around Victoria because of it. Anytime I walk into a room, her entire body tenses up and she looks like she’s ready to make a break for the door. In any other situation, that would be my preferred reaction. I like knowing that those around me are aware of just how terrifying I can be.
But when it’s her, I feel more ashamed than anything else.
I know that will be her reaction the moment I enter the living room with a large pizza in my hands, and I purposely avoid looking at her because of it.
Niko smiles delicately when he sees what I’m carrying. But Victoria doesn’t look at me. “I’ll leave you guys to it,” she says. “If you need me, I’ll be in my room.”
“No,” I say, turning around to look at her. She’s wearing a comfortable pair of pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt. Her hair is pulled up into a bun, too. Somehow, she still looks attractive in that getup. “Eat with us.”
“But—”
“It wasn’t a question.”
She hesitates, bites her lip, and then nods before following me into the dining room and taking a seat at the opposite end of the long table.
We all settle into our places. As we eat, I ask about how Nikolas has been doing and if he’s feeling comfortable enough to go back to school. After what happened to his parents, I spoke with some of his teachers and they told me that it was okay to give him some time off.
When Victoria says that she thinks he’s ready to go back and how proud she is that he’s made progress and is opening up more about his feelings, I can’t help but notice her demeanor change. She isn’t about to cry. She talks about him confidently, pleased with how far he’s come. It’s a different side of her, and for the smallest second, I’m glad that she isn’t utterly traumatized by that day in the safe room.
Nikolas begins telling me about the movie he and Victoria watched, and as he excitedly recaps all the plot points, I see Victoria smile. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that. I can’t explain how it makes me feel, but it’s a good change of pace.
“Niko, take the pizza box to the trash can,” I tell him.
He nods, hops up and grabs our plates and the box, running off to trash them. I turn my gaze to Victoria. “I want to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
“What did you think was going to happen when I found out that you’d taken my computer from my office?”
“I thought you’d kill me.” Her stare falls to the table, unable to meet mine.
“Right now, Victoria, you have value to me. You look after Nikolas because I’m unable to. But that can change in the blink of an eye. Depending on how you behave, I might have to consider finding a replacement.”
There’s no ambiguity in my statement. Her eyes flash to mine and she understands exactly what I’m telling her. She’s important, but not enough for me to put up with anything. It won’t take much at all to get rid of her.
Without a word, she pushes herself up from the table and tries to walk past me. I grab for her wrist, stopping her in her place. Just as quickly, my grip loosens, careful not to squeeze too hard and leave a mark.
“Take this from me. Family is the most important thing in the world, but sometimes, you have to wonder if it’s worth it. All this trouble because of your father. You’re here because of him.”
I look up at her, waiting for a response.
“No,” she says, pulling her hand away from me. “I’m only here because of you.”
There’s a fire in her eyes that’s as irritating as it is admirable. How she so viciously defends her father despite him being the entire reason she’s in this situation. Again, that unfamiliar surge of emotion in my chest throws me off balance. I don’t know whether I want to comfort her …
Or break her spirit.
She stalks into the living room, but I don’t bother chasing after her. I have much more to worry about than her being indignant about her father’s role in all of this.
After thirty minutes, my men begin to file into the house and head to the meeting room, talking amongst themselves. I stay silent, sitting at the end of the table and waiting for everyone to settle down.
When the meeting finally begins, we take stock of all