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Both guards glare at each other, but even with Yan’s stoic expression, I know that deep down, he realizes this is our only chance to rescue Adrian.
That is, if he’s still alive.
The thought of his death brings a new wave of tears to my eyes.
No. I would know if he’d died. I would’ve felt it in the corner of my heart with his name engraved on it. That corner has been bleeding since he left.
“Mommy?”
My attention snaps to Jeremy, who’s rubbing sleep from his eyes and approaching me slowly. He’s wearing his pajamas with spaceships drawn on them and his hair is disheveled.
His chin trembles as he stares up at me. “Why are you crying?”
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hands and crouch so I’m eye level with him. “It’s nothing, my angel. Mommy is just a little sad, okay?”
My heart skips a beat at how I said ‘okay’ and I’m about to correct myself when I recall that Adrian isn’t here. There’s no vocabulary police to worry about and that brings a new surge of heartache.
Jer pulls the sleeve of his pajama top down his palm and dabs it against my cheek. “It’s okay, Mommy. Papa and I will make it better.”
It takes everything in me not to break down then and there, because those words? They’re the truest I’ve ever heard. Adrian and Jeremy have always made it better.
No matter how hard it’s gotten, having them by my side has always helped, even when I was too blind to see it.
“Where’s Papa, Mommy?”
I hug Jeremy to my chest, smoothing his hair. “He’s not here, my angel, but Mommy will get him back.”
24
Lia
I’ve never thought about meeting my father before.
When Grandma told me who he is and what he does, I thought I was lucky to have never been in his path and decided to keep it that way.
I didn’t even try to learn his name or dig around to find out about him. Partly because the thought of him brought back painful memories of Italy and my parents' death. Partly because I didn’t want to get caught up in that type of life.
After I learned that Adrian has gotten close to me because of who my father is, it hurt so badly that I wished he’d never had me. I wished that my real father was the kind Paolo Morelli, who took care of me and my mother. I wished I had no relation to Lazlo Luciano.
Now, it’s different.
Now, I’m well aware that he’s possibly my last chance to keep the love of my life alive, to fight for my family and protect it.
Adrian has always been our shield, and I realize now how much I took that for granted. I even forgot what type of horrors await us out there without him.
Now, it’s my turn to save him.
“This is bad,” Yan grumbles as we stand in front of Lazlo’s house in one of Brooklyn’s exclusive sections.
We flew here as soon as we could and it took us thirteen hours I don’t have to spare. I’ve been trying to call Adrian, Kolya, and Fedor, but all I’ve gotten are their voicemails.
Yan attempted to placate me, saying that they were probably in a meeting, but I nearly had a breakdown every time I couldn’t reach them. The only thing that kept me together was Jeremy.
My baby boy is back home with Boris and Ogla, who surprisingly also agreed with my plan.
Yan is the only one who didn’t and has been grumbling at me all the way here, even when he insisted to tag along.
“If you hate this so much, you could’ve let Boris come on your behalf.”
