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“Obviously things didn’t go the way they planned.”
“No. The night I was supposed to board a plane to fly to Argentina, Lev showed up and stopped the plane from leaving the tarmac. He parked his car right on the runway and asked me to marry him instead.”
“I’m guessing you said yes.”
Catherina smiles.Actuallysmiles. I didn’t know my mother was capable of making such an expression. “Wrong. I told him no.”
Confusion swirls inside my brain. “What?”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. I wanted to put duty before love. The needs of my family came before my own, so I turned him down. Only when I touched down in Argentina did I realize what a huge mistake I’d made.”
“What happened next?” I ask, practically on the edge of my seat.
“I realized as I was stepping off the plane that if I married the businessman, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I’m not sure if it’s obvious, Luka, but I havea lotof regrets. I regret not being kinder to my children. I regret how much being run out of Russia affected me. I regret taking my anger out on my sons.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you need to hear it. I know how much you love your brothers. I’m glad you will always have each other’s backs, but if you love this woman…” Catherina sighs. “Don’t let her go without a fight, Luka. One day, you’ll be old and grey, and you’ll never know what could have been.”
I shake my head. “It’s complicated. We can’t be together.”
“Because she’s a federal agent?”
“Our worlds clash. We’re from opposite sides of the tracks.”
“Are you, though?”
I huff. “What are you talking about?”
“As far as I can tell, you’re out of work, are you not? Mikhail has ensured the Antonov Bratva’s smooth operation. There’s no need for you to continue doing what you’re doing.”
I stare at my mother for a moment. When she puts it that way…
Catherina pats me once on the knee. The gesture is clearly awkward for her since she’s never been the touchy-feely type. Hugs and kisses were a no-go in our household. “Food for thought,” she says as she gets up to rejoin Lev by the cake.
It takes a few minutes for her words to truly set in. Mikhail’s technically retired, as are Dimitri and Pytor, so that means I’m… Huh. I guess I don’thaveto stay if I don’t want to.
Out of pure curiosity, I pull out my phone and open Instagram. I don’t actually have an account; I use a throwaway profile to check on Tabitha from time to time. According to her most recent posts, she’s thinking about getting started in event planning. Sometimes she posts pictures of her and Dani together, but they’re rare.
Imagine my surprise when I see Tabitha has a brand-new story uploaded. The camerawork is shaky, but I can clearly make out balloons and streamers and wrapped presents.
“Hey, everyone!” Tabitha says cheerfully to the camera. “Please wish my sister a happy baby shower! If you feel like chipping in, there’s a link in my bio!”
My heart stops beating.
A baby shower?
I get my answer when Tabitha flips the camera around and Dani suddenly comes into frame. She giggles, trying to hide her face behind her hands. “Oh, stop it!”
“Isn’t she glowing?”
I press my thumb to the screen to pause the video, my jaw dropping open in stunned amazement. My eyes fall to Dani’s rounded belly. Holy shit, Dani reallyispregnant.
Rising from my seat, I turn toward my brothers. I know exactly what I have to do.
Chapter 40
Dani
