The Trade

by Elizabeth Knox

  I'm fucking thrilled about our future together. Our very long future. And I will fucking make sure that nobody fucks with my family. It will be a long life together.

  I walk into the kitchen to see her taking it over. I like the way she looks so comfortable there with her hair piled on top of her head, wearing clothes that she bought on a recent shopping trip with her best friend. A trip I funded because I knew she needed it. She looks like she belongs here. Like she is at home. I want this to be her home.

  Natasha has two burners going on the stove. There are ingredients spread across the counter. She seems not to be paying attention to her surroundings, me included. I don't even think she knows that I've walked into the room.

  I am careful to not get burned again while I remove the cooking utensils from her hand and place them safely on the countertop. Full attention on me now, she turns around to face me. I press my body up against her and I can feel the heat radiating off her.

  My lips land on hers, roughly parting them so that my tongue can slide inside. Somehow, it is like I'm chasing her for the very first time. Just knowing that she's carrying my child makes everything with her feel brand new.

  My hands are on her, even though she's got something boiling and something on the stove. I hope I haven't ruined a meal. But I think I'm going to indulge in a little bit of dessert first. I do after all, have an unquenchable sweet tooth.

  I lift her onto the countertop just like she weighs nothing and wonder how long it will be before I can't do this, before she has that wonderful bump on her.

  Like this Natasha is actually at eye level. I'm not trying to get to her eyes, though, or even her face. Instead, I lift her chiffon shirt to look at her stomach which is already slightly rounded. It's not something you can see through her clothes, but it's there.

  My lips go down to her stomach, kissing it many times. I know that I'm not just kissing her but also the child that we have together that's inside of her. Funny how the miracle of life does not exactly hit you until you know that someone around you is growing a life inside of them.

  “I need you to know this. I want this. I want this baby, I want us, and I want a future together. I want a future with you. I wanted it before there was a deal with your father or I knew you were having my baby. This, however, makes it so much sweeter. And I have to tell you something else before I can’t because you know I'm a chicken-shit when it comes to this shit. Fuck, I can't believe I'm going to say this because I've never said it to anyone, but I am in love with you, Natasha. I'm so damn in love with you and your fiery personality.”

  “You… you love me?” Natasha asks, blinking as if she doesn’t believe what she is hearing. It makes sense considering I have let my alpha attitude as the leader of a Clan get in the way of us and what I need to say to her so many times. I have let the strong part of me silence the part I believed to be weak. The thing is, I know better now. It takes strength to be in love and to make something work, and I am going to be so fucking strong for the two people I now love the most. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, or what they look like. I love that child already because it is mine and because it is hers.

  I see the tears begin to fall from her eyes. I have just given her power over me in some way. She wipes her tears and sniffles. “I am so sorry I don't know what's come over me. It must be the hormones,” she tells me, looking embarrassed. I know she's not the type of girl that usually just cries at things, especially like this. It probably is the hormones, but this is an important moment for us. We are going to remember this day for the rest of our lives.

  “There is no need to be sorry. If this is a part of the process, then I am all for it. But even if it isn't, I know you are strong. I am grateful for that. And even if you don't feel the same way yet I am confident that you will because I know I am going to get us there.”

  “No, it is not like that. I have known since you brought me here that I was falling in love with you. That is why it hurt so damn much when I figured out that you had been lying to me about who you were. That is why it was so hard for me to reconcile the fact that you were these two men, the monster that killed my uncle, and the man who'd been so sweet to me that connected with me so well. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am now. Where I can feel safe and comfortable with you. I still don't think we are where we were before, but I don't know if we ever will be or need to be there again.

  I think this is more than that, something worth fighting for. I want you in my child's life. And it isn't just because that would be convenient, even though it is. It's because I think I am in love with you too. No, I know I am in love with you. But please don't use that against me,” she says to me, and my heart swells bigger than I ever thought it could. Hell, sometimes I wonder if I even have a damn heart. But now I guess I know that I do.

  I pull her to me for another kiss. Something else is bubbling up in her now. I think it is in me too. I feel the need to have her, to hold her and to connect with her right now on a physical level. And it's not just about fucking now, though, I certainly hope we get to that. It is about being one and proving that we are a family. It’s about celebrating the beautiful news that I have now learned. It is about every day after this. It is about now.

  Her body feels so warm against me and my hands as I slide over her belly which is still exposed. I hope I'm blessed enough to get to feel a kick in there one day. Right now, I satisfy myself by kissing down her neck and then to her collarbone, making her moan into me and melt into me.

  She's still sitting on the counter, and I trail the kisses down her chest as I take her shirt off entirely and then move to her belly again. I kiss her skin.

  Natasha’s breath is coming in jags now, and I know that she wants me. But I want to make it clear that this is not just about lust or sexual fulfillment. I need her. I think I will always need her.

  I wrap her legs around my body and then her arms around my neck. In a flurry of kisses, I carry her, and instead of to her bedroom, I carry her to the master bedroom where I've always hoped we could spend the night together holding each other. She says nothing and doesn't protest, so I take that as a good sign as I set her down gently onto the bed. I want her to feel the love with every move I make on her tonight.

