Chapter 42
OCTOBER 14 – TUESDAY 6:59 PM
R en
Kaylani pulled back, her face as bright as a ray of sunshine when she smiled.
“I wanted to tell you soooo bad last year.”
“Wait…you knew who I was?”
She nodded. “We were under strict orders not to reach out for your safety. It was killing me to see you at school all the time and not say a word. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
I wanted to feel betrayed, but the more I understood this world, the more I knew what she meant. An order to remain quiet was serious, especially when someone’s life was on the line. Understanding it didn’t stop me from wishing she had told me.
Before I could answer, one of the dogs nudged my hand, and I looked down. Its midnight black coat shone in the sun.
“Well, hello there.”
“She likes you. That’s Hailey with the ruby collar, and Holly has the amethyst collar.”
I raised my eyes to the man speaking and swallowed hard. My guys were all tall, but this man was a walking mountain.
“I’m your cousin Titus,” he said, offering a hand that dwarfed mine. Titus held it gently, with no need to prove his toughness. His calm demeanor didn’t quite fit his look or the family’s reputation.
Another man with unnerving onyx eyes stepped up beside Titus. He smiled and stared at me before stepping forward.
“You look so much like your mother. It’s crazy. I’m Nathaniel,” he said, hauling me in for a hug. I expected to be terrified. The guys talked about Nathaniel like he was the Grim Reaper, but his excitement to see me was shocking. “I loved your mom,” he said before stepping back. “Last time I saw her was at her wedding to Christov,” he said, with a hint of a growl and obvious disdain. “I was only seven at the time, but she had a way of making everyone feel special and seen. I’ll always remember her.”
My eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.”
Meeting people who knew my mum and loved her…was priceless to me. I glanced over at Nash and the guys, who were giving me space. No matter what he’d done, the fact that he pulled whatever strings he needed to make this happen for me…meant the world.
“Get out of the way. It’s my turn,” a woman said with the warmest smile. “Oh, Sweetie, Nathaniel is right you look just like Yuliana, so beautiful. I’m your great aunt Helena,” she said, pulling me into another hug.
And there it was…the confirmation that my mother had been using an alias and I’d never known.
“Hi.”
It was all I could get past the emotion clogging my throat.
“Oh, no, please don’t cry.”
I waved at my face, trying to keep the tears at bay, when a yell—with that thick Irish brogue I’d know anywhere—broke the silence. Fiona ran down the stairs, and the tears faded as I laid eyes on her happy face and flaming red hair bobbing around her in wild waves. We collided and hugged, squeezing one another.
“I never thought I was going to see you again. How are you,” I asked.
“Aye, same. God, I’ve missed ya. Everyone has been grand, but our talks kept me smilin’. I’ve been so cut off.”
Pulling back, I looked her over. Fiona was as stunning as any wildflower. She reminded me of the rarest, most vibrant bloom in a forest with no comparison.
“How are your parents?”
She lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Alive…we’re grateful for that.” Fiona pulled away and walked over to Nash, holding out her hand. “I can never thank ya fir what ya did. Me family owes our lives and allegiance to ya. Whatever we can do, we will.”
“I appreciate that,” Nash said, returning the gesture.
“Well, now that all the loud and obnoxious ones are out of the way.”
The most arrogant face I’d ever seen greeted me when I turned around. That said a lot, considering I spent time with Nash and Liam, and we couldn’t forget Vicky. His piercing, ice-blue eyes screamed asshole . He held out his hand with a dramatic sigh.
“I’m Ronan, the heir to this family.”
“Oh yes, the heir, how could we forget? Next time we’ll hire trumpeters and a squire to announce your grand entrance,” Nathaniel mocked and I pressed my lips together. He was really growing on me.
Ronan glared at his brother before his eyes traced my body. “Too bad you’re family,” he said, his lip lifting. I yanked my hand out of his and stepped away.
“Lucky for me, I am,” I sniped back, and he smiled.
“Oh, I like her. Can we keep her,” Ronan asked, and I saw my guys stiffen out of the corner of my eye. He must have noticed it, too, because he waved his hand dismissively at them. “Relax, I’m only having a little fun. Everyone is so fucking sensitive these days.”
“Shut up, Ronan. Don’t disrespect your cousin.”
An older man, who had to be Dimitri, slowly walked down the front steps. He carried an authoritative air, demanding respect and compliance. Dimitri looked to be in his early sixties and well-built. His salt and pepper hair only added to his distinguished look. It was the fierceness in his eyes that evoked caution. He would shoot his mother if it benefited him.
Ronan grumbled but backed up. I straightened my spine as Dimitri stopped in front of me. He stood there staring at me to the point that it was uncomfortable. I glanced around, hoping for a signal of what to do.
