The man nods. “Now the rings,” he instructs.
I place a gold band on Anya’s left ring finger first and then pass her my ring, which she then places on my finger.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.” He glances at me. “You may kiss the bride.”
Anya smiles at me and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, as I move forward and yank her into my chest. I gaze into her eyes before kissing her with all the passion and love I feel.
Everything else fades to the background as I drown in my love for my wife, knowing that this is the start of something truly meaningful.
19
ANYA
The culture shock I feel as I walk down Newbury Street is overwhelming. There are hundreds of different shops and art galleries and the colors alone are a giant contrast to the streets and shops of Russia.
It feels like I’ve been living my life in black and white until this point.
“I love it here,” I say, glancing at Valery.
He smirks at me. “Good, because I’ve already set in motion plans to cement ourselves rather firmly in this city.”
I arch a brow. “How?”
“I’m bringing the bratva here.”
My stomach twists as when we ran from Russia, I thought we were running from a life of crime as well as my father. As I look at the way Valery’s eyes light up over this news, it hits me. That’s all he knows. The bratva was his life, and he gave it up for me. “You intend to bring your men to America?” I confirm.
He shakes his head. “No, I intend to recruit new men. It would be too risky to bring my men over here, as Grigory has increased his reward for the both of us.” His jaw clenches. “One million rubles.”
I gasp, as that’s a ridiculous amount of money. We can’t trust anyone not to take it, and that’s why Valery hasn’t disclosed our whereabouts to anyone in Russia. I understand now why he couldn’t hire a pilot even to bring us to America and flew us, as it’s just too damn dangerous.
People would murder for that kind of money, so if any of his old bratva were to learn his whereabouts, they’d throw us to the wolves. Granted, I’m not totally sure my father could be trusted to pay up once we were delivered. It’s cheaper to kill the person who brings us to him rather than pay them.
“Do you think we can remain hidden here?” I ask, unable to hide the concern in my voice.
He smiles, squeezing my hand tighter. “Of course. I’ll always protect you, Anya.”
I sigh, shaking my head. “Wouldn’t it be safer to select a job that’s not so similar to back home?”
He stops and pulls me to face him. “Anya, you are my world.” His jaw works. “And I gave up my empire—my family’s legacy — for you. I’d do it one hundred times over, but now that we’re safe, I need to do this.” He cups my cheeks in his hand, gazing into my eyes. “The links between Russian and America couldn’t be more strained, which means intel is difficult to pass between the two countries. Not to mention we’re over five thousand miles away. We will be safe here, I promise.”
I look into his eyes and know that I can trust his promise. He loves me in a way I never expected any man to love me. After all, I was destined to be married off to the highest bidder, and this man became my knight in shining armor, even if his initial intentions in kidnapping me had rather sinister intentions.
I nod. “Okay, but you have to promise me you won’t take any unnecessary risks. I can’t live without you.”
The smile he gives me is achingly beautiful as he lifts my hand and presses his lips to the back of it. “I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good,” I say.
He chuckles and pulls me tighter against his side. “Where do you want to go now?”
My stomach growls. “I’m hungry. How about lunch?”
“Sounds like a good idea. What do you fancy?”
I think about the question, knowing that there are so many new foods for me to try here in America. “I’ve never had pizza, and I’d like to try it.”
“Neither have I,” Valery admits. “Pizza it is. Let’s go and find somewhere.” He tries to pull me forward, but I stop him.