secrets was over, so Cal asked the only thing that mattered.
“How’s Mia?”
“Oh, you care about Mia now?”
“I’ve always cared about her. I can ask how she is.”
Vadim shrugged. “You can. I do not have to tell you.”
“Seems petty.”
“Perhaps I am feeling petty.” Vadim continued to pace in front of Cal. “Actually I’m feeling pissed. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Cal swallowed. “Look, I’m not going to apologize for what happened. I know she’s your sister and you still see her as a kid but she’s a grown woman and perfectly capable of making her own decisions. We were together for a while and it didn’t work out.”
Vadim pointed a finger. “I’m not asking for an apology for being together. I’m demanding one because you are not.”
Not expecting that. Why would Vad care that it didn’t work out between him and Mia? He hazarded a guess. “Is this some Russian honor thing? Now that I’ve—well, known your sister in the biblical sense, I should marry her or something?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Cal tried another tack. “I know you don’t want me to be with Mia.”
“How do you know this?”
“Because it’s the rule.” Wasn’t it? Thou shalt not lie with thy friend’s little sister. Bro-code.
“It is a rule but I am Vadim Petrov. I make the rules and I break the rules.”
“I have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
Vadim looked exasperated. “Why do you think I asked you to train my sister? Why do you think I have been encouraging you to spend time together?”
The awareness crept up on him, chills and heat at once. “You wanted me to be with her? To—” He broke off, the conclusion almost too mind-boggling to comprehend.
“Of course I did. You are a good person, Cal. A decent person. You deserve nothing but the best and Mia is the best. I hoped by putting you two in close proximity that you would realize that you were good for each other.”
“If you thought it was fine, why didn’t you say something?”
“You I can trust to follow through. Mia, on the other hand … if she thought I had anything to do with it, she would not be pleased. It excited her to defy me. This is purely psychology.”
Vadim approved.
Vadim encouraged this.
Vadim was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Cal returned to first principles. “I need to know how she is.”
“Why do you care? You have done nothing but push her away.” When Cal didn’t deny it, Vadim quirked an eyebrow. “Is that not true?”
He didn’t want to go into detail about the lessons in seduction. About why Mia really needed his advice.
“As far as Mia is concerned, I’m not the first line guy, I was never supposed to be. Not even if the great Vadim Petrov tried to will it into existence.” It made no difference that Vadim didn’t approve of Tommy. If Mia wanted him, she would have him. She was too driven to let her brother stand in her way.
“You are a fool. You were bitten by Bethany and now you are shy about taking a chance. Even though my sister is loyal and good and perfect. Do you not think so?”
“Mia is amazing. But she’s kind of young to be settling down.”
“She is an old head on young shoulders. You said so yourself, but I don’t think you realize how much she has been through. Cancer when she was a teen. Not knowing her father. Not meeting me until later in her life. These are all major blows to her yet she has emerged strong.”
Cal hid his smile as Vad continued.
“Mia has packed a lot into her life. She is determined and fearless and has the heart of a lioness. She deserves someone who is equally brave.”
Cal’s heart doubled in size, pumping with hope and deep emotion.
Vadim asked, “Do you love my sister?”
“Vad.”
“It’s a simple question.”
“No, it’s not. It’s the least simple question in the world.” Whoever thought different had never been in love.
“Sounds simple enough to me,” Theo said, walking in. The rest of the team followed, but hovered awkwardly on seeing that Vadim and Cal were clearly in the middle of something. No sign of Durand, though. Probably still on the ice shooting for Cal’s place on the first line.
Vadim carried on as if there had been no interruption. “I have been there, Cal. Holding on to things, shoulder fries.”
“Shoulder fries?”
He gestured at one broad shoulder. “Grudges.”
“You mean a chip on your shoulder?” He started laughing, knowing that Vadim Petrov had an excellent