Chapter 24Kiril
24
Kiril
I stand in the kitchen, watching Tony as he carefully stirs the pancake batter. His small hands grip the wooden spoon tightly, his tongue poking out in concentration. It’s been three days since Isabella and Tony arrived, and I’m spending more time with Tony than I’d anticipated.
“Am I doing it right, Kiril?” he asks, looking up at me with a transparent need for approval. I wonder how often Damiano visits, since the boy is clearly craving a male influence. Not often enough, for sure.
I nod with a genuine smile. “Perfect. You’re a natural chef.”
Isabella enters the kitchen, eyes widening slightly at the sight of us cooking together. She’s been wary since their arrival, but her guard appears to be lowering incrementally each day. Once she met Felicity, she relaxed immensely, and they seem to have taken a liking to each other.
Just another complication if we have to give the appearance of threatening her and Tony to get Damiano’s compliance. I stifle a sigh at the thought.
“What’s all this?” she asks, her voice cautious but not unfriendly.
“We’re making pancakes. Kiril’s teaching me how to flip them.” He grins at Felicity as she joins us. “Hi, Aunt Felicity.”
“Hi, sweetie.” She looks a little pale, having grappled once again with morning sickness but insisted I go help Tony. She looks at our pancake endeavor and raises an eyebrow at me. “I didn’t know the head of the Russian mafia was such a domestic god.”
I shrug, feeling oddly self-conscious. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
She puts her arm around me, pinching my butt and making me jump in surprise. She winks at me. “I know all your ticklish spots.”
“I’m not…” I break off with a choked laugh as she pokes me gently in the side, making me sound almost like a braying donkey when she starts tickling.
I escape her and hold out the spatula. “I’ll spank you if you do that again, woman.” I’m trying to be threatening but not too threatening, not wanting Tony to be frightened.
When Felicity laughs, the boy laughs too, and so does Isabella. My dignity has suffered for this, but I suppose it’s an acceptable trade to see the boy and his mother relaxing.
As we sit down to eat, Felicity sits beside me, nibbling on a plain pancake. Tony chatters away about his dreams of becoming a pilot, and I catch myself making mental notes about flight schools and simulator programs while wondering if my child will share similar interests with his cousin.
I shouldn’t think of Tony as his cousin, but it’s the truth. I can’t pretend it isn’t, but that won’t stop me from doing what I must, I assure myself.
“Can we go to the park today?” asks Tony between bites. “Please, Mama? Kiril said it might be okay if you said yes.”
Isabella looks at me, her expression laced with suspicion. “Is it safe?”
I nod. “I’ll have my best men with us. No one will get within a hundred feet without us knowing.”
She hesitates, then nods. “All right, but only for an hour.”
Tony whoops with joy, and I feel warmth that I quickly try to squash. This isn’t part of the plan. They’re leverage, and nothing more. I look at Felicity. “Are you up for it?”
She nods, already looking better. “Fresh air will only help with this morning sickness.”
Later, as we walk through Central Park, Tony shyly slips his hand in mine as he points out every squirrel and bird he sees. I find it harder to maintain that cold detachment.
“Push me on the swings.” He runs ahead to the playground, and two of my men are his discreet shadow.
I look at Isabella, silently asking permission. She nods, a small smile on her lips as she and Felicity walk together and whisper softly. I don’t know what they’re discussing, but it appears innocuous and has made our guest relax. My wife is relaxed too, and I once again worry that she’s growing too attached.
As I push Tony higher and higher, his laughter echoing through the air, I have the same fear for myself. Felicity approaches while Isabella sits on a park bench for a moment. “Having fun?” she asks, coming to stand beside me.
I grunt noncommittally, but I can’t hide the smile tugging at my lips.
“They’re good people, Kiril,” says Felicity softly as Tony squeals when he gets too high. “Maybe we should reconsider?—”
“Not here,” I cut her off, my voice low. “We’ll talk later.”
She nods, but it’s clear this conversation isn’t over.
Back at the penthouse, after Tony’s gone to bed and Isabella is in their wing for the night, Felicity finds me in my office. Her shoulders are squared, and she moves with purpose as she approaches me. “We need to talk about Isabella and Tony.”
I brace myself. “What about them?”
“Don’t play dumb, Kiril. I know you didn’t bring them here just for their protection. What are you planning? You mentioned leverage, so what does that mean to you?”
I meet her gaze, carefully weighing my words. “They’re a way to keep him in line.”
Felicity’s eyes narrow in anger. “You lied to them.”
“I did what was necessary,” I say, my voice hardening. “This is business, Felicity. You know how this works.”
“This isn’t just business anymore. Have you seen how Tony looks at you? How Isabella is starting to trust us? We can’t use them like this.”
I clench my jaw, the conflicting emotions warring inside me. “What do you suggest we do? Let them go? Put them in danger?”
“No, of course not, but we can shield them without using them as pawns. We’re better than that, Kiril. You’re better than that.”
Her words hit me harder than I expected. I turn away, staring out the window at the New York skyline. “I don’t know if I am,” I admit quietly. “I’d do anything…sacrifice anyone…to keep you and our baby safe.”
Rather than be repulsed, she steps closer, placing a hand on my arm. “I’ve seen you with Tony. The way you look at him, and how patient you are. That’s the real you, Kiril. Not this cold, calculating mobster you pretend to be.”
I start to respond, but my phone buzzes insistently. I check it, my expression darkening. “It’s Viktor. There’s a situation at the docks. It’s not an emergency or anything, but they need my input and I have to go.”
Felicity’s grip on my arm tightens. “This conversation isn’t over, Kiril. We need to figure this out.”
I nod, already moving toward the door. “We will. I promise.” As I leave, something twists inside me, and I know Felicity’s right. Our plan needs to change. I just hope I can figure out how before it’s too late.