Dimitri’s eyes softened just slightly, and a single tear rolled down his cheek before he swiped it away.
“I’m Dimitri,” he finally said and held out his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, and his lip twitched.
“You look just like your mother did at the same age. It’s like using a time machine to get a glimpse of my past. I was sorry to hear what happened to her.”
I turned his hand over and stared at the polar bear tattoo. So many nights, I’d laid in bed after the attack and dreamed of this tattoo.
“Do you know who in the family wants me dead,” I asked bluntly, and Dimitri laughed.
“How about we eat dinner first? Then, we can talk conspiracies and business,” he said, releasing my hand.
“It’s not a conspiracy.”
He paused and looked me up and down, seeming surprised that I dared to speak out of turn. I didn’t care.
“The night we were attacked, my mum locked me in a panic room. The men tried to get at me and got close to the cameras. I watched the entire thing. One of the men had a polar bear tattoo on his hand. That tattoo,” I said, pointing. “You’re the head of the Mikhailovs in North America and I have a feeling that nothing goes on without your knowledge. So, I’ll ask again. Who in the family wants me dead and why?”
“Are you accusing me of something?”
“Father, I think Ren is politely inquiring if there is any reason, even if only for her safety, that you would keep your suspicions about her attack…quiet,” Titus said.
How did he do that? He managed to take what I said and turn it into a perfectly political question that didn’t come off like an accusation.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Please, Dimitri, if you know anything…I watched them murder her. The least I can do is find who did it.”
“And do what,” he asked.
Kill them .
It was my immediate response, but would I really pick up a weapon and shoot someone? The police had no record of any wrongdoing, so I couldn’t have them arrested. I glanced at my guys. Could I live with myself if I asked them to do something like that?
“I…I don’t know. But it’s constant torture living with questions that I can’t answer.”
Dimitri crossed his arms and shook his head at me, and in a blink, I felt like a very small and disappointing child.
“Let me explain something to you—that despite your time at Wayward, you’ve not learned—this world is not fair. I feel for you. What you went through was, I’m sure, very traumatic. It’s nothing compared to what all of us have lived our entire lives. This is a dog-eat-dog environment. The most powerful survive, the weak are destroyed, and we live every day with the knowledge that we are responsible for many deaths. Everyone, no matter who they are, is a threat. Families fracture all the time. New alliances are made, and this tattoo….” Dimitri held up his hand. “Means nothing.”
I blinked and stared at the polar bear crest, not understanding.
“Yes, this represents our family, but thousands of men…relatives, soldiers, and wannabes mark themselves with the Mikhailov crest. The man you saw could easily be an imposter, a guard who defected, or someone from your mother’s ex-inlaws. But I’ll tell you this. I have not heard any rumors of any Mikhailov here or back home in Russia wanting you dead. My brother, Vadin, is an arrogant asshole, and I can’t stand to be in the same room with him, but he would not kill his grandchild no matter how much his daughter pissed him off.”
“So, you know that my mother angered my grandfather?”
“What I know is that dinner is getting cold, and we are standing outside where even the trees have ears. I won’t discuss this any further. I would like to get to know my great niece, but if this is the only reason you came here, then you can get back in the limo and show yourself out.”
My heart sank as Dimitri walked away with Ronan by his side. Helena followed in their wake but looked over her shoulder with sad eyes. I was left standing there, staring after the head of the house with so many mixed feelings.
Titus looked down at me. “Do you really think it was someone in the family who killed your mother?”
I shrugged. “I was so certain until this moment. Nash already assured me it was none of you. But there are still so many I don’t know. I just thought he would want to help me. I didn’t mean to start a fight.”
Titus and Nathaniel shared a look.
“That wasn’t a fight. That was nothing more than a tiny spat in this house. If he was angry, he would’ve pulled his gun,” Nathaniel said, and my eyes grew wide as I pictured Dimitri holding a gun to my head. “If you really want to know. I will find out for you.”
“But your dad said….”
His already black eyes darkened.
“Fuck my father and what he said. We don’t see eye-to-eye on anything anyway, and he holds no power over me. I’ll get you whatever information I can find. Unlike my father, and despite my rather course reputation, I believe in strong family ties. You can trust me. You’ll always be safe with me and my wife Savannah.”
“With me as well,” Titus said.
“Thank you both. He could be right, and it leads nowhere, but…I want to know why my mum lost her life. I can’t explain why I feel like there is more to this.”
“You just can’t shake it,” Titus said.
“Exactly.” I held my hand out toward the Kings. “The guys have been trying, but we keep hitting roadblocks.”
