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I smile and take her hand. “Tonight, we are going to play all the games until we win you a giant teddy bear prize.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not a kid anymore, Evgenii.”
I pout. “But you loved it when I won you bears.”
She looks away, but I see the smile tugging at the corner of her lips, so I lead her toward the entrance. My guards do a great job keeping us safe, but at a distance, as we move from one game to another. We win various prizes until the very end, when I manage to win her an oversized panda.
She holds it happily, beaming at me. We walk to the food section and gorge ourselves on the deep-fried and sugary goods that we should sensibly deny ourselves. I won’t lie, I feel stuffed when we’re done and somewhat sick. I don’t eat sugar in that quantity.
I lead Shirley to the Ferris wheel, another fan favorite, and I get us tickets to get on. The night is drawing to a close, and it’s chilly, so we sit right up next to each other, and I put an arm around her shoulders. The wheel moves slowly, and for a moment, there is silence but not an awkward one. It’s very comforting. The view is stunning, looking over the ocean and seeing the city lights on the opposite coast in the distance. I smile softly. “Thank you for letting me take you out tonight.”
“It’s no problem,” she says quietly. “To be honest, I’ve just wanted someone to talk to.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” I ask quietly.
“Mikhail’s proposal is good. I know Don Pacheco is leaning toward him,” she says quietly. “And I don’t know if my offer is any good.”
I pull back slightly and say, “You don’t have to discuss business with me, Shirley.”
“I know, but I feel like there’s no one else I can be vulnerable with. I can trust you, right?” The way she looks up at me seals it. She is my everything, and I will kill any motherfucker to give her what she wants.
“You can,” I say confidently. “What are you proposing?”
She smiles, almost sadly, and takes a deep breath. “Well, I’m thinking a 20-million-dollar down payment, with a monthly stipend of ten percent of sales for the rest of time or until we lose control of the area. Also, I want to position his sons in charge of some of our more legitimate businesses. They’ll distract the cops from what we’re actually doing.”
I nod as she speaks. “It’s good, but I can’t imagine Don Pacheco taking that. Mikhail is probably offering more than that. I would work on it a little more.”
“I’ve been in and out with Don Pacheco for a while now, he semi-approved my rough draft, but I think he’s negotiating between families, but he’s so secretive. That’s why I was trying to get Mikhail to tell me what he’s offering.” She looks up at me again, her eyes sparkling.
I lean down and kiss her lips softly. She raises a hand, but she doesn’t push me away. She returns my soft kiss. That’s all we do—soft small kisses on the lips and face, enjoying each other's taste.
“I am falling for you….” I murmur between kisses. “I don’t think I ever fell out of love with you….”
That’s when I feel her tense. I’ve said the wrong thing. She withdraws from me and looks the opposite way. “I can’t do this again. I’ve already told you too much.”
“I won’t use what you’ve told me,” I say, reaching to turn her face back to mine. “Shirley, please tell me what I must do.” I’m hurt, but I need to focus on her. “Tell me what I must do to prove my love to you.”
Shirley sniffs and looks away. It’s as if the Ferris wheel has the worst timing ever as it starts its slow descent back to the ground.
“Right now,” she says quietly, “I just want to go home.”
Chapter 17 - Shirley
After spending the night at the carnival with Evgenii, I’m frustrated because I didn’t get any information from him. I want him to feel what I felt. I want him to see what it’s like to fall in love with someone who is just using you for information.
After breakfast, I follow Helena as she makes her way to the greenhouse. She notices I’m there just as she steps out.
“My girl, what is it?” she asks gently.
I want to cry, but I don’t. Tears aren’t going to do anything for me. I need to be strong, but I don’t want to go through this alone.
She leads me over to the bench we sat on before, and we sit facing each other. She takes my hands gently and looks into my eyes. “You can tell me anything.”
I look down at first and give a big sniff before I look up at her. “You were right. I’m pregnant and don’t know what to do about it.”
Helena purses her lips because she understands what I’m implying, and she says, as gently as she can, “In this family, there are no mistakes. Each member has their place, and so will your baby.”
I nod, understanding that she means I need to have the baby.
