"I can go in with you," Dominik rubbed his jaw as he admired his pretty wife.

Salina rolled her eyes, "Not a chance. Any time you're in the vicinity he's ten times the asshole that he already is." They were at the facility holding her father imprisoned, Dominik had it built specifically for this as it was in a remote location in Russia. Salina wasn't exactly a fan of the cold here but she could appreciate the discretion that it gave.

It looked like a simple warehouse at first glance but as they're sitting on the first floor, she knew her father was kept in the lower level. Dominik would have to wait up here while she went down to see her father. Salina watched his leg bounce up and down as he sat on the couch next to her. She pressed a hand to his knee gently, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I'll be alright," she whispered against his collar. Wrapping his arm around her, Dominik kissed her head.

"I know," he sighed as he pecked her temple when she pulled away.

"I'm not so easy to break y'know... when did you become a worry wart huh?" Salina cooed quietly as she kissed his face.

She stood up but he was reluctant to let go of her hand as she left, "Since you've infested every part of me, woman," he was only kidding a little bit.

Salina smirked, "Wow it's almost like you like me or something." Her brows quirked cutely as he rolled his eyes and slapped his hand on her ass while she turned away.

"I'll be back in a little bit," she promised. Reaching the steps down to her father, she took a deep breath as a guard opened the door for her. Thanking her, Salina began her descent.

She examined everything around her. It was kept nice, considering it was a prison. Everything was sterile as she came down, just as she got to the bottom of the steps she saw where her father was being kept. It was an all white room, a glass barrier between the glorified cell and the outside world. Her father was sat at a desk in gray attire, his back was to her.

"Lunch has already been sent down," Laurent grunted without turning around.

Salina hummed, "Was it to your liking?"

The man whipped around at the sound of his daughters voice, surprise was visible on his face. His widened eyes slowly slid shut, exhaling deeply.

"You surprised to see me?" Salina eyed him through the class wall.

"I figured you'd show your face eventually." The two last Beaumonts looked at one another. She tapped her neck, right under her chin.

"How's the neck?"

Laurent scoffed quietly, "He was centimeters away from killing me."

"But he didn't, you're welcome."

"Oh is that what I should do? Thank you for betraying me as your father and leading me to my demise? Leaving me to rot here?"

Salina rolled her eyes, moving a chair closer to the barrier and sitting across from him. She shot him a blank stare.

"You used me like a bartering chip and tried to snatch me back when you didn't get the best deal."

"He was going to take you anyway!" Laurent yelled as he flew from his seat.

"Don't fucking talk to me like that," Salina barked. Laurent's mouth snapped shut and the two's eyes clashed.

"Now sit down," Salina hissed. Slowly, he did so.

"Thank you," she tilted her head as she eyed him. "I came to check on you."

"How sweet," Laurent grunted as he turned away in his chair from her. "I'm fine if that's what you can call this. Maybe I can send you a fucking post card."

"If you're going to be a cunt the entire time then I'll leave."

Laurent rubbed his face roughly, looking back at his daughter again. Silenced engulfed the two of them. Their eyes met one another, "Do you regret it?"

Salina's sneered as she considered his question. "You act like this was my first resort- as if I was biding my time until I got the chance to lock you up and destroy what you built. You weren't going to stop unless someone made you."

"We could have worked something out," Laurent shook his head.

"If you had kept yourself in check we could have. You had me kidnapped, or you tried to. You were horrible before then too. There wasn't any compromising. I'm happy now with Dominik."

The silence was deafening for just a moment, Salina couldn't help the next works out of her mouth. "Mom would hate what you've done."

Her father swallowed hard, Salina saw his eyes get glassy. "You don't know anything. I was the one that stayed, I took care of you by myself."

"And you never let me forget it," Salina snarled. "I didn't have to come see you. I could never come back here, do you realize that? You can rot here, alone. Even though this prison is ten times nicer than Dominik intended to keep you in. This was all me."

Raking his fingers through his unkempt hair, Laurent nodded as he listened to what she said. He wiped at his eyes and nose roughly as he stood up to begin pacing. "I know, I know Selly."

"I'm walking down the aisle in a few months and I have nobody to walk me down. And that's on you, because I can't fucking trust you to step foot outside of this place without trying to ruin everything!" As her voice rose in volume it cracked with emotion.

By now, Laurent was teary eyed and his hands shook as he came closer to the glass barrier. He rest his palm against the glass as he looked at his daughter, his beautiful daughter that was the perfect combination of himself and his wife. "I'm sorry, Salina. I don't know what I can do from here to prove that to you."

