He nods eagerly, his stubby fingers pulling out a bracelet and then a ring to examine them. It’s hard not to get choked up when I see that ring. It was the same piece my father gave to my mother many years ago as a symbol of their love. A vintage blue sapphire ring from the 1920s that still sparkles like the day he gave it to her, or at least, that’s what I’d like to believe.
“Blue,” Josh says. “I think Mommy will like this one.”
A grin tugs at my lips as I lean closer and give him a conspiratorial whisper. “I think you’re right, buddy.”
He hands the ring over to me, and I stuff it into my pocket with a wink just as Kat reappears with a hairbrush in her hand. She eyes us both cautiously and then comes to sit on the other side of Josh.
“Should I even ask what you boys are up to?”
Josh shakes his head, his expression dead serious. “No. Top secret.”
“That’s right.” I ruffle the hair on his head with a smile. “Bro code.”
Kat rolls her eyes and then glances at the box in Josh’s lap. “Is that your mother’s?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so,” she says softly.
Josh pulls out the locket and pries it open with his fingers, squinting to examine the small photo.
“Mommy, look it’s me.” Josh points at the boy in the photo, and we both laugh.
“No, honey, that’s Lev.”
“Lev?” Josh’s brows scrunch together as he studies the photo beside it. The one with my mother and father too.
“Do you have a daddy, Lev?” When he looks at me, it’s the most innocent of questions, but it hits me like a fucking missile to the chest. “Because I don’t have a daddy.”
Something squeezes my hand, and when I look down, I realize it’s Kat. When our eyes collide, there’s a softness in hers as she nods her approval. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. The moment that changes everything.
“Actually, sweetheart.” Kat kneels before him to meet him at eye level. “That’s something we want to talk to you about. Do you remember when I told you that some boys have daddies at home and some don’t?”
“Yes.” Josh nods.
“Well.” She swallows and looks up at me. “You do have a daddy. Lev is your daddy.”
For a full minute, it feels like I could hear a pin dropping while I wait for Josh to say something. And when he turns to me, his face lit with happiness, he surprises us both when he sets down the box and crawls into my lap to give me a hug.
“I like Lev,” he says. “Lev is my daddy.”
It’s such a simple thing, but it feels like the proudest moment of my life as I hug him back, my throat almost too hoarse to speak.
“That’s right, buddy,” I tell him. “I’m your father, and we’re a family now.”
Then, a little quieter, I lean into his ear, whispering my truth as Kat chokes up beside me. “I love you, Josh. Always.”
“Why do I get the feeling this is way scarier than you’re making it out to be?” Kat asks.
“It’s not,” I lie, reaching down to stroke her hair one more time. “I’ll be back this evening, sweetheart.”
She doesn’t look convinced, and she shouldn’t be.
“But just in case—”
“Here it comes.” Tears spring to her eyes, and she shakes her head. “I don’t want to hear just in case.”
“It’s just a safety measure,” I tell her. “You know this, baby.”
She wraps her arms around herself, trying to pull it together, and it only makes me realize how far we’ve come. She’s terrified to lose me, and it isn’t just because she’s afraid. This is so much more, and I’m tempted to get down on one knee right now and claim her as mine, but I don’t want it to be under these circumstances.
“If I’m not back tonight by eight, remember what I told you.”
“Call Alexei.” She nods stiffly.
“And take the cash out of the safe. Take everything with you. This will all be over soon, but in the meantime, you can trust him, Kat.”
“Don’t make me trust him.” She clutches at the collar of my jacket. “Just come back to us.”
“I will.” My lips graze hers one last time, and I pull the ring from my pocket. “I have something for you.”
When she notices the ring in my hand, she sucks in a breath before her gaze collides with mine. “Lev?”
“I just want you to wear it for now.” I take her hand in mine and slip it onto her right ring finger. “It was my mother’s, and I want you to have it. But more importantly, I want you to think about me every time you look at it.”
“Ha, ha.” She slaps my chest and then gives me a watery smile. “It’s beautiful. I’ll never take it off.”
“You will,” I promise her, “when we make it official. But for now, just remember that even if it doesn’t always feel like it, I’m doing all of this for you.”
“I know,” she murmurs.
“Kat?” I clutch her face in my hands, forcing her gaze to mine. “I fucking love you, sweetheart. I want you to know that.”
14
Lev
Downstairs, I slip the manila envelope to the concierge with a crisp hundred-dollar bill on top.
“I need this to go out tomorrow morning,” I tell him. “Not today. Not tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning only. Can you make that happen?”
“Yes, of course.” He nods. “Anything you want, sir.”
“How long is your shift today?” I ask him.
“I’ll be here until nine, sir.”
“Good.” I slip him another hundred. “If I come back for it, you give it to me. But if I don’t, nobody else gets it, no matter who they are. You just send it off tomorrow morning. We clear?”
“Clear.” He dips his head. “I will handle it personally for you, sir.”
“Very good.”
I leave him with the package and make my way toward the exit, but before I get there, my phone rings. When I see it’s Alexei, I dart into a corridor and answer.
“Lyoshenka,” I greet him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“You’re in a good mood today.” He quirks an eyebrow at me. “For a man who might not live to see the day through.”
“You know how it is.” I shrug. “We’ve got to make the best of it.”
“Ah yes, well...” He scratches at his chin. “I have some news.”
“What is it?”
“The cops raided Andrei’s house. Dug up the backyard. Couldn’t find anything. The place was spotless.”
“Son of a bitch,” I growl. I knew that was a fucking trap. Vasily probably had the body out of there the next day.
“However”—Alexei holds up a finger—“it appears they did find some CCTV footage of Andrei with the missing girl that night. A clerk at a gas station called in the tip.”
“Well, that’s something,” I murmur, “but not exactly what I was hoping for.”