  I reach around her back sliding my hand up and down it and she shudders, and then I unhook her bra, unfurling her beautiful breasts. I begin to worship one with my tongue, setting off fireworks inside of myself.

  I go for her shorts and panties next, making sure they quickly land in a pile on the floor. I stand back and take my own clothes off as I survey her beautiful body. I know there may come a time where she feels uncomfortable or unwanted because of the pregnancy. I don't want her to feel that way, and I'm going to make sure every night as long as I can, as long as it is safe for her, that I show her in exactly what way I want her. Because the only thing more beautiful than the woman I met in that club, is the woman that is before me, carrying my child.

  I slide over her body, worshiping once again. I slurp her left breast into my mouth and tease her nipple with my teeth. She arches her back, and I hear a soft moan escape her lips. I feel my cock twitch in response to the sounds she is making. I don't care who you are, most men would agree, it’s the reaction of the woman that really makes the experience.

  I slowly trace down the center of her body, finding her navel along the way. I don't stop there, and instead, I make it right down to her groin till I can smell her sweetness, feel her wetness, see that beautiful pink center that calls to me.

  She looks down at me with those striking eyes of hers that see right through my soul, and if she sees herself reflected at her because I think that's the only redeeming part of my soul that there is. If I even make it into Heaven it'll be on her coat tails.

  My tongue slides easily across the outside of her lips, and then I go ahead and dive in deep, giving her a taste of what she wants and myself a taste that I love to have even before dinner.

  My tongue slides de
ep inside of her, her pussy greeting me with a sweet scent. I lick across it as she goes wild grabbing at the sheets and moaning my name.

  I love the way she says my name when we are like this.

  I lap her up as if this is a dying man's meal, and I wait until she is quivering at her climax before I climb back up her body. I deposit her own taste on her lips, and she begins to suck it off of me, my lip going into her mouth.

  My cock is sliding up against her groin and her thigh, and I know she wants more. I plan on giving it to her shortly.

  “I love you,” I tell her again because I can. Before it was so hard to say so hard to even realize that those were the words that I was feeling, but now I can't keep myself from saying it. I want to shout it from the fucking rooftop, so everybody knows that I am in love with Kolosov. That Natasha Kolosov is mine.

  I spread her legs apart even more and slide inside of her nice and slow. I can tell from her face and the noises she makes that she's even more sensitive than usual. This is going to be fucking fun.

  I show her my love with my body, thrusting into her slowly, teasingly, every single nerve inside of her pussy is on fire for me. And we begin to burn up the bedroom with our love. We make love, we fuck, we enjoy each other's bodies until she is too exhausted to go on, and we both pass out in each other's arms. So, this is what it's like to be in love. Why have I waited so long?

  Chapter 21

  I’m scared to love you, but I’m even more scared to walk away. - Anonymous

  Anton

  I take my seat around the large table where all the other Clan leaders are also gathered. I am to Ion's right-hand side, and of course, his wife, Marianna, is to his left. I can feel the difference in this meeting already; all of them are talking with each other in hushed tones. There's so many things we need to discuss, and I only know about some of them. I did get a heads up about a certain vote we are having. In fact, I told Natasha about it, though I did not let her come with me because she is very pregnant now. We are just one week shy of finding out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. I know that this vote is important to her, and it will mean a lot for her and for our child, especially if it's a girl. I will have to take the vote for Clan Constantin myself right now. I don't think she needs to be traveling, and of course, I always take care of my woman. In order to convince her, though I had to have Beth come to keep her company. That should preoccupy her while I'm gone.

  Ion sits up in his chair and slaps his hand down on the table. The room immediately quiets. His skills of intimidation are top-notch, I'll have to give him that. He took over for the Clans so easily when we had nobody, and I think even though Mariana sometimes gets mad at him for not stepping up for her sooner, I think she admires that about him too. He is the only one who could have done this, honestly. I have too much of a temper, I'm too much of a hot head. I would have started beheading some motherfuckers with some of the behavior that was going on in the Clans if I'd been the one to take over. I'm grateful to Ion.

  We go over the minutes from the last meeting and talk about regular business. This is a business meeting after all. Illegal or not, we do things by the book.

  I make everyone aware that the heir to Clan Constantin is growing right now inside my fiancé. I get a lot of congratulations from around the room, but everything quiets as quickly too. Ion’s face lets me know there's something much more serious to discuss. I wonder if there's any news on if Jan for sure is the one who went after Mariana, or if somebody else is involved.

  The whole room goes silent, and Ion points to the leader of Clan Adame. He is an older man and doesn't usually speak too much at these meetings unless something really strikes a chord. That's not one I'm close with, but he is a Clan leader none-the-less and therefore we must listen if he has something he needs to say. I lean back in my chair and put my chin to my fist I find out what is going on with the Clans.

