by Olivia Gates
* * *
For an interminable time afterward, Anastasia and Ivan’s parents flooded him in every poignant and thankful emotion and he submerged them in the endlessness of his love.
Then, feeling it was the beginning of a new life for real, she knew it was the right time to take it up that final notch.
Rising from the couch where he’d taken them, where she’d been plastered to him with his parents on his other side, she stood before him.
“All this?” She gestured between them and to his parents and around the room to hers. “It only gets better. You have one more miracle coming.”
Vulnerability flooded his face once again, as if he was still afraid, would always be unable to believe he could possibly have all this. She had a feeling he understood what she was about to tell him. And could barely bear the enormity of even contemplating it.
Drowning into his emerald eyes, she pulled him up and shared what she’d discovered right before she’d gone searching for him this afternoon. “Yes, moy lyubov, you’ll have one more person to love and who will love you forever. I’m pregnant.”
* * *
The extent of Ivan’s jubilation at her news continued to stun Anastasia.
Two nights ago when she’d announced her pregnancy, he’d looked as if he was disintegrating under the brunt of too much joy. After promising his parents that they’d continue talking later when he wasn’t literally out of his mind with exultation, he’d swept her to his bed.
Not that he’d made love to her. They’d both been too hectic with emotions they’d just needed to be wrapped in each other’s arms, to attempt to contain it all and come back down to earth.
He’d made love to her the next morning, though, taking them both to the very edge of their mortality. He’d said he was done waiting for their wedding night, even if it was only one more day away. He claimed that if he’d waited, she wouldn’t have had a groom to walk down the aisle to. Not a correctly functioning one, at least. And she’d wholeheartedly approved his strategy.
Now there were less than twenty-four hours to Christmas day, and their wedding.
Dragging themselves from the depths of satiation she and Ivan had just reluctantly left his suite. According to the many messages he’d gotten throughout the night, all his brothers had arrived. According to the many knocks on the door they’d had, everyone gathered downstairs was waiting for them to have an early Christmas since their wedding had confiscated the actual date.
They now descended along one arm of the bifurcated marble stairs, to an incredible sight.
That of everyone they both loved.
And they all did something that made her burst into tears again.
They treated her and Ivan to a standing ovation.
Feeling her knees buckling, she clung harder to Ivan. He swept her up in his arms at once, as if he’d been itching for an excuse to do so, drowned her in a kiss that sent the whole world spinning.
She clung around his neck and kissed him back as deeply to the background music of raucous cheers and hoots. She vaguely discerned the unfamiliar voices among those of her family and friends. Those of his brothers and their wives.
Curiosity and impatience to see those men who’d shared so much with Ivan, who were a major reason he’d survived, had become the incomparable force of nature he was now, overwhelmed her. It would have taken nothing less to make her cut their kiss short.
Looking avidly at the crowd as Ivan resumed descending the stairs with her still high up in his arms, she almost gasped. The collective of his brothers, now on their feet, was staggering. It was as if she was looking at different versions of Ivan.
She was thrilled to see Dr. Balducci—Tonio as Ivan called him and insisted she did, too. Now his terrible misunderstanding with Liliana had been resolved, and she was now his wife, he looked on top of the world. The others she recognized at once from Ivan’s descriptions of them. Each was totally unique. Yet they all looked as if they’d been made from the same higher-being material. As they had. They’d all been chosen by The Organization for being prodigies, then they’d been forged in the inferno of ordeals into the best and most powerful versions of themselves.
And those men had in turn picked women who were clearly their perfect match. Each woman stood beside her man, as magnificent as he was in her own way. She only hoped she looked anywhere near as worthy and fitting standing next to Ivan.
Everyone let the newcomers approach Ivan and her first. Ivan put her down on her feet so she could meet them. Not knowing how to welcome those formidable beings who towered over everyone, she started with Antonio Balducci, extending her hand, lips splitting in delight at seeing him again. And he set the rules for this encounter. Her former surgeon and savior pulled her into an affectionate hug, telling her that he’d be her brother-in-law now. His new bride, Liliana, followed suit, expressing her delight that she’d have yet another sister.
The rest of the introductions were as enthusiastic and warmhearted, with her being hugged and kissed and doted on by all, even his brothers’ children. There was quite the array of them. Raiden and Scarlett had six alone, adopted and biological. The others had two or three and a couple were working on the next one. Even the newest wife, Liliana, was clearly pregnant. And when Anastasia expressed how incredible it was her and Ivan’s baby would be born to find so many brothers and sisters, she was exposed to another round of deluging delight and indulgence.
After they judged Ivan’s brothers and their families had gotten enough exclusive time with her and Ivan, the rest converged on them. Or really mostly on Ivan. His sisters and brother and their spouses and children more or less carried him off like they’d been doing the past few days whenever they could, unable to get enough of him. And that when they had no idea who he really was to them.
