Chapter 23 Ivan
IVAN
Acouple of days later, I stood in the kitchen with Gabriella trying to finish making her coffee.
Luka spared no expenses. He fired the whole house staff when he married Gabriella because he thought that she wasn’t comfortable with the catty maids who’d disliked her.
Since then, with Andre being the demanding, fussy baby he was, she hired some select few house staff members she approved of.
Cooks, a nanny on standby, and maids were all here to work and make life easier, but Gabriella was a sassy, stubborn, and scrappy woman who preferred to do things herself.
She hadn’t grown up with money, and I doubted she’d ever acclimate to having money now.
As such, she was making her coffee while I held Andre.
“I knew you were different,” she muttered. It was probably a compliment but she sounded too tired to pull it off.
“How so?”
She eyed me holding and bouncing Andre. It boiled down to how you bounced. It had to be more of a sway, and it worked every time.
“Look at you. You’ve always just known how to hold him and make him quiet.”
I shrugged without breaking the rhythm of my bounce.
“You were born to be a daddy.” She smirked.
I tried not to dwell on how much I’d always wanted to be a father. Raisa stole years from me with Lev. I could’ve been doing this for him when he was a baby.
“I don’t know if you’re so happy now because you’ve got Lev—”
I turned, calling out for my son. He’d requested that I take him to school today. Just me. I was honored that he trusted me. He didn’t call me Daddy yet, but I was hoping he would soon. “Lev, we need to go.”
“Or if it’s because you’ve got Raisa, but you are looking mighty proud and happy these days.”
I smiled, not in the mood to argue with her. If she were to say that in front of Raisa, she’d likely roll her eyes. While Lev wasn’t at the stage of calling me Daddy, Raisa was refusing the concept of admitting she loved me back.
Yes, it was complicated.
Sure, our history was long and twisted.
But I felt how much she loved me. We had more to talk about. We had a way to go in forgiveness, but each night we made love, she showed me in a nonverbal way how much she wanted me and cherished our time together.
But sex isn’t the only foundation for a relationship…
“Speaking of.” She emphasized looking around as if someone could be listening in. “Where is she?”
“Sleeping in.” I handed Andre back to her when she gestured for him.
“Ah. Wore her out last night?”
Every night, actually. Domestic life wasn’t the norm for us yet.
We couldn’t be a real family when we were all staying here instead of at my house.
But she no longer put up resistance when I came to her bed or brought her to mine.
Every morning, I made sure to slip out or carry her back to her room.
Without having to talk about it, we didn’t want to risk Lev having too many questions about if—or how—we were a couple in love.
“Even if I didn’t, Lev asked me to take him to school today.”
She nodded, smiling slightly. “It’s just as well she’ll be here, though. Luka intends to talk to her.”
“Good.”
“He’s been busy.” She looked at the ceiling. “Crap with the Vipers and other stuff.”
I nodded. “I know.” We’d all been busy putting out little fires lately. I’d taken time off, more than I’d planned on, and I didn’t want to slack in my duties. Men and other families relied on our leadership. “Emil’s heading out soon for a job too.”
Speak of the devil.
He strolled into the room. “Hey, Bro.” He smiled at Andre. “Morning, Gabs.”
I rolled my eyes. That was even worse than him calling her Gabby.
She cursed under her breath.
Lev ran into the room, happy to see Emil. They talked a bit over breakfast, but Gabriella indicated for me to follow her out into the foyer.
“I wanted to mention something to you.”
I raised my brows at her swaying Andre.
“I’ve heard the men talking about her.” She frowned. “About how she’s not wanted around here and a little bit about how Konstantin wouldn’t approve.”
“I’m aware.” I heaved out a deep breath. “And I’m sure Luka is too.” A thought occurred to me. “Wait. Did you tell him to talk to Raisa today?”
She feigned a look of innocence. “I might have said something. But you and I both know he’s the boss. He won’t listen to me.”
I laughed dryly. “Yeah, right. Like he doesn’t worship the ground you walk on.”
“Fine, maybe he does.” She smiled and lifted her chin up higher. “But in all seriousness, I know she’s overhearing them. It doesn’t make for a welcoming atmosphere.”
“I agree. And that’s why I want to bring her and Lev to my house.”
“Why haven’t you yet?” she asked.
“Because Luka has explained that he wants her where he can see her.” It grated at my nerves, but I couldn’t lie. “He doesn’t trust her, and until he does…” I shrugged. “We have to wait and see how this plays out.”
Gabriella didn’t seem satisfied with that conversation.
She left me, cooing to Andre and begging him not to fuss again.
Our conversation stuck with me throughout the day too.
I tried not to dwell on the men’s lack of welcome for Raisa when we were in the car.
Emil rode with me to drop off Lev. Then when we were driven further into town, it was still on my mind.
“The men don’t approve of Raisa being in the house or with the family,” I said.
