36. Wynter #2
He shrugged. “It does. Your mom missed her chance to skate. So she probably wanted to live through you. Your uncle has Nico Morrelli’s company erase information on your family on a daily basis.
Maybe he thought that was enough. With everyone thinking you two had died and setting you up with new identities, maybe he thought you’d be safe. ”
“So many secrets,” I murmured. For some reason, I kept one revelation that Gio told me to myself. “And this Pakhan?” I asked. “Why is the Pakhan so important?”
“It’s power,” Sasha said. “Pakhan rules a big portion of the Russian underworld and your connection to it would tilt the power in DiLustro’s favor. It was the reason Gio wanted your mother.”
“All of it is so fucked up,” I murmured, closing my eyes and I rested my cheek against his wide chest while he held me tightly.
I found comfort in the most unlikely place.
* * *
The Nikolaev living room at Alexei and Aurora’s home was huge.
All the guests were already here when Sasha and I rolled in. The Nikolaevs. The Ashfords. The Kings. Uncle and all three of my best friends.
The moment we stepped into the living room everyone’s attention shifted to us and the air grew quieter. It seemed to be the norm.
“Hey, you two,” Vasili greeted us. He and Alexei seemed to be the only ones that didn’t mind Sasha’s and my friendship.
Cassio frowned and his wife patted his hand, calming him down while she held their daughter with her other arm and their son hung onto his leg. They had twins, Océane and Damon.
Uncle’s eyes darkened and he growled. Actually growled. I told Uncle that Sasha just kept me safe but he got a different scenario in his head. Davina gently nudged him with her shoulder, then whispered, “Stop it.”
“Hey, Brennan,” Sasha greeted him with a wide grin. “Wyn and I had a nice, romantic stroll through Lisbon. It really is one of the most romantic cities in the world.”
Sasha liked to taunt him.
I rolled my eyes. Aurora rolled her eyes. So did Vasili and his wife, Isabella. Alexei was too badass to roll his eyes. The Ashford brothers just looked amused.
“Stop it,” I warned Sasha in a low voice.
Byron and Winston resembled each other, both leaned back casually against the mantel, sipping on their poison and watching everyone with those hazel eyes, while Royce and Kingston stood to the side, each with a beer. That family had some amazing genes.
“Good skating,” Royce commended and I instantly stiffened. It wasn’t good skating and everyone knew it. Kingston smacked him.
“Ignore him,” he grumbled, his voice raspy. “I do. He’s slow sometimes.”
Alexei walked over to me, his wife holding his hand and baby on her hip. “Want a drink?” he offered.
I shook my head. “No, thanks,” I muttered, smiling.
“No alcohol until she wins that gold, right?” Aurora chimed in, while Kostya kept reaching for me.
“Yeah,” I agreed, my eyes on their son. It was so much easier dealing with the little ones.
I learned that Aurora was actually Basilio’s cousin. Aurora’s mother was Basilio’s aunt. Small world, huh? Not that I could ask her anything about them. She had no connections to the kingpins or that side of the family.
“I don’t know what it is with you and this baby,” Sasha grumbled. “Whenever you’re around, it’s like nobody else exists.”
Leaning forward, I smiled and took his little hand. “Hey there.”
Kostya grinned his toothless smile and my heart just about melted. Then his little fingers grabbed a curly strand of my hair and pulled.
“Ouch,” I protested. “When you get your hair, I’m gonna return the favor.”
He smiled even wider.
“Hey, Wyn.” Juliette joined us. She pecked me on the cheek. “I thought you were right behind me. Unless you and Sasha took a hanky panky tour.”
“Don’t say hanky panky in front of the little ones,” I grumbled, then addressed Aurora. “Want me to hold him for a bit?”
My eyes shifted to Alexei, so did his wife’s. He was obsessively protective, and I didn’t want to go against him.
A nod and his wife shifted him over to me. “He’s gotten big,” I murmured softly, shifting him so he’d be comfortable on my hip.