No one but both their parents knew, or would know of last night’s revelations, at least until they all agreed on how to break out the news that Ivan was family in more ways that they thought.
After what she could only describe as the best Christmas lunch in the history of the planet, everyone decided it was time to open presents.
And there were so many presents. Everyone had bought presents for everyone else. His brothers and their wives had done their homework to such a meticulous level, no doubt with Ivan’s insider’s help, they’d gotten every single one of her extended family a unique, incredibly suitable, not to mention lavish gift.
Then came her own present. Something she couldn’t have even imagined.
The brotherhood were offering her The Alex Shepherd Research Division, a whole new arm of Black Castle Enterprises that she’d build and helm to Alex’s specs and in his memory.
It took hours for her, and for her family, to really wrap their mind around the enormity of this gift.
At one point when she’d barely recovered her wits, she realized one strange thing. Apart from her own gift from the brotherhood—which she was certain had been orchestrated by Ivan—he was the only one who’d gotten no one anything.
Which didn’t make sense whatsoever with him being such an extravagant giver.
Which meant one thing. He was keeping his own gifts to everyone for last.
As she wondered what they would be, and when he’d present them, he stood up and invited everyone to dress warmly and follow him into the garden overlooking the ocean.
As everyone rushed after him, it only took stepping outside for everyone to freeze to the spot and gape at the sight before them.
The garden, now covered in snow, had been turned into a Christmas wonderland.
Ivan rushed down the stairs with her dazed beside him, encouraging everyone to follow suit. As soon as everyone descended into the garden, two musical bands, each made of two-dozen musicians and as many singers started playing Christmas carols and songs. The whole place had been turned into an
amusement park complete with carousels and rides for both children and adults. And interspersing everything, dozens of gigantic Christmas trees towered, magically decorated and lit. Beneath each tree, there were huge heaps of gift boxes in the most exquisite wrappings she’d ever seen.
She had no idea when he’d had all his done. Just last night none of that was there. Hell, it wasn’t there two hours ago when she’d last caught a glimpse of the garden.
Everyone, even his brothers, seemed to be transported into the fairytale ambiance Ivan had so meticulously created. Shrieks of delight echoed from the children, and laughter from the adults.
Dazed at yet another staggering display of his resources and thoughtfulness, she looked up at him as everyone rushed here and there to sample his wonderland’s enchantments.
“Tell me most of these boxes are part of the decorations.”
He bent and covered her now-cold lips in his warm ones, singeing her blood and making her forget a world outside him existed as always.
Letting her lips go with one last clinging kiss, he withdrew, teased, “You know I’ll do anything you want. You want me to lie, I will.”
She shook her head, looking around at the trees. “Even if you got every single person multiple Christmas presents, it still wouldn’t explain those...mountains!”
He swept her off her feet again and headed for one of the carousels where all his brothers were taking their children for a ride.
“I did get everyone more than one present. Including everyone who works here and their families, all the event-planning people preparing our wedding tomorrow, the catering team and the music bands and anyone who had a hand in all this.”
She jumped up in his arms and drowned him in kisses and love and thanks, on behalf of everyone he’d thought of.
Laughing, he stepped on the revolving carousel’s platform and raised her on top of one of the undulating horses. Effortlessly jumping up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, his hands caressing her were the evidence of their love was growing into a new life.
Putting his lips to her ears so she’d hear him over the lively holiday music and singing and the myriad sounds of joy, he said, “How about you make the rounds telling everyone you’ve already thanked me on their behalf? Now that I think about it, the number of projected thank yous is making me reconsider giving anyone anything.”
She threw her head back on his shoulder, looked up at him, saw the edge of real aversion and anxiety in his lightheartedness and grinned. “No can do.”
His body tensed around her as he scowled. “If you won’t save me, I’ll just courier everyone their stuff.”
She burrowed back deeper into his body, savoring his heat and hardness even through their thermal clothing. “No, you won’t. I’ll make the rounds with you as you give everyone their presents, and you’ll take the gratitude you deserve like a champ.” Before he could protest, she invoked that carte blanche he kept renewing every single day. “I so want to meet everyone who run this impeccable place, who made all the fabulousness of today come to life, who’ll make the undisputable perfection of tomorrow. In short, all those amazing beings who actually live up to your expectations and demands.”
His eyes took that intensely adoring cast she’d gotten addicted to and couldn’t live without. “Anything that pleases you.” Then he mock-shuddered. “Now I must take my anti-thanks medication in preparation.”
She hooted with laughter. “I’ll have a talk with Tonio and Liliana about developing you a vaccine.”
