Page 193 of Merciless Daddy

Chapter 15

Salvatore

Iwoke before the sun and found Yelena’s hand curled around the firebird notebook as if someone might try to steal it from her in her sleep.

The room was blue with early light. The sea moved beyond the open doors. Slow water. Soft wind. Nothing urgent except the pulse in my chest whenever I looked at her.

Her hair had fallen across my shoulder. Her mouth was slightly open. The notebook rested against her ribs, its gold bird catching one thin line of dawn.

I had spent most of my life waking with a list already forming in my head. Cargo. Payments. Men. Routes. Threats.

That morning, I watched the woman I love breathe. I felt an urge, a hope, that things might stay like this forever, but a fear that they most certainly wouldn’t.

My secure phone vibrated on the table.

TONIO.

I took it into the hall before answering.

“What?” I said quietly.

“Charming as always, fratello. Wanted to let you know we made it to the ranch and all is well.”

I could hear cooking behind him. Pans. Voices. Someone swearing in Italian. Tonio sounded tired and pleased with himself, which usually meant he had created a problem and fed it.

“Is Kiryl safe?”

“He is safe. He is also sunburned, offended, and currently peeling potatoes for twenty guards.”

I stopped.

“He is doing what, sorry?”

I could almost hear the shrug of the shoulders, the raising of the hands. “He said he wanted to help. I gave him a knife and a reasonable task.”

“A knife?”

“A potato knife. Sal. Not a machete.”

I rubbed my face.

“I’ll call when Yelena wakes. She’ll want to see him. Make sure he isn’t doing anything dangerous.”

“You talking about the potatoes?”

“No, of course not. It’s a ranch, don’t have him . . . I don’t know, shoeing horses or whatever.”

“Got it, got it. You want a television call?”

“Yes.”

Tonio laughed. “This family has become a nightmare.”

“It was always a nightmare. Just now we’re documenting it on video.”

When I returned, Yelena had rolled onto her back. Her eyes opened slowly.

“Daddy?”