Jumping The Broom.

Jumping The Broom.

Spades – Point of View

The days following my father’s death were long. Time seemed to drag its feet.

Ace and I immersed ourselves in rebuilding. He wanted to turn his father’s estate into a haven, like Valentina’s, which was what we did. He left his father’s house standing and broke down everything else. He was actually rebuilding. We expanded the parameters of the estate. In a matter of a month, we had changed everything. It was bigger, wider, more befitting of a King, or should I say, Kings.

I wasn’t sure how we were supposed to do it. The year was rounding off already. December slipped in, covering everywhere with thick snow. The constructions on the estate progressed quickly. The constant flow of money made it easy. We had private roads, snow-covered, of course, but every nook and cranny was covered with surveillance cameras and security teams that blended into the job. Konstantin, Natalia and all the Captains were promoted. Everyone was put to work, even my Mother, who was walking, taking it slow, though.

Our new home was twice the size of Ace's father's. It was built in a way that made it conducive for children, if that made sense. Half the space was occupied, while the other half was for us, and for our children, the children we would have.

Soon, December ended on a good note. The house was ready and beautiful, like we expected. Irina had a permanent home in the estate, in the home she shared with her husband. I was shocked when she invited my Mother to live with her.

The next couple of months passed quickly. The new year was filled with good tidings. Ace and I had some moments to ourselves. It wasn’t easy ruling over a city that some claimed was divided. We fished out every single follower of Lee and ended them. Ace didn’t believe in rehabilitation, which was ironic since he was working closely with Ashley. They were building a new task force, a Special Ops of some sort. Ace took our safety personally; he wanted to make sure nothing out of the ordinary happened again, and he wanted us to be constantly protected.

Caine wasn’t left out of the fun, and neither was Marie. I wasn’t surprised when they moved into the estate. The estate was big enough, leaving about a ten-minute walk between our homes. Our new house came with a garage filled with the latest luxurious cars, a private helipad and hidden underground exits. We were building our legacy.

Sergei was not forgotten. He couldn’t be overlooked. We visited him every week, and when his first death anniversary rolled in, Ace broke down. I, of course, was there to help him. I held his hand as he went through various stages of grief all over again. His grief was not his alone to carry, and he didn’t hesitate to share it with us. Our friend group has grown tighter. Cateleya would be crowned Queen of La Cosa Nostra next year. She was going through certain trainings, but she had the time for us to help Ace through his grief because she knew how it felt.

Soon, the estate was ready. Completed and beautiful, just as intended.

Ace clanked our glasses, and I grinned at his excitement. Seven months of hard work paid off. Now, we lingered in the comfort of our home. We lived alone. I reached for the champagne, but the flash of my diamond ring stopped me. It was time to change it.

“You know we are cohabiting, right?” I broke the comfortable silence, and Ace narrowed his gaze at me, lips twitching.

“Why don’t you spit it out?”

Warmth washed over me, and a lightness expanded in my heart. I was madly in love.

“Have any plans on Saturday? Why don’t we get married?” I blurted, and his eyes widened in shock, mouth falling open.

He jumped to his feet, spilling wine on his pants, but he obviously didn’t care, because he reached for me, “Are you sure? We don’t have to. We can — we can wait, we can plan a huge wedding – we –” He stammered, falling over his words.

“We just spent months and millions building our home. I don’t want to waste any more time. I just want us to get married. I hate that it is something unfinished. Let’s get married, Ace.” I bit my lower lip, blood rushing to my head. This was a huge moment. My hands were trembling.

“Okay, okay, let’s get married.” He stood, and I watched him, waiting for him to freak out.

“Fuck, we are getting married.” He turned around and threw his hands around my shoulder. I laughed as I hugged him tighter, drowning in his scent. We were getting married.

Saturday crept in. Our friends had flown in, not caring that we didn’t give them much notice; they were just so happy to see us get married. Ace and I had been kept apart, and I was impatient to go to him.

We had gone over expectations for our wedding, since it was unconventional. No one will be walking down the aisle. We would do it together.

Our wedding was simple and just for our family. Our mothers, Marie, Caine, Viola, Danielle, Cateleya, Levi, Armani, Rue, June, Alex, Camilla, Ana, Isabella, and so many more. It was a simple wedding, and judging from the overflowing security, it was clear that we wanted to keep it simple, without any interference. Ruling Moscow had been calm and easy, but we knew it would not last long. Soon enough, someone somewhere will arise and cause chaos, but not today, not at our wedding.

I was left alone in the dressing room. The tone of our favourite song began, and I heard a knock on the door.

I walked out and found Ace there, face flushed, and cheeks scrubbed raw. He was losing his mind. I’d lost mine long ago.

“Ready to get married?” He asked, giving me his hand.

I took it with flourish.