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He flinches. “What if he did mean it?”
I take a breath. I’m not sure why I’m sitting here, trying to defend him. I’m hurting, too, just like them. I’m uncertain, too, just like them.
“We’ll never know unless we give him the chance to take responsibility for his actions.”
Josh sighs. “I’ll think about it.”
That night, while the kids are eating dinner, I check my phone hoping for a message. But there’s nothing. Just his standard gifts and a bunch of food. I let myself get hopeful enough to expect more. I’d expected him to show up here every day demanding to be let up, vowing to win us back come hell or high water. I’d expected him to show up at the school just so that he could see the kids. I’d expected him to call me every night whether or not I answered.
He’ll fight for himself and for his Bratva. Why won’t he fight for us?
Honestly.
Men.
51
EMMA
I glance back over my shoulder at the two beefy bodyguards who have been shadowing me and the kids since the day after we’d moved back into the building.
Ruslan’s orders, no doubt. Part of me wants to be touched by it.
But somehow, it still comes off as impersonal. Detached. Why the hell doesn’theshow up once in a while?
Be careful what you wish for.
I haven’t made a fuss because honestly, it’s not that much of a hindrance. I don’t go out much unless it’s to pick and drop the kids off at school. And honestly, all four guys who’ve been put on locked-and-loaded babysitting duty are nice.
The team splits at the beginning of the day. Two of the guards, Lazar and Shura, stay behind on school property to watch out for the kids. The remaining two, Zakhar and Gedeon, drive back with me.
The last bell rings just as Boris parks the car. I make towards the middle school entrance first, knowing that Josh will find me. I notice Reagan running down the steps a few minutes later but… no Caroline.
And no Lazar, either.
“Hey, honey, how was school?”
Reagan’s never very chatty about school after the day’s done. She just shrugs her shoulders. “Good.”
“Where’s your sister?”
“I dunno. She wasn’t at lunch.”
My heart starts to pound harder in my chest and a drop of cold sweat trickles down my spine.
“Aunt Em!” Josh runs up to me with Shura following behind him.
“Where’s Lazar?” Shura asks. His scowl shifts as he pulls out his phone and starts typing furiously.
Zakhar and Gedeon exchange a glance. “We’ll do a quick look around,” Gedeon says with a reassuring nod.
But there’s a sinking feeling in my gut that I can’t ignore.Keep your shit together. Josh and Reagan are watching.
“Reagan, honey, can you remember if you saw Caroline on the playground at recess?”
“Oh, yeah,” she nods. “She was on the jungle gym. But then she said she was gonna go climb trees.”
“Trees?” I ask. “Whattrees?”
