Chapter 27 #2
“Thanks, Lev.” The shelter was still on high alert, especially since Marena was still missing.
As suspected, her background had been fabricated, and she didn’t appear in the yearbook of the high school she mentioned in her bio.
Since she infiltrated my life with controlled substances, Kolya was having every piece of mail or delivery to me scanned.
I opened the card that came with the flowers, and a picture fell out.
And my world tilted on its axis.
“Why are there no updates on Marena’s whereabouts?” I demanded when Kolya entered the house. Without answering, he approached me stealthily and gave me a quick kiss on the lips before turning to Sebastian and kissing the top of his head.
I’d been learning how to deal with Kolya.
Nothing except imminent death was an emergency to him.
When he came home smelling of sterile soap, I imagined he’d had a bloody day or, worse, killed someone.
We didn’t talk about it. It was his job.
A job that was at the forefront of my consideration whether I would agree to marrying a man who killed people for a living.
Yes, I wasn’t sugarcoating it.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured, stepping back and surveying the black lacy cocktail dress I was wearing to the dinner tonight at Ivan and Irina’s. I’d come home earlier, but rather than stew while I waited for Kolya to answer my texts or come home, I used my time to get ready.
“And Sebastian looks handsome in his little tux,” he added, eyes crinkling.
I momentarily packed down my anxiety to appreciate this moment between us.
Because it was in these precious, fleeting moments I saw Kolya’s humanity.
The side of him he’d kept hidden behind his killer blue eyes.
Pun intended. He was bred to kill, but he was also a person.
He hid his emotions under layers of toughness, but that toughness melted at the sight of our son.
“Lucy bought it for him. It has these little suspenders that make it so cute.” I inspected Kolya’s outfit. Kolya wasn’t in his dark jeans and tee, but he was still in a black dress shirt and trousers. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
“No, Lucy told me to wear a suit.”
I raised a brow.
“Irina’s instructions.”
I laughed. “Here I thought Lucy was giving you orders.”
He smirked and started to walk away.
“I still want to talk about Marena,” I called.
He didn’t answer.
Grr. Did that mean he wouldn’t?
When he exited our bedroom fifteen minutes later, my mouth turned dry at the sight of him.
He was wearing a sharply tailored black suit, but the stark white of his dress shirt contrasted sexily with his tanned skin and enhanced the blue of his irises.
He had a patterned blue tie hanging loosely around his neck.
“Need help with that?” I asked.
He grinned. “Please?”
I sipped the wine I’d forgotten on the counter and settled Sebastian in a high chair where he immediately reached for his activity device.
Amidst the beeps and squeaks of Sebastian’s toy, I reached out to knot Kolya’s tie. “Is this your way of distracting me?”
“I don’t know. Are you distracted?” he asked casually.
“I don’t know why you’re taking this lightly; someone sent a picture of me and Sebastian in Central Park. It was taken the other day.”
“I’m aware, and I’m dealing with it,” he replied. “You think an incident like this would get past me? I knew the second those flowers were delivered to you. The envelope was partially opened to scan for biohazards, but we opted to give you a little privacy.”
“I thought it was from you.” I finished knotting the tie.
“My blackened heart knows better than to send you black roses, princess.”
“Really? What would you send me?”
“Something blue or white.”
“Blue roses?”
“They are these little star flowers.”
I laughed. Men. “Okay, maybe one day you’ll send me those little star flowers.”
“Mama.”
We both froze. Well, Kolya froze, my mouth fell open, and I spun around.
“Sebastian…” I swept to his side, my heart beating fast and my lungs exploded with excitement. “Say…mama.”
“Mama,” he repeated and giggled.
Moisture warmed my eyes, and I swept him up into my arms and turned to Kolya. “He finally said it!”
Kolya’s intense gaze never wavered as he closed the gap between us. “Say it again, Seva.”
“Mamamamamama.”
“He might be hungry.” I emitted an emotionally clogged laugh. “But I’ll take it.”
Kolya’s arms encompassed us in a protective shield. He kissed the top of my head, and we just stood there.
In the moment.
