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I don’t think I can stand to see him hurt.
I shake my head, trying to get rid of the thought.
Couple that with the events of last night, just the mere thought of which cause my pussy to weep with want, I’m not sure I can go through with it. Dimitri murdered my father. Dimitri is also a caring father, son, and brother. And he gave me pleasure like none I’ve ever experienced.
I glance at the text waiting for a reply with hesitation and conflict. A vague answer is best.
Whatever. Stay out of this.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Nat?” Dahlia calls to me. “I’m going downstairs to prepare breakfast. Would you mind getting Simon and Lev ready? We’ll eat in the kitchen.”
“Sure thing!” I say, rising from my bed.
It’s almost eight in the morning. I need to get to work.
I flip my phone closed and shove it into the back of my bedside table drawer, swallowing my irritation. Edvard’s really pushing his luck here. I can’t think about any of that now, though. Not when I have to spend the day playing nanny.
Simon is fussy this morning. He cries while I change his diaper and get him dressed. He cries when I strap him into his highchair and try to feed him his breakfast of sliced bananas and blueberries.
The only one missing from the table is Dimitri.
Lev sits beside me, mindlessly munching on his cinnamon oatmeal. “He needs a hug,” he says with surprising clarity. “Let me hold my son, Catherina.”
Okay. Maybe nottotalclarity.
Lev holds his hands out, reaching for Simon. For a moment, I wonder if it’s a good idea. He seems to be cogent enough to handle the task, so I slowly hand Simon over. Lev carefully lets the boy rest against his chest, patting him gently on the back. Simon’s cries muffle against his grandfather’s shoulders until, finally, he stops crying all together.
“Don’t worry, my love,” Lev says to me. “You’ll get the hang of it.”
Curious, I take a seat next to him. “Sorry, but… who do you think I am?”
Lev chuckles. “Don’t be silly, Catherina. You’re my wife.”
“Ah, I see,” I mumble, trying to keep my smile. Lev is clearly confused, and I’d really rather not upset him. This is the first time I’ve been able to hold a conversation with him. “And the little boy? Who is he to you?”
“Why, little Dima, of course. Where is Pytor, by the way? Unless… this is Pyotr? I’m worried I’ll never be able to tell the twins apart.”
“He’s, uh… He’s still asleep.”
“And Misha?”
“Playing in his room,” I lie easily. It’s an innocent enough thing to humor him for now.
Lev looks genuinely happy holding Simon, even if he’s got a few major details mixed up. I’ll admit the psychological aspects of medicine were never my strong suit. The human mind is both complicated and fragile. Whatever happened to Lev to leave him in this state must have been extremely traumatic.
“We need to move to America, my love,” he says after a moment, a sudden seriousness darkening his features. “I’m fearful for the boys.”
My chest tightens. “Why, Lev?”
“My brother… Konstantin will not forgive me for what I’ve done.”
“What did you do?”
“He’s grown too proud and too powerful. Dangerous. I have to turn him in to the police before he destroys us all.” Lev presses a kiss to Simon’s forehead. “I know you like this life. What it can afford us. But I don’t want my boys to grow up to be Bratva, Catherina. I want them to live long, healthy lives far away from this madness.”
I hold my breath.Bratva. I’ve known from the start who Dimitri is, but the whole house operates under some pact of silence. This is the first time I’ve heard anyone here evenmentionthe Antonov Bratva. Lev was the last person I’d expect to hear it from. I have to take it all with a grain of salt, however. Whatever memory he’s living through at the moment can’t be taken as fact, no matter how truthful it feels.
