Chapter 25 - Emmanuil
Anya put up quite a fight this morning, arguing that she should come with me to the meeting with her brother. But her brother was very specific—man to man. Alone. And because I want to start this meeting on a good foot, I have to honor that.
I left her sulking at the mansion, demanding that I call her as soon as the meeting ends. I kissed her goodbye and laughed at her pouting face.
“I’ll call you right away,” I reassured her before I left.
“You better,” she said, warning me with her narrowed gaze.
Now, I’m in the elevator, being carried up to the top floor of my own office building. I’m early, wanting to get here before Kristopher so that I can clear my thoughts and be ready for whatever he has to say.
This conversation has been a long time coming.
Neither of us knew we had to have it, and there is a lot of history between us that we have to find a way to let go of.
I’ve hated him for so long, it’s a strange idea to just forget it all.
But for her, I will do anything. And the reason for my hatred is null and void. It was never legitimate to begin with.
As is his hatred towards me.
Sitting at my desk waiting for him to arrive, I’m tense, anxious to get started. Luckily, Kristopher arrives early too, and I don’t have to wait long. He walks in, a stern look on his face. I stand and walk around to the front of my desk, holding my hand out to shake his.
“To a new beginning?” I ask.
“Yes, agreed,” he says. “But there is a lot I have to tell you. I discovered some things yesterday that put this whole mess into perspective.”
I narrow my eyes, wondering what he’s found out.
Gesturing towards the couches at the window of my office, we sit down, both eager to get started.
“Your mother,” he says.
My confusion thickens. “What about my mother?” I ask tensely, wondering how she is the first thing he wants to discuss.
“It started with her. Before you were born.”
“Okay,” I say, leaning back in the chair, telling myself to be patient and listen.
“Years ago, before your parents met each other, my father dated a woman named Claudia-Rose. I’ve heard her name a number of times in my life, but I never knew who she was, other than being someone my father was at some point involved with.
Yesterday, I had my men look into my father’s history, and her name came up again. ”
“My mother’s name,” I say quietly.
“Exactly. Your mother and my father were together for almost a year. According to his retelling of the story, and the information I could piece together all these years later, she left him in a cruel and heartless way. But if you ask anyone who was there to witness the relationship from an objective standpoint, she left him because he used to beat her violently. He was abusive, manipulative, cold-hearted—all the things we already know of my father.” He pauses, taking a slow breath.
“I’m sorry, I know your mother passed away when you were very young; this can’t be easy to hear. ”
“It’s okay, carry on.”
He nods. “My father abused her, and she left him. That’s the real story.
Not too long after she left him, your mother met your father.
She was madly in love with him, and they got married, had you, and lived happily.
My father was jealous and bitter, and it was the beginning of the rivalry between our families.
It started with our fathers. Your father was angry because of the pain he’d inflicted on your mother.
My father was angry because he believed your father had stolen his love.
” Kristopher sighs. “My father is a horrible man.”
“I was only three when my parents died. I was far too young to know any of this,” I say thoughtfully.
“How did your parents die?” Kristopher asks, suddenly tense.
“It was an accident. It wasn’t your father,” I say quickly, knowing what he fears.
He clenches his jaw. “My father’s cruelty started this rivalry a generation before us, and my father’s cruelty fueled it into our generation as well.
It’s up to us to end this, if you can come to understand that he acted alone, and I played no part in his threats—and what he did to Anya.
” Kristopher’s voice is tight. He hates his father as much as I do. I can hear it in his voice.
I let out a heavy sigh, processing everything he’s told me. I don’t blame him for any of it. And he’s right, we are the only ones who can put an end to it.
“Faiz is still the head of Bratva in Phoenix,” I remark.
Kris leans back in his chair and taps his fingers on the armrest. “He is—on paper.”
“And off paper?”
“I’ve been running everything in Phoenix for years. It’s my reputation, my work, my status that binds every single one of my allies to me. They do not want to work with my father, and they’re only in business with me because they know he’s not really running the show.”
“But your father still has a lot of his own allies. He still has a lot of power. Even just in the title, he could cause a lot of trouble for us,” I say, knowing it’s true, but needing to point it out so that we can acknowledge all angles and risks.
“My father’s spies are everywhere, it’s true. And despite ‘retiring,’ he has power still. But I can assure you that his name won’t be up there for much longer, not if everything I have planned goes through without issues.”
I stare at Kristopher, into the eyes of the man I have hated for so long, and all I see is someone who cares for Anya as much as I do.
He came here, willing to be honest with me, to tell me the brutal truth he found out from our intertwined past; he came here because he loves his sister and wants the same thing I do.
