“Who has four kids in six years?” Valentin said, shaking his head.
“Five now,” Ruslan said.
Aleksandr said nothing but reached for the teapot.
“Wait!” Bogdan said.
Everyone turned. He was still by the door.
“Does anyone know who made that tea?” he whispered.
Heads turned back to the teapot Aleksandr had already touched.
“I bet Mikhail and Grigori knew—that’s why they didn’t come to the meeting,” Aleksandr muttered. “The brother probably tipped them off.”
Over the years Iskra had created some potent compounds that we had put to use. She had never turned them on us. I tapped the pregnancy test against my palm, wondering if she had finally snapped.
“It’s fine. She wouldn’t poison us,” I said confidently.
Konstantin stood and poured a cup. I smiled and turned to the papers Ruslan had brought for the meeting.
My brother placed the tea on my desk.
“After you,” he said, and sat back down.
“Just get the vodka,” I told him, glancing at the open bottle in the cabinet.“Bogdan—get a fresh bottle from the basement.”
He nodded and left.
“You need help,brat.”
“He needs a vasectomy.” Someone muttered.
“Who said that?” I demanded.
No one said a word.
No one touched the tea.
Not one fucker congratulated me.
As for my wife?
What did she expect? It’s called a breeding bench for a reason.
It’s literally in the name.
??????
I changed my mind and turned west to check on the girls. Runa was practising her ballet moves while Anna tried to copy her big sister. Runa was lean and flexible, but at three years old my Anna was solid. Anna might have her mother’s light hair but she was a fighter—we constantly had to break up her and Nikolai. With Runa though? She idolised her older sister.
The nanny stood with her back to me, clapping for them between folding their clothes.
I sighed.
I missed them being in our room.
Nikolai had his own room, but we still had Alexei’s cot in ours.
