Chapter 21 | Leo
Leo
Dmitry moved into my house as the next few weeks rolled on. He was an easy kid who didn’t require much, which probably made it easier for me to acclimate to having a full house. Katia would joke at night that if you gave him a pasta and Wi-Fi, he was otherwise out of our hair.
I remained mum on the marriage discussion, allowing Katia to get used to the idea.
It probably seemed like we were moving at light speed to her.
Of course, I’d been silently obsessed with her for years, so moving to the next step just made sense to me.
Still, I didn’t want to push her and was content to let her catch up to me on her own timeline.
Dmitry and Alexis started working together on the program she created.
Sergey had made it clear to Oskar that Dmitry was an integral part of his new alliance with Michael, and he wasn’t to be harmed.
I had the feeling Oskar wasn’t thrilled at Sergey’s new partnership, but Sergey was the top boss, so he had little choice.
Marco Nunez, on the other hand, was a different story altogether.
He was vocal in his rejection of Sergey’s alliance with Michael, and requested to meet with both of them in person.
Sergey outright dismissed the idea, stating that he was not returning to America anytime soon.
But Michael saw some benefit to meeting with Marco, convinced it might be the show of strength the narco-terrorist needed to urge him to return to Miami.
Michael and I met at our secret spot at Fort Tilden Beach on a quiet Tuesday morning to discuss.
“I don’t like the idea of you meeting with Marco in person,” I said, arms crossed over my chest as we stood beside the concrete wall built under the small beachside cliff. “He’s a wildcard who could end your alliance with Sergey before it truly begins.”
“I know,” Michael said with a nod. “But I can’t show fear, and not meeting in person looks like I’m hiding. I think one meeting where I make it clear that and Sergey and I want him gone is important. After that, if he doesn’t leave, I’ll have to take care of him.”
“Understood. Keep it clean. My new boss is all over my ass, and it would help immensely if Marco was taken care of in a very standard way. Car accident. Heart attack with no traceable drug remnants. You get the drift.”
Tilting his head, Michael studied me. “I don’t want you to lose your job or go to jail, Leo.
If your boss becomes suspicious enough to open an investigation, I’m willing to cut ties.
It’s going to hurt because I’m going to have to cultivate a new FBI informant from scratch, but you’ve got responsibilities now and I won’t put those in jeopardy. ”
“That’s very altruistic,” I said, arching a brow. “I guess Katia told you I floated the idea of marriage.”
“She told Bianca, so it made its way to me.” Michael smiled. “She said you’re also contemplating becoming Dmitry’s legal guardians together.”
“Yeah. It will allow him to get his green card faster and offer some permanence in his life, away from Oskar.”
“I’m sure Oskar is pissed at his betrayal, so having him stay with you is much safer.” He patted my shoulder. “If you need a break, you can always send him to stay with me for a night too. Bianca would love to cook for him, and it can give you and Katia some privacy to figure things out.”
“I might take you up on that,” I said with a nod. “I’m trying not to push her, but I also know what I want.”
“She needs the push sometimes,” he said with a shrug. “I had to push her to become my accountant, and it worked out for both of us. She settles into comfortability sometimes because it’s safe, but you might be the person who teaches her that taking calculated risks doesn’t always end in disaster.”
“I hope so,” I muttered, rubbing my neck. “She deserves to feel that loving someone is safe.”
“That she does.” Michael glanced at his phone. “I’m heading to the Bronx, so I’ve got to get on the road. The meeting with Marco and Oskar is scheduled at the Atlantic Avenue warehouse at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“My boss holds our morning meetings at a ridiculously early hour, so I can definitely be at the warehouse by ten. How many armed capos are you bringing?”
Michael grimaced. “If it were anyone but Marco, I’d just bring Nick, Joaquin and Enzo. But Marco will have plenty of men with him, and I’m bringing twelve of my best soldiers. Bianca needs me, and I don’t want to die before I finally get to spend a few decades with her.”
“Let’s hope it remains amicable and no weapons are pulled,” I said, knowing the chances weren’t likely, but choosing to remain optimistic.
“You don’t have to come, you know,” Michael said. “I can handle this one without you.”
“I’m in this now, and it will reaffirm my alliance with you in front of Marco and Oskar.”
“True. That just means we both need to stay alive.” His lips flattened. “If we successfully send Marco home, do you think we’ll finally have some fucking peace?”
“Lord, I hope so,” I said softly.
Michael gave a nod and walked toward the stairs that led up to the parking lot.
I took a moment to inhale the salty air and send a little prayer to the universe that tomorrow went smoothly.
It was the last step in cementing Michael’s control over the area, ushering in a new era where human trafficking was eliminated.
We’d worked for years to accomplish this goal, and it would be excruciating to fail now.
Ready to put this long chapter of my life behind me, I headed to my car to return to the office and finish the day’s paperwork.
Katia
“Good grief,” I said, pulling out the old clothes I hadn’t worn in years from my bottom dresser drawer.
