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Daddy shrugs. “Keeping an eye on all parts of the kingdom is necessary, better not to be surprised by a leaking roof.”
“Smartass,” the man mutters as he walks away with a smile.
I giggle. “Daddy, people mutter that word as they walk away from you a lot.”
“That’s because your daddy is an asshole,” Nikita mutters. “He damn near takes enjoyment out of it.”
“He isn’t an asshole with me,” I defend him.
He rolls his eyes. “Men aren’t assholes with their women. And you’re like a little puppy. No one is going to be an asshole with you.”
I’m not sure if it’s a compliment or not. I decide to see it as one as I cuddle into Daddy. He offers me a bite of his steak. I take it but I’m still too anxious to really enjoy it. But he’s so happy I take it that I take two more bites before I tell him I’m full.
Thankfully Milos and Celia leave. Only ten minutes later, so do we.
* * *
Phoenix
We’re woken early by Daddy’s ringing phone. Daddy warned me before he fell asleep he’d be keeping his ringer on and he had to answer it when it rang. I’m sighing as he answers, he wasn’t exaggerating about our honeymoon being over.
Something is wrong. He’s speaking Russian fast, I only understand Nikita’s name and Daddy is urging him to calm down.
He hangs up with a sigh. “Nikita’s wife is gone. He didn’t put a tracker on her, he can’t find her. I have to go, baby.”
I hate it but I don’t dare say the words out loud. “I understand, Daddy. He loves her very much. She loves him too. Are you sure she left on her own?”
Daddy is going into the walk-in closet to get dressed. “Yes, he checked the cameras. She walked out on her own, he found things—it appears she’s been planning this.”
“Planning it? Poor Nikita.” My heart hurts for him.
“Yes, he’s not doing well. I’ll call you as soon as I figure out how long I’ll be. Damien and Vasily flew back to Philadelphia last night. Maxim is still here but he planned to travel back once he sobered up enough to take the stairs without falling up them. Christ, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
I catch his hand as he finishes buttoning his shirt. “Take however long he needs. I’ll be here when you get home. She won’t be, though, and it has to hurt him. I don’t understand why she’s gone, but it has to be a good reason.”
Daddy kisses my hand. “I don’t dare kiss you the way I want. My brother needs me. Thank you for reminding me of her. As badly as I want to hurt her right now for what she did to him, he will go after her and he will find her. I need to not say anything that will have him resenting me when she’s back. As far as loving him, it doesn’t make sense. He loves her and thought she cared for him. Except it’s clear she was always going to use him.”
“Daddy, I was going to destroy you if you’ll remember. The way things start isn’t how they always go.”
His lips tip up. “True. Miss me the way I’ll be missing you.” He presses a last kiss to my fingers, then he’s gone.
CHAPTER31
Aleksander
I tease the kitten, Garcia, with a feather toy.
“If you looked any more glum, I would think you were Maxim getting married the day after tomorrow. What’s the matter? You guys seem happy. She barely frowns anymore when I’m around.” Milos sips on his scotch. “Maybe you should be in therapy with her today.”
Garcia climbs up my leg, tired of the string. I catch her, stroking her to settle her down. Purring, Garcia lays her head down and promptly falls asleep. I said yes to the kitten to make Phoenix happy, but I’ve grown to care for her because of how she reminds me of Phoenix.
“It’s been three months. She hasn’t said it. I know she does. She knows she does. I keep thinking she’s going to say it any day, and nothing.”
“Have you talked to the therapist about it?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m not going to cry to a therapist. Poor me, my wife won’t say she loves me. The therapist is good, I know she’s helped Phoenix. Every time Phoenix comes out of there better than when she went in—even when she’s crying her heart out. She still can’t let it go. And it’s the one thing she won’t talk to the therapist about. All the rest, even her bitch of a mother she winces even thinking of, but Ray’s death, no.”
Thinking of the changes therapy wrought in Phoenix, I was astonished. My baby girl was even more open and wanting in our relationship. She had no shame in going onto her knees if Milos or my men were in the room. I brought her with me everywhere, I hated being away from her. Within the club all my men were respectful and kept an eye on her while making sure never to touch her.
