Skimming her fingers over the rim of her glass, Salina watched their dinner guests.

They were having a monthly meeting with the underbosses of each mafia. Angelo, Santiago, and Ronan all sat with them.

Aleksei and Dima joined them, along with Lev and Vivienne.

Her cheek pressed against Dominik's shoulder. On her other side sat Lev as usual.

All of the business was wrapping up and Salina couldn't help but be glad they were eating at their own house, because she was so tired from all the food she'd just eaten.

As everyone chattered, Dominik who was tipsy by now leaned down into her. His nose nuzzled her jaw before swooping into plant a hard kiss against her mouth.

Groaning softly, Dominik was greedy as he brushed his tongue against the seam of her lips.

Frowning, Salina pulled away while sticking her own tongue out. "You taste like vodka."

"You love vodka," he huffed as he pecked her glossed lips again.

"I hate vodka, I like-"

"Hennessy I know. But it's the drink of my homeland," Dominik practically whined at her between smoky kisses.

She giggled before pushing his face away while purposefully taking a long drink of water as he rolled his eyes. "Well do you want henny or what, cолнышко. Why won't you get drunk with me?"

With a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes, she cleaned up his lips and pulled him back into his seat when he tried to leave to get her the drink she didn't want.

"You both make me sick," Aleksei gagged for extra measure as he taunted his older cousin.

With a smirk that mirrored her husband's with scary similarity, the two of them looked at Aleksei. Her hands cupped Dominik's jaw as he immediately gripped her hips down to her ass as they practically sealed themselves together while shoving their chairs together.

"So you're jealous hm?" Salina grinned as she pet Dominik's hair obnoxiously.

"Of that? Hell no."

"So when you lay down at night next to Vivienne you don't beg her to recreate our most iconic moments?"

Dominik barked out laugh at his wife's question. Aleksei huffed, purposefully drawing Viv under his arm. "We're perfect how we are, right Золотце?

darling

"We're alright," Vivienne shrugged while patting his chest. But she could barely keep a straight face at his offended look. "Kidding, kidding I adore you."

He grumbled, kissing her smooth, dark skin seamlessly anyway.

"I don't see you celebrating two years of marriage though, pussy," Dominik lifted Salina's left hand and flaunted both their rings.

Aleksei balked, "How does that even count! You met the same day!"

"And look at us now!" Together, they flipped off Aleksei with wide arrogant grins. Salina stuck her tongue out mockingly.

Salina had began kneeling in her chair to lean her chest against Dominik's shoulder. Hugging him tightly, she kissed the top of his head as he patted her butt. Lifting his vodka to his lips, he finished the drink.

"You're all giving me a headache, children," Lev finally chimed in.

"I bet I can make it worse," Dominik burped into his fist as he grew drunker the longer the conversation went on.

"I have no doubt you can, son."

Dominik frowned, always rolling his eyes when Lev would call him that even if everyone knew he appreciated it deep down.

"Lev when are you getting a girlfriend? These boys need a mom, I'm tired of lecturing them," Salina plopped herself into her husband's lap. She looked at the older man expectantly.

"You wouldn't let me call you mommy, Жизнь моя?"

my life

While the entire night had been hectic and you can never really predict what will come out of Dominik's mouth, that one did catch her off guard. Nearly slipping off her chair, Dominik kept her steady with a salacious smirk on his face.

"You're a freak," she giggled softly as she fell back into his chest.

"Just for you."

Snorting, she finally pushed at him and stood up to grab her plate, "You're laying it on thick now. Attend to your guests."

His eyes slid to everyone at the table, narrowing his eyes in annoyance when he saw all of them practically begging to be dismissed. "Leave." Dominik gripped Salina's plate from her hand and his own. "You three can leave, my family can stay I suppose. If you need to. Or don't then my wife and I can make better use of the table."

Smacking his cheek lightly as she passed him to help Lev clean up. "If you don't have anything productive to say shush, handsome."

Vivienne helped Salina into the kitchen with all the men cleaning the table up. "Dominik is in rare form tonight," her best friend giggled while beginning to wash the dishes.

Huffing dramatically, "I swear it's like he's ovulating or something. If men could he would be, ever since I got the IUD out last month. He's even crazier now, you'd think he was the one getting pregnant."

