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“Might as well be,” he said, while Oleg introduced her.
“This is Irina Gusev, my right-hand woman,” he said, smiling at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Her father was one of my closest friends. I didn’t know how I’d survive without all his help, but thankfully, Irina stepped in to take over everything he did for me.”
I politely offered my condolences, murmuring that I’d recently lost my mother as well, and her grateful smile lit up her small, porcelain pale features and made her bright green eyes sparkle.
“I’m definitely a lot better at wrangling little kids than mob bosses,” she joked, sliding onto the couch next to Evelina.
“Oh my gosh, that’s right,” Evelina said, reaching to pour us all cups of steaming hot, fragrant tea. “You used to be a nanny, didn’t you?”
“I was working in a daycare center when Papa…” she trailed off and wiped her eyes. “Of course, I was happy to step up and help Oleg in any way I could.” Her voice lowered. “But seriously, I miss my simple life outside of all this.”
I wanted to commiserate with her. I was only a week into learning about the ins and outs of the Bratva, and it did seem like a lot. I could see it being way too much if someone wasn't fully committed. It was why I couldn’t be angry at our mother for running from this life. Yes, there was a tinge of bitterness at her secrecy, but she’d always only done what she thought was best for Sergei and me, and forgiveness came easy. Especially now that I no longer wanted to destroy Oleg and everything he stood for. I wanted only to be a part of it.
I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to intrude on the private conversation, but I heard Evelinal offer her a position as a nanny for her little boy. “You should come visit Miami, at any rate,” she said.
“I’d love that,” Irina breathed but looked at Oleg with concern.
He seemed to notice, really, that he seemed aware of everything around him all at once. “Don’t you start feeling guilty about this poor old man, Irina,” he boomed, as if he’d never had a heart attack. “If you want to try American life, you go right ahead.”
Evelina and Leo stared at their father—our father—with open mouths. “So it only took a near-death experience to get you to lighten up?” they asked, almost in unison.
Oleg laughed. “As if that was my first, or worst, near-death experience.”
Then, the four of them began sharing harrowing stories. Leo had been beaten, shot, and hung over the side of the building. Evelina had been kidnapped. Even Irina, who said she tried to stay out of the Bratva business dealings, was nearly run over by one of Morozov’s many enemies when she was only a young girl.
“Um, I was in a couple of earthquakes,” I said, joining in with their good-natured laughter. “Had a bookshelf fall over onto me in a 5.6.”
“You’ll get better stories soon enough,” Leo said.
“Don’t curse him!” Evelina admonished.
I’d expected an icy reception and had gotten nothing but this warm welcome, as if I’d always been a part of them. Of course, as soon as I found out Evelina and Leo were computer and surveillance experts, I knew they’d done their homework on me. I had nothing to hide, so there was no reason for them to be suspicious. Going above and beyond to accept me the way they did was unexpected and appreciated more than I could express.
“No, I can’t wait,” I told them.
Oleg gave me a long look, then changed the subject while we ate the hearty Russian meal. Pretty soon, it turned back to them complaining about a family that had just started giving them trouble in Miami.
“They’re good,” Evelina said, shaking her head in disgust. “I can’t infiltrate anything yet.”
“Do you need me to come down?” Leo asked. “I can pack up the Long Island crew and set up shop on the beach for a while. I doubt I’ll get many complaints.”
She shook her head. “No, you’ve got enough going on up there. I’ll figure out a way to get someone on the inside. It’s just that these Drygas are wily bastards, and they know who all of us are.”
“They don’t know who I am,” I piped up, surprising everyone.
Even myself. I’d gone from wanting to crush these people, to wanting to be accepted, to volunteering to get involved with their criminal activities? With dangerous men who’d kill me a lot more efficiently than a bookcase in an earthquake could ever do.
Irina scuttled back to the kitchen, becoming uncomfortable with the talk turning to business and the sudden scrutiny Oleg and my new siblings gave me.
“He’s squeaky clean,” Evelina said. “Untraceable to us.”
“But the squeaky clean part,” Leo argued.
I shook my head. “I’ve had my fair share of shady dealings,” I said. “You don’t get to be a billionaire at thirty-sixjustwith hard work.” They both snickered while Oleg continued to stare at me thoughtfully.
“You’re sure you want to be part of this?” he asked.
He meant the mission of infiltrating this Dryga family who was causing his own family trouble. That was all. But I meant so much more. I wanted him to see me like he saw Leo, Evelina, and his nephews. Yes, I was capable and successful already, but I wanted to be capable and successful at this. The life our mother had run from and that I was running right back to with open arms.
