but I’ll do whatever she wants. She’ll let me know when she’s ready.”

  “I’m definitely ready,” Vlad murmured, looking around.

  There was a knock on the door and Toli went to open it, smiling at Jamie and Viggo. “Hey!”

  Viggo joined Vlad and the others, exchanging pleasantries, but Jamie waved and went towards Rachel, lowering his head to whisper in her ear. Vlad had to force himself not to stare, wondering if he’d ever get over the faint jealousy he felt whenever he saw them together. Jamie was his friend, and he trusted both Jamie and Rachel, but as a man, it was still hard knowing how intimate they’d once been.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Viggo said lightly, his voice soft so only Vlad could hear him.

  “It doesn’t bother you?”

  Viggo chuckled. “Was never jealous before in my life until Jamie. So yeah, there have been a few moments. Then Jamie looks at me and makes me feel like an ass because I know he loves me. End of story. Besides, he’s giving her away. I think that’s pretty symbolic, considering their history.”

  “He’s giving her away?” Vlad was surprised. “She wasn’t having anyone give her away last time.”

  “She only asked him last night, so I don’t know what changed, but I think it’s pretty cool.”

  “So do I,” Vlad murmured.

  Another knock on the door interrupted them and an austere gentleman of about sixty came in, smiling and shaking Toli’s hand; the justice of the peace had arrived.

  “Is everyone ready?” Tessa called out, standing in the middle of the room.

  Vlad and Rachel locked eyes and smiled.

  Within minutes, everyone was seated except Brock and Ashleigh, who were standing up for them. Vlad and Brock stood in front of the fireplace, slightly off to the right, while Ashleigh stood to the left. The room grew quiet and then the first notes of Wagner’s “Here Comes the Bride” wafted through the room.

  Standing at the bottom of the stairs, just out of sight of the guests in the family room, Rachel squeezed Jamie’s arm.

  “Why am I nervous?” she whispered.

  “’Cause you’re a bride,” he whispered back.

  “I feel kind of nauseous.”

  He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Wanna talk about anal sex or the new paddle I bought to spank Viggo with?”

  She snorted loudly and then clapped her hand over her mouth as she giggled into his shirt. He chuckled, too, pausing for a moment before reaching out to lift her chin so he could look into her eyes.

  “You’re happy, right?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “He’s everything you’ve ever wanted?”

  “And much more.”

  “Then let’s do this.”

  She nodded and took his arm. As the wedding processional played in the background, she let him lead her out towards her future, all thoughts of the past far, far away.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were married. Swaying in Vlad’s arms as they slow danced, Rachel looked up at him, hoping everything she was feeling was visible in her eyes. He leaned down to lightly touch her lips with his, his hands cradling her waist.

  “How do you feel, Mrs. Kolnikov?” he asked softly.

  “About as happy as any woman has a right to be.”

  “I’m glad we got married today, but I’m a little disappointed there won’t be a honeymoon.”

  “Oh, there’ll be a honeymoon,” she smirked. “Later tonight.”

  He grinned. “That works.”

  “We can go on a real honeymoon when hockey season is over.”

  “Deal.”

  “Are you sure this was okay?” she asked, one hand cupping his cheek. “I know I kind of threw it on you…”

  “It was wonderful. It is wonderful. You’re wonderful.” He looked deep in her eyes. “I have everything I ever wanted and so much more…all because of you.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” she protested.

  “You believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. And you loved me anyway.”

  “It was destiny, remember?” she whispered.

  “You’re much more than destiny… My past, my future, my everything.”

  She smiled, blinking away tears of happiness. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  “Just wait. I promise you a lifetime of everything beautiful.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “Enough, you two,” Brock called out. “Can you save that eye-gazing shit for the honeymoon?”

  “This is the honeymoon,” Vlad murmured, smiling down at Rachel.

  “It’s time for the toast,” Tessa added.

  “And cutting the cake,” Toli said with a grin, “which is my
favorite part.”

  Vlad and Rachel reluctantly broke apart, but he wrapped his fingers around hers and they turned to face their wonderful friends and family.

  “To the happy couple,” Brock said, handing Vlad and Rachel each a flute of champagne. He reached for his own and raised it. “My best friend, teammate, partner in crime…my brother—what can I say? I’m so happy you found a woman who can not only put up with you, but who makes you happy. No one deserves it more than the two of you. Congratulations. I’m honored to share this day with you.”

  An echo of similar greetings filled the room as they toasted and laughed. Looking down at his wife, Vlad had found his way home. This was his past and his future, all rolled into one. Peace washed over him. There wasn’t a single thing he needed that he didn’t already have and the woman who’d just become his wife was the reason why.

  “Thank you,” he whispered against her ear.

  “For what?” She looked up curiously.

  He softly found her lips. “For giving me such a beautiful future, I forgot all about my past.”

  ***THE END***

  I hope you enjoyed Vlad & Rachel’s story. If you like your heroes a little kinkier and your stories a little darker—check out an excerpt on the next page. It’s from my spinoff Inferno series, which begins with Dante and Becca’s story in Salvation’s Inferno.

  In the meantime, sign up for my newsletter and become part of my VIP mailing list! Contests, cover reveals, excerpts and more—before anyone else! www.KatMizera.com

  Excerpt from “Salvation’s Inferno”

  Prologue

  November

  Five women on their knees. Five women ready to suck him off. Five hot, sexy, naked women with their hands tied behind their backs, blindfolds over their eyes, mouths open, ready for action—and Dante was staring at them with a scowl. Two blondes, two brunettes and a redhead, all for him, and his cock hadn’t even stirred. Reaching for the nearby bottle of tequila, he took a swig before reaching down to grab one of the blondes by the chin.

