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She nods, her face betraying nothing. “Very well, sir. I will have everything ready for your review.”
I don’t bother with a reply, already striding toward the garden. My mind’s filled with Yulia, my little sister, all alone out there. The garden’s filled with our muscle-bound soldiers, always on guard, but it doesn’t change the ache in my chest at the sight of her. She looks so damned lonely.
Sophia should’ve been there. She’s supposed to glue herself to Yulia.
But no, she went off hunting for me.
That thought chews at me, gets my blood boiling. Is that why I was a dick to her earlier?
Because I was so goddamn pissed?
Guilt floods me, but I swallow it back into my gut.
Sophia doesn’t get it. She can’t know the shitstorm I’m in. Something’s up. I can sense it. It’s like the day my old man got whacked. Right outside our damn home…by that prick Aleks. I should’ve been there. But I was out, wheeling and dealing, and that cost me big time.
I start to lumber toward Yulia, her hushed whispers hitting my ears.
“Do you think Luka’s forgotten us?” she says to Max, her voice choked with longing. Max whips his head up, his tail wagging like a crazy windmill as he makes a beeline for me. Yulia’s face lights up at the sight of me, then it crumbles into a tear-streaked mess.
“I missed you, Luka!” she blurts, tears choking her words.
I pull Yulia into a tight hug, lifting her as if she’s as light as a feather. I brush a gentle kiss against her tear-soaked cheeks.
“Malyška, I’ve been caught up in a whole lot of grown-up stuff. You know how it is.”
Her little body quakes against mine as a sob breaks free. “Sophia and I…we’ve been scared, Luka.”
“Well, Sophia doesn’t need to worry. I’m here, am I not?” I rumble, my heart constricting at the sight of her so broken. “Did Sophia say anything else?”
A small nod from her. “She said…said you loved me. That you’d give me the biggest hug when you saw me.” She sniffs, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“Well, she’s not wrong,” I grin, squeezing her tighter for good measure.
She lets out a shaky giggle, burying her face into my shirt. “She also said she was going to find you. That’s why she left.”
Fuck!
A jolt of guilt hits me harder. I let out a sigh, tousling her hair. “Well, look at that. She was right again. I’m here, aren’t I?”
Her head bobs in understanding, like a tiny sparrow pecking at the ground. In an instant, she’s clinging onto me, her arms wrapped around me so tight it’s as if she’s afraid I’ll disappear again.
“Hey, malyška,” I murmur, ruffling her soft hair, “How about we head out for some shopping right now? Got some birthday presents to snag, don’t we?”
“Shopping?” Yulia gasps, her hands gripping onto my shirt tightly. “Right now?”
“You bet.” I chuckle, feeling Yulia’s excitement as she squirms in my arms. Her eyes widen, and the solemn mood that had settled over her earlier lifts instantly. “Anything you want, malyška. It’s all yours today.”
Damn, I really screwed things up this time. Hiding like a damn coward while Yulia faces the shitstorm alone? Pathetic. Now I’m here, trying to paste a happy smile on her with a pathetic shopping spree, as if new toys could just erase the nightmare she’s been thrown into because of me.
“Really?” she asks, her voice small but hopeful. “Can I get the huge dollhouse? The one with the elevator?”
I glance down at her, and the spark in her eyes pulls at something in my chest.
How could I say no?
“If you want the dollhouse, you’ll get the dollhouse,” I confirm, her squeal of joy music to my ears.
The sound of paws scrabbling against the pavement makes us all turn. Max has spotted Sophia and is making a beeline toward her.
