Page 87 of Daddy's Reluctant Queen

“I always thought of him as being somewhat dickless at times,” he said. “Now he really is just that.”

I hand Titus the gun. “You want to put him down?”

He looks at me, then the gun. As he takes it from me, he says, “I think that’s best.”

He raises the gun and shoots him without ceremony. Once in the head. Cyril’s moaning ceases and his body stops moving entirely.

Titus wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my forehead. “Let’s get my son and get the fuck out of here.”

30

TITUS

Finding everything that the twins broke within my Bratva has been a challenge. The protocol for an attempted uprising against a Pakhan is to kill anyone who had even considered joining the opposing side. That is the only way you can ensure a lasting peace as there would be no one to come after the leaders of the last rebellion.

Unless the deaths of the leaders were severe enough to knock everybody back in line, which I’d say is the case this time. Once word of how Cyrus and Cyril died started circulating, members of the brotherhood who were against me either came to me and begged my forgiveness or tried to run. The brothers who wanted to offer true contrition either had to take a large pay cut from their current profits or give over a finger. Surprisingly, only two readily parted with their pinkies in order to retain their places in the Bratva.

As for the ones who tried to run, the first few were found and dealt with in that first week. It’s been three more since then, and now that Ignat is back on his feet fully, I have no doubt that the remaining absconders will be found in the coming weeks.

Now that most of those pieces have been repaired, I can focus on the most important people in my life.

I asked Sofia to meet me out here and to bring Luka with her. I’m standing under the tree that shields Angela’s grave from the sun, but it’s a mild day for once. The warm weather has finally broken and the sun feels welcome and warm as it parts the leaves above me in little shafts of light.

I glance down at her grave, the white lily I brought for her lying motionless against the breeze on top of the gravestone.I’m doing the thing that I couldn’t do with you. Maybe this time, I can do it right.

“Titus?”

I turn to see Sofia walking toward me from the path leading into the cemetery. She’s wearing a flowy blue and white sundress that lifts up a little on the breeze, showing flashes of her calves. Luka is walking next to her wearing a striped T-shirt and blue jeans, his baseball cap sitting low, the rim covering his eyes.

“Thank you for coming,” I say as she approaches. She smiles gently, but I can see the confusion in her eyes.

“What’s going on? Why did you want me to come to a cemetery, of all places?”

I take a breath. Here we go.

“Sofia. Luka,” I say, motioning to the grave. “I’d like you to meet Angela Martino. She was someone very important to me…” I look down at Luka, who’s staring at the stone marker. “And also, the mother of my son.”

Their faces change simultaneously. Sofia’s brow creases with concern and Luka’s eyes widen as he looks up at me, sheer shock on his face. “M-Mom?” he asks, his voice barely a gasp.

I nod. “This is where she’s buried.” I kneel down next to him, getting on his level. “I’m sorry I never brought you with me to see her. I should have. You deserve to know where your mother is buried.”

He just stares at the gravestone, his mouth open slightly. After a minute, he looks over at me and asks, “Can I touch the… the…?”

“Yes. Of course, you can.”

He walks over to it and gets on his knees, tracing his hand over her name in silent reverence. “Dad,” Luka says suddenly. “Can she hear me? I mean, if I talk to her?”

“I think she can,” I say. “Whenever I come to see her, I talk to her.”

He nods and looks over his shoulder at me. “It’s just that she hasn’t been around since I was a baby. I want to tell her everything. So she’ll know all about me.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” I stand and look over at Sofia. She’s visibly troubled, her mouth turned downward and the corners of her eyes dipping.

“Are you all right?”

She nods quickly. “Sure. I’m just…” Her mouth moves, but no sound comes out as the words are lost. She looks up at me and says, “I’m fine.”

She’s not. And I don’t blame her. All these new feelings we’ve been having for one another and then I spring this on her…