  The old man's voice is shaky, and now that I look at him, I can see that he's definitely up in his years and maybe not even well. “Many of you may know this by now, but in case you don't, I am terminally ill. I have been sick for a long time fighting this disease, but I'm afraid I'm on my last leg here. I can't fight anymore. We are looking at months, possibly even weeks, before I pass away, and the problem is my sons and daughters are dead. Well, the truth, I do have one child. I have one child left; a daughter who has been running from me for many years. I know that I have probably deserved it, probably been or harsh man, but now that I am dying I see that I need her. We all need her. We can't keep losing the Clans and turning them over to somebody who doesn't understand the inner circle just because we are lacking in male descendants. On top of the fact that I'm going to ask you to help me find my daughter, I also ask you to support Mariana in a vote to see if women can rule.”

  A scandalous whisper travels around the room. This man from Clan Adame is the last man I would think would vote for something like this, something so new age as a woman ruling. But I guess I was wrong, I guess death tends to put things into perspective for you. Really, he is right about this because we can't afford to fuck up the Clans’ infrastructure every single time we lose a Clan leader when there is no direct descendant.

  Ion brings his hand down again on the table, but this time it's louder, causing some to jump in their seats. Everyone looks to him as he begins to speak. “In this instance I will have to agree that we need to keep the infrastructure between the Clans solid. We have already undergone so many changes because of the death of Clan leaders. My beautiful wife here who I remind you is actually a Vasile and technically the rightful leader to the Clans. If women were allowed to rule, things would change drastically. I did not see the reason until Clan Adame came to me in earnest. We are going to find Willow, we're going to find and bring her here, and hopefully, if we vote correctly she can rule, but if not, we will take her heir just fine. We will help her find a good marriage with a man worthy of the Romanian blood. I want you to prepare to send a group of your men out, a team that does nothing but search for this woman. You are to capture her, and you are to bring her to me. We need to get her here as soon as possible and explain to her that she is an important part of this Clan family.”

  I look around the room and see complete compliance. Everyone is nodding their heads, at least to the fact that they need to find Willow in order to maintain Clan Adame’s operations. I think we're going to be seeing this more often as many of the Clan leaders are aging. The only young ones that are here are myself and Ion. It's really going to make a difference in the way we run things.

  Ion motions to Mariana to stand up and speak to everyone. I can see the passion in her face and her movements as she begins to explain to everyone exactly how she feels about the fact that she was not allowed to be Clan leader on her own, about the fact that no woman could be Clan leader on their own. This is the moment we've all been waiting for, and I know I have a fiancé waiting back at home to know what happens, what comes of this.

  “As you all know, I have been saying for a long time that the way we do things is completely antiquated. I know that I have not always been involved in Clan business and that I was captured for many years. Does that mean that I don't deserve to know what's going on and to have a say? Women can vote, and women could hold offices. This is the 21st century, and I damn well think we better hop on board. You may disagree, and that is your right, but I am not going to sit here and do nothing about it. My husband, Ion, came to his senses and decided to allow me to announce this, this vote.

  This vote is going to determine the future of the Clans and who can run them. We have another Clan in trouble because guess what… there is no male heir! It is best if we let women rule. This will fix the trouble with Clan Constantin as well as Clan Adame. I beseech you, your business sense to choose wisely. The future of the Clans is in each of your hands. For the future of our children and for your daughters, consider this. Thank you.”

  I'm surprised at how eloquent she is even though she is obviously angry
at this. She's angry at the way that this has been done, but she's not showing anger, only passion. If anyone can convince anyone of anything in this room, it would be her. I bet my Natasha could hold her own in here if she could come. I don't think she's ready for this yet anyway. I know she thinks she is, but she has no idea what she's getting into.

  I plan to teach her all of this especially if she's going to inherit her father's business as well. She needs to be a knowledgeable leader.

  Paper slips and pens are being passed to each Clan leader, and I ask for a second from Mariana on behalf Constantin. I tell her for now until this vote changes things I will be the one making the vote. She gives me a look but says nothing else as she hands me the materials that I need.

  I know what I'm supposed to write down on here. At least, I know what Natasha would want me to write on here. Well, I don't want to go home and tell her that I did not vote for women to rule.

  I needed something that would handle the situation of a husband, though. The man or the woman should not be kept from ruling because of the other. There needs to be a rule to reflect both situations.

  I write my vote and fold the little pieces of paper and pass them down to Ion and Mariana. They don't even have to take the vote into account. Ion can override and do whatever he wants with the Clans, but I think he has a great respect for all of us and wouldn’t do that unless he absolutely had to.

  Mariana looks over Ion’s shoulder as he gets all of the ballots in. He looks thoughtful as he reads every single one of them, and we all wait with bated breath to see what the actual outcome will be. This could be a monumental day for the Clans. I don't think there's been a change at all to the structure, the rules, or the way we do things in maybe a century.

  I can read the triumphant look on Mariana's face. I've seen a few times in my own girl back at home. I bet those two would get along pretty damn well.