For her to be happy.
“I love her,” I say, letting out a heavy breath.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that, Emmanuil.”
“So, what do you suggest we do? Anya has made it clear that she won’t act violently against Faiz. Even after everything he did, she doesn’t want to be the same as him. What do you want? What do you believe is the best course of action?”
He shakes his head. “I agree with her. Violence isn’t the answer. We need to strip him of his power, and that plan is already in motion. I’m trusting you with that knowledge.” His eyes pierce into mine.
“I will help wherever I can,” I reply.
“You can help by keeping my sister in San Diego. If she goes back to Phoenix now, there is no telling what my father will do. News of your marriage is already spreading. He’ll find out soon enough, and his ego won’t let him ignore it.”
“I’ll keep her here, but that’s not a permanent solution.”
“It won’t have to be. Do you mean what you say? That you’ll help where you can?”
I nod.
“Then we are allies.” Kristopher leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. It’s a statement and a question.
“We are allies,” I confirm. “Faiz will be furious, though.”
“I know,” Kris chuckles. “But once I have full control, it won’t matter what he thinks.”
We both stand. There isn’t anything more to say. The air between us is clear, the past is in the past, and we’ll work together in the future. Kris holds out his hand to shake mine.
“It’s good to meet you, Emmanuil.” He smiles, and I understand what he means. To meet me without the stories, without the misunderstandings. The real me.
He lets go of my hand and turns to leave, but turns back, a smile on his face.
“And for the record—Anya loves you. I mean, he really loves you. I saw the state she was in when she left you years ago. She was broken back then. Even when I wanted to kill you years ago, when I thought you’d hurt her, she stood up for you.
And I’ve only seen that fierceness in her eyes one other time—yesterday, when she stood up to me when I wanted to shoot you.
It’s the reason I listened. She has a terrible poker face, that girl. She wears her heart on her sleeve.”
His words have me smiling.
“She really does have a terrible poker face,” I chuckle.
“Take care of my sister, Emmanuil. We’ll talk soon.”
Kristopher leaves my office, and as promised, I call Anya right away. I gave her a very brief overview that things went well. She’s upset when I tell her I’m on my way home and I’ll give her all the information in person when I get there.
“But I want to know now,” she moans, making me laugh.
“I’m ten minutes away, I’m sure you can wait.”
“But I’ve waited all day,” she huffs.
As soon as I park the car, Anya is at my door, pulling it open.
“Tell me everything,” she demands. I climb out and pull her into my arms, smiling. I wrap my hand around her jaw and tilt her face towards mine. Her eyes are fierce, and it makes me think about what her brother said. She loves me. Even he can see it.
“You’re beautiful, kitten. The most beautiful girl in every universe,” I grin.
“Stop trying to charm me and tell me what—"
I press my lips into hers and kiss her with passion. She moans against my lips as I turn her and push her body against the car. I pull her close, my fingers digging into her softness, holding onto her with relief and happiness, my heart flooded with both.
She threads her fingers up the back of my neck and into my hair, knotting them, pulling my hair tightly.
By the end of the kiss, we’re both breathing heavily, our hearts racing.
Her cheeks are flushed bright pink, and her lips are swollen.
“Okay, take me inside and make love to me,” she whispers. “But then you have to tell me everything.”
Without hesitation, I lift her in my arms and carry her into our home, into our bedroom, throwing her down onto our bed.
We make love all afternoon, celebrating our freedom to be together and the fact that we can have a future. Afterwards, Anya lies on my chest and I tell her everything that happened in the meeting.
She’s horrified, surprised, hurt for me, ashamed of her father—but in the end, she is happy.
“So, our families are allied?” she asks, tracing her fingers over my chest, her beautiful, big eyes staring up at me.
“Despite your father’s expected disapproval, yes. Your brother has assured me he has a plan to take full control soon. And I’ve given him my word that he has my full support. But you can’t go home until that happens. It’s too much of a risk.”
“I can’t go home?” she whispers, knitting her brows. My heart hurts for her. Maybe she won’t agree to this.
“It’s temporary, Anya,” I reassure her, stroking her hair.
She’s quiet for a long moment while I wait, tense, for her response.
Finally, she shares her thoughts.
“This is my home, Em. With you. Wherever you are.” She smiles. “And I’ll agree to anything that lets me be with you.” Her eyes shine as she looks at me.
“Together.” I smile, touching her cheek.
“Always,” she replies, wiggling upwards to press her lips against mine, setting my body on fire all over again as I pull her on top of me and she wraps her legs around my waist.