Chapter 13
I turned into the driveway, blissfully unaware that I was about to come face-to-face with my wife who was on her way out…alone.
“Lorenzo, that’s Ana.” Red cleared his throat.
“Thanks for the update, Red,” I snapped, my eyes meeting hers through the glass as our paths crossed.
“Where are you going?” I called out. Not that she would have heard me, but she had to know that I was pissed off to the maximum.
She smiled at me without a care in the world as she hit the gas, speeding like a damn maniac out of the open gates.
“Turn the car around and follow her,” I demanded. Red was already on it. “She knows not to go out alone. What is wrong with her?!”
“Maybe there’s a valid reason. You could just ask her, rather than starting a screaming match. Doesn’t that sound more logical?” He said, but I wasn’t in the mood to hear it.
“I don’t give a shit about logic, Red. She continues to defy me over and over. Tonight is the last time.”
I retrieved my gun from the seat beside me, slamming the clip into place as Red’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror.
“What are you planning to do?” The worry in his voice was clear.
“I’m not going to kill her.” I sighed, relaxing in my seat as he sped after Ana’s car. “Inform the men that there will be a meeting when I get home. This won’t be happening again. I want to know who fucked up and let her leave.”
“I’ll make the call.”
I watched as we tailed her closely. She knew we were there. Her weaving in and out of traffic confirmed that.
“Meeting confirmed. They’ll all be available for whenever you need them.”
“Good. She’s getting off. Don’t lose her,” I ordered as she signalled off the freeway.
I didn’t take my eyes off her car as she turned into the parking lot of a prestigious restaurant in the heart of town. We pulled into the space opposite her as she shut off her engine.
Watching her practically jump out of her car was somewhat amusing, but not enough to dim the fire that was burning inside.
I pulled out my phone and dialled her number.
The phone illuminated her face, but as she soon realised it was my number, she rejected the call before shoving it back in her clutch bag.
“Wait here,” I told Red, who remained silent.
I exited the car before she had the chance to lock hers.
“Is that how you treat your husband?” I asked.
She paused for a second before glancing up to look at me. “What was the point in me answering? I knew you followed me here.” She scoffed with an eye roll.
“What are you doing here, Ana?” I stepped closer to her. She didn’t move. “I already told you about leaving the house alone.”
“As I already told Emmet, it’s something I do annually, and it’s none of your business.” She challenged me, edging closer. “Now, do me a favour and go back home like a good little boy, and I’ll see you later when you’ve calmed down.”
“Excuse me?” Good little boy, was she taking the piss?
“Tonight isn’t about you. It never will be.” She turned on her heel and headed for the entrance.
I grabbed her wrist, pulling her body flush to mine as her hair whipped across the side of my face. The warmth of her minty breath mingled with my own. I had to stop myself from devouring her right there, right then.
“Get in the car. I’m taking you home.”
“No, stop being overbearing and demanding. It’s getting tiring and, quite honestly, I’m over it.” She glared at me. “Tonight is important to me, like things are to you, so stop trying to get in the way.”
“Are you on a date?” I asked, already hoping it was the answer I wanted.
“As I said, I’ll see you at home.” She shoved me away and quickened her pace.
I caught up to her in a heartbeat, her two strides matching my one. I was ready to see what was so important to the demanding little princess.
I stormed off in front of her, confused as to why she so easily let me head inside. I caught her smiling as I glanced over my shoulder, the kind that would leave anyone unsettled.
As I stepped through the door, I noticed the restaurant was pretty much deserted. Only one table was occupied by an elderly woman, who looked like a much older version of my wife.
Ana entered behind me as the woman stood to greet her. She brushed past me, not waiting for my reaction.
“ Moya devochka .” She smiled, holding out her arms to embrace my wife in what looked like the warmest hug possible. Something I had never truly felt from anyone. “You never said we’d have an extra guest tonight.” The woman looked me over, her deep blue eyes trying to read me.
“He just invited himself, I guess.” Ana laughed. It was so pure it stirred something within me. Something unexpected. “Victor didn’t want to join tonight?”
“No. He knows exactly how I feel about him and his decisions right now. He’s not welcome tonight.” Her voice was cold as she spoke about Victor. “My son has done many things but what he did to you is unforgivable to me, as it would have been with your dedushka .”
So, this was Victor’s mother—Evelina Fedorov. The only woman brave enough to tame Aleksander Fedorov.
