Page 33 of Unholy Matrimony
Tension is building and when he doesn’t answer, I grab his arm and pull it behind his back, throwing him down onto the desk. He growls, with his face shoved into papers and other office supplies. “We didn’t want to stay and witness the embarrassment that is our daughter. Raisa needed to go home and pack. We sent her to a boarding school for girls, so she will not be accessible to Lina.”
Anger flares in my chest. This man is an absolute mudak3. Purposefully, keeping his daughters away from each other is vindictive. “Why? Afraid she will fall in love with someone in the Bratva too?” I ask. He shakes his head. “Net4, she has been raised better than that. We provided her with love. She would never fall for a criminal!” He pushes against my grip and I shove him back down.
“Better watch what you say, Nikolai. You’ve hurt Lina so badly that I am not so sure she will care if I take your life.” I pull my knife out and glide it down the side of his face. I push in just enough at his jugular to get my point across. “Let’s just get through the first drop and maybe we can… send you elsewhere,” a sadistic laugh rumbles from my chest. The twins laugh from across the room and Ilya says, “Malen’kaya Suka5 has pissed himself.”
Piss puddles underneath Nikolai, and I let go of him. Backing away, feeling satisfied with scaring him, I walk out of the office.
As I lay there and think of all the ways I could end Nikolai, Lina stirs. I pull her body into mine, wrapping my arms around her waist. She turns to face me. “Good morning, moy lev6. Have you been awake long?” I push her hair from in front of her face and pull her lips to mine. “Net7, not long. Did you sleep well, malyshka8?" I put my hand on her belly and asked, “Do you think there's a baby in there yet?” I say with yearning.
She places her hand on mine, taking a moment before saying, “I feel the same as always, but I’ve never been pregnant, so who knows?”
“We need to get up and get ready for Liturgy. Let's shower.” She climbs off the bed and pulls my hand for me to follow her. Why we are getting ready this early is beyond me. As we are standing in the stream of hot water I ask, “Why are we getting ready this early? Service isn’t until ten.”
She laughed, “Lenya, Divine Liturgy is at ten. Matins starts earlier at nine. I like to be there early in case I need to confess. Which, being your zhena9, means a lot of extra confessions and prayers.” The thought of her having to confess more makes me smirk. The pious wife trying to save the sinner husband.
After showering, we head to the closet and get ready. I watch Lina as she chooses a long green dress, but I notice she forgoes leggings. She turns to catch my eye. “You never know when moya lev10 will want to eat,” winking at me.
This woman is tempting me to eat her pussy in the church. She doesn’t know what she is asking. I don’t back down from a challenge.
I dress in a casual suit, matching my dress shirt as best I can to Lina’s green dress. Her smile when she sees my shirt matches hers, warms my heart. “Always trying to show that I am yours, even in the most subtle ways.”
You don’t even know the lengths I’d go to ensure every man knows you are mine.
After we finish up morning prayers, we both head to the foyer to put our coats on. I help her get hers on and while I get mine; she ties her platok around her head. Right as we are about to leave, I grab a piece of paper and scribble a note out for Alina. Letting her know not to expect us home for lunch and possibly not dinner. Lina reads over my shoulder. “Are we going to eat out for dinner?”
“If it's okay with you, lyubov11, I thought we’d have lunch with the twins and Mila. Then we will see where dinner leads us.” She nods her head excitedly. “I like Mila. I feel like we will be great friends.”
During the entire drive to the church, Lina talks about the things that she would like to change in the house. She wants to turn the room I offered her to stay in into a nursery for when we have a child. “Or maybe the baby could just stay with us. That way, when I have to wake to feed them, I won’t have to walk across the hall.”
She is radiant, and while I know that the chance of her getting pregnant, on the first try is low. It would be amazing if she was. One day I will take over for my father and the sooner I have an heir, the more secure it will be.
I find parking in the lot by the church, which is a miracle. “The perks of coming to service early,” she smiles. She reaches for her handle, and I tsk at her. “That is my job, Tsvetok12. You will wait until I open your door for you.” She huffs and mumbles under her breath, “I can open a door, though” The enjoyment I get from showing her how a real man treats his woman is indescribable.