Nathaniel smirked. “That’s because you don’t have the connections back home yet. Something you might want to consider is having a coming out party.”
“But…I’m not into girls.”
Nathaniel laughed along with everyone else. I had no clue what he was talking about.
“What my brother is so eloquently not getting across is that it’s time you announce you’re a Mikhailov. Anyone after you is banking on no one knowing or caring about some random girl’s death. So, whether it is a family member or not, the larger the spotlight on you, the harder it is to kill you. This life is a double-edged sword. In this case, you should use your last name to your advantage. Garner clout and a following, for example.”
“A following? I…I’m not looking to lead anything or anyone.”
Kaylani walked over and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.
“Cousin, you have five guys who already are,” she said, smiling. I looked over at Myles, Blake, Theo, Liam, and Nash and didn’t see them as followers…only Kings.
“My point is…I will find out for you. And I always get what I want. Just ask my wife,” Nathaniel said.
“Ha, you’re only saying that because she’s eight-months pregnant and can’t kick your ass right now.” Titus laughed.
“And yet, I still got her to marry me and knocked her up twice, didn’t I?”
“You’re impossible,” Titus said.
“I’m also right,” Nathaniel said.
They reminded me of Myles and Blake bantering, and it set me at ease.
“Okay, can we cut all the sad stuff now? How long are you in town? Want to go shopping or to the spa? We can eat at all the fanciest restaurants. I’ll take you to Nathaniel’s clubs and show you around. Ooh, we can go out on a party boat. What do you say,” Kaylani asked like she was permanently stuck in fast-forward.
“I vote shoppin’, and ya can count me in,” Fiona said. “I need some Ren time, so no hoggin’ her.”
“Dad? Are you coming?”
Standing in the doorway was the cutest little boy. I knew right away he was Nathaniel’s son. They couldn’t have made a carbon copy more alike.
“Oh, do any of you speak Italian,” he asked, full of hope.
“Cutter, what did I tell you about harassing our guests?”
His little lip pushed out, but Blake came to the rescue.
“I do,” Blake said, and Cutter’s eyes sparked as he smiled wide.
“Really? Will you sit by me?”
“Cutter….”
Blake stepped forward.
“It’s okay, I would love to. Helps me brush up on it. It’s really no bother,” Blake said to Nathaniel.
Even though kids were so far down the list of wants in my life right now or the next few years, it didn’t stop the warm and fuzzy feeling as Cutter raced down the stairs and took Blake’s hand. They immediately started talking in Italian like they were old friends.
As we walked up the steps, Myles stopped Nathaniel.
“Can Nash and I speak to ya for a minute,” he asked.
I knew it was about Owen and Devin, and I hated that Myles would face his brother after everything Devin had done. Leaving them to their business, I stepped into the house. No matter what Myles believed, this would tear him up. Owen didn’t deserve Myles as a son. Both he and Devin deserved to rot six feet under for the hell they put him through.
OCTOBER 14 – TUESDAY 7:38 PM
Ren
As I laughed at Blake and Cutter going back and forth in Italian and asked and answered questions around the table, I felt…full.
Growing up, it had always been the same small cast of characters for any occasion. Me, Mum, Dad, Lizzy, Lizzy’s Mum, and Nadia. Sometimes, it was three of us or four. Then later, with Mum’s cancer treatments, it had been the two of us. Not that I minded. You couldn’t miss something that you never had, but being around my extended family was a completely different experience and…I liked it.
A whole other world and people had just opened for me.
Nathaniel was brash, stoney, and said whatever he wanted. But it was easy to see his love for Savannah and Cutter. It blew my mind that Savannah had been an FBI agent, and I was dying to know how she ended up married to the son of a mafia boss. Cutter was insanely cute, and I wanted nothing more than to put him and Lip in the same room and see what chaos ensued.
Titus was quiet, his dogs laying just as quietly behind him. He was this ultra calm presence.
There was a very distinct family rift. But I really appreciated that whatever it was had been set aside to make tonight special.
Helena had every dish under the sun made for us, and it was still coming as tray after tray of dessert came from the kitchen. I kinda felt bad for the guys. They were competing tomorrow and only ate very tiny amounts. Helena spent most of dinner scolding them for not eating more.
“Psst….” Kaylani leaned over Fiona and caught my attention while everyone else was arguing over the best whiskey. “Are you sleeping with….” She looked around. “All five,” she whispered and held up her hand. My face burned hot with embarrassment, but she smiled, and Fiona laughed. “Girl…hell yes,” she said, holding out her fist for a bump.
Laughing, I gave her what she wanted and then turned to Fiona.
