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He seems so much happier, and I ignore the little spark of guilt I feel for doing this. No, the anger is greater, and it buries that spark.
After lunch is done, we escort the Russians out to their cars, and Evgenii stops by me and smiles down at me. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
I nod, giving him a small smile. “Of course. I’ll be in touch.”
“Can I give you a kiss?” he asks softly.
I nod, and he leans down, softly kissing my lips.
I can feel everyone's eyes on us, especially my mother's, and Evgenii pulls away and grins. “See you soon.”
I watch him walk off with Ivan, who gives him a strange look. I turn and walk back to the house, knowing I will have to explain myself later.
As I walk near Katya and Alessandro, I hear my brother say, “Personally, I think the women in this family are far scarier than the men.”
I smile.
Chapter 18 - Evgenii
I have a smile on my face the whole way back to Ivan’s house. Tori keeps glancing at me skeptically while she cradles a sleeping Roman in her arms. Ivan also seems quiet, but it doesn’t bother me. I have prayed and hoped a heartfelt apology would make Shirley see that I was sorry, for her to give me another chance, and it’s worked. Honestly, it was Natalia’s idea after I spoke to her last night, so I really have her to thank.
We reach Ivan’s house, and Tori excuses herself quietly to put Roman down. I follow Ivan to the back deck, but he still hasn’t said anything. He pours us each a drink, and I thank him, sighing with contentment.
Tori comes back, and Ivan hands her a glass of wine while we drink our Vodka neat.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ivan asks after several moments of silence. “If you break Shirley’s heart again, I won’t stop Alessandro from stringing you up.”
I frown and shake my head. “No, you’ve got the wrong idea. Iwantto be with Shirley, guys. I am head over heels in love with the woman. I apologized for what I did, I explained everything to her, and she said we stand a chance together. I need to try because I see a future with her.”
Ivan glances at Tori and sips his drink. “You’re my favorite cousin, Evgenii, but surely you realize you shouldn’t trust Shirley. You destroyed her world last time. You convinced her you loved her, and then you broke her heart. I doubt she’s just forgiven you and decided to build a life with you.”
It’s rich coming from him, but I can’t say that. He may be my cousin, but he’s also the head of our family. Instead, I smile. “Shirley has always been a good, kind, loving person, and I know she won’t hurt me.” I feel confident as I speak. “I know if she says we stand a chance, we do. She isn’t like me. She isn’t cold and ruthless. She’s matured since we dated, and to be honest, I didn’t pretend to be in love with her. Looking back, I now know I always was in love with her. I just kept my blinkers on and wouldn’t admit it.”
Tori clears her throat. “I don’t know about that. Shirley is well known to be harsh, especially on the West Coast. She gets things done, whether you stand in her way or not. She may not be the same person you remember. Do you really think Alessandro would let her run the West Coast if she was soft?”
I finish my drink. “I’ll show her my intentions every step of the way and win her love back, you’ll see. I will prove to her we deserve to be together, that we belong together.”
I know I sound like a hopeless romantic, but I also know that if everyone else can find their better halves, so can I. I know it’s Shirley, and I know that together we are stronger than apart.
Before they can say more, I excuse myself. “Thanks for the ride, but I need to work on our proposal for Don Pacheco. I don’t want to keep him waiting and give a chance to rival families to take Staten from us.”
“Not even Shirley,” Ivan comments, raising an eyebrow.
I give him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Pakhan. Enjoy your Sunday.”
I leave, and I try not to let what they’ve said get to me. Shirley isn’t a pushover, but she isn’t heartless. She has always had a heart of gold. I think about Tori saying Shirley runs the West Coast. I wonder if that’s really true. I thought her brother Pierce ran the operations there.
I arrive back at the house and immediately start working on my proposal for Staten Island. I remember what Shirley is offering and will keep it in mind as I draft our proposal. I remember what Ivan said before I left. He is doubtful that I will want to win the bid because I’m against Shirley. To be honest, I am hesitant, but I know I have to put my family first. Well, unless I can devise a way to convince Ivan to do me a favor.
A notification sounds on my laptop, and I see it’s an email from one of my informants. I open it, and as I read the writing, my eyes widen.
Don Pacheco was attacked and is currently in the hospital, fighting for his life. They don’t know who or which family is behind it.
I know this will cause a war.
I race back to my car and drive to Ivan’s house.
“I can assure you, I wouldn’t instigate a war like that without forewarning you,” Ivan is on the phone as I walk out to the deck. “I trust you weren’t behind this either, Alessandro.”