After inhaling deeply, Salina had composed herself. Swallowing hard, she idled closer to the glass. "I'm not here for you to prove anything. I was here to see if you were healthy. Now that I know, I can go home."

"A-Are you going to come back?"

Salina looked at him, exhaling through her nose. "I'll be getting updates from the doctors staffed here on your health. I haven't decided about coming back yet," Salina paused as she turned to leave.

"Take care of yourself," she whispered while grabbing her phone. He couldn't see her eyes watering.

"I love you," he called after her as he followed after her as close as the cell would let him. Salina brushed her hair behind her ear but didn't spare him another glance as she made her way back to Dominik.

When she did get to her husband, Dominik's eyes flew to her figure immediately. Her head was high and her shoulders were squared but he knew his wife. He saw the slight tremble to her fingers and how her lip wobbled.

His arms opened seamlessly, her weight falling onto him. Salina burrowed her face into his shoulder while winding her arms around his neck. He leaned back in his chair while cupping the back of her head, kissing her temple softly.

"Мой милый малыш," he whispered against her smooth skin.

my pretty baby

He heard her sniffle, feeling her lashes get wet against his neck before her precious tears fell onto his skin.

Dominik glanced up to see the security of the prison still in their post, discreetly, he waved them off. His dark eyes watched them leave closely, once they were gone he craned his neck to get a good look at her. She stayed hidden in his chest while taking deep breaths.

"Want to talk about it?" Dominik nudged her cheek with his nose.

Salina's eyes were closed but still she leaned towards him and pecked his own cheek. "It's just hard," she whispered. The Russian man nodded sympathetically, inhaling at the base of her neck deeply.

"And he's still alive and I'm upset but-but your parents aren't even here anymore... And Domo it kills me knowing I'm partially responsible for that. I just don't want you to ever resent me for that a-and my dad is just stuck here alone and it never should have ended up this way-" Her rambles were shushed quietly. Dominik mouth brushed her own, soothing her as his eyes flickered over her flustered face.

"I didn't tell you about killing my parents until that day because I had already made up my mind. My parents and I have a long history before you ever entered the picture- they hated me, they abused me, and they neglected me. They made me the way that I am and they had to deal with those consequences."

He exhaled roughly, "To blame their death on yourself would ignore the two decades of torture. It was bound to happen- whether I fell in love with you or not. I was always going to kill them, they just made it easy for me. Because there is nothing I wouldn't do for you," he brushed her hair behind her ear.

Salina sniffled again, Dominik wiped at any tears or snot left behind. She nodded while peering up at him sheepishly through her lashes.

Dominik nodded with her, cracking a small grin. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she whispered before kissing him soundly. Cupping her face, he deepened the gesture of affection greedily.

"You did everything you could for him, you're my perfect girl and I know you'll always feel guilty for him- but you haven't done anything wrong. Especially not to him."

Salina scratched his scalp, feeling exponentially better. "I know, Domo."

"I know you know. So smart," he cooed. "So perfect," Dominik's eyes had a sparkly gleam in them simply from looking at her.

Inhaling deeply, Salina smoothed her thumbs over his cheekbones. "I don't want to come here again for a while. I want to focus on the wedding."

Grinning, Dominik nodded in agreement. "You're shopping for a dress in two days. Have you changed your mind yet?"

Salina snorted, "You can't come watch me pick it out. It's against the tradition, Ivanov."

"I make the traditions- Ivanov," Dominik shot back with a raised brow. Pouting her lip, Salina pinched his side.

"I said no." She huffed with finality. "Besides- you have to meet with the old Russians back at home. Even though you should postpone since everyone will be with me." She wished he'd wait to go with Lev since the older man was going dress shopping with her.

"I'll go even more crazy if I'm stuck at home while you're looking so beautiful. Everyone will be able to see besides me."

Scoffing at him, even though her arms tightened around him even more, Salina grinned at him. "Whatever- If you behave maybe you'll get pictures from the dressing room." She propositioned.

Suddenly Dominik was holding up the Boy Scouts symbol, "I'll be on my best behavior."

"You were never in the boy scouts Dominik!" Throwing her head back as she laughed, Dominik could only admire her in a stupor at how lucky he was.

•••

short chapter but a needed one! but ofc we have our fave couple loving on each other by the end

thoughts on laurent? and what we'll be seeing in the next few chapters?