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“I like to watch them, too,” she whispers as Aubrey starts to fall asleep in her arms. “I forgot how sweet and terrible babies can be.” She laughs.
Aubrey hiccups in her arms and we both look down at her, obsessed with every new sound and discovery about our girls. When they’re falling asleep like this, I can’t help but stare. They’re so tiny and so vulnerable, and I have to protect them at all costs.
Since Dimitri’s call, the cyber-attacks at the syndicate have started again. It’s another secret I’m keeping from Kat, not wanting to worry her. But I’ve been worried. Dimitri has become more of a loose cannon in the weeks since the twins were born. If he does anything to try to hurt my family, I’ll bring hellfire down on his life.
* * *
We’re taking a family walk through the park a few days later. Lily loves coming to the park with her mom, but the honeymoon period with her new sisters is already wearing off.
“Why do they cry all the time?” she asks. “They’re so annoying.”
Kat and I share a look, remembering a small baby Lily who once cried for six hours straight. I remember thinking that I’d rather be in a Russian torture camp than endure another night of my baby screaming her head off for seemingly no reason.
But to her little brain, the twins are a lot of work. And now that she isn’t the only child, she’s realizing she has to share our attention. She doesn’t like it at all. The other night she asked me if we could take the twins back to the hospital. Kat and I had a good laugh about that one.
Now, though, she’s perfectly content walking through the park, stopping to look at every single flower. Ever since she learned that she’s named after a flower, she’s been obsessed.
She picks a weed and holds it up to Kat to inspect.
“Mommy, is this a lily?” she asks.
Kat laughs and picks her up, throwing her over her shoulder and making Lily scream with joy.
“That’s not a lily,” Kat says, tickling her. “But I’ve got a Lily in my arms.”
Lily laughs and laughs, her joy big enough to fill all of Central Park. I push the stroller with our twins, who are fast asleep. They were grumpy when we put them in the stroller, but now they couldn’t care less. They, like their mother, enjoy the fresh air and the sunshine. It seems to be the perfect remedy for those moments when they aren’t hungry or wet, but simply feel the need to cry their eyes out.
We’re looping back through the park on our way to the exit when I see a dark figure watching us. He’s dressed in all black, in an outfit that in unseasonably warm for this time of year. He doesn’t notice me watching him, but I notice him, and an unease grips my chest.
I look at my wife, who’s oblivious to the lurking danger, chatting away with our daughter, happily speaking Lily’s nonsense toddler language. She’s so happy, I don’t want to ruin this moment for her, but I desperately need to get her to recognize that we’re being watched.
“There’s an ice cream stand on that corner,” I tell her quietly. “Why don’t you take Lily to get something?”
Kat looks at me, realizing something is up. We don’t ever buy Lily ice cream in Central Park, knowing she’ll associate every trip we take with ice cream. But her ears have already perked up at the mention.
“Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!” she yells happily.
Kat nods at me, and we take a sharp turn toward the ice cream cart. Kat holds Lily’s hand tightly in hers as she orders a small cone with two scoops, and I have my hand firmly on the stroller. I look around us discreetly, sweeping the area for the man.
I text my bodyguard and Mario to come meet us. Usually, when I go to the park with Kat, I give them time off. I feel confident I can protect my family. But something niggles in the corner of my brain, and I need backup.
The two men approach us casually, pretending to be friends rather than paid employees. Lily lights up when she sees Mario. He’s often a reluctant participant in her various tea parties. To her, this is the best day ever. She’s got ice cream and her favorite babysitter.
To me, this is a scenario I’d hoped would never happen, but one I’d prepared for. I leave the two men with my wife and daughters, knowing no one will mess with the giant men. I jog out of the park and over to the penthouse, where I find that the place has been trashed.
The man in the park hadn’t been there to hurt us, he was watching us to make sure we weren’t home. And while we were gone, someone has broken into our home and robbed us of our security. I don’t know how this could have happened. Our building is supposed to be secured.
I call down to the security office, but it’s clear they’re all in a panic. Someone cut the feed on all of their monitors and set off multiple alarms throughout the building. This was a complex attack, orchestrated and coordinated to make sure that my family was targeted. I’ve dreaded this moment for years, knowing that one day Dimitri would go too far.
I text Kat to take the girls to the Plaza for tea. I have a few of my best men come over to sweep the place, and once we’re absolutely sure that there’s no one still in the penthouse, I have them start packing our things.
I walk over to the Plaza and book a suite for our family. I don’t know how long we’ll be staying, but I figure a week will at least give us enough time to figure out our next move. Perhaps it’s finally time to leave the city.
I find my girls sitting at a table, drinking tea with their pinkies up. Mario is sitting with them looking miserable, and my bodyguard stands by the exit, carefully watching everyone who comes in and out of the room. Kat looks up at me expectantly as I sit down, and Lily is absolutely buzzing with excitement.
“Daddy, daddy!” she screams. “This is the best day ever!”
Kat smiles down at our daughter with adoration while she rocks the stroller back and forth with one hand to ensure our twins stay awake. She is strength and grace under pressure. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have her, but I’m endlessly grateful for who she is.