"I didn't think Dominik could ever be crazier."

Both the women looked at each other sideways, bursting into a fit of laughter. "Y'know I'm surprised you even agreed to date Aleksei. That shit is genetic, he's got the crazy too even if it's not Domo level crazy."

"Trust me, I know," Vivienne scoffs. "He's like a man possessed. He's so...

"Obsessed," they both said at the same time. They nodded knowingly at each other.

"He's treating you good? It's been a few months of actual dating, no slip ups yet?"

Vivienne tilted her head in thought, Salina watched a small smile tug at her painted lips.

"It's been really good. He's been proving himself, when I gave him a chance I half expected it to go to shit but it hasn't and I don't think he'll let it." Aleksei felt freeing for Vivienne. She'd never gotten to experience so many things, throwing herself into work as soon as she was healthy enough to do so.

She was reserved where he was wild. But he took baby steps with her, always watching her and staying in tune with what she needed. Sometimes things she didn't even know she needed.

And Vivienne had worried as the months went on if he'd loose the excitement of finally getting the girl he wanted or the little adventures they'd take, but he seemed to crave the early nights at his place even more than she did.

He'd beg her for a lazy day in her apartment whenever they could afford it just so they could lay in bed a little longer with each other. That's when she realized he might be a little more serious than she'd given him credit for.

Salina nodded, satisfied with the answer. She had already spotted a pair of scissors that she planned to cut up Aleksei's clothes with depending on Vivienne's answer.

"I'm scared he might cheat one day though..."

Salina's eyes widened at the admission, turning towards her quickly to ask what gave her that impression.

Vivienne nearly flinched at the flash of anger and quickly explained herself, "He's been with so many other girls, I guess. I haven't been with a lot of people at all, I just worry I'm not enough. I'm worried I'll become boring, if that makes sense."

With her eyes narrowed at the plate Salina was scrubbing aggressively, "Vivienne you are one of the most captivating and caring people I've ever met. I know it and I can see it on Aleksei's face every time he looks at you. He had bad habits before and I know I didn't like him for you but for you to even think that about yourself pisses me off."

Wincing at her angry friend, she went to calm her down but Salina continued. "I'd murder him if he did that to you. And I don't mean that exaggeratedly. Or we could ruin his life with him still alive, I have all of their social security numbers written down we could steal-"

"Selly, I love you." Vivienne cut her off while scooting closer to wrap her arms around the irritated woman. "It's just an insecurity of mine. I've always felt like that and I'd feel like this even if I was with another man. Ever since I got sick, I just worried if I'd ever be enough for someone else. But I do love that we have a plan."

Finally, Salina's tense shoulders relaxed and she nodded. "You're worth a thousand times more than you give yourself credit for, Viv."

Both the women looked at each other, Vivenne smiled gratefully while knocking her temple against Salina's shoulder. But she jumped just a moment later, startled.

"Even more than that, apparently," the smooth voice of Aleksei caught them both off guard. Salina glanced over her shoulder to see Aleksei looked at Vivienne with quite a heated look. One that she would recognize if her husband was wearing it at the moment.

"Alek-"

"Let's go home, yeah Золотце? Got some things to remind you of."

Vivienne shivered as heat spread within her, nodding meekly, she gave Salina a kiss on the cheek goodbye before being dragged into her boyfriend's tight embrace and they made their way home.

As the night settled down, she heard Lev and Dima in the living room. If they were here at this hour she figured they'd be staying the night.

"Aleksei and Vivienne seemed in a rush to leave," her husbands voice nearly startled her. Glancing over her shoulder, she wasn't surprised when he came in close to hold her from behind. He groped at her hips while resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Yeah I think he's got plans for the rest of the night," Salina snorted.

Dominik only hummed, swaying back and forth as he brought his hands up to her tummy. He rubbed over her lower stomach purposefully.

"I have house chores for us tomorrow," Salina grinned up at him.

He hummed, gripping her hips and abruptly lifting her atop of the counter.

"Well I have chores for us tonight," he growled softly. Salina giggled before giving him a dramatic gasp.

"Is that all I am to you now, a chore? Is this what two years has done to us?" Her glossy lips pouted out at him teasingly while clutching his shoulders.

