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“Not what I have you on, no,” Aunt Nat says.
“I see.”
Charlotte arches a brow at me but doesn’t say anything. If anyone has the ability to pick up on my tells, it’s her. I better be extra careful.
“I’m sorry you had to come all this way for nothing,” I say to Aunt Nat.
“Don’t be silly, Sandy. That’s what family’s for. Aurora tells me you haven’t been eating much?”
“I’m just stressed. I’m fine.”
It doesn’t feel good, lying to them again. Spinning lies is what got me into this mess in the first place. The stakes were already so high, and now that I know I’m pregnant, they’re through the fucking roof.
“I want to lie down,” I say, forcing a tight smile. “Would you mind giving me some privacy so I can rest?”
“Of course,” Mom says, rubbing my back as she presses a kiss to my cheek. “Come on, Charlotte. Nat. I think Freddy’s reading downstairs. I can whip us up some lunch.”
Aunt Nat smiles. “Sounds lovely.”
I crawl back into bed, throwing my covers over my body in an attempt to hide from the world. Charlotte is the only one who lingers, glancing at me from the doorway.
“Hey, Sandy?”
“Hm?”
She chews on the inside of her cheek. If my sister suspects something, she doesn’t say it. “You know I love you, right?”
“Of course. I love you, too.”
“I know you’re… sad about what happened to Andrei.”
“Please, I don’t feel like talking about it.”
“Just…” Charlotte shifts her weight from foot to foot, rubbing the back of her neck in obvious discomfort. She looks like she has something to say. “I left your soup on the bedside table,” is all she says before walking out the door.
I sit up in bed and tuck my knees to my chest, grabbing my food. It’s lukewarm now, but I’m determined to eat. I have to make an effort to get better now, not just for me, but for the baby. The first couple of bites are difficult to stomach, but slowly, the salty broth and generous morsels of chicken kick my appetite into overdrive.
I rub my belly, feeling more myself than I have in ages.
“Mama’s got you,” I murmur to myself.
I polish off the entire bowl. I’m eating for two now, after all.
Chapter 38
Andrei
Half of Moscow belongs to the Nicolaevich Bratva.
I should be over the moon.
I’m anything but.
“We’re seeing staggering profits,” Leo tells me from the other side of my desk. One of his detailed spreadsheets is pulled up on his tablet. “We’ve had next to no resistance from the remaining Antonovs in the area. They’ve all but fled to the north of the city. The raid left them scrambled, but I don’t think now is the time to keep pushing. There’s still a heavy police presence in the area.”
“Sure,” I mumble. I’m only half listening, partially because I know Leo’s got everything under control, and partially because I can’t bring myself to care. It’s almost cruel how we have everything we wanted, yet I have nothing I need.
“The taxi business practically runs itself at this point,” Leo goes on. “Since Detective Ivanovich, uh,passed, there’s been no reason for the police to keep sniffing around. He was the only one who could link us to our criminal interests, and it doesn’t look like he passed along any information.”