“Babies grow,” Juliette noted, rolling her eyes. “I hope he pukes on you. Because if you get on Davina’s band wagon and suddenly want a baby, I’m going to be the one to puke.”
I chuckled softly. “Let’s puke on Juliette, Kostya. What do you think?”
His hands and legs flopped excitedly and we all chuckled.
“Ugh, babies,” she groaned. “We’re too young for this crap. We should be looking for some fucker we can rob.”
“Juliette,” Uncle warned sharply.
My cousin, being who she was, just shrugged her shoulders. “What? We weren’t going to rob anyone present.” Uncle and Davina groaned. “Or people we know.”
“Jesus Christ,” he grumbled.
“Not to worry,” Ivy joined the conversation, sipping on her eggnog. “We’ll rob the cartel next. Then the Russians, present company excluded of course.”
I shook my head. “They’re joking,” I assured Uncle Liam who glanced at his wife.
Davina nodded. “That’s right. The last one went like shit and Juliette agreed no more heists. Everyone heard it.”
“Yep,” I agreed.
“If you need money for the school, just ask,” Sasha offered. “These Russians still want to help.”
Before I could answer, Juliette blurted, “I’d much rather rob you.”
Juliette’s expression turned pensive, as if she was seriously contemplating something and I really hoped it wasn’t a robbery.
“I don’t know why you two don’t give it a go,” Juliette told Sasha. “You get along great. And everyone says how true love comes from friendships.”
Blinking my eyes, I stared at her speechless. She sounded serious. Not sarcastic or grossed out, but actually serious.
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” I muttered, shaking my head.
With Kostya in my arms, I headed to the couch and Cassio’s son wobbled over to us. I lowered down to the floor and leaned my back to the couch so he could be at my eye level. It didn’t take long for Vasili’s kids to follow.
“You’re really a magnet for the kids,” áine said softly.
“Probably because she looks like an angel,” Juliette teased. “That hair of hers glows. Like damn glow sticks in the dark.”
Kostya wiggled in my arms, twisting around so he could watch me. His clear pale blue eyes met mine, and I swore when the kid looked at me, I felt lighter. His eyes were so much like his father’s and his uncle’s, it was kind of freaky. He didn’t have a single physical trait of his mother’s.
Conversation flowed, the atmosphere was light. Despite everything, it felt good being surrounded by people that cared about me and I about them. I only wished my mother could be part of it. Somehow it felt the older I got, the less I had her.
Some days I wished I could talk to her about everything. I wanted to ask her what happened, help her, and help myself. We were close, but only when it came to goals and training.
“How is the situation in New York?” I heard Vasili ask. I was half listening to their conversation, bouncing Kostya on my lap and playing peekaboo with Cassio’s son.
“Fucking DiLustro is wreaking havoc.” My spine stiffened and my eyes snapped to the group of men. None of them paid me any mind, except Sasha. I swallowed, looking away.
Sasha wanted to kill all the DiLustros and only his promise to me held him back. Sasha’s promise to me reminded me of my own broken promise. Though if it was all a lie, it wasn’t really a promise. Was it?
“Young Basilio is just as fucking crazy as his old man. He’s attacking Russians in the city and all around. In turn they are attacking everyone else.”
“Does Morrelli know anything?” asked Cassio.
“No, he doesn’t have any useful information,” Alexei answered.
“But why the Russians?” Uncle asked. “DiLustro never had an issue with them before.”
“Who the fuck knows?” Cassio muttered. “Maybe he decided he hates them all of a sudden and wants to cause havoc. We know his papà is all about havoc.”
They all lowered their voices, and I could no longer hear what they were saying.
I flicked a glance their way and caught Alexei’s eyes on me.
Quickly averting my eyes, I felt my cheeks burn. My whole body. It was like my cells remembered that feeling while with Bas and it’d never give up on it. It was the type of addiction that stayed with you for the rest of your life.
I’d never forget him. Worst of all, I didn’t want to.