"My poor baby," he cooed with a wild grin on his face. His low lidded eyes practically glaring down at her with want. "A chore isn't something you want to do over, and over, and over again. That's what I'd like to call a privilege."

Throwing her head back with a laugh, she relished in the soft, sensual kisses he dragged up her neck.

"I've gotta send off Dima tomorrow, after that we'll do whatever you want, hm?"

A frown tugged on her lips, Dima was being sent out to run a small operation on behalf of Dominik. He'd be working closely with a new family absorbed into the Ivanov empire.

Kissing the frown, he pressed their foreheads against one another. "I know, my Salina. He will not be gone long."

Sighing, she nuzzled into his shoulder. She felt a pang in her chest at the thought of any Ivanov boys being too far away from the family they've grown into.

"I just hate when any of you leave, why can't someone else go?" Salina knew she sounded like a brat but she couldn't help it in the moment.

Dominik rubbed her slender back softly, kissing her temple since it was all he could reach. "He's earned more responsibility. It's what he wants, he doesn't want to sit under our wing all of the time. In reality, if we weren't so close he'd never stay in one place with his high ranking."

A whine bubbled from the back of her throat but she knew he was right, she nodded once in acknowledgment. Dima and Aleksei felt like her brothers just as much as they felt like Dominik's.

These past two years have taught her that she actually is clingy as all hell.

"How about I help you take your mind off things tonight, hm?" Dominik hummed softly in her ear. "I'll tire you out so you won't even think about worrying, pretty. Then we'll see him off in the morning together."

Sighing heavily, Salina nodded into his strong body. "Well when you put it like that..." She whispered with a reluctant grin.

Craning his neck down, Dominik planted a hard kiss on her before deliberately meeting her sad gaze. He hated that look.

But this was one thing he could not remedy so easily, Salina was very protective over what they've created. The Ivanov's were her only family that she could trust and love freely without the worry of it being reciprocated since before her mother left.

He knew this would be hard on all of them, truth be told this was the closest they've all ever been. And it was thanks to Salina tying them all together. It would be weird not having Dima right by his side with Aleksei on the other.

Now, Dima would be flying back and forth. But they would make it work, he knew that much.

