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“Why don’t we take a seat?” Pavel says on a worn-out breath.
Dad leaves my side and helps him walk over to the couch.
I stand under the archway that separates the living room and foyer of the house. Dark leather couches surround the lit fireplace. Sheer white curtains are draped over the large windows. Outside, the snow falls softly. If it were quiet enough, you’d be able to hear the snow hitting the glass.
I read in this room all the time. It’s calming.
“I’d say I have a few weeks left. A month at most,” Pavel says while he grabs a glass of water from my dad’s hands.
His hands are shaky, pale and veiny. His body is wearing him down, but his spirits are still high. I knew he wasn’t doing well. Dad spoke about how cruel the world can be. From the stories Dad’s told me about Pavel, the man has a heart of gold. While his work is dark, he never loses sight of what matters the most to him.
The outfit hates my father because of all the trouble he’s caused. He fell in love with my mother, who was married to the Capo. If Pavel didn’t have a genuine bone in his body, he would have killed my dad.
I let out the air from my lungs and walk over to the couch. “Can I get you anything?” I ask, only hoping to help.
“I came here to ask for your help, Sloane,” Pavel says as he coughs into his hands.
Dad looks over at me through his dark brows. It’s as if his looks are asking me what Pavel means, and I just shrug my shoulders. Does he expect me to understand what’s going on? I’ve only just met the man.
“What can I do for you?” I ask, hoping he isn’t going to propose a marriage to someone in his family. I like staying here. I mean, I want to go out and explore, but I don’t want my hand to be forced into a marriage. To be trapped down by a man who couldn’t give two shits about who I am as a person.
“I need you to watch over my son,” he tells me in one breath. “He’s going to break. I can feel it.”
“Oh,” I start, but I’m interrupted.
“Your brother killed my son, Kirill,” Pavel says and waves off any incoming sympathies.
What made Giovanni kill Kirill?
“Mikhail is like a ticking time bomb, and once I’m gone, I feel he will go after Giovanni. Maybe it’ll be for payback, or maybe it’ll be to kill him—who the fuck knows with him? But when the time comes, I need you to be there for him. In a way that is not obvious. He will kill you before he allows you to help him.” Pavel laughs, and the sound comes out cracked—painful almost.
“Why me? I’ve never even met him,” I say.
“You areKoldunya.You are capable of many things.”
I smile through my questions. Not to be a bitch or anything, but Pavel has no idea who I am, nor if I’m even capable of helping his son with whatever it is that he needs. “I don’t know about this,” I say.
“Sloane, I need you to challenge him. Beat him down if you must. But you will overpower him—I need you to. He needs to understand he has someone by his side, and I feel you’re a perfect match to challenge him. But you cannot fear him.”
“You make him sound terrifying,” I say.
“He can be.” He laughs again. “But you’ll see past it.”
Dad makes a sound and crosses his arms. “Pavel, I’m not comfortable with having my daughter leave.”
A smug smile tugs at Pavel’s lips. “Oh, I don’t really care what you’re comfortable with. I want the Stepanov name to continue, and that won’t happen if Mikhail doesn’t make an alliance with Giovanni. The Clarkes will be coming for them, and they need to be a team before that happens.”
“The Clarkes haven’t made their presence known in years. I’m sure they know about Sloane as well, and they still haven’t made a move.”
Pavel adjusts his suit jacket. “They’ll be coming. The property Mikhail will take over is in their part of the city.
“You mean to wed Sloane to Mikhail?” my dad asks.
My mouth drops.
“Not quite,” Pavel adds. “I just need Sloane to remind Mikhail that Giovanni is not the enemy. They will be strong by each other’s side. Giovanni will be willing to hear him out because of Sloane. She is the glue of this fucking family.”
“So, when am I supposed to go to him? How do I even go about this situation?”
