But he is not my father. Instead of lashing out or hurting me, he swallows hard, lets his arms fall to his sides, and says softly, “I was only there to work security. I did not go there with the intention of buying a wife.” His voice is tinged with a bit of sadness, but I’m too upset to let it drop.
“B-but you did! You bought me! You took me away from my f-family and brought me here and now you won’t help me get in touch with them. Wh-why are you hurting me like this?” I cry, rushing forward to helplessly, harmlessly beat his chest with my fists.
“Cassie! They have abandoned you because they’re ashamed of what they’ve done to you, of what your father’s greed has done to you. They cannot tell anyone the truth. Think of what a scandal it would be: Arnold Meadows, with his beautiful house and perfect family — selling his only daughter to get out of debt!” Andrei hisses through gritted teeth.
“No! That’s not true!” I cry, shaking my head, feeling sick to my stomach.
“It is true! They mistreated you terribly, sladkaya. I cannot change the past, and neither can you. Cassie, you did nothing wrong. You didn’t deserve what etot ublyudok did to you. I want so badly to help you, to make you feel better, but you have to know that I cannot bring you back to them. They don’t want you anymore — think of how easily they threw you away, put you on display, for sale! You don’t need them, malyshka. You are better than that.”
I am stunned at his words, tears streaming down my face. My heart is so heavy, so full of pain at the prospect that Andrei may be right. And deep down, way deep inside my heart, I know it is true. They have not even tried to contact me. Since the wedding, it’s been like I don’t even exist in their universe anymore.
They really have left me behind.
I will never see my parents again. Nor will I get to hold Isaiah in my arms. He will never get to meet his little nephew. I feel so broken, like a part of my soul has died.
“It hurts, Andrei,” I weep, my shoulders shaking as I sink into his arms as though totally deflated. “I can’t believe it… they never even loved me, did they?”
His arms wrap around me, stroking my hair, rubbing my back as I sob into his hard, shirtless chest. “Oh, dorogaya, I don’t know. I’m sure they did, in their own way.”
“I’ve lost my whole family. I’m all alone,” I sob.
“No, no, no. You are not alone,” he says, holding me back and taking my chin in between his fingers to tilt my face up. His dark eyes, usually so cold, are warm — blazing with love. “You will never be alone again. I am vasha sem’ya now. We will be a family together: you, me, and the little one growing inside you. And I promise our life together will be so bright that it will outshine the pain of what you’ve lost. I promise you that. Obeshchayu. I swear.”
Suddenly, it all makes sense. This is what God has planned for me.
It has been a dark, treacherous path that led me here and I have lost so much in the process, but I know now, in this instant, that this is exactly where I am meant to be. It doesn’t matter much where I am, only that I am with Andrei, my prince charming. And that ever since I’ve met him, he’s never hurt me. Never done a thing to make me feel unwelcome or scared, despite his secrets. He’s only ever encouraged me to do the things I enjoy, and my self-confidence and happiness has blossomed with him at my side.
“I love you.”
The words fall from my lips before my brain can even process them.
Andrei’s eyes widen and then, slowly a brilliant smile appears on his face. He looks so immensely relieved, so happy, and the joy in his face makes him practically radiant.
“Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu. I love you, too.”
I throw my arms around him and he kisses me, his hands smoothing away my tears, brushing the hair back out of my face, caressing my shoulders, my arms, all the way down my back. I lean into him fully, my lips parting to dive my tongue into his mouth. He kisses me deeply, passionately. His hard body, still glistening slightly with a sheen of sweat, is so tempting, so beautiful. I cannot resist him, nor do I want to.
We are each other’s family now, forever. And I need him, now.
He hoists me up, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. His lips and mine move together as he carries me across the gym, never breaking our kiss except to occasionally come up for air. Andrei carries me through a door into a wooden room in the back. The warm, wet heat trickles into my sensory recognition, and it dawns on me that we’re in the gym sauna.
He sits down on a wooden bench along the wall with me still straddling him. His lips break away from mine to follow a passionate, intense trail down my neck, sucking dark red blooms under my skin while I moan with pleasure. The sensation is ticklish and sweet and ever so slightly bordering on pain. I start to undulate my hips, rolling against the growing bulge at the front of his pants. I want him inside me now, now, now. I need him to fill me up and make me feel complete. I need to feel connected with him, our bodies as close as possible.