Chapter 17
Help You Relax
Tasha
“Hey, buddy. Did you enjoy your party?”
“Yeah, Mom, it was awesome. Thanks for the hoverboard and tablet.”
The adorable smile on his face makes my heart swell. I’m so happy he had a good time. It was good to have everyone here and to see Sammy having fun; it truly made me and LaSalle happy.
“You’re welcome. Did you tell everyone what it is you wanted?”
He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t get a chance, but I will. I will get to them one by one,” he says in that ominous tone of his, making me more curious about this request.
For now, I shrug it off. “I have one more gift for you. I think this one will help.”
I ordered this and had it delivered express so he would have it tonight. I thought of it after he had his episode. I hand him the package and watch him smile as he tears the paper away.
“Thanks, Mom,” he says as he looks up at me with a smile.
“I thought of your mom’s letters and figured the pens and notebooks would come in handy. Maybe if you write down what you see, it will help you to sort through the times when things are jumbled and fuzzy.”
He nods. “I like that idea. I’m going to try it before I go to bed.”
He moves the notebooks and pens from his lap and throws himself into me for a hug. I give him a tight squeeze, sensing that it’s what he needs. His entire body relaxes into me.
“Get some sleep. We’ll have breakfast together before everyone else wakes. Sound good?”
“Yes, Mo-mo. That sounds perfect. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I kiss his forehead and ruffle his hair. He’s growing up way too fast. I wish a part of his gift was to slow down time. I can’t believe he’s eleven. What happened to my little three-year-old buddy?
“Mom?” he calls as I reach the door to exit.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say as I get choked up.
I leave out of his room with a smile on my face. Other than the loss of my daughter, I wouldn’t change anything about my life. With a full heart, I move to my bedroom in search of my husband.
When I don’t find him in our room, I double back through the house in search of him. It takes a minute for me to find him in the quiet house. He’s sitting in his office staring down into a tumbler.
“Hey, you,” I say as I enter.
He looks up at me and the look on his face makes my heart sink. I go to sit on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. Pressing my forehead to the side of his face, I breathe him in.
“What’s going on?”
He sighs. “I’d like to talk about anything but.”
“O … kay,” I drag out.
He begins to rub my back. The gesture seems to be more for him than me. He’s still deep in thought as I watch him.
“This has become more complicated than we thought. There is more to it than you and I uncovered,” he murmurs as if talking to himself.
“How so?”
“Misha has good reason for dragging his ass. If Vlad and Alexei were a shock, wait until you learn the rest of what’s really going on.”
“From the stress on your face, I don’t think I want to know tonight. Let me ask you a question.”
“Go on.”
“Can I blow someone’s head off over it tonight?”
He releases a soft chuckle. “No, not tonight.”
“Then come with me. Let me draw you a bath and take your mind off it. You can tell me everything in the morning. We’ve had enough revelations for one day, don’t you think?”
“You can say that again. I need a vacation.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. Where are we going?”
He looks me in the eyes and smiles. “You know I was kidding, don’t you?”
“But why can’t it be a reality?”
“Seven kids, including Paulie,” he chuckles.
“You leave my baby alone. Don’t make me slap-box you, LaSalle.”
I side-eye him as he laughs at me. At least I’ve brought a smile to his face. He wraps his arms around me and gives a squeeze.
“Fine, I think a vacation might be just what the doctor ordered. You choose. I’ll handle everything else.”
“I’ll let you know in the morning. It should be somewhere Paulie would hate, so he’ll beg to stay back with your parents,” I tease.
LaSalle’s chest rumbles with laughter. Seeing the sparkle come back to his eyes makes my night. I run my hand through his hair and peck his lips.
Whatever is on his mind, we will handle together tomorrow. There’s no need to worry over things we can’t change. Tonight, we live, laugh, and love.
LaSalle
While I sit in the tub with Tasha, I have my head back and my eyes closed as my mind is all over the place. The warm water is soothing, but not enough to soothe away the chaos happening in my thoughts. Lifting a hand, I run it through my hair, not caring about the water that spills onto my face.
It’s welcomed. I needed this time with my wife. The party was a success, but I’m mentally and physically exhausted.
When Logan and Misha had their blowup, the last thing I was expecting was for Misha to tell me the truth as I followed him out of the underground room. Now I wish he hadn’t. What is it they say?
Heavy is the crown. My friend is definitely bearing some serious weight on his head. I don’t envy Misha. I was right, this isn’t something we can do for him.
I open my eyes and look up at the ceiling as I run my hands over my wife’s silky skin while she sits in the bathtub with me. The words of Phoebe Romaine come back to me from years ago.
The Russian is one of your strongest allies, but he also has the strongest enemies.
Boy was she right about that. To entangle his world in such deception is insane. Of all our enemies, his own aunties have proven to be the most ruthless and cunning.
“Babe, you’re frying eggs,” Tasha murmurs as she reaches back and plays with the hairs at the nape of my neck.
I chuckle and kiss her shoulder. “Sorry. My thoughts are rambling with everything going on.”
“Then let me get your mind off your thoughts,” she says seductively.
“How do you plan to do that?”
She turns to look me in the eyes and reaches into the water to wrap her palm around my shaft. It jerks in her hand as I look into her eyes and smile while she strokes me.
Cupping her face, I lean in and take her lips in a searing kiss. Her sweet mouth is just the distraction I need. All I can do for now is keep an eye on the situation. For tonight, I want to get lost in my wife.