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“I didn’t know that,” I murmured, unsure of what else to say. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one, but I didn’t want to pry into her life either.
Reina nodded to herself with a smile. “We went through so much together, and I’ve never been happier. I’m a real part of the family now, and Ivan is an amazing father. I know it’s tough, but just try to stick it out if you truly care for Nikolai. He can be guarded, but he’s a good man.”
Studying her face then, I noticed her inquisitive look, as if a question sat on her tongue. Like she wanted to know how we were without asking outright, or if I cared for him at all. But I didn’t know anyway.
With each passing day, I was pissed that I didn’t have a say in anything. I had to stay locked up in the house like a dog while Nikolai came and went as he pleased, and anything I requested to do felt like a struggle. I also felt guilty for lying about Kat for so long, and I was betrayed by my father.
I trusted that he truly had fallen ill and that his dying wish was to make amends with me. Instead, I found myself ensnared in a betrothal I knew nothing about, with a man I already had a history with.
So many things were already uncertain, but I was just plain confused about Nikolai.
I was attracted as hell to him, and I longed for his comfort. His effect made me feel at home, but I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. He likely didn’t trust me either.
Reina dropped it, likely due to the confliction scattered across my face, but she released a sigh and looked out across the ocean. “Anyway, my offer still stands. If you need anything at all, please let me know. I’ll help however I can while you get used to everything.”
Even if I hated seeming like I didn’t have a grasp of anything in front of others, I nodded graciously. I appreciated Reina’s kindness.
The day continued to be a nice one as we finished the picnic and basked in the sun for a while, taking our turns running into the water with Kat and laying out in the sand. By the afternoon, we had all become tired enough to pack everything up and say our goodbyes.
Reina murmured about needing to get Anya out of the sun, and she was ready for a nap herself. I thanked her and Rose for joining us, and for helping Kat have a good time.
Waving with their smiles, they set off for home, and I led Kat toward the condo once again. She held my hand, looking tired from the fresh air and being in the sun. I smiled down at her, glad to see her adjusting to our new life better than I was.
The guard shadowed us once again while we took the pathway to the front door, but I paused the moment my father appeared in front of me. He likely saw us from the parking lot.
Dressed in a floral Hawaiian shirt, dad gave us all an innocent smile. “Well, look at you,” he said to Kat, kneeling to be face-to-face with her. “Someone’s had a long day. Did you have fun?”
A strange sensation ran down my spine at the sight of his old man act, especially toward Kat. He never made an effort with her before, and it didn’t sit right with me.
Kat nodded, shielding herself behind my leg, suddenly shy.
“I’m glad to hear it!”
Looking around at where he came from, I couldn’t see anyone else around. No men dressed in all black, and no blacked-out cars idling in the parking lot. He seemed to be alone.
“What do you want, dad?”
Dad cleared his throat and pulled his smile which was frayed with sadness. That self-pity trickled into his words. “Could I please speak with you, Mila?”
Before I could say anything, the guard stepped between us and ushered us along. “No way.” He mumbled his apology to me for moving us forward.
Even as I was urged forward, I looked back at my father. “Wait, I need to speak with him as well.”
The guard stopped in between us, keeping a suitable distance. As I had asked, he waited.
Sighing, aware of his silent impatience for me to wrap things up, I rubbed at my tired eyes. “Dad, will you come up for a cup of tea or something so I can get Kat out of the sun?”
When I looked at him, dad was looking down the beach where Reina had left us on her way home. His shirt waved in the breeze, and he turned around abruptly.
The gasp tore from my throat the moment I spotted the sharp edge that glimmered in the sunlight. The knife slammed into the guard’s stomach, and with a sickening sound, he was stabbed repeatedly.
Blood gurgled in the guard’s throat as he clutched his stomach, and he dropped unceremoniously. Red flooded into the white material of his button-up, and he choked on the fluid before going completely still.
Too stunned to make another sound, I looked up at my dad, feeling the avalanche of bad memories that crashed over me.
I ran to protect us from that very thing, yet it was like I was a teenager all over again. No matter how hard I tried, I ended up right back in that suffocating world built on intimidation, fear, and murder.
Kat shrieked from her place, and dad was quick to slap his hand over her mouth, yanking her closer to him.
