Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
THORA
Breakfast at my parents’ house is a full production. Platters of eggs, biscuits, fruit, bacon, and everything else one can imagine. Mama gets personally offended if anyone ever leaves here hungry.
Usually, I love it. This morning, I mostly love that coffee exists.
Greer sits beside me, with Nash, Theo, and Cole opposite us. Jace sits next to Rue, my mama to her right and Daddy at the head of the table.
Mama’s eyes move to me while she cuts into her pancake. “You left so abruptly last night. Was everything okay?”
I take a hot swallow of my coffee and figure out what the hell to say.
“I’m sorry.” I set the mug down. “I started to feel ill and needed to come home.”
Mama nods, but the sympathy on her face does not erase the disappointment there too. “You should have told Zachary, sweetheart. Poor guy was standing by the bar waiting for you with a drink, and we had no idea where you’d gone until one of the staff said you left through the back.”
“That was rude of me. I’ll apologize to him personally.”
Greer snickers under her breath, and when I glance over, she pops a brow. She isn’t buying a word of it.
“Maybe she ran because you two keep trying to set her up with some uptight hedge-fund-looking ass—” Cole glances at Rue, who is happily buttering a piece of toast, then clears his throat. “Asset manager.”
Nash coughs into his coffee, and Greer presses her lips together to smother a laugh. Theo keeps eating, though, completely unfazed by our brother’s antics.
Daddy lowers his fork and levels Cole with a warning look. “Cut it out.”
“What?” He leans back in his chair, flipping a hand in the air. “I cleaned it up.”
“Mm-hmm. Don’t make me disinherit you.”
“I’m just speaking the truth, but no one in this family likes that very much.”
“Cole,” Mama warns. “Behave, would you?”
Daddy turns his attention back to me, his expression gentler. “We’re not trying to force anything on you, baby girl. I’m only trying to look out for you.”
“I know. But I’m pretty capable of looking out for myself, Daddy.”
He studies me. Maybe to him, I’m still the little girl with scraped knees and muddy boots who used to run through this house with her pockets full of horse treats. But I’m not her anymore.
“I know you are.” He swallows thickly. “Sometimes I forget you’re not little anymore.”
My chest aches at that, and before I can figure out what to say, Rue comes to the rescue.
“I made a friend,” she announces dramatically, and every adult at the table turns to her.
“Oh?” Mama’s smile warms. “And who might that be, sweetie pie?”
“His name is Lev, and I want you all to know I love him and we’re going to get married like Daddy and Savannah.”
Jace groans, slapping a palm over his face.
Mama looks delighted. “Well, that’s exciting. Lev who?”
Daddy furrows a brow. “Do we know this Lev?”
“Lev,” Jace mutters. “Kirill Marinov’s son. You met him.”
Daddy’s nods. “Oh, right. Sweet kid. The father…not so much.”
“This conversation just got interesting.” Cole leans in, a grin on his face, his bright blue eyes set with interest.
Nash smacks his shoulder, which only makes him more entertained.
“Well…” Daddy says, reaching for some bacon. “Alliances in our world are important.”
“You’re not setting my daughter up with the Russian mob.” Jace’s tone drops low as he zeroes a glare at our father.
Mama tsks. “Not table conversation, boys.”
Rue looks between them. “Daddy, are you mad because I’m getting married? I didn’t mean now.” She rolls her eyes. “That would be silly. I meant when I’m bigger.”
Jace picks up her hand and kisses it. “No, baby bear. I’m not mad.”
“Good. Because Lev has kind eyes, and Gran always says kind eyes are important.”
Mama’s face melts. “They sure are. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“And he likes my horse,” Rue continues, counting on her fingers now. “And he can build a super cool tower with Legos. And cherry ice cream is his favorite, like mine, which is very important because not that many kids like cherry ice cream. It’s usually chocolate or vanilla. Boring stuff.”
“Not many at all,” Mama adds, fighting a smile.
Rue nods like her case is airtight. “See? It’s meant to be.”
