“Yes.”
I grimace and accept the explanation with little fuss.
Three miscarriages into their marriage and Kirill turns into a father hen every time they make another attempt at having a child, only growing worse as her term passes.
Especially as Ekaterina is terrified he’ll end up in jail before she gives birth.
As I wash my hair for the third time, the smell of burning fabric hits my nose as my men clean up around me. When a pressure washer sounds in the background, mixing in with the noises of the happy drunks who whistle while they work, I ask him, “What do you think of Dmitri?”
“Which one?”
I admonish, “You know which.”
Dmitri is Nikolai’s eldest son, which means, unfortunately for us, he’s another brother.
Misha finally looks up from his phone. “Ask me a question, Max, and I’ll answer.”
I let the water pummel me. “Kirill isn’t strong enough. I don’t think he ever was. He and Tima have served their purpose.”
Misha narrows his eyes. “Both of them?”
“Yes. Want a promotion,brat?”
“I should always have been youravtoritet.”
“Perhaps.”
“Always.”
I grunt. “Fine.”
Satisfied, he muses, “Dmitri would be a strong contender forvorif he didn’t have his hands full with Sofia.”
“Who’s studying at Oakwood.”
At my prompt, Misha groans. “We’re grown men. It’s weird for us to be hanging around college campuses this much!”
“You know I’m right.” My lips quirk. “Dmitri’s a clever fucker. He’d easily get a place. It would be added protection for us all.”
“You expect him to studyandtake over Kirill’s role?”
“I think the little shit can handle it,” I scorn.
He rubs his chin. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Victoria has no allegiances in the Veronians.”
“You want him to pledge?!”
I switch off the water and grab a towel. “It’s a good idea,nyet? You know damn well they’ll let him in. With his ties to Nikolai.”
“No way! People will recognize Sofia. Ya know, Turgenev. TheKrestniy Otets’sdaughter. A brother in the Veronians!”
“Hardly. He never leaves Moscow. Plus, he kept her locked away like Sleeping Beauty. There are very few pictures of her in existence and the ones that are were taken years ago. She’s changed since then.”
His cheeks gust out. “Heissmart.”
“I know.”
