20. Harper #5
I shake his hand, still a bit stunned and still feeling very much out of place. “Nice to meet you too. I’m sorry for barging in here like this.”
“You’re not barging in,” Val says. “We were expecting you.” He grins down at his wife, and my own heart nearly aches at the love these two share. “I knew my wife would convince you to come.”
“We’re glad to finally meet you. I’m Alina.”
I turn at the sound of the soft feminine voice and Russian accent and find myself staring into a pair of eyes that look so much like Ev’s I know I must be meeting his mom.
It’s obvious where Yel got her beauty. The woman is stunning, and she’s giving me one of the sweetest smiles as she holds her hand out to me.
I notice the scars on her wrist and the phoenix tattoo that covers them, and I fight every urge I have to pull her in for a hug, because I have no right to do that.
She doesn’t know me, and I’m sure she doesn’t want my pity, especially considering it would be coming from the woman who could’ve very easily destroyed her son.
While I’m thinking that, she drops the handshake and leans in to give me a hug instead. “I’m really happy to be meeting you,” she says.
I hug her back and whisper, “Me too.”
The man standing behind her watches us, and even without the burn scars, I’d know him as Ev’s dad because both men share the same intense stare, dark hair, broad shoulders, and overall intimidating presence.
“You must be Ev’s dad,” I say, taking the hand he offers me.
“Matvey,” he says, and his voice is deeper than the others and gravelly, making me suspect it was also damaged from the fire.
“It’s nice to meet you, Matvey.” I look between the two of them, noticing the way Ev’s dad keeps a protective arm around his wife, gripping her hip while she rests her hand on top of his like it’s second nature. “Ev speaks very highly of you both.”
Alina smiles at the mention of her son and looks up at her husband, meeting his dark eyes, the ones I now realize Yel inherited, before she turns her attention back to me.
“Matvey and I are really happy you came here, Harper. We know it wasn’t an easy choice.
I can promise you it was the right one, though. ”
“It was,” Matvey agrees. “Our son is worth it.”
“He is,” I agree, making them both smile.
“Who are you?”
I look down at the little girl who’s tugging on the leg of my pants and looking up at me with the kind of open curiosity that only kids can get away with.
She’s in a huge hoodie that dwarfs her small frame and reaches down to the floor.
The sleeves are rolled up, but they still hang down to cover her hands.
Her hair is a pretty red, but her eyes are a light blue, giving her the kind of unique look that’s going to get her a lot of attention when she’s older.
Her long hair has a wild look to it, probably from running around and playing, and there’s a glint in her eyes that makes me think she might be a little bit feral.
Alina laughs and brushes back the girl’s hair and says, “Reese, this is Ev’s friend.”
I give Alina a grateful look for saving me from trying to figure out how to answer that one. Reese looks like she can smell right through bullshit, and even though she’s small, I think she would’ve had me tripping over my tongue in no time.
Even after hearing the answer, the young girl still studies me, and I have the insane urge to fidget under the intense scrutiny. I’m not sure what her little brain has worked out, but eventually she changes gears and says, “My daddy is coming home today.”
“He is?” I ask.
She gives me a full smile that shouldn’t be unnerving, but kind of is, and says, “Yep,” and then runs off to play with the other kids.
“That’s Sasha’s daughter, isn’t it?” I ask, the pieces falling into place and suddenly making perfect sense.
“She’s one of them, yeah,” Matvey says.
His wife adds, “He’s not exactly who you think he is. Sasha loves his family. They’re everything to him. We knew as soon as we heard the charges that there was no way he’d done what they accused him of doing. He would never hurt an innocent woman like that.”
I’ve learned that everyone is very careful with their word choices when it comes to Sasha.
It’s never a flat-out he would never do something like this or he’s just not capable of murder.
It’s much more nuanced. He’s not capable of this kind of murder.
It’s a huge distinction, but I’m beginning to learn that this is just more of that grey area Ev is always talking about.
Alina grabs my arm, giving it a squeeze before she says, “I want to introduce you to everyone.”
Before I can argue, I’m led over to a short woman with a nose piercing, several tattoos, and a wickedly playful grin on her face.
I’m beginning to think all the Melnikovs have a bit of a wild side to them, even the sweet-faced ones like Yel and her mom. Plastering a smile to my face, I hold out my hand and prepare to keep an open mind as I meet the family that might actually end up being mine one day.