The next morning, I reach out for Stella without thinking, only for my fingers to brush cold sheets. A hollow feeling settles in my gut as I push upright and sweep my eyes across the room. Nothing. No sign of her anywhere.
A quick glance at my watch tells me it’s nearly noon.Blyad. I overslept. I never oversleep. Ever. But after spending most of the night making love to my woman, I guess my body needed a few hours of shut-eye to recharge.
I rush to the bathroom and take a quick shower, anxious to find Stella. The idea of her walking around the house alone doesn’t sit well with me. Misha might refrain from saying anything too damaging, but Sasha is another story. Etiquette and hospitality have never been his strong suit. And since he’s made it clear that anyone related to Jude Romano is, by proxy, tied to the Cranes, I’m not exactly eager to test his self-control.
Once I’m dressed, I head downstairs in search of Stella, only to find her and her brother, Lucky, in the library with Misha, Sasha, and a suspiciously mute Kostya.
“Good morning,” I say, taking in their tense faces.
“Is it?” Stella replies, crossing her legs, her foot bouncing with irritation. “I’ve had better.”
Ouch. After last night, that’s definitely not the greeting I was hoping for, but apparently, it’s the only one I’m getting.
“What’s going on?” I ask, directing the question to myPakhan, since it’s obvious he’s the reason behind my woman’s foul mood.
“Our guests will be leaving this afternoon,” he says matter-of-factly, so casually I almost want to punch him.
“And why is that?” I demand, unable to hide my irritation at the thought of him kicking Stella out of our home.
“Since Stella is now well enough to fly, and Christmas is just a few days away, her father thought it prudent to send his jet to pick up his children today.”
I don’t miss the way he calls Stella a child to my face.
“Neither Stella nor Luciano is a child. They’re both adults and can make their own decisions. If they want to stay, they can.”
Misha’s cold stare digs into me, sending a chill down my spine. “Their father would disagree.”
“Their father isn’t here,” I shoot back, holding my ground.
“Fair point. Then why don’t you ask our guests if they’d like to stay?” he says, his tone sharp and deliberate, eyes shifting to Stella and Lucky.
“Stella?” I call out her name when she pointedly avoids looking at me.
“It’s time we went home.” That’s all she says before standing up and strutting out of the library.
Unable to stop myself, I run after her into the entry hall and catch her by the wrist, gently turning her to face me.
“The fuck was that?!”
“What do you mean?” she asks, playing innocent.
“Don’t give me that shit. You know exactly what I mean. Why are you running away from me?”
“Oh, don’t be so goddamn conceited. Not everything revolves around you.”
“Is that so?” I call her bluff. “So what we did last night has no bearing whatsoever on your decision to leave me?”
“I’m not leaving you, Kirill. I’m going home. It’s clear that Lucky and I have overstayed our welcome.”
“Did my brother say that?”
“He didn’t have to. Only a blind fool would think otherwise.”
“That’s not true. I can fix this. Let me fix this. I’ll talk to Misha and then—”
“And then what, Kill?” she snaps. “What exactly were you expecting to happen here? That I’d stay with your family for the holidays while mine worry themselves sick about our safety? No.” She shakes her head and steps back, breaking my hold. “I’m going home. Just like thePakhanand my father ordered.”
“Since when are you a stickler for the rules?”