Salina was too persistent for any other option.

~~~

Salina smiled as she watched Dominik move things around in her art room. Her eyes trailed around the room, wondering what exactly she'd change next.

"I was thinking about redoing it," she kicked her feet as she sat on the decor table as Dominik lifted her couch.

Immediately, he dropped it and looked at her with a raised brow. He'd shed his work shirt and stood in a black singlet and his slacks, Salina happily took in the view as he looked at her exasperatedly.

"I just moved this couch to three different spots and you want to redo the room?"

Her head tilted to the side, wondering where the problem was.

"You look handsome," she nibbled on her pouty bottom lip while admiring him.

Immediately, any irritability left his frame as he shot her a smirk. "Sweet talking me, eh wife? You want something hm?" He looked her up and down suggestively.

Salina looked up in thought, she hummed softly. "No I'm just thinking about all the furniture we'll have to buy."

"So you want something just not for me to fuck you."

"I mean I'd never say no to you," she giggled cheekily while drawing him in close after he got within her reach. Her arms wound around his shoulders, legs hitching at his hips.

He met her gaze, waiting for her to finish.

"But I think this furniture sounds pretty good too," she snorted at her own joke as Dominik rolled his eyes.

"Ha, ha, furniture is more important than your husbands cock. Just what every man wants to hear."

"Did I hurt his feelings?" Salina pouted while reaching down to soothe over his groin through his slacks teasingly.

He moaned softly while brushing his nose against her own, leaning in to finally plant his lips against hers.

"He'll live I guess. Now, how much are we spending on redoing this room huh?"

"I'm not sure, first we'd have to pick a theme, baby."

"We? I told you, my love, this room is your own space. I don't want to take anything away from you."

They eyes held an intimate stare as she brushed her thumb along his cheek. "If everything goes to plan you'll be spending a lot more time in here, hun."

"I'll be wherever you'll be, always."

She cracked a smile but knew he still wasn't catching on.

"I already know a few things we'll have to get. But they need to be perfect," her eyes lit up with excitement at the thought of shopping.

"Yeah what's that?" he rasped while resting his nose in the crook of her neck.

"A crib to start. I'd like a rocking chair- oh a changing table of course."

And then there was a delayed silence, as if a pause was put on the both of them. Salina wasn't even sure she heard Dominik take a breath.

"Crib?"

"Mhm. This is the closest bedroom to us after all."

His hands clutched at her thighs, as if she were to disappear at this very second if he didn't hold her tight.

His shoulders hunched against her, his head falling from her neck into her chest. One of his hands lifted from her chubby thigh to her wide hip where he clutched it with equal intensity.

Salina blinked at the tears lining her water line, she kept them from falling for now as she rubbed his back gently.

She felt his reaction more than she could see it, his breaths deepened as his fingers trembled against her, she could feel his heart thud against his ribs.

And then, she felt him holding his breath. After a moment she tapped him lightly, "Breathe Domo."

And at the command, he let out a gasping breath that was rasped with a shaky sob.

He lifted his head where she could see the tears falling down his smooth skin. His cheeks were flush with emotion and Salina couldn't bear to hold back her own.

She sniffled while wiping his tears away. Dominik's calloused fingers cleaned her own away dutifully.

"Вы подарите нам ребенка?" he croaked.

you will give us a baby?

"Yes," she nodded with a watery laugh. "Our own baby, Dominik."

He grasped the sides of her face, pressing their foreheads together. His eyes flickered down her damp face, leaning down and smashing their lips together.

"Baby, baby, baby," he murmured between their endless kisses.

"I'm not your only baby anymore," she squealed quietly.

Dominik growled happily under his breath, lifting her up easily. "Fuck- fuck we fuckin' did it. Think I can fuck another one in there? We can have two for one, god."

Salina was so smothered by him and his lips that she was gasping in her laughter. They were rushed to their bedroom, Dominik stumbled over his own feet so they could crash into the mattress.

Dominik's hands were frantic, he shoved her up into the middle of the mattress. Then he was lifting her dress and practically examining her womb.

There was no noticeable differences of course, Dominik would know obviously as he'd studied her body as if it was a religion.

But he did know her breasts have been swollen and sensitive because he'd been torturing them whenever he got his hands on them. Only because he loved how she squirmed and whined.

God, her pretty tits. Her breasts that would feed their babies. He groaned loudly, kissing over her soon to be swelling tummy.

"We need a doctor's appointment tomorrow. What symptoms made you take the test? H-Have you been nauseous? Baby why haven't you told me if you've been feeling-"

Salina held his neck, smiling gently up at him while kissing his jaw.

"Look at me," she brushed her thumb over his cheek. "I feel amazing. For now. It was a missed period and some light nausea- I'm only a month along which is earlier than other people catch it. I had a hunch but was able to take a test this morning. We're on top of it, we'll do good."

"I'm so fucking happy," his voice cracked under the heavy weight of his emotions "I ever tell you how thankful I am for you? I don't know what I'd do without you. Without ever meeting you I'd be nothing-"

"Domo," Salina leaned up to cut him off with a long kiss. "You know I don't like to hear that."

"You complete me, I'd be nothing without you. This family would be nothing without you and now it's growing all thanks to you. God knows I don't trust Aleksei or Dima to procreate successfully."

