“I forgive you,” I growl, emotion rising in my chest as I hear the death rattle and Vasya’s breathing becomes labored. “I fucking forgive you.”
I grip his hand, and he grips mine as he breathes once, twice, and then no more, his hand going slack as he sighs out his last breath.
And then he’s gone, the fire raging behind us, my estate destroyed, Dmitri’s survival uncertain, the sirens wailing on the other side of the house.
36
EVGENY
Dmitri looks up from his phone, and a grin stretches across his face as I walk into his hospital room, one that’s become far too familiar.
It’s good to see that grin. It’s good to see that he’s sitting halfway up, with more color to his face and not so many tubes draining red stuff.
“Boss.”
“Are you following the doctor’s orders, or just drawing this out to charm every nurse?” I ask, taking a seat at his bedside.
The big bear chuckles. “How about a little of both?”
“More of one than the other,” I counter, and Dmitri’s laugh confirms my point. “How are you feeling?”
“Better each day. Mostly.” Dmitri pushes himself up on the pillows and flinches, his breathing going shallow for a moment, making my own breath catch.
“As long as you’re getting better.”
I say it to cover my concern. There were many tense days and nights when that wasn’t a given.
“Hey. At least I get a chance to relax. You can’t keep me running around when I’m tied to this.” He lifts his arm, showing the IV and the medication drips attached to it.
“As long as it’s not that damn ventilator.”
We both fall silent, the lack of conversation taken up by a strained truth neither of us wishes to air.
“The Sokolinaya Bratva is still in chaos,” I tell him. “They won’t be challenging us any time soon.”
Dmitri’s eyebrows rise toward his hairline at my change in subject. “Still no one in charge?”
“No.” I try to keep a scowl on my face, but a smirk breaks through anyway. I can’t help but be satisfied. “Three of Tsepov’svorhave staked their claims.”
“A fight for succession?” Dmitri smirks. “Have to say I don’t feel too sorry about that.”
I chuckle, tacitly agreeing, then shift as my phone buzzes.
I smile as I read the words,Almost there.
“Eva?” Dmitri asks, a knowing grin in place.
“She has her thirty-week checkup today, and then we have a final review meeting with the designer before they lay the new foundation for the house rebuild. The site is finally clear of debris, and they’ve secured the library.”
“And I’d thought building a fireproof room just for some books was ridiculous. The safe room behind the bookcase for the Fabergé shit, I understood, but not the books.”
I stand, slipping my phone back into the inner pocket of my suit coat as a nurse comes in. She eyes me and then Dmitri, who gives her a wink. The nurse blushes and sets to work checking his vitals.
“Eva said you were giving the nurses trouble here. Maybe you should switch to all-male nurses.”
“If I have to be in the hospital, I may as well have some fun.” Dmitri gives the nurse another wink, and this time, she giggles.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Just behave yourself. And get better. I want you back at my side.”
