Page 49 of Bound For You
She says, “I’ll call you later. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” I smile; her parents offered for me to join in on their celebratory meal.
As I look over her shoulder, I see all the Volkovs waiting, and I say, “Turns out I do have family.” I give her a smile. She turns to see who showed up for me and she grins. She kisses my cheek. “For what it’s worth Avs, I think you should give him another chance.” Then she winks and leaves, making me chuckle and shake my head at her. I look back toward Sergi, and he’s smiling gently at me while his family look nervous.
I walk over to them. When I get closer, I offer a mock glower, then grumble, “I’m pretty sure I told the office that I didn’t need any tickets anymore.”
Sergi smirks. “Hmm, and yet you have a family here wanting to see you graduate.” He sweeps his arm out toward his family,and they all smile at me. I can’t help my reaction, I cry; he doesn’t seem to realize what he’s given me today. And as much as I want to hate him for everything, my love for him shines through all of that in this moment. I run toward him and fling myself into his arms, and he catches me with ease. He picks me up so my feet dangle off the ground, while my bump is squished up against his stomach. I place my face in his neck, breathing in the woodsy scent that I’ve missed so much.
My tears fall as I whisper, “Thank you.”
He holds me tighter and kisses my head, murmuring, “Anything for you,dragotsennyy, anything. You deserve to have your family here with you to celebrate.”
He gently places my feet on the ground, then rearranges my cap and smiles. His hands gently cup my cheeks. Using his thumbs to wipe away my tears, he rasps, “We can’t take their place, we don’t want to. They’ll always be with you, but we are your family, too, Avs. I know I fucked up, badly, and I know your dad would have probably shot me for how I spoke to you that day, and would have castrated me when I did what I did. But I love you,dragotsennyy, so much. You’re my whole world, you and our twins are my family. You needed us here just as much as you wished they were here, too.” More tears fall, and he wipes them. He leans down and gently kisses my lips, once, twice, three times, before he places his arm around my waist and guides me over to his family. My family.
Phoebe rushes forward, and pulls me out of Sergi’s grip and hugs me. Our baby bumps bumping, making us both pull apart and giggle.
She pulls me in for another hug and whispers, “I’ve missed you, friend.”
I sniffle and I rasp, “Missed you too, friend.” We pull apart and smile at each other as Alexandr comes over and places a kiss to my head.
He says, “Congratulations,sestra.”
I tilt my head. “What does that mean?”
I see Sofia smile as she comes over and gives me a tight side hug.
My eyes go wide when Al replies, “Sister,” as Damian comes over and kisses my head, too.
He grins down at me. “Proud of you,sestra.” I look at him in shock and he just chuckles and shrugs. “You’re family, Avs. Did Sergi fuck up? Yeah, he did, it’s the Volkov way; we have a habit of fucking up to the point our women leave us. But that doesn’t make us less your family, though.” I hear Sergi snort while Sofia smacks Damian on the back of the head, and I smile a watery smile, making Damian’s and Alexandr’s eyes soften.
Maria and Dimitri walk over to me, and I smile, meeting them halfway. I hear the others gasp as I hug Dimitri first. He kisses the side of my head and says, “We’re so proud of you, Avery,” as Maria hugs me. When we pull apart, I smile at him as his wife touches my bump. She grins when one of the twins kicks her hand.
Sergi clears his throat, and we all look at him as he raises a brow. “Want to tell us what’s going on here?” Dimitri chuckles while Maria continues to feel the baby’s movements.
I shrug. “They came to see me, and they made me understand why they were so protective of you. You’re their son in every way but blood. I cannot fault them for that.” Everyone looks at us in shock, while Sergi smiles softly at me.
I sniffle. “I want to thank you all for coming. I miss my parents, severely, and I didn’t think I needed anyone here today. But I was wrong; you all being here makes the day feel even more special, and I….” I stop what I was saying when I notice a figure leaning against the tree, and rage takes over my body.
How dare he?
I feel Dimitri grip my arm and I look at him, he shakes his head.
“I didn’t tell him, Avery.”
I nod. I feel myself vibrating. He has no right being here. He left me, he denied me. The more my thoughts form, the angrier I get, and I storm toward him. He remains relaxed despite the anger showing on my face, and it pisses me off even more. I hear the others following me, Phoebe and Sergi calling my name, but I continue. I think it’s about time ‘Peter’ realized what his selfishness caused.
twenty-five
Sergi
WatchingAvery walk across the stage was amazing. I’m so proud of my girl. And when she saw us, her emotions shined, clear as day, happiness, love, and awe. She’s slowly coming back around, well, at least I think she is. I know I did wrong, fuck, do I know. I regret trying to distance myself from her, I regret making her my whore when she’s the only one who holds my heart, I regret how she found out about my identity with the Bratva and Mafia, I regret threatening to reunite her with her parents, and most of all, I regret fucking Mindy. I can’t change my actions, I can only try to make things up to her, and I’ve been trying for months now. I will get her back and when I do, she’ll be moving into the seven-bedroom Victorian house I bought for us near Damian and Sofia’s.
I’m standing here, watching my family treat her like one of us, hugging her and congratulating her, all while she tries to keep her emotions at bay, which isn’t easy with her being pregnant with twins. All of a sudden, she tenses. Dimitri grabs her arm and says something to her, but I can’t hear what hesays. I look at the others and they’re all frowning, too. Just as I walk forward, she bolts toward the back of the field. I follow, confused, with everyone right behind me. As we get near a massive oak tree, I notice Peter leaning up against it, and I hear Phoebe mutter, “Shit.”
I turn to look at Phoebe, but her eyes are focused on Peter. I turn in time to see him straighten, and my girl shoves him with all her might. I run toward her, and I wrap my arms around her, careful of the baby bump. I drag her into my chest. I feel her trembling against me.
She points in Peter’s face, and sneers, yes fucking sneers, “You’re not welcome here, I don’t want you here. Leave!” She shouts the last bit, and we all stand with our mouths gaping, while Avery uses my stunned state to get out of my arms, and she shoves Peter again.
“Stop!” he shouts.