Emotion threatens to overwhelm me. A brother. A sister. Family I never knew existed, reaching out across the wreckage Father left behind.
Apolena leans forward, her eyes bright with something that looks like hope. "I always wanted a sister. Someone to talk to who wasn't... involved in all this." She gestures vaguely at the restaurant, the implied empire it represents. "Will you stay in touch? Maybe visit sometimes?"
"I'd like that." The words surprise me by being true.
"Excellent." Apolena beams, and the expression transforms her face into something radiant. Behind her, a man I hadn't noticed before shifts slightly, as if preparing himself to pounce. Tall, dark-haired, with the stillness of someone trained to observe everything and react to anything. His eyes track Apolena's movements with an intensity that goes far beyond professional obligation.
"Is your bodyguard always this attentive?" I ask, nodding toward him.
Apolena glances back, confusion flickering across her features. "Maxim? He's very dedicated. Daniil assigned him to me two years ago, and he takes his duties extremely seriously." She says this with the obliviousness of someone who has no idea that dedicated isn't quite the right word for the way this man watches her.
Maxim's jaw tightens almost imperceptibly. His eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second, and I see everything he's not saying. The longing, the frustration, and the absolute devotion that has nothing to do with professional duty and everything to do with a heart that belongs entirely to a woman who doesn't notice.
I recognize that look. Saw it in Daniil's eyes before I understood what it meant.
"Very dedicated," I agree, keeping my face neutral. "You're lucky to have someone so...committed."
Apolena nods, entirely missing the subtext. "He really is wonderful. I don't know what I'd do without him."
Maxim's expression flickers. Pain and hope and resignation all tangled together. Apolena turns back to the conversation, utterly unaware of the effect her casual praise has on the man standing guard behind her.
Some stories aren't mine to tell. But I suspect this one will tell itself eventually.
Dimitri rises, signaling the end of our meeting. "Stay safe. Both of you. And remember, you're always welcome here. Whatever you need, whatever happens, you have family now."
We exchange handshakes that feel like more than business. Apolena hugs me impulsively, her arms tight around my neck, and I find myself hugging back despite everything I’ve ever told myself about keeping distance and maintaining walls.
Daniil and I walk out into the afternoon sun, leaving the Bratva and everything it represents behind us.
The SUV waits at the curb. Nondescript. Forgettable. Perfect for two people trying to disappear into ordinary life. Daniil opens my door, and I slide into the passenger seat as he circles to the driver's side. When he settles behind the wheel, neither of us moves.
"Montana?" he asks.
"Montana," I confirm.
He pulls away from the curb, and the city slides past, familiar streets giving way to highways, highways giving way to open roads. Each mile puts distance between us and the life we're leaving behind. Each mile brings us closer to something I never thought I'd have. A future. A real one. Not built on revenge or survival or the desperate need to destroy the people who destroyed me.
"What do normal people do?" I ask after an hour of comfortable silence. "With their lives, I mean. When they're not planning elaborate revenge schemes or infiltrating criminal organizations."
Daniil laughs. The sound is warm and unexpected and makes something flutter in my chest. "I have no idea. I've never been normal."
"Me neither." I lean my head against the window, watching the landscape transform from desert to mountains to endless stretches of green. "I suppose we'll figure it out together."
"Jobs," he offers. "Normal people have jobs. The nonviolent kind."
"I could be a personal trainer." The idea strikes me as funny. "All those years of training. I could put it to use teaching soccer moms how to stay in shape."
"I could be a security consultant." He glances at me with amusement dancing in his eyes. "The legitimate kind. Helping businesses protect themselves from threats that don't involve actual assassins."
"We could get a dog."
"A big one. Something intimidating that's actually a complete softie."
"And a garden." I warm to the fantasy that is quickly becoming a reality. "I've never grown anything in my life, but I've always wanted to try."
"You'll kill every plant within a week."
"Probably." I grin at him. "But I'll enjoy trying."