I truly admired Anastacia for a second. She looked beautiful tonight. Her face was pretty much bare and natural. Her hair was poker straight, stopping just shy of her waist. She wore sneakers with a fitted dress, something that paired oddly well.
“I take it you’re my granddaughter's husband, Lorenzo?” She sidestepped Ana, holding her hand out to me that I respectfully took.
“I am, and I take it you’re my wife’s grandmother?” I smiled, much to Anastacia’s surprise.
“Correct.” She stepped back a little, signalling the waiter over. “Please, add another setting.”
“No, I don’t want to impose.” I held up my hands, wanting to leave and wait in the car.
“If you didn’t want to impose, you wouldn’t have followed my granddaughter here, would you?” she questioned.
“I didn’t follow her here.”
Lie.
“I don’t like liars, Lorenzo, so sit down and see why we do this annually since you can’t seem to let her out of your sight for a night.” She pursed her lips, and I instantly knew where my wife got her attitude from.
“It wasn’t that.” I tried my best, but this woman was good.
“My Ana is not a woman you can expect to control. She is a good girl with an enormous heart, something you’ll never know if you keep acting the way you are.” She lowered herself into her seat. Ana followed her lead, sitting as well.
I didn’t want to know or experience the heart that she had. I wasn’t bothered about her. I was bothered about one thing only and that was killing her father and keeping her for fun.
“Sit down,” she said, her tone authoritative.
I sat opposite her and beside my wife, who seemed to be relaxed despite me giving her a piece of my mind outside a minute ago. But that could have been because her grandmother gave me a dressing-down.
“So, what did he say?” Ana asked, and I knew she was asking about her father.
“Nothing he could say, darling. I made my decision, and you know how final that is.” She smiled, sipping her cocktail.
“Sorry, what night have I intruded on?” I asked, feeling out of place.
“Today is the anniversary of my husband’s death.” Evelina’s eyes brimmed with tears that she rapidly blinked away.
"Well, now I feel like a dick for intruding," I said, my voice laced with regret. I ran a hand through my hair, as a wave of remorse washed over me.
“As you should.” Ana said from beside me. I couldn’t tell if she was joking or being deadly serious.
“Now, now, it’s fine. This is usually a family occasion, but with everything that’s happened recently, I decided it would just be me and Ana.
” She reached over the table, taking my hand in her frail one.
“For whatever reason, you are family now.” She smiled half-heartedly.
“But so help me God, if you hurt my granddaughter, I will skin you alive. Don’t let my age fool you.
I can do what’s needed when it comes to her. ”
I wasn’t expecting her to be as bold as she was, but I respected her for that.
“I will admit, though, my husband would have liked you. He would have had sterner words than me, but he would have approved.” She squeezed my hand tighter before continuing.
“I know what my son did to your father, and I am truly sorry for your loss, but I hope that marrying my granddaughter isn’t some kind of way to get back at him. ”
Hearing her mention that and Anastacia in the same sentence should have made me feel some sort of guilt, but instead, I didn’t know what I felt.
The rest of the meal went smoothly as Evelina spoke about her life as much as she asked about mine. I kept directing the conversation away from myself, not wanting to delve too much into it.
“Let’s move on, shall we?” Evelina asked Anastacia, who nodded in agreement.
“Move onto what exactly?” I questioned, genuinely wanting to just head home.
“You’ll see since I’m sure you don’t want to go home without your wife.” She chuckled, clearly getting the wrong idea of how I felt about Ana.
Red and I followed Anastacia and her grandmother until we reached the final destination, which just so happened to be the graveyard. I waited by the car with Red while Anastacia and Evelina made their way to the family plot where Aleksander was buried.
“Bet you felt like a right dick storming in there, didn’t you?” Red chuckled. “I can’t actually believe you did.”
“Now is not the time, Red.” I sighed. “I fucked up. I know I did, but I still need to have the conversation with Ana about running off unprotected every five minutes.”
“Maybe not tonight, though, yeah?” He let out a deep sigh, knowing I’d do whatever I wanted to anyway.
I noticed shortly after that Evelina was approaching us alone, her face strong and unreadable. There may have been tears in her eyes a moment ago, but you’d never have known that if you didn’t see it in person.
“I’ll wait in the car.” Red smiled at Evelina as she approached. “Goodnight, Evelina.”
“Goodnight, young man.”
Red settled into the driver’s seat, waiting for us to finish.