  “Drink!” he snapped, pouring some of the liquor into her mouth. She swallowed greedily, as if she loved tequila, and licked her lips.

  He rubbed his thumb along her full lower lip and watched her chest start to rise and fall a little faster in anticipation; she wanted him even though she’d been blindfolded before he entered the room and had no idea whose cock would wind up down her throat. The thought of these women wanting to suck a cock, any cock, made his dick jolt a little, showing the first signs of life in months and he released it from his leathers. Pushing it into the blonde’s mouth, he closed his eyes, willing his dark thoughts to fade into the even darker recesses of his mind. The warm wetness her lips and tongue provided gave him only momentary relief; instead of physical pleasure, all he felt was the draw back towards the mindlessness of the black abyss in his soul.

  Grunting in irritation, he dug his fingers into her hair and rammed his cock deeper into her throat. He heard her gag and a tiny prick of guilt caused him to ease back, though his grip on her hair tightened in frustration. He didn’t want this one or any of the others; all he wanted was a mind-numbing release so he could go back to drinking. Pumping faster, he willed himself to get lost in her rough warmth. Relentless as he fucked her mouth, he finally felt the first spasms of ecstasy and allowed himself to spurt deep into her throat. She coughed but caught herself, swallowing as quickly as she could even though some of it dripped down her chin.

  Dante looked down in disgust, stuffing himself back into his pants with disdain. He was about to tell them to get the hell away from him when he heard the door open and the click of high heels behind him. He turned, his face dark with annoyance at the interruption.

  “That’s enough!” A tall, pissed-off blonde folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “Let’s go! Now.”

  He made a face. “What are you doing here?!”

  “I said we’re going home,” she hissed. “Or I call Kate.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Dammit, Emilie, I’m not your—”

  “You’re about to be my bitch if I have to ask again!” Though she was four months pregnant and probably no more than 110 pounds, even at 5 feet 9 inches, his friend Emilie Martensson didn’t look like she was kidding. An experienced dominatrix, Emilie could kick ass and take names, and the look in her eyes told him he needed to tread carefully. A hormonal Emilie could be dangerous, even if they were just friends, and he made a spontaneous decision to give in, though there was a fierce look on his face.

  “Fine,” he snapped. “Let me get my things.”

  Fifteen minutes later they sat in his plush limousine heading through the empty predawn streets towards his estate just north of Manhattan. Emilie was glaring at him and Dante simply stared out the window. For a while she watched him before finally scooting over so she was right next to him, one pale hand on his arm.

  “Dante?” Her voice was much softer than it had been at the club. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. It’s not going to make the pain go away.”

  He grunted.

  “Why do you even bother going to those places?” she asked. “You don’t enjoy yourself and you come home feeling more frustrated than before you went.”

  “How the hell do you know what I feel?!” he growled, his eyes darkening dangerously.

  “Because I’m your friend.” She laced her fingers through his, her sad blue eyes imploring. “Dante, please. It hurts me to see you doing this to yourself.”

  For a moment, the harshness in his eyes faded and he gently touched her face. “Emilie, I don’t deserve your friendship. I’m in the deepest kind of hell right now—you shouldn’t be around me.”

  “We live together!” she chuckled. “Where shall I go?”

  He sighed, looking away. “This is the only relief I get, Em. It’s the only time I can get away from my demons.”

  “You didn’t kill them,” she whispered. “It’s not your fault they died. You have to stop blaming yourself.”

  “I brought that bitch into my home!”

  “But you didn’t know she would turn on you.” Emilie stroked his muscular arm with slow, comforting movements. “You have to let go of this. You’re only hurting yourself, and while I don’t care what Larissa would have wanted, I know Trey loved you and wouldn’t be happy with you right now. Please, Dante. It’s hard to watch you self-destruct. I care for you, and I will call Kate if you don’t stop.”

  He held up a hand. “Fine. Leave Kate out of it. She went through a lot last summer—she has a hard enough job being my publicist. She doesn’t need personal aggravation too.”

  “She’s your friend and she’s worried about you, just like I am. How do you think I knew where to find you tonight?”

  “She didn’t know where I was!” he muttered.

  “No, but Jamie did, and he told Karl.” Karl was Emilie’s brother, as well as Kate’s husband, and Jamie was one of Karl’s teammates.

  Dante made a face. “A man has no privacy.”

  “A man like you has no reason to go to places like that! What do you get out of it? It’s not about sex for you and we both know it.”

  “I don’t fucking know, Emilie,” he muttered after a moment. “But it’s all I’ve got right now.”

  “You have to stop the behavior,” she said finally. “The sex clubs, the hookers, the drinking… I know it’s the off-season, but it will be time for baseball again before you know it and you’re not going to be ready. None of this is going to bring them back.”

  “I know that!” he shot back. “But sex clubs and alcohol make me miss them less!”

  “You have to learn to live with missing them,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. “We all miss people.”

  “Ah, querida.” Sweetheart. “So much loneliness in the house, yes?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “We have each other and friendship makes up for a lot.”

  “Friendship definitely makes up for a lot.”
>
  “Promise you’ll move past this, Dante.”

  “Emilie, I—”

  “Promise.” She put his hand on her tiny stomach. “I need you to be the man I know you can be; both of us can’t be a mess.”

  “You’re not a mess.” He sighed and softly kissed the top of her head. “But I promise.”