26. Ilias
ILIAS
I t took a while to get everyone out the door, but finally people started to filter out. Maxim wanted to check on Cora and Vasily, so he was easy to send off. My brothers worked with Angelo’s right-hand, Bacco, to search for Scarpato, which allowed us to send them and Dimitri away at the same time.
Dimitri had given Galena one last hug on the way out the door. “I’m going to find him for you.” The smile had even creeped me out. Fucker was spending too much time with Veronica’s psycho husband.
Theo and Angelo had been the last to go.
My sister had squeezed Galena's hands with that fierce affection only she could get away with. Theo seemed flighty, but she was a love and a catch as a friend. It made me happy that she was going to pull Galena under her wing and into the circle of friends that she’d made for herself.
I locked the door behind them and gave my men outside a quick nod.
As Maxim had said, this brownstone was heavily fortified both inside and out.
It would be smart to tell Galena where the safe room was, just in case.
I doubted Dino Scarpato would be a problem for much longer, but I wanted her to be armed for any situation.
After everything, it was strange how still it could be. I turned the bolt, my fingers lingering against the cool brass, and listened for movement upstairs. Nothing but the creak of old wood settling into the night.
The house was too quiet now that everyone was gone. I took a few minutes to have a video call with my youngest sister, Polina. I knew she was not at all happy that I hadn’t let her come home for a while, making all sorts of stupid excuses.
Polina answered the call on the first ring, the background bouncing as she walked. “Hey, bro. Long time no talk. What’s new in the big city?”
“Where are you right now? It’s dark.” I frowned at the screen, making a note to text the man I had on her detail.
He wasn’t supposed to interfere with anything she did unless she made an egregious choice, but still …
out at dark like this? I ground my teeth.
“Polls, I need you to make smarter choices. You should be back on campus. Aren’t you supposed to be studying? ”
Polina was finishing her bachelor’s degree, but was already talking about continuing her education with a master’s, which was fine with me.
She could go to school forever if she wanted to, as far as I was concerned, if it made her happy.
She had settled on science after her general studies, which surprised the fuck out of us.
I’d known Polina was brilliant, but her interest in science had seemed out of left field.
I didn’t know much about the subject, if I were being honest, and Polina had never been much on talking about what she was studying.
To be fair, she didn’t spend much time at home.
Suddenly, it hit me that I’d missed out on a lot of her life.
She frowned instantly. “I’m on the way to the library, Ilias. You don’t need to call and lecture me right off the bat.”
“Sorry, Polls. I just worry about you. You know that. Maybe you should study in your room.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t call me that.
I hate that, and no , I can’t study in my room.
” Exasperation practically wafted through the phone.
“First of all, I’m meeting someone I’m tutoring for half an hour, if you must know.
Then I have to go to the lab.” The sarcasm was thick.
“I’m in the middle of my original research right now, Ilias.
” Another eye roll. “Not that you would know anything about that.”
I tried to be patient and remind myself that she was an adult. “I’m sorry, I’m bossy. I just worry about you all alone there. Why don’t you tell me about the research you’re doing?” I took a breath.
She stopped walking for a minute, the glow of lights from a nearby building illuminating the fine bones of her face. “You want to know about how I’m studying crickets’ mating behaviors?”
“Uh ... sure. If that’s what you’re working on.
” I tried to picture my girlie-girl sister, who was currently dressed in what had to be an original design from Theo, studying crickets and struggling to understand what about them appealed to her.
I grasped for something to ask her about the dang research project, and stalled out on the word ‘mate.’ Instead, I leaped to another topic.
“What subject are you tutoring?” I was a terrible brother for changing the subject .
“Calculus.” She started walking again, peering at her phone, her blond ponytail swinging, giving no sign of disappointment that I hadn’t been more interested in her crickets. “Tell me about you. What’s new in the city? How’s everyone? I talked to Theo on Monday, and she said everyone was fine.”
The pit in my stomach widened. “Everyone is doing well, and that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to tell you something,” I hesitated, and then plunged forward. “I got married.”
Her eyes widened, and she stopped walking.
“Are you kidding me? What the fuck?” I could see the hurt in her eyes.
“Ilias, you wouldn’t even let me come home for Theo’s wedding.
I could have made it work with my professors, but you insisted that I stay at school, and now you get married without me there. ”
Fuck, were those tears? “Polls, it isn’t like that.”
“What is it like then?” She took a breath. “You guys sent me off when I was little. It’s like I’m not even part of the family. You all have lives there, and I’m not even part of them.” She stared off into the distance for a minute.
The words were sad, like she wasn’t even angry, just resigned. “Polls, I’m just trying to protect you. I want you to understand…” I broke off, swallowed at the bitter look she sent me. “I haven’t always told you the truth.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” she snapped, eyes flashing back to the little screen.
I flinched at the sudden anger in her voice. “Of course I don’t.” That was one thing I knew better than to think of my little sister. Polina was the smartest of all of us, a genius on paper. She excelled at everything she did.
“Then don’t assume that I don’t know what the truth is.
I figured out your little secrets a long time ago.
I know how to do research. Don’t ever take me for a fool, Ilias Anthakos.
” She rolled her eyes right before clicking off, her blond ponytail bouncing out of sight, her annoyance clear.
She’d never talked to me that way before.
Never. The biting sarcasm. Polly had always been the sweet one, and we had worked hard to give her a life away from the underworld.
We’d made a colossal mistake… obviously.
Fuck. She knew? Is that what she was saying? Shit. I rubbed my hands through my hair, then picked up the phone I’d tossed on the desk.
Me: Just talked to Polls. She just told me she’s known all along about us.
Kostas: wdym
Me: I’m assuming about the crime stuff. Said she knows all our secrets. She’s really angry. I told her I was married, and she freaked out. Maybe keeping her away like we did has been the wrong move.
Vaso: I told you assholes it was a mistake.
Vaso had always been against sending our little sister to boarding school, probably because he had been sent away too. He wanted to keep her in the city at least, but we outvoted him.
Me: Well, it’s too late now. And we can’t exactly bring her home now. She’s finishing school and stuff. Can you guys see if you can talk to her?
Kostas: Sure, a-hole.
Vaso: You should have kept your mouth shut for now. Like we need any more on our plate.
Me: I know. I was thinking that maybe we needed to start telling her the truth and including her. I should have waited.
Vaso: Nah. Sorry. You did the right thing. She was going to be pissed no matter when you did it. We’ll smooth it over.
Me: Thanks, you two. Any new info on the cockroach?
Kostas: Nah, but we’re looking.
Me: [salute]