“I can’t believe I still have these.” I held up two skimpy dresses, one leather and one lace.
“I went through a leather and lace phase when I was dancing. This one made me tons of cash,” I said, shaking the lace dress.
“Holy hotness,” Alexis said, walking over to feel the fabric. “Nick would laugh in my face if I wore something like this, but I bet Leo would absolutely lose his mind if he saw you in this.”
“I’m tossing out all of my old dancing clothes,” I said, placing the dresses in the box labeled “trash.” “They served their purpose, but I’m about to be an old married lady. Plus, I prefer comfortable clothes in my old age.”
“Okay, I know you’re joking,” Bianca said, striding toward the box and pulling out the lace dress, “but you need to wear this one for Leo. That man has taken in your cat and a kid who isn’t his because you asked him to. I think he deserves the lace dress.”
Laughing, I took it from her and placed it in the “clothing” box.
“You know what? You’re right.” Squinting, I contemplated.
“I haven’t shown my dancer side to him because I know he’s not super-fond of it, but he did mention how much he loved his dad’s Playboys as a teenager.
I guess he does have some secret fantasies. ”
“Strait-laced guys like Leo always do,” Bianca said, shrugging. “If he comes home from work to find you in that dress on his couch, I guarantee he won’t give a crap what you used to do. In fact, his brain might quietly implode.”
“I hope not,” I said, grinning. “But I do need to rock his world. He usually takes over when we’re together, and he’s so intense.”
“That tracks,” Alexis said.
“But I could make it fun for him...” I mused, rubbing my chin. “Good call, Bianca. The lace dress stays, but toss everything else you see that looks skimpy and cheap. Those days are behind me.”
“Aye, aye,” Alexis said with a salute.
“Thank you both so much for helping me pack,” I said, glancing around the bedroom I’d slept in for so many years. “I can’t believe I’m moving out of this place. I thought I’d be here forever.”
“Life has a way of ripping you up by the roots and putting you in a much better place,” Bianca said. “Take it from me. I never thought I’d be happily married, but Michael has changed my perspective on so many things.”
“So, are you going to say yes?” Alexis asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.
“I mean, he didn’t technically ask me,” I said, pursing my lips. “When he brought it up, I was floored, but it’s kind of settled in with me now.”
“Do you love him?” Bianca asked softly.
Sighing, I grinned as complicated, passionate emotions swirled in my chest. “It’s so strange, because love was such a distant concept for me for most of my life.
My parents loved drugs more than they ever loved me or Elena, so I didn’t have a great foundation.
I loved Elena desperately, and that love turned into the epitome of the greatest failure of my life. ”
“You didn’t fail her,” Bianca said, approaching me and gently rubbing my arm. “You moved across the world to try and save her, and when you couldn’t, you rebuilt your life in a country full of strangers. You’re incredibly brave, Katia.”
“In some ways I am,” I said, nodding. “But in others...well, I just kind of gave up on love. It was a concept filled with pain and agony, and I wanted no part of it.”
My lips curved as Leo’s handsome face appeared in my mind.
“But with Leo it’s different. It’s safe.
..and consuming...and just...” I circled my hand.
“Real. It’s like he sees the best version of me, and wants to make it safe for me to be that person.
God, I sound like an idiot. Does that make any sense at all? ”
Bianca squeezed my hand. “It makes perfect sense. I think you’re definitely in love, Katia.”
A warm feeling spread across my skin as I accepted her words. I’d been falling down the chasm with Leo for a while, and yes, I was absolutely in love with him.
“Yeah, I am. How freaking weird,” I whispered.
Alexis shrieked. “Yay! I’m now an expert at wedding planning, so you can lean on me when you need help, sister.”
Placing my hand on my heart, I felt the rapid thumping. “I think I’m still getting used to it. Let’s chill on the planning so I don’t pass out.”
“Fair enough, but I’ll be here when you’re ready!”
We finished packing and called Damien and Chris to pick us up. Everyone helped me load my boxes into the SUV that Damien was driving before Alexis and Bianca hugged me goodbye.
“Dmitry’s at the house using Alexis’s laptop to install some new code on their financial program I’ll never understand,” Bianca murmured in my ear. “I’m going make him stay for dinner. I’ll have Chris drive him home at ten. Put the lace dress to use, Katia.”
Laughing, I tightened my arms around her. “You’re a saint. Thank you, Bianca.”
They climbed into the SUV with Chris, and I climbed into the back seat of Damien’s SUV.
“Ready?” he asked, looking at me in the rear-view mirror.
“Ready,” I said with a nod.
As he drove away, I turned to look at the home I’d inhabited for so many years. I’d grown so much there, but it had also allowed me to remain stilted in so many ways.
“On to bigger and better things, Katia,” I whispered to myself, the building blurring in the rear window as my eyes welled with tears.
Ready for the future, I settled into the comfy leather seat and allowed Damien to take me to the home where I would build the next chapter of my life with the man who’d made me believe in love once again.