The future Russian Pakhan is much more reserved than his younger brother, greeting me with a clipped nod. “How were they?”
I’ve gotten used to his almost stoic personality. He really only lights up for Jade and the kids, but he’s also warmed up to Apollo quite a bit.Figures.
“Good, as always.” I get up from my seat now that I’m child-free and clap my hands together. “We were only alone for like twenty minutes. Jade will probably be asleep for at least another hour.”
Dmitri nods slowly, pressing a gentle peck to the top of Isobella’s head. “Did I hear you talking to someone when we came in?”
Nothing gets past this guy. I swear he could actually hear a pin drop in a crowded room.
“You did.”
He doesn’t mind my clipped response, continuing to inquire otherwise. “And how is Anya?”
“She’s good. Your father threatened me last night, so I think she might be embarrassed.”
“What’d you do to get threatened?” Ivan grumbles, shooting me a glare.
“You’re so touchy.” My eyes roll. “He eavesdropped on our phone call and heard me call her beautiful. I think he might have been less angry if he overheard me insulting him instead.”
Ivan looks even more put out at the explanation. “I told you that you flirt too much.”
“It’s not flirting to call someone beautiful,” I point out, crossing my arms. “Unless you’d consider it flirting every timeyoupay Jade the same compliment. Or Ana, for that matter.”
“That’s different?—”
“How?” I cut him off harshly. “They’re your friends, and Anya is mine.”
“Yours?” Dmitri echoes, tilting his head.
Shit…I said mine, didn’t I?
Poker face in place, I wave a hand dismissively. “Myfriend.You know what I meant.”
“Do I?”
Goddamnit, Dmitri. Must you be so doubtful?
“Not you too,” I groan. “Ivan already took it upon himself to question me, and your father has done more than enough for all of you. So if you don’t mind, I’m finished with the inquisitions. I’ll see you two later, I’ve got shit to do.”
I have nothing to do. Nothing aside from video-chatting with your sister.
Neither of them protest as I leave them with the kids, making my way upstairs without another word. I have to call Anya back before she thinks I ditched her or died or something. Maybe she’s not as dramatic as I am, but if I feel ignored for even a few minutes sometimes, my brain goes to the funniest conclusions.
My bedroom does not make for as pretty of a backdrop as Anya’s does, but it’s clean enough that I feel fine isolating there to call her. There are too many nosey people around this house to take a call anywhere else, unless I decide to take a drive and talk to her parked in the middle of nowhere or something.
Flopping down in bed, I brush my hair back with my hand and open the FaceTime app. By the time the new call has rung three times, I start to wonder if I should have sent a warning text first. But by the fifth, she answers.
She’s not seated at her normal spot, but from what I can tell, she’s sitting down and resting her back against her headboard. I’ve seen it in the background the last couple of times we talked, and from the way her phone has stayed completely steady in the past, I assumed she was sitting at a desk.
We’re both in bed,I muse silently.Why do I like the sound of that?
“Sorry, I’m back,” I say, hoping that I wasn’t staring at her for too long before speaking. “I was handing my duties off and I didn’t want Cesar to eat my phone while I wasn’t looking.”
Plus I didn’t want you to think that talking to me meant risking talking to your brothers if you’re not ready for that.
“It’s fine,” she replies, her voice light and airy. “I figured that you got busy with them. It must be hard, taking care of two of them at the same time.”
I chuckle at that, nodding. “That’s for sure. You get used to it after a while, though. And thankfully Isobella is an angel, soshe makes everything so much easier. I really only have to worry about Cesar getting into trouble.”