“Are you staying here in California even once it’s safe for your family?
Fiona popped one of the incredible-looking pastries in her mouth and shrugged.
“I din’t really know. I’m enjoyin’ school here, and there’s nothin’ really fir me back home. But I miss me ma and da. I’ll do a visit fir sure. What about you? What are ya doin’ after graduation?”
That was a good question and one I hadn’t thought much about since I arrived at Wayward last year. I’d been so certain with the direction of my life and now I had no idea.
“I’m still working that out. There’s a lot to consider,” I said, and Fiona nodded.
The guys loss was my gain, and I happily took a slice of the chocolate cake that looked divine. I happily took a bite of the moist cake and listened to the constant chatter around me.
“Lilya dear, how are you enjoying Wayward,” Helena asked. It took me a second to realize that Helena was speaking to me, until everyone went quiet and looked at me.
“Oh…Sorry, I’m not used to being called Lilya. Everyone calls me Ren.”
“No worries dear.”
“Honestly, when I first arrived, I couldn’t have gotten out of there fast enough.” I glanced around at the guys, Kaylani and Fiona. “But now…now, it feels like home.”
“Nonsense, home is with your family. You should come live here in Cali when you graduate. We have lots of job opportunities. You can take your pick,” Dimitri said.
“Thank you, but I prefer to earn my way into a position. I like to know that I deserve what I get.”
“Lilya, don’t be fool hearty. We all still work hard, and there is nothing wrong with leaning into your family name.”
“Maybe this isn’t the best time to discuss trying to recruit Ren. Especially, considering the state of business these days. If anything Ren should come work for me, Kaylani and Titus,” Nathaniel said, and it was like someone dropped an iceberg into the center of the room and sucked the air out.
“Actually, Ren is being modest,” Liam said, jumping in before Dimitri could respond. He grabbed my hand on the table and squeezed. “We’ve started an investment banking firm with Theo, and she’s already landed some large clients for us.”
I had absolutely no idea what the heck he was talking about, but when he looked at me, I smiled. He couldn’t have picked another topic…any topic? I knew nothing about investment banking. Liam brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
“Also, we’ll be getting married after graduation.”
“What,” Myles and Nash said together and then looked at one another. All I could think was that we had dissolved one argument to start another. Myles might lose his mind and jump on Liam if he kept this going.
“Yeah, sorry guys…we’ve been keeping it quiet,” I said, playing along and praying to God that Myles caught on. I wasn’t worried about Nash. He just looked shocked. Myles was ready to blow a gasket.
Theo wrapped his arm around Myles’s shoulders. “That’s incredible news. Congratulations,” Theo said, raising his glass of wine.
Myles glanced at him and then back at me before sighing. “Aye, how wonderful,” he said, but couldn’t have sounded more unenthusiastic if he tried.
“Well…I’m glad to see you have chosen a good pairing for a marriage contract. Something that my children should take note of,” Dimitri said.
I wanted to groan and hide under the table.
“Okay, enough of that,” Helena said as she stood and dinged her glass with a knife. “I would like to propose a toast.” Oh, thank God. I wanted to run around the table and hug her. “I’d like to start off by welcoming Lilya back into the family. It has been a long time coming, and I know that it’s been a painful road for you, my dear. We are extremely happy to have you reunited with those who will love and protect you. Yulianna was a light in this world, and she has certainly passed that along to you. Hold your head high, my dear. Your mother would be proud,” Helena said.
There was no stopping the tears as they trickled down my cheeks.
Ronan stood, and I thought he was next to toast, but he shook his head.
“Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it. We have nothing on the Mancini’s when it comes to dramatic family dinners.” Dimitri looked caught between, pissed off and shocked, as he stared up at Ronan. “When I was there last year, not only did Romeo beat the shit out of someone else’s wife for trying to suck him off, but then her husband kicked her ass and made her sit all bloody at the table for the remainder of the night—before that Gio spanked his fiancé on the dining room table for mouthing off. Oh, and I got offered a marriage contract to this fourteen- year-old girl named Alex who goes to Wayward. Then she started screaming about some guy named Myles.”
We all looked at Myles, who sat there with his mouth gaping.
“Wait…no…are you Myles?”
He held up both of his hands. “Hand to God, I never slept with or touched her. She just started hangin’ around my lacrosse games one day,” he said, completely horrified and making us all laugh.
“Well, I wouldn’t go to Louisiana any time soon,” Ronan said, laughing as he left the table.
This was not how I expected dinner to go. It had been a long time—well before Mum got sick—since I had so much fun at a meal. Dabbing away the last of the tears, I looked up, wondering if she was watching and happy that I reconnected with those she trusted.