“Finish the cleanup,” I tell one of my men, tossing the knife onto the plastic.
He nods, already knowing what comes next. Every trace of this has to burn after Eli gets cut up and fed to Konstantin’s pigs. Just like Barrett was. Just like her sister.
There will be nothing left of Eli. Only the memory of what happens when someone is foolish enough to threaten my family.
THREE DAYS LATER
When I step into Lev’s room, the bed is covered in clothes. Tiny shirts. Swim trunks. A pair of Milo’s sneakers that somehow ended up in the middle of Lev’s floor.
The open suitcase sits on the mattress while Sloane sits beside it, folding things for our trip. Milo is sitting cross-legged nearby, holding a pair of goggles and staring through them while Lev stands beside the bed watching Sloane pack with intense focus.
They don’t notice me at first, so I take my time, leaning against the doorway and simply watching them, a quiet sense of contentment settling in.
“Are you three planning to bring the entire house with you?” I finally ask.
Milo’s head snaps up immediately. “Yes! I mean…no. But we need a lot of stuff.”
I step farther into the room. “I can see that.” My grin grows. “Are you boys excited?”
“Totally!” Milo practically bounces. “I can’t wait to swim in the pool. And the ocean. Mommy said there’s both!”
His excitement is contagious.
Lev peers up at me before heading to his bookcase to grab some books. Of course.
When I step up to Sloane and drop a kiss to the top of her head, she sighs.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, knowing how sick she has been the last few weeks, though she’s finally coming around.
“I’m fine. Just looking forward to getting away for a few days. I’ve never even been on a vacation before.”
I brush my thumb across her cheek. “This is only the beginning. And in two weeks, we leave for the Amalfi Coast.”
Her eyes widen. “Wait…what?”
“Our honeymoon.”
She stares at me in disbelief. “Kirill…oh my God.”
“That’s nothing. I plan to show you the world.”
The truth is, I enjoy giving her everything. Seeing her discover things she never thought she’d have: the travel, the clothes, the safety, the life she should have had all along.
Then Milo squints up at me. The look on his face is so serious, it makes me stop.
“What is it?” I ask.
He tilts his head, studying me like he’s trying to figure something out. “Are you my daddy now?”
Everything in me goes still while Sloane freezes too. Lev’s eyes move between us, taking it all in.
I lower myself in front of him. “I can be. If you want me to be. Would you like that?”
He doesn’t answer right away, his face concentrating before he shrugs. “I think so.”
His words hit me hard, but I nod casually.
“I like you,” he goes on. “And you’re nice to my mommy.”