“No. They aren’t resisting the idea of having her, specifically, around.
It’s not personal. The men dislike having a Petrov hanging around.
” He shook his head slowly. “I’m not saying that’s okay either, but don’t stress about it.
Until my father says we should be worried, they’re just being dramatic. ”
“I don’t see how anyone in the family can be worried about Raisa’s presence. If Luka didn’t trust her enough in the sense that he deemed her a threat, he never would’ve let her stay in the first place.”
“Or maybe he was trying to be open-minded because we all witnessed how sad and mopey you were about that woman for eight years and he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
That too. Luka was a fair leader, but he was pragmatic.
“Besides, maybe it won’t matter.”
I frowned at him, not following. When he only gave me a knowing look, confusing me more, I guessed at what he was implying.
“I already pointed out to her how it had to be this way.” Talking about what Raisa and I lightly argued about as we made love last night wasn’t something I wanted to share with my cousin, but it fit in the direction of our conversation.
“I explained to her that it was never a matter of her having to give up her family versus me giving up mine. She cut ties with her family and her family at large. That was her choice. If she expected me to do the same, to cut ties with every Dubinin just to be with her, it wouldn’t have made sense.
I am proud to be a Dubinin. I will always be loyal to the family and this organization.
But she never wanted to be stuck under her father’s rule.
She hated being trapped as a Petrov. It made more sense for her to leave this world.
Not for me to be a martyr like that only to prove how much I loved her. ”
“I agree.”
“And if I were to have ever walked away from the family name in the name of love, I wouldn’t be in the position to offer her the security and protection she and Lev now need.”
“Again, I agree. I meant that it might not matter if the family ever truly trusts her and welcomes her. How long will she hang around this time? What are your intentions with her, anyway?”
I scowled, feeling the skin on my face stretch with how I gaped at him. Incredulous that he could’ve even asked that, I waited for one of his signature smirks that came with an admission of joking.
“Do you see Raisa and Lev staying with the family for good?”
I huffed. “Wait. Are you asking if I think Luka will welcome them into the family? Or are you asking if I want them to stay?”
“Uh, both, I guess?”
I shook my head. “How the fuck can you even ask that? Of course, I want them to stay. I can’t believe you wouldn’t already know how much I need them in my life.”
“I have a hunch.” He shrugged, looking more like the jokester he usually was, laidback and not serious. “If you were hung up on her all these years you’d gone no contact, then yeah, you’d want her to stay for a while yet.”
“I don’t intend to keep her with me for a while, Emil. I want her to stay forever. She is the one. She was the one back when we met that summer. And she will still be the one when I get the approval from Luka that there are no obstacles from Konstantin.”
“Like I said. I have a hunch.”
The car stopped, braking at the curb of where Emil would get out for whatever he needed to deal with before leaving again. Of all of us, he was the most mobile. But I enjoyed when he was around to talk to, especially like this. He paused, waiting to get out.
“Luka plans to talk to her today.”
He nodded. “I heard.” As he adjusted the knot of his tie, he sat up more. “I’ve been collecting most of the information about her. You know that.”
I did. Between him and another couple of select spies, they were heading up the investigations. About Konstantin being alive or dead. About the Riveras targeting her. About if Raisa could be a spy or a threat at all.
“And so far, nothing.” He’d kept me apprised of the developments.
I hadn’t needed him to tell me that Raisa hadn’t shown up with nefarious claims or intentions.
I trusted her completely. But I had to follow my uncle’s orders and let him come to the same conclusion that she was just the love of my life, the woman who’d miraculously run back to me because she knew I’d keep her safe.
I couldn’t make Luka trust her after I’d hidden the fact that I was with the daughter of an enemy so long ago. I couldn’t force any Dubinin to lower their guard and rest easy that my son was an heir between our lineage and the Petrovs’.
Patience was key, and I intended to let everyone conclude that Raisa was mine and would be mine, rightfully, for the rest of our lives.
“We’ll keep looking. And I’m curious about what my father will think after speaking with her today.” He frowned at the buzz of his phone.
Mine went off with the same alert.
I pulled the device out of my pocket and tried not to panic at the slim line of text with the notification at the top. A call was actively coming in, but it was the header that stole my breath.
Intruders had shown up at the school.
I’d just dropped Lev off, and now it was a risky situation.
Emil answered, staring at me sternly. “Report,” he ordered the guard as a greeting.
I wasn’t waiting for a fucking report.
Someone was trying to hurt my son.
I gestured at the driver to step on it. He didn’t hesitate, pulling away with a sharp and speedy turn. As the car rocked with the instant momentum, I leaned against the door and prayed I would get there in time to save Lev from the merest hint of danger.
I’d only just found my son.
Lev had only just come into my life.
And I refused to entertain the possibility of losing him.
Ever.
Not now, not ever.
I would annihilate anyone who tried to harm my son.