“Kill me now,” Jace mutters.
Rue’s head snaps toward him. “What was that, Daddy?”
“Nothin’.” He reaches for his coffee, though I think he’s seconds away from needing something stronger. “I said that sounds lovely.”
“You’re handling this so well,” Greer throws in.
“Zip it.”
Cole laughs and Nash gives him another warning look, while Theo simply shakes his head, ever the silent type.
“What?” Cole grins. “I think love is great. Isn’t that right, Jace? Speaking of which, when are you buying Savannah a ring?”
Rue stares at her father expectantly. “Yeah, Daddy. When?”
Jace points at Cole. “One more word…”
Cole chuckles, clearly enjoying the tortured look on our poor brother’s face.
By the afternoon, Greer and I ride out past the pasture, the open land stretching around us while my mind keeps drifting back to Anton, no matter how many times I tell myself to cut it out.
I let my gaze hover on the tree line, wondering if he’s still somewhere close, watching from a place no one would think to look.
Though he’s probably back home by now.
Greer slows her horse near the fence line, her mouth set in a hard line. “We need to talk.”
Well, this isn’t good.
I pull my horse to a stop beside hers, already wishing I’d ridden alone. “What’s up?”
She turns in her saddle, studying me. “When exactly did you become friendly with Anton Marinov?”
Shit. How does she know?
“What?”
“Don’t do that.” Her tone remains calm, though anger simmers beneath it. “I caught you with him in New Jersey, Thora. I saw how you were together, so please don’t insult me by pretending I imagined it.”
Heat rushes into my face before irritation quickly takes its place, because apparently everyone in my family thinks they know what’s best for me.
“I’m not pretending anything.”
“Are you fucking him?”
I scoff. “That’s not any of your business.”
“Oh my God, you are!” She jerks her head back, gathering the reins more firmly in her hands. “We’re practically at war with his family, and you’re sneaking around with him? You need to get over this rebellious phase before Mama and Daddy find out.”
My fingers close around my own reins. “It’s not a phase.”
“That worries me even more.”
“You don’t know him.”
“I know enough.”
“No, you don’t,” I snap. “You know his name and his family and all the things people say about him. But you don’t know him. The real him.”
Disbelief crosses Greer’s face. “Thora, do you hear yourself right now?”
“I sure as fuck do.”
“Are you positive? Because you sound like every girl who has ever fallen for a man she thinks she can fix.”
“I’m not trying to fix him.”
“Please.” Her mouth flattens. “You’ve always had a soft spot for wounded animals, and I love that about you, but Anton Marinov isn’t some mistreated horse you can heal with enough patience.”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it?”
I don’t know how to answer that. Because I don’t know what Anton and I are, and even if I did, saying it out loud to Greer would only make this fight worse.
“I like him exactly as he is. I’m not trying to turn him into someone else.”
“I don’t even know what to say.”
I turn away, blinking against the irritation stinging my eyes. “You have no idea what he’s been through.”
“We’ve all been through shit. That doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.”
“He wouldn’t hurt me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“No, you need to believe it.” She leans closer, holding my attention. “There’s a difference.”
She can say whatever she wants. I know him enough to know he wouldn’t do anything to harm me.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you.”
“Then trust me.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
The reins bite into my palm as my fingers close around them. “I’m not a child.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” My laugh comes out brittle. “Because everyone in this family treats me like I need to be managed, and I’m damn tired of it.”
Her expression hardens. “You’re welcome. We give a shit about you, Thora. We protect each other. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Maybe I’m tired of being protected.”
“You have no idea what Anton is capable of.”
“No more than anyone else in this family.”
Her jaw sets as understanding dawns across her face. “You really care about him.”
A ragged breath leaves me. “Yeah, I do.”
Greer lets out a deep sigh. “Then I’m even more afraid for you.”
“Well, don’t be.”
I gather the reins and nudge my horse forward, letting her carry me away before Greer can say anything else to piss me off.