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“Having a daughter will do that to you,” I say.

“Look at you,” Maxim says, pointing at the screen. “Getting all cheesy on me. Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my brother?”

I shake my head, laughing.

“Jesus. He’s even laughing now. Someone call a doctor.”

“Fuck off.”

He laughs. We spend a few more minutes talking business before I ask, “How are things in Vegas?”

“Good. Better than good, actually.” He leans back. “The casino is doing well. Still getting everything settled, but it’s kicking off nicely.”

“You’re settling in?”

“Yeah. Took some getting used to, but I like it here.”

We talk a little longer before Maxim finally glances at the time. “All right, I’ve got to go. Send my love to Aurora.”

“I will.”

He leans closer to the camera and blows a kiss toward Chloe. “Uncle Maxim loves you, princess.”

Chloe responds with another string of enthusiastic babbles.

“That’s my girl,” he says. “Remember. Uncle Maxim.”

I scoff. “Dada,” I mutter.

Maxim laughs as he ends the call. The screen goes dark, and I set the phone aside.

Chloe immediately reaches for my hands, wrapping her tiny fingers around mine. Her grip is surprisingly strong for someone so small, and I watch as she pulls one of my fingers toward her mouth.

I smile. Maxim is right. When I met Aurora, when we married, and when I finally stopped fighting what I felt for her, I thought I had discovered the greatest happiness I would ever know.

Then Chloe was born six months ago. And I realized I had been wrong. I never knew I could love like this. Not this deeply. Not this fiercely.

Aurora and Chloe are everything to me. My entire world exists in these two, and the love I feel for them is so overwhelming sometimes that I don’t know what to do with it.

I would burn the fucking world down if that were what it took to keep them safe.

The sound of footsteps draws my attention, and Sofía walks into the room carrying a tray. She sets down a few baby snacks for Chloe and something for me.

“Should I take her off your hands?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No. I took the day off because I want to spend it with my daughter.”

Sofía’s lips curve into a smile.

“You take the day off too. Go rest,” I tell her.

She gives me the look that tells me exactly what she thinks of that suggestion. Then she shakes her head and walks away.

I smile to myself. I know damn well she isn’t going anywhere to rest. Thankfully, she’s doing much better now. The gunshot Katerina gave her could have been far worse, but she recovered.

Once she was discharged, I offered her retirement and enough money to never have to work another day in her life. She refused.

And ever since Chloe was born, Sofía has become something else entirely. The grandmother my daughter never got to have.