The Russian Don – A Dark Mafia Romance

Tears kept streaming my eyes as I placed my hand over Nikolai’s Heart and heard it beating.

“Oh my god! It’s… It’s…” I could stop crying, “Greyson’s…”

My heart clenched inside my chest as I sobbing out loud. The pain and memories were fresh as if it happened yesterday.

Greyson, Oh my god. His heart is inside Nikolai? I can’t believe this.

Jesus Christ.

Tears continuously streamed my eyes, “Grey!!”

He held me while I pressed my head to his chest and sobbed, God did a miracle by putting the heart of a person I loved back then into a person I love in the present and future.

Wait, what?

Let’s forget that I said that.

Greyson lives in Nikolai and he didn’t leave me, the fact itself is making me feel so lucky.

Nikolai held me until I stopped sobbing, he wiped my tears and kissed me.

“It’s okay,” he said and we went inside the mansion into his room.

He made me sit on the bed and removed his t-shirt, he stood in front of me. he grabbed my hand pressed it against his naked chest.

“Look,” he said,

I did, as I look closely, I noticed a scar on his skin.

“It’s a scar,” I whispered.

As Nikolai has a scar on his body, I have a scar in my mind. The memory of Greyson’s death.

Scars are what make us who we are. Everyone has scars…some are etched into skin, and some are burned into memory. Nobody moves through life without a scar slicing them in half.

“I know he’s your first love and whenever you miss him, you can touch it,” he smiled.

Oh my god, what did I do to have such a sweet man in my life.

I hugged him and slammed my lips against his.

***

We were having lunch in the dining hall when all of sudden, Nik went on his knee in front of me, “Nikolai?”

I glanced everyone; they were staring at me. Flora covers her mouth with her hands, her eyes twinkling with joy. Penelope is grinning madly, and Stella seems like she might pass out. Roman, clapping and cheering at Nikolai.

“I love you, Julianna,” he said and his voice fills my ears like thunder. He’s got something clutched in his left hand as he holds my fingers with his right. “I’ve loved you since the first night we met. You’re in my head and my heart, and I won’t let you go, not for anything. I’ve been carrying this ring for a while now.”

“Ring?”

And there it is big diamonds and gold and, my god, it’s so beautiful my breath catches in my throat. I’ve never seen anything like it before. He holds it in the air and looks into my eyes.

“Julianna, will you marry me?”

I nearly fall over. The words hit me like a train and I struggled to breathe.

Marry him? Really marry him? Oh my god!

Holy fucking Shit!

This is real and really happening.

I knew from the moment he brought me here that this was supposed to be the end result, but it never hit home. It never seemed like it would truly happen. I didn’t want it back then.

Jesus Christ!

I’m freaking out Again.

Control yourself Julia, my subconscious began yelling inside my head.

Now I know it’s more like being born again.

He’s kneeling and the ring’s right there, and I don’t know how to make my mouth work.

“Uh,” I said,

“Juliana. Marry me.” he said, his eyes twinklingly.

“Yes. Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!” I said out loud,

Flora gasped. Stella laughed out loudly as Nikolai slides the ring down my finger. Roman was taking pictures of us as Nikolai did it. I feel like I might faint, but Nikolai stood, wrapped me in his arms, hugged me tight, and kissed me.

The kiss lasts forever. It’s an eternity. It’s a second lifetime. It wipes away so much pain and gives me hope for the future, real hope for the first time in my life.

I love you, Nikolai, I fucking Love you so much.

I never thought I would fall in love with this Demon Monster, Mafia don but I did. I fell head over heels in love with this man.

***

Six Months Later.

Nikolai and I got married right after his proposed me, the wedding was simple and beautiful. Nikolai invited my family too but they refused to attend, I let them be. After wedding Nikolai brought me out of Island and now, we are living in a mansion of Nikolai’s in Chicago.

Apparently, he has luxurious mansions in every place he visited. “You were so excited about getting your surprise today, but now you’re taking your time.” Nikolai’s voice floats my way from where he’s waiting outside. It’s cute seeing him this enthusiastic. He’s not the hard, cold mafia boss. He’s not the heartless assassin, either. He’s been my husband for the past six months, and it’s moments like this that prove to me he’s a child at heart.

It’s a pleasure, even a privilege, the chance to see him like this. Nobody who doesn’t know him the way I do would ever believe he’s capable of such sweetness and thoughtfulness. Playfulness, too. It’s easy to forget sometimes who I’m really living with.

Of course, that part of him is never far from the forefront. Mafia business concerns tend to pop up constantly, but they don’t seem to carry the same weight as before.

Most recently, a few nights ago, while we were lying in bed watching the baby kick me until I was sure they broke something. He placed a hand on my belly, laughing in approval when his child delivered a hearty kick in response to his touch.

“But now, with a family to protect, I’ll be less inclined to respond with violence. I would rather keep the peace for your sake than display a trophy case full of severed heads.”

While the image he conjured wasn’t exactly charming, I understood the point, and it means the world to me. We mean that much to him.

“Julia! We still have to pick up Stella . She’ll be waiting.”

“I don’t move as fast as I used to, or have you forgotten?” That’s an understatement. I’m practically waddling now, only a handful of weeks from my due date.

I didn’t think it would be possible for my body to get this big and swollen. It’s almost supernatural. If we hadn’t already gotten confirmation from the doctor, I would swear there’s more than one baby in here.

I manage to wait until I’m in the car before peppering him with questions. “Will you at least tell me where we’re going? Is it a place, or are we going to pick up something? Will it fit in the car? Is it for the baby?”

He starts the car, doing his best to fight off a smile. He’s not doing a very good job of it. “No. You’ll see when we get there.”

“You know I don’t like surprises, Nikolai,” I said,

“That’s not true. You don’t like not knowing what’s coming next. There’s a difference.” “Can you blame me? Honestly.”

“No, I can’t,” he admits. “But don’t you know by now you can trust me? I’m not setting you up for a let-down.” His fingers tap against the steering wheel, and unless my ears deceive me, he even starts humming to himself as he drives to the house Stella has been renting since the wedding.

As always, Stella first questions are about the baby. “How are you feeling? Did you get any sleep?” She slides into the back seat before leaning forward to kiss my cheek.

“I just talked to you on the phone this morning, remember?”

“I thought you said you were going to try to take a nap.”RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

“I swear, you’re no better than he is.” I jerk my chin in my husband’s direction.

“Far be it from me to care whether my wife is healthy and getting all the rest she needs.” He rolls his eyes, but his grin gives him away. Whatever he’s taking me to, he’s ridiculously excited about it. I can’t help but feed off that energy. It must be something really good if he feels this strongly about it.

“Are you kidding me? I’m surprised you let me do anything at all, Mr. Protective.”

Stella lets out a knowing laugh. “Like you don’t love it. We both know it makes you feel good to have others fawn over the way you are, so don’t pretend otherwise.”

It’s times like this I wonder why it ever seemed like such a good idea for the two of them to be friends. All they seem to want to do is gang up on me.

“Do you have any idea where we’re going?” I ask her, craning my neck to see over my shoulder. I can always tell when she’s lying by the defensive hunch of her shoulders.

There’s no hunch this time. “Do you think he would tell me?”

“Only because I know you would want to tell her.”

She snorts, rolling her eyes. “I think we all know I’m experienced when it comes to keeping things to myself.”

“That’s not the kind of secret I’m talking about, which you know very well.” I have to say, he’s learning to control his reactions. As recently as our wedding day, I would never have imagined him capable of avoiding an outburst when someone contradicts him. “Happier secrets are more difficult to contain.”

Oh, Happy Secret.