and tell him about what happened in the shelter…”
“If that were an option, Boss would’ve considered it.”
“You can’t possibly be suggesting that we all sit here and do nothing?”
“For the time being, that’s what we will do. Kolya will bring you and Jeremy different identities and then we can go to another place—”
“No.” I cut him off, jumping to my feet and glaring at both guards. “You claim to be so loyal to your boss and yet, you’re content with just sitting here, waiting for news of his death.”
“Believe me, Mrs. Volkov.” Boris grits his teeth. “If it were up to me, I would be out there with him, dying for him if need be.”
“Then why aren’t you?”
“Because his last order was to protect you and Jeremy.”
A whole body shudder overwhelms me and I’m shaking all over again. “I can’t stay here and do nothing. I won’t.”
Yan sighs, his shoulders drooping. “Boss said—”
“Your damn boss left me and went to his death, Yan. His opinion doesn’t matter.” I pace the length of the room, my legs trembling and tears stinging my cheeks. “There must be something we can do.”
An idea springs to my head and I stop, staring between Yan and Boris. “My father.”
“Your father?” Yan asks.
“Lazlo Luciano. You said that his lack of cooperation with the Bratva is part of the reason why Sergei, Vladimir, and Igor are mad at Adrian.”
“No, Lia.”
“Yes, Yan. If I talk to him, he might help.”
“Or he might lock you the fuck up. He’s childless and if he finds out that he’s had a daughter all along, he won’t let you go. Not to mention that he’ll figure out Adrian married you to get to him.”
“I won’t know unless I try.”
“This is a bad idea.”
“It’s the only one we have.” I stare at Boris. “What do you think?”
“I think Boss will kill us.” He pauses. “But he won’t be able to do that if he’s dead.”
Yan squares his shoulders. “I’m against this.”
“Your opinion doesn’t matter.” I stand beside Boris. “It’s two to one.”
Yan points a finger at Boris. “I’ll stand by when Boss gets your balls.”
“I’ll gladly let him if he stays alive.”
Both guards glare at each other, but even with Yan’s stoic expression, I know that deep down, he realizes this is our only chance to rescue Adrian.
That is, if he’s still alive.
The thought of his death brings a new wave of tears to my eyes.
No. I would know if he’d died. I would’ve felt it in the corner of my heart with his name engraved on it. That corner has been bleeding since he left.
“Mommy?”
My attention snaps to Jeremy, who’s rubbing sleep from his eyes and approaching me slowly. He’s wearing his pajamas with spaceships drawn on them and his hair is disheveled.
His chin trembles as he stares up at me. “Why are you crying?”
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hands and crouch so I’m eye level with him. “It’s nothing, my angel. Mommy is just a little sad, okay?”
My heart skips a beat at how I said ‘okay’ and I’m about to correct myself when I recall that Adrian isn’t here. There’s no vocabulary police to worry about and that brings a new surge of heartache.
Jer pulls the sleeve of his pajama top down his palm and dabs it against my cheek. “It’s okay, Mommy. Papa and I will make it better.”
It takes everything in me not to break down then and there, because those words? They’re the truest I’ve ever heard. Adrian and Jeremy have always made it better.
No matter how hard it’s gotten, having them by my side has always helped, even when I was too blind to see it.
“Where’s Papa, Mommy?”
I hug Jeremy to my chest, smoothing his hair. “He’s not here, my angel, but Mommy will get him back.”
24
Lia
I’ve never thought about meeting my father before.
When Grandma told me who he is and what he does, I thought I was lucky to have never been in his path and decided to keep it that way.
I didn’t even try to learn his name or dig around to find out about him. Partly because the thought of him brought back painful memories of Italy and my parents' death. Partly because I didn’t want to get caught up in that type of life.
After I learned that Adrian has gotten close to me because of who my father is, it hurt so badly that I wished he’d never had me. I wished that my real father was the