I put the couch between me and my brothers to save my face, not save face. Katya and I made the best deal we could. I wasn’t ashamed of what we accomplished when it could have gone the other way. This wasn’t perfect, but it was the hand I was dealt, and I intended to make everyone a winner.

“I need one thing, and it’s all over.”

“No,” Alex said. “No deal. Rafe is the only one who hasn’t been damaged by Dad and his dealings. Don’t be the one who changes that. There’s no rewind or restart in this life. He’s managed to come out clean. Let him stay that way.”

“Can we sit down and talk about this? I need one thing. It’s not that big of a deal. Once I deliver this one thing to Sergei, we are out for good.” I stared at the cushions on the couch and debated whether I should sit or run.

Rafe flopped into the chair while Alex fell into the sofa. I took the safe route and sat on the sofa arm as far away from both of my brothers as possible.

I ignored Alex and looked at Rafe. “It’s simple paperwork.”

“How simple, and what kind of paperwork?” Rafe twisted the cap off his beer and took a long pull.

“No way. He’s not doing anything.” Alex raised his voice.

Faye peeked around the corner. “Anyone need ice?”

“Or Band-Aids?” Katya added.

They both stood in the doorway and watched for a minute. When no one asked for first aid, they went back to the kitchen.

Rafe got up and paced the room. He looked at Alex. “I’ll do it.”

“I said no.” Alex rose.

I moved back behind the sofa.

Rafe frowned. “You don’t get to choose. While I’m not thrilled about losing my license after going to school for years, I realize I’ve never paid my dues for this family.” He grabbed a third beer and twisted the cap. The hiss of carbonation broke the silence. “Dad sent me to law school for this. He wanted me to represent our family when we were in trouble. I was supposed to be the secret weapon. But how good is the weapon if you never fire it?”

“No,” Alex repeated.

Rafe challenged him. “You don’t get to decide for all of us. I’ll do it this one time, but don’t ever ask me to break the law again.”

“How do you know I’m asking you to break the law?” I asked.

“Come on, you’re a Wilde, and lawlessness runs in your veins. I know you’re not asking me to draw up a will.”

I laughed. “You’re not too far off the mark.”

While Alex sat and scowled at us, I told Rafe what we’d need to exit our life of crime for good.

“Give me a week. I’ll have it ready, but don’t ever ask me to help again. I love you, and I understand you love Katya, but I don’t get it. No woman is worth this. However, we are family, and family is worth everything.”

Rafe left Alex and me in the living room. I wasn’t certain I’d avoided an ass kicking until he asked, “Did you get the hair?”

And that’s how the subject of Sergei ended and Liam began. I rushed to the bathroom and plucked the hair from the tile. I emptied the baggie of water that held ice days ago and put the single strand inside. When I returned, everyone was moving toward the dining room. On a big platter sat Stella’s pot roast Italian style.

Out of respect for me, Alex left the seat at the head of the table open. As I walked by him, I slid the baggie into his jacket pocket. The rest of the night was spent the way it should be, dining with my family and making love to my fiancée. Or soon to be fiancée; all I needed was the ring and a yes.

The next day, I left Katya asleep in bed. My poor girl hadn’t gotten much rest in days, and last night was no exception. Once my family left, we popped a bottle of champagne and celebrated our good luck.

I was still angry that she’d snuck out of the house, but without that information about Sergei and Timur, my family would have been trapped into a life of crime. There was one more hurdle to clear, and that was coming to terms with Katya’s heritage. Here was a woman born Russian, who would marry Italian, and was really Irish if my gut feeling was right.

While she slept, I read her mother’s journal and wanted to weep for her. My mother always said that life was preordained, which meant that everything that happened was for a reason. What if I was the reason Katya’s mother died and she was forced to stay in Las Vegas? If I was preordained to be hers, I had a lot to make up for because my woman suffered plenty while she waited for me.

Stella was in the kitchen when I walked in. “Is she ready for breakfast?”

I kissed her on the cheek because she was always there for me. “No. She’s sleeping. It’s been a taxing couple of weeks for her.”

Stella nodded. “Your mother would have liked her.”

“Do you like her?” It was important to me that Stella approve, but if she didn’t, I would still choose Katya because she was my future.

“I do. She’s strong and sensitive. She’ll make a good mother. She’ll be a lioness and a kitten.”

The thought of our children warmed my insides. I’d been hoping to plant my seed inside Katya this whole time so when I proposed, she couldn’t possibly say no, but those thoughts were dashed when she told me we were safe because she had the shot. I made a commitment that day to make sure she missed her next appointment.

“She’s a good woman.”

Stella smiled. “And I’m plumping her up for you.”

I laughed. Stella once told me that a skinny girl was a waste of time. Dating one was like milking a bull. “You’re doing well in that department.” I’d noticed that Katya’s stomach and hips had rounded. Her thighs cushioned my hips when settled between them. Her breast had barely filled my fingers but now filled my hands. “She loves your pancakes.”

“I shall make them now. Where are you off to this morning?”

I gave her a hug. “To buy a ring and make her mine.”

“Make it big.”

I kissed her cheek again. “You want everything plump.”

She smiled and went back to cooking.

I visited at least a dozen jewelry stores before I found the perfect setting. It was a massive square yellow diamond set in a halo of smaller diamonds. It was far from traditional, but it was unique and named fire and ice, which was exactly how I saw my future wife.

While she would always have the cold Siberian edge from her Russian side, she also had the warmth of another running through her veins.

When I got home, I found Katya in the closet. She stood looking at a white dress. “Did you buy a new dress?” I came behind her and kissed her neck.

“No, this was supposed to be my wedding dress to Sergei.” She reached out and touched the soft fabric. “I hated that I had to buy it.”

I reached for the hanger. “Let’s get rid of it.”

“No, while I didn’t want to marry Sergei, I do love this dress.”

“It’s perfect, then.” I turned her around and kissed her before I dropped to one knee. “I didn’t expect to do this in the closet, but does it matter where I ask you to be mine forever?”

Her blues brightened, if that was even possible. “Are you…?”

I took her right hand in mine and kissed it. “I am, so listen carefully because I don’t want there to be any confusion.” I took the little white box from my pocket and listened to her gasp. “Katya Anya, will you be my partner in love and life? Will you stay with me through thick and thin? Will you have my children and my heart?”

“Ask the real question, Matteo.”

I opened the box to show the diamond I’d chosen for her. “Will you marry me?” I waited and waited while she stared at the ring. “This is when you say ye—”

She dropped to her knees and kissed me. “Yes, a thousand times, yes.”

I placed the ring on her finger. No one would mistake her for single ever again. “You’ve got the ring and the dress. I can have us married in an hour.”

She looked down at her finger. “It’s perfect, but I have to wait. I have a father who doesn’t know I exist. I want to give him a chance to be a father if he chooses. A father should give his daughter away the right way. With her permission. Can we wait until I can at least give finding him an honest chance?”

How could I deny her? While an hour from now sounded better to me, I knew the wait wouldn’t be long. Alex had put a rush on the results, and it would only be days until we knew for certain.

“Yes, sweetheart. We’ll wait for your father. I have a feeling he’s going to be thrilled to know you.”