The Bratva King's Lost Bride

9 Conditions

Meadow POV

As much as I want to stay in Ivan's arms, there are things we still need to discuss. I wasn't just saying I didn't trust him to hurt him. Every time I ever imagined seeing him again, I knew my first question would be about the night Ivana and I found him in bed with Danica. I know that Ivana has hinted that Ivan was drugged, but it doesn't explain how he ended up alone in our room with that b**ch. So even if she drugged him and made it look like he cheated, there is no way she carried him into that room without help. I would have thought Dimitri was part of it, but he wasn't home at the time.

She isn't short like me, but Ivan has her by a good hundred pounds. She works out, but not enough to drag him to the room without someone helping her. "Talk to me, Meadow. I can see, despite what you just said, you are still having reservations about giving me a second chance," he says. "Ivan, this isn't a simple yes or no answer. There is so much that happened. So much that I can't just forgive. I'm willing to do this so I can be with Ava. I'm not naive enough to think if I refuse you won't take her from me. That doesn't mean we can just fall back into each other's arms like nothing happened, Ivan."

"So you are only doing this to be with Ava," he asks. Sadness and anger flash in his eyes. "No, I'm doing this for me, but I meant what I said, Ivan, I don't trust you. I still need answers, but I know you well enough to know that you sugar coat things where I'm concerned. Knowing that Ava is involved is why I'm not fighting harder to stay right here. Your father deserves to meet his granddaughter. Your brother deserves to meet his niece."

"You forget that I grew up in New York. I'm not some delicate flower that needs to be protected. If you can't tell me the truth, then my answer will change. I will stay with you so I can be in my daughter's life, but there will be no chance for us to move forward together. No chance for us to be an us again."

A huge smile spreads across his face. His big hands cup my cheeks. "I will tell you anything you want to know. First I'll let you handle what you need to for us to leave tomorrow. That will give us time to speak alone when we are on the plane after we have time to rest and collect our thoughts. I will answer your questions, but I need you to hear me right now, Meadow," he says, forcing my eyes to meet his.

"I have never wanted or touched that f**king b**ch. I have not wanted or lusted after another woman since the moment I first saw you," he says. "I want desperately to believe that, Ivan. I have loved you for just as long, but I need time. I need to trust you again before I give you my heart. I won't survive the fall-out if you break it again." "As long as you don't run from me again, you can take as long as you need to believe that you are the only woman I will ever want, and your heart is safe with me," he says.

"I guess I better go make some calls." I start to walk away but stop halfway there. I turn to face the man who is promising the family I had given up was a possibility. "My dreams are different now, Ivan, and I'm not willing to give them up to be your wife." "I would never want you to malyshka," he says. I can't stop the flutters in my stomach at the sincerity in his eyes. I nod before turning to head back inside.

Hearing Ava's giggles has me smiling. My daughter is happy. Ivan found us, and he isn't steam-rolling me with demands. He isn't trying to take Ava from me. He isn't punishing me for leaving him. If the conversation I overheard is real, he is punishing those two a**hats for hurting me. He even says he won't take my dreams from me. I feel like I'm dreaming. I pinch my arm and immediately rub my fingers over the spot.

A giggle has my head snapping up to see Ivana standing in the doorway. "I take it he convinced you to go home with us," she says, clear excitement in her words. "Ava and I will be going to Russia for Nickoli's wedding and to look at your grandparents house, but this is still our home." I see the flash of disappointment and my heart squeezes in my chest. I close the distance between us. "I don't want to rush this Ivy. My heart is barely patched together. If I go all in, and he breaks me again where will that leave me now that he knows about Ava?"

She grips my face in her hands and I can't stop the smile. She has so many of Ivan's mannerisms. "If he ever hurts you again I'll kill him myself," she says. "You won't have to sister. I'll never ignore my wife's concerns again," Ivan says as he steps further inside. He crosses the room and pulls Ivana into a hug. "Thank you little one for keeping my wife and daughter safe when I failed," he says. My body relaxes when Ivana sobs.

As angry as she was at him, she loves her brother. I know she felt guilt for keeping my whereabouts from him. She may not be my sister of blood, but she is my sister just the same. I step into the kitchen to give them a moment while I dial my boss. Working with kids has become one of the most fulfilling parts of my life. The job kind of fell into my lap. There were three teaching helpers out at the same time one day when I dropped Ava off. The teacher was losing her mind, so I offered to stay and help.

I loved it so much I gave Ava's teacher my number. I didn't have the education to be a teacher, but I could at least help out when they needed me. One of the helpers quit, and I became a permanent part of the school. After a ten-minute phone call where my boss begged me to come back from Russia, I hung up the phone. I hadn't used any of my vacation time so taking off for two weeks wasn't a hard stretch. Especially after all the times I've stepped in when they needed me.

Honestly, keeping busy helped me keep my mind off a hot russian man who plagued my thoughts. "Is everything taken care of malyshka?" "Yes, what time will we leave tomorrow?" "Where are we going mama," Ava asks. Ivan turns and lifts our daughter into his arms. "Would you like to go to your Uncle Nickoli's wedding, princess," he asks. Ava immediately looks at me. I can see she desperately wants to say yes. I nod and she squeals. "Yes, papa. I even have a pretty dress to wear. It's pink with sparkles all over it," she says. "You will be the most beautiful little girl there. You will also get to meet my papa," he says.

"I have a grandpa," Ava says, almost in awe. "Yes you do. He is very excited to meet you. You are his first granddaughter," he says. "Mama, did you hear that? I have a grandpa," she says. "I did and he is a very nice man. He was always kind to mama," she says. I can see her wheels turning before she even asks the question. "Will I get to meet your mama, papa," she asks. "I'm not sure princess. How about if mama helps you get ready for bed and then papa can read you a story," he asks, changing the subject.

I know Alexandra isn't close to any of her children but she is still their mother. As long as she isn't cruel to my daughter, I don't care if they meet. I'm just about to open my mouth when Ivana reaches out to take my hand. Ivan sets Ava on her feet and she takes off down the hallway. Ivana pulls me along behind her. "Let Ivan handle my mother. If he doesn't want Ava around her, then I agree. She has never been a warm and fuzzy woman. Hell, she barely tolerated us. If not for Miram, we would be a bunch of entitled a**holes," Ivana says.

I can't disagree. Miram was lovely. She was always kind to me, just like Zakhar. Not that I spent a lot of time with either of them. I was mostly with Ivana when Ivan was busy. Twenty minutes later, Ava is dressed and sliding under her blankets. I try not to laugh when Ivan tries to lie next to her in the twin bed that is in the center of her room. He finally gives up and sits on the floor. It's comical seeing this huge man in a suit that probably costs more than my truck sitting on the floor of our daughter's room.

It doesn't take long for Ava to conk out with the excitement of the day. Ivan manages to get off the floor and presses a kiss on Ava's head. He steps into the hallway and reaches for my hand. "Thank you for letting Alexi and I stay here. My men aren't far, but I don't think we will need them since we are in the middle of nowhere," he says before lifting my hand and pressing a kiss on the back.

Before I can do something stupid, like offer him my bed so he doesn't have to share with Alexi, I rush past him and into my room. His deep masculine chuckle makes me want to go back out there and kick him in the shins. Damn that man, he knows the effect he still has on me.