I decided to table the discussion about the picture and my ideas for later.
After looking after myself for most of my life, I wasn’t about to be kept in the dark about the danger Sebastian and I were in.
That was another line item in my demands should I consider tying myself to the bratva.
I didn’t want to live blissfully unaware of the danger surrounding us.
I was done with secrets, and there was no room for them in a marriage.
But tonight was about Theo and Aralina.
Irina and Ivan’s house was in Alpine, New Jersey. A sprawling compound comprising a main building and an outbuilding where their guards lived. I heard Lucy was talking to Kirill about adding a similar structure to their current residence.
Theo’s Mercedes was already parked on the driveway.
Kolya drove to the parking lot behind the mansion.
This was a bratva gathering, according to him.
The property blazed with landscape lighting.
There was no hiding in the dark. Guards with rifles slung over their shoulders patrolled the surroundings.
This wasn’t a new scene for me, but I wondered what my brother thought of it.
I’d been to Theo’s mansion. The guards were more circumspect and formally attired like the Secret Service and not as blatantly intimidating like a Colombian drug lord’s mansion.
Kolya carried Sebastian on his left arm, and he interlaced his fingers on his right hand with mine.
I could feel the scrutiny of eyes. Not only from the people outside but also from inside the house.
Guards exchanged nods and chin lifts with the man beside me while I did my best to appear amiable.
A public face. After I decided to accept the legacy of the shares, I considered formal etiquette lessons.
That went out the window quickly because Sebastian and the foundation occupied my time.
Thankfully, our boy was in a good mood and was curious about the unfamiliar sights and sounds around him.
When we crossed the threshold, I immediately spotted Theo and Aralina.
Beside my brother was Gage. Hmm, something was wrong.
My brother looked grim. Aralina was standing off to one side, looking ill at ease.
Gage was stuck to his father’s side. My brother was in a dark gray suit, while my nephew wore a herringbone-patterned one.
My gaze swept around. All bratva, no business associates. I had no idea whether this was a baptism of fire for my brother.
I headed straight for him.
“Theo,” I said. I rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek while murmuring, “Welcome to the dark side.”
He grunted.
My eyes fell on my nephew. “Gage, looking forward to the summer?” I gave him a hug.
He squeezed me back and said, “Depends.”
I laughed a little. “Why?”
“I’m not looking forward to camp.” He glanced at Theo.
“It’s only for three weeks,” his dad said.
Aralina seemed occupied with Kolya, and a smile at least brightened her face.
Theo angled me to the side and said in a low voice, “If I knew men were going to parade around toting assault rifles, I wouldn’t have brought Gage.”
“In all the time that I lived in Kirill’s compound, I’d never heard a single shot. Relax.” In other words: Suck it up.
“Is everything okay?” Kolya asked. “Aralina said there’s a children’s activity area.” He nodded at Gage. “Your boy won’t be—”
“He’s fine right here,” Theo said, a tad testy.
Oh, I see where the tension came from. I guessed Aralina had suggested that Gage joined the other kids so he wouldn’t get bored, but Theo shut down the idea.
“Who's watching the kids?” I asked.
“Sorcha and the staff from Kirill’s house,” Kolya interpreted what Aralina signed.
“Sorcha is amazing,” I told Theo. “I leave Sebastian with her all the time, and she’s the baby whisperer. We’re thinking of opening a day care,” I said with a straight face.
Aralina covered her mouth to hide a smile.
“Dad?” Gage asked. “Can I check it out?”
“You’re bored standing next to your old man already?”
“Well, everyone here is old.” He said it with a trace of humor he rarely exuded in my interactions with him. “I see kids my age heading over there.” He tipped his chin down the hallway.
“Nikolai,” someone yelled, calling our attention to a group of men huddled in a corner. That was when I saw Kirill. He was standing with a man who looked to be in his forties. I hadn’t seen him around before. “Get your ass over here.”
Where were Lucy, Ivan, and Irina?
“Fuck.” Kolya transferred Sebastian to me. “Here, hold him.”
“Who’s that?”
“The third brigadier, and no, I don’t want him harassing you with uncomfortable questions.”