I wasn’t an animal, not anymore. We weren’t going to grow and thrive living by the rules of guerilla warfare. No, we could control ourselves. We could grow into a force this city would stand in awe of for generations to come.
“That one doesn’t fit either,” Boris grumped. “Do you have a ten in there?”
Smirking, I pulled the gun from the waistband of my jeans and handed it to him as he bent over the unit.
Boris’s fingers closed around the butt of the pistol and his head shot up. A grin split his face. “A wrench, you idiot.”
“Oops, sorry,” I chuckled and took the gun back.
It was a small thing, but the comradery I shared with my men set us apart. We might be itching for bigger business moves, placing ourselves to be a prominent part of the underworld, but we would always be this: A band of brothers with twisted jokes and friendship that transcended the ranks.
Chapter 6 – Poppy
“Mama, I don’t want to leave,” Brady spluttered, coming up for air. The goggles smooshed his head, making chunks of wet hair stick up at odd angles. Small shark fins tipped the corners, completing the ensemble. “Cousin Penny’s building a pool in the basement. It will be warm in the winter! We can swim during a snowstorm.”
My heart warmed. Today was our last in Chicago. After two weeks, we would be back home. Back to safety, routine, and a place where I could be at peace. For the first time leaving North Dakota, the trip had gone better than I anticipated. Penelope and Alessandro adored my son, and it was safe enough here.
“We’ll come back when her pool is finished,” I promised. “But Auntie Rosa misses her little buddy, plus Cousin Theo said the cats need you.”
A solemn look crossed his face. “They probably are too wild for Cousin to manage.”
I nodded, keeping my lips pressed in a serious line. “Definitely too wild. They need a cowpoke to wrangle ‘em.”
“And Theo isn’t a good cowboy.” Brady pulled himself out of the pool and shook his body like the farm dogs. “Okay, we’ll go back to work on them cats.”
Oh, that grammar.
The plague on my stupid cousins for thinking it was funny to teach him bad English.
“Good plan.” I held open my arms, and he flew at me. The sun had just dried off my skin, but I relished the wet embrace. Just as quickly, he was back, tearing full speed ahead and jumping in the pool. The puddle jumper floaty kept him from going under all the way.
Leaning back, I let the sunlight fall on the drops of water.
This was nice.
A family who welcomed me, who kept me safe.
I might have abandoned my own. I wasn’t there to bury my father, and my brother still hadn’t spoken to me. But I had people in my life who would move heaven and earth because they loved me. I pushed away the twinge of guilt to focus on returning home. A short flight, and then a drive from Fargo to Carrington, and we would start homeschooling first grade next week.
Simple. Elegant. A dang good plan.
A throat clearing jarred me from the mental tangle of thoughts. “Hello, Poppy.”
I jumped and reached for my cover-up dress. “Hi, Ivan, what a surprise!” I stammered.
He kept his eyes focused on mine as I drew the robe over my shoulders. Part of me, a wild, reckless voice, wondered why he didn’t lower them.
“Shepherd said I could find you out here.”
Knowing that my cheeks were red, I drew a deep breath to steady my voice. “Yep, just one more pool day before we leave. The weather is lovely.”
“Mama! I can’t reach my sinky shark,” Brady yelped, smashing the water with his palm.
“I told you not to drop it,” I called over my shoulder, before turning back to the intruder. “Were you looking for Alessandro?”
Ivan shifted. It was only then that I noticed the bouquet of wildflowers in his hand. “No, I’m here for you.”
It was hard to say if the bells in my head were a warning or excitement. It would be embarrassing if this man knew how many times I thought of him the last few days, lying in bed, or even out here, basking in the sunshine. I would have thought he’d be around, since Brady formed some attachment to him. But after the farmer’s market, he was strangely absent.