She went so long, not knowing what it is like to be doted upon, to be loved and worshiped solely because she is a woman. It makes it fun. My mama would be proud that I treat her this way. All of her teachings were not in vain.
After getting out of the car, I push her against her door and kiss her. Not just a small peck, a “leaves you panting and panties wet” kind of kiss. “Lenya,” she moans into my mouth, “not before service.” She says this but doesn’t push me away. Drawing me closer to her, she fists my coat. Her lips parted, inviting my tongue to taste her.
Her hips ground into mine, so I pulled back. “Be a good girl, Lina,” I tease. “Can’t be having you all hot and bothered before Liturgy.” As I pull at her hand, she pouts. “Ne volnuysya, malyshka. YA proslezhu, chtoby o tebe pozabotilis' pozzhe.13”
Inside, the church is eerily quiet. I don’t think I have ever heard it so silent in here. Lina walks to the stand, purchases some candles, and grabs me by my hand. Once we enter the Nave, I lead her to the icon of Saint Anna. In a whispered voice, “This was my Mama’s favorite icon. I always say a prayer for her and ask Saint Anna to watch over me.” Lina takes two candles and lights them, passing one to me. We both say a silent prayer for my mama.
People have trickled in and found spots close to the iconostasis. Lina motions for us to find a spot. I kiss her hand and she heads to her spot on the women’s side. Probably one of the most irritating things about the rules of the church is that men and women are on a different side for worship. It's to keep us focused on the service and not the women next to us. It does not accomplish that for me. Sure, I can focus more on Father Ireni, but I am still looking over at Lina every few moments.
Matins drags on and finally, Father finishes and comes out. He is shaking hands with parishioners and offering blessings to some. He stops at Lina, and she says something to him that makes him smile. They head over to the confessional stand, in front of the icon of Christ. She takes a good ten minutes confessing. While it's rude to watch someone confess, I can’t help it. I watch my zhena 14kneel to receive her absolution. Once she finishes, she walks back to her spot. Father Ireni makes eye contact and I get the gist. Guess it's my turn.
I meet the walk over to Father Ireni with stares from other parishioners. I have never made a public confession. They have always been in private, in Father Ireni’s office. So, this is probably a site for some to see. The Bratva Prince making a public confession. “Good morning Father. Time for another riveting confession from your favorite sinner.” I hit him with a charming smile.
“Confess your sins to Christ, Leonid.” his expression showing his annoyance. I know I am his favorite.
“I have continued with my less-than-saintly job working with my father, which includes gambling. Gambling is still a sin right, Vladyka.15” He nods, already looking fed up with my lax-back attitude. “Right, while at my job yesterday I scared the piss out of my father-in-law because he left our wedding without saying goodbye, and let's be honest, he is just a kusok der’ma16.”
“Lenya, please,” I noticed he used my nickname instead of my given name. I am really on his nerves. “Are you finished?” he asks. I nod my head yes and he tells me to kneel for absolution. He prays for my absolution and waves me off.
I make it through the hour-and-a-half-long service, only by staring at Lina for the majority. Lina was distressed that she didn’t see her sister anywhere. The truth has to come out at some point. I just don’t know how I am going to disappoint my wife. When she finds out they sent her sister away, it will rip her heart in two. When it breaks her, then I will really have to kill her father. Nobody hurts my Tsvetok17. It will not faze me one bit, but I don’t want her to have that on her conscious.
I meet her at the doors to the Nave, and we walk to the parish hall together. I spot Oleg, Mila and Ilya. They are standing in a corner, drinking tea and chatting. We make our way over and Mila’s face brightens when she sees Lina. She meets Lina and takes her over to the tea and food, knowing they are going to chat about women's things. Oleg hands me a cup of tea. I nod in gratitude. “So they didn’t show up, huh?” Ilya asked.
“Net18, I’m sure they won’t be coming back to the parish as long as Lina and I attend here.” Scratching the back of my head, I look over and see Lina is happy, talking to Mila and a few other women.