I hadn’t experienced the joy of hugging her and making her feel comforted with a simple gesture of a hug.
But right now, as she strapped her small arms around me and clutched me tight, my heart swelled with a new love, a never-felt-before fondness of her accepting me even when her mother wouldn’t ever again.
Natalie glowered at me as she watched Maisie hug me.
I’m sorry.
Now wasn’t the time to talk about her late husband.
This wasn’t the place to discuss the coincidence of our connection that I hadn’t realized before.
I’m sorry.
She didn’t flinch. Staring at me with so much hatred as her daughter sobbed and I hugged her close, Natalie proved that she wouldn’t be anywhere near as happy to see me.
Maybe not ever.
And it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
24
NATALIE
I’d lost my chance for distance from the man who’d killed my husband.
Sergei showed up with Andre and Roman.
Guns blazing.
Expressions fierce.
The men who’d captured us were dead on the floor.
Once more, we were saved. Which was good. Having those men out of the way and no longer alive to endanger me or my daughter was a godsend. A blessing. A gift I wouldn’t take for granted.
But it felt wrong to appreciate Sergei.
While he stared me down as my daughter clung to him, I refused to weaken, to be naïve and see him as the “good guy”.
He was. He’d killed those who’d captured us. He’d ended the life of the man who’d backhanded me when he tried to hurt Maisie when she wouldn’t stop crying.
But Sergei was no longer the hero he once seemed to represent.
On one hand, there was no question that he’d risked himself to save us. But on the other hand, the dark and sinister truth that he’d killed Fitz loomed too largely and ominously to ignore.
“Are you okay?” Roman asked.
I swallowed hard, blinking and ripping my gaze off Maisie hugging Sergei. It hurt. It broke my heart that she’d run to him and perceive him as a safe haven. It angered me more, too.
Roman was Sergei’s brother, but I was glad they didn’t look too similar. He crouched in front of me, checking me over. His position was no doubt on purpose, as if he knew I needed to not see Sergei or else I’d be more pissed.
I nodded weakly, letting my heart beat slower with this “friendly” face in front of me. But that was stupid, too, wasn’t it? Roman was just the same as Sergei. For all I could guess, he might have been in on the actions of the night Fitz had died. If he wasn’t, he likely was involved in other criminal, murderous activity.
“They didn’t hurt you?” Andre asked, stepping closer as well.
I stood slowly, wincing at the aches in my muscles. “Not really.”
“What does that mean?” Sergei demanded as he stood. It seemed like he was trying to release Maisie, but she cried louder and clung to him harder. He rose with her in his arms, adjusting to holding her.