Gasping softly, she smacked his shoulder. "Dont talk bad about your hypothetical nieces and nephews."

"They wouldn't be nieces or nephews they are not my brothers."

Salina frowned tightly, "I don't like your attitude."

"Don't like my attitude, baby?" Dominik hovered his lips over her own.

Nodding with a pout, she continued. "You don't want our baby to have Uncles that love them?" Her bottom lip trembled. "What about Lev, our baby won't have a grandfather then too I guess?"

Her voice shook with utter sadness and her eyes went glossy. Dominik's own went wide as he opened his mouth.

"Our baby will have no family be-besides us!"

"No, no, no you're right. That was stupid of me. The boys are my family just like Lev is, you know that. Our children will call them as much."

Salina's lips tilted up into a smile almost immediately. The tears in her eyes drying up.

Dominik hovered over her, examining her face with squinted eyes. "Was that you playing me or hormones?"

Salina wiggled underneath him to try and get free but he wouldn't allow it, cocking his head down at her. "I think it was both but the intention was there."

He snorted before dropping himself down to kiss over her cheeks that hurt from smiling so much.

Sliding his hand up, he cradled the back of her head as he tilted his head down to inhale her sweet scent. With her in his arms, the two settled into a serene silence.

"I'll call for a doctors appointment tomorrow. Would you like to look at furniture afterwards? This next week I'll have Lev take over, with Dima gone it might be hectic though."

Salina's eyes popped open, huffing in amusement. "You don't need to take the week off, honey. It's alright, I'll help you in the office like usual."

"No," he shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I'll just have Lev handle the meetings- We have to call him and tell him-"

Dominik itched to tell Lev, he couldn't hide the smile on his face even if he wanted to.

Rubbing his shoulders gently, Salina almost had to reel in his excitement. "Don't you want to tell him in a cute way, hm handsome? I found out this morning but I had an idea that I was and couldn't wait to tell you with a surprise."

"You are the only surprise I need." Once again, their mouths found each other as if they were moths to the ever burning flame between the two of them. "Okay... How...How do we surprise him?"

Salina turned the two around, sat atop his burly, tattooed chest. "We could get him a gift bag with like a onesie in it... Maybe a cake or something like that. We'll have to call Dima and invite Aleksei over so they can all find out together I guess."

Dominik nodding with his entire attention on her, mulling over her ideas for consideration.

"I can teach them all they need to know," he soon was distracted as he pulled up her dress back up.

"Not all. They can wait to learn a few things, my love."

His dark eyes flickered to hers momentarily, "No, the sooner they learn the better. They are an Ivanov, they need to know how to defend themselves."

Salina hummed, leaning forward to kiss his temple as he still rubbed and admired her womb. "I can compromise on self defense but I want them to have a proper childhood."

Before she had even finished speaking, Dominik was nodding in agreement. Flickering his eyes up to her, he couldn't help tugging her down against him gently. A throaty chuckle bubbled at the back of his throat. Hugging her tight, Dominik burrowed his face into her neck.

"I love you with every fiber of my being," he kissed over her skin.

"I wouldn't want to have babies with anyone else," Salina pressed her lips gently against his ear.

The two laid like that for a while, Salina knew Dominik would feel the innate urge to run his hands all over her body as if to reassure himself she was real and with him.

It wasn't until she felt and heard her stomach growl that the two parted. Dominik wrenching back as if he'd hurt her. Sighing, Salina began scooting off the bed only for Dominik to drag her onto his side.

Grunting, he held her thighs as he trailed his eyes over her figure. "Stay. What do you want from the kitchen?"

A single brow shot up on Salina's face. "I don't know yet I have to look at what we have."

When she tried to move again, Dominik once again managed to block her exit. "Whatever you want- doesn't matter if it's in the kitchen I'll get it, pretty."

Groaning loudly, she locked her legs around his hips to yank him closer when he left to get her food.

"We're not doing this for nine months, babe. Let's get it together and also acknowledge that your cooking skills are limited."

Scowling, Dominik knew he was only confident in certain Russian dishes and very low effort meals but that was an easy fix.

"Well that will change." He huffed with a determined nod.

Whining dramatically on the mattress, Salina squirmed around uselessly- knowing she'd never escape him.

"I can go down!"

"No."

"Let me live!"

"Not without me."

"You're insufferable."

Dominik grinned wolfishly as he gripped her hips, "You're beautiful." He tugged her up so he could carry her down in the perfect compromise.

With her curls flying every where with how he dragged her up, he could admire her glowing chocolatey skin with a smirk.

Salina cupped his face with a smile she couldn't hide. Pursing his lips herself, she kissed them softly. "Seriously though, we're not doing this every time."

••••••

eeeeeee🤭🤭 i'm back and if everything goes to plan ill be back consistently!!

how did we love this epilogue? we got out first bay ivanov on the way, i thought the reveal was super cute let me know ur thoughts!!

i plan to write more in the next epilogue about the pregnancy and their growing family <3 and maybe we will hear more about what Dima is up to 😗😗 i'm sure we'd all like to know hehe

!!!!!

and finally!! i'm so happy to announce that tmmr (fingers crossed) Misfire- Gunner's love story will be releasing. Chapters should be updating starting tmmr June 12!! i'm so so excited for everyone able to read the story and give feedback

i was so worried it wouldn't live up to Mayhem and the love for it, but i'm hopeful that everyone will enjoy it!!