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“We could have gone to a restaurant at the hotel,” she offers.
“I wanted to show you some of Las Vegas. You said you’ve never been here before.”
“I just told you that. Reservations must be hard to get here.” She’s been edging to learn more about me. But I evade her questions or give her half-truths.
I won’t outright lie to her, but I’m not sure how she’ll react when she finds out who I really am. Plus, the fact that my brother is part of the Latvian Mafia isn’t going to go over very well. Even though Eastport sounds like a fairly large city, it isn’t big enough for her to know much about the mob, especially a Russian or Latvian one.
My hand slides against her bare back and the heat seeps into my palm. A small zing races up my arm. Mybabushkaalways told us we were destined for great loves because of how our parents treated us. My own mother was the mistress to my father. But when he found out about me, and she couldn’t take care of me anymore,Babushkastepped in and raised me with Alexei. When Ley came along, we just melded her into our small family. Just the four of us. Father never came around, and our mothers were all doing their own things.
When we step up to the podium, the hostess looks up and instantly recognizes me.
“Mr. Aldridge, it’s so nice to see you. It’s been a while. We are pretty full, but like I told you earlier, I can make room for you.” She starts to say more, but I interrupt her.
“Can we be seated, please?”
“Oh yes, right this way.” She weaves through the tables, settling on a two-seater next to the window. I hold out the chair for Erika, who sits down.
“Do your parents live close by?” Erika asks after a server gets us each drinks and takes our order.
“My mother died many years ago and my father lives in another country.” Again, I don’t give her too much. She takes a deep breath and I realize she’s getting upset with me. “My father was born in Russia but now resides in Latvia. He and my mother had a brief affair that led to me. She died when I was still young. Drugs.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“How about yours? I bet they have a nice house that you were raised in right there in Eastport.” I chuckle but watch her face fall slightly.
“No. Eastport is too backwoods for them. My meemaw was the reason we went to Eastport. My brother and I were born in Denmark, and our parents moved us to live with our grandmother when I was five.”
“Too backwoods? You said it’s a larger city.”
She sighs, and I watch as several emotions work their way across her face. Indifference. Anger. Resignation. And finally, hurt.
“My parents didn’t really want kids. They are free artists who want to explore the world. They felt that Leif and I were a burden on them. They had money and traveled, learned about new religions and cultures. When Meemaw died, they came back to Eastport, my father’s hometown, and found out they didn’t inherit anything, so they left again.”
“Ahh. I get it.” I pause as the waiter returns with our meal. “My mother liked her drugs more than me. My father moved to Latvia as soon as they called him back. He didn’t care that he had three children left behind.”
“Three.” She smiles and takes a bite of her steak. I watch as her lips wrap around the meat and pull it from the tines of the fork. I’m so entranced that I forget she asked me a question until she tips her head to the side while she chews. Her delicate jaw moving.
“I have an older brother and younger sister. We think we are our father’s only progeny.”
She swallows, and I take a bite. I loved when she ordered a full meal and not some salad shit. She eats with vigor. Moaning and sighing with different bites.
“Do they live close?” she asks after she takes a sip of her wine.
“My brother does. My sister lives on the East Coast.” As normal, I don’t give Ley’s actual location. She likes to remain hidden, even though we know exactly where she lives. It’s our father and his men that she is hiding from. “Ley got out of here as soon as she could. It brokeBabushka’sheart that she left, but she understood. It’s why she stayed here instead of going to Latvia with Father.”
“Babushka?” She doesn’t struggle with the pronunciation. I notice every once in a while a slight Dutch accent pops out.
“Grandmother in Russian.”
She smiles and we continue getting to know each other over the meal.
ChapterThree
ERIKA
Spending time with Grayson has been amazing. Dinner and the view were wonderful. We are walking along the Strip, him holding my hand. He told me about his family a bit. His mother, who died. But he avoids everything that has to do with his job. I’m fairly certain he works at the casino. It hits me when I see a dark car move along the road and his body tenses.
I stop abruptly, and people have to move around us. Slipping my hand from his, I turn to face him.