He joined her in laughter, before they both turned to shout and laugh with his brothers and their families. Afterward, they sampled each ride, talked and laughed and played and sang with all their guests, then proceeded to distribute his tons of presents.
And all through, Ivan kept her at his side as if she was as vital to him as his beating heart. As she knew she was. As he was to her. This indescribably incredible, magnanimous man who had unbelievably chosen her to love for the rest of his life.
* * *
At the end of the enchanted day, what everyone said qualified as one of the best days of their lives, excitement and happiness were coursing through Anastasia, making her downright giddy.
But to her consternation, after all the bustle had died down, she felt as if a freezing hand was squeezing her heart.
It was that darkness that had lurked in the back of her mind, that hadn’t been resolved after yesterday’s revelations. That unease that had been coming to her in waves, even among the ocean of rapture of last night and today. It now surged, crested, loomed over her like a tidal wave about to crash.
She’d just entered the bedroom suite with Ivan when it did.
She had no evidence. She just knew. Where that dark unease had come from. And what it signified.
The truth.
What was even worse than her worst nightmares.
She had no idea how she continued interacting with Ivan until he entered the bathroom. Then feeling as if she was walking with her own two feet to the slaughter, she headed toward her parents’ suite.
The moment she entered and found them both sitting there in silence, looking like automatons, the knowledge solidified.
“I felt it, Dad.” Her voice sounded alien in her ears. “When the revelations were being made. Even among the upheaval, I felt it. You know something more about Ivan’s past. You more than know. You had a hand in it.”
Her father looked at her as if he’d sustained multiple stab wounds and was silently bleeding to death.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” she rasped. “You’re the one who did this. You’re the one who sent Ivan to hell.”
Her father rose to his feet as if from under rubble, aging before her eyes, looking as if he’d have a stroke.
“It was me.”
The whispered words speared Anastasia in her gut.
Her mother.
Turning away from her father, she looked at the woman who’d given birth to her, whom she’d loved and believed in all her life.
What she saw in her mother’s eyes brought her whole world crashing down, crushing her beneath its debris.
“Your father and I...we were marked for liquidation,” her mother said, looking as if she’d taken a decision to end her own life. “We were beyond desperate when I learned of The Organization. I approached them for a deal, and my only bargaining chip was Kostya. He was such a prodigy... I knew they’d do anything to get their hands on him. They said if I convinced my friends to let them have him, they would get us all out of Russia and give us new lives in the States. So I made a plan to indirectly convince them that it was a great opportunity, so they would never realize it was I who initiated the bargain, or learn of its true nature or that of those I made it with.
“And there was not a single minute that passed since when I didn’t regret it, not one breath that wasn’t poisoned by his memory or the taste of my crime. When I thought Kostya died in that accident, I was almost relieved that fate chose to end his torment before it began. Everything I did since was aimed at trying to make it up to Glenda and John, to atone. Not that I thought anything would or could. Then I saw Ivan, and everything inside me screamed, even though it seemed impossible. I only told your father when we found out who Ivan really was.”
Her mother lay down on the couch, curled up, shaking, her eyes dry. She must have already expended all her tears.
If desolation and death had a sound, they would sound like her mother did now. “I deprived my friends of their son, and fate only bided its time before finally retaliating in kind.”
Then there was silence.
And in the silence, the cacophony of realizations attacked Anastasia.
Her mother had sold Ivan in return for their safety. She believed Alex had died to settle the cosmic score.
Anastasia herself had li
ved a life of security and freedom at the expense of Ivan’s despair and degradation.
The enormity of it all held its breath over her like a vast, black cloud. Then it detonated.
And there was nothing more.
* * *
Surfacing from the nothingness was terrifying.
She wanted to remain there where she’d once hidden, where it was dark and silent, where she was sinking in an eternity of pain-free paralysis.
But oblivion was relinquishing her to awareness, expelling her to its mercilessness. She was already feeling, hearing. And once she opened her eyes, she’d see what she couldn’t bear seeing. Ivan. Frantically hovering over her, going insane with worry.
From the voices with him she knew he’d brought Antonio, and Isabella, a surgeon, too, and the wife of his partner, Richard Graves. They were both assuring him she was physically perfectly fine, that fainting was not unheard of in the early months of pregnancy, especially after the physical and emotional tests she’d endured in the past months.
She pretended to be still passed out until they left, hoping Ivan would leave, too.
But she soon had to admit that he never would. The man who’d stayed by her bedside for weeks, then remained by her side since, would stay here forever. He wouldn’t leave her until he made sure she was fine. When she would never be again.
Giving in, knowing that it was better to get this over with, she opened her eyes.
The look on his face translated the gnawing anxiety in his voice, making her almost close her eyes again. It hurt to see him like this, feel him caring, now that she knew the atrocious truth.