“I have an option.” Gleb slides whatever’s in his palm across the table, and when he lets go, it becomes apparent it’s a set of keys. “I don’t want a thank you. I don’t want anything. I just want you to accept this without being too proud to tell me you can take care of your family on your own, or whatever you’re about to say. I’m an old man, and I have everything I need already. So, if I can do this for my daughter, it would give me peace of mind.”
“What is it?” I pluck the key ring from the table to examine it.
“It’s a house in upstate New York,” he explains. “And when I say house, I mean it’s a fucking fortress. There’s a lot of acreage, and it’s very secure. A good place for Josh to grow up. Your name won’t ever be on any of the papers. Neither will Kat’s. As far as anyone is concerned, it belongs to a shell corporation that isn’t associated with any of us. It’s the safest place you’re ever going to get, and I just want you to tell me you’ll take it.”
I look into the old man’s eyes, and despite the brash quality of his voice, I can see how much this means to him. And I know he’s right. There probably isn’t anywhere else in the world that would ever be as safe as something he chose. He’s a man who worked his way to the top of the Russian syndicate and managed to stay alive all these years because he’s smart and careful.
“There’s one other thing,” he adds. “Something else to consider. This won’t hurt my feelings either way if you say yes or no. But there’s a guy up that way who has some contacts with local businesses. If you’re looking to go legit, he can likely get you on one of the crews. But I have my doubts that a man such as yourself is going to want to take orders from some pimply-faced manager who has a god complex.”
“Yeah.” A smile curves my lips. “I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I have a plan and some seed money. I’m going to see what I can do with it.”
Gleb folds his hands and dips his head. “Alright. So, what do you think about the house then?”
I fiddle with the keys in my hand and shrug. “I’m open to it. But I have to talk to Kat first. Maybe take them up there to see it.”
“I suspected as much,” he says. “We can all go up tomorrow. Tonight, I’m going to have a few drinks and relax. That kid of yours is hard to keep up with.”
“Holy crap,” Kat whispers to herself as we get out of the car and stare up at the house that Gleb described as cozy on our drive up to Cooperstown.
Gleb is watching his daughter carefully, and he’s trying not to let her see his nerves. But he wants her to like it. He wants both of us to like it.
“Lev mentioned you like log cabins,” Gleb says.
Kat blinks at me. “Yeah, but this place could eat my log cabin for breakfast.”
“It looks big, but it’s only forty-three-hundred square feet. An ample size for a family with plenty of room for additions.”
Kat’s expression dims, and I squeeze her hand in mine. It’s something that we haven’t talked about extensively, but the tragedy still lingers in the back of all our minds. I know Gleb wants Kat to be happy, to put it behind her and consider having more grandbabies. This is his way of showing that, even if he doesn’t put it as delicately as most would.
“I like the porch.” I redirect the conversation.
The cabin nestled onto the hillside has incredible views of Otsego Lake, and it isn’t hard for me to imagine my family sitting on the wraparound deck every summer, soaking it in.
“It is a beautiful porch,” Kat agrees. “The view is incredible.”
“Come on.” Gleb gestures for us to follow and leads us toward the house. “It’s even better inside.”
The air smells different up here. Cleaner. Crisper. Much like Colorado. And it’s only a few hours away from Gleb’s house, so it would be easy enough for him to visit as often as he likes.
Using the keys on the ring Gleb gave me, I unlock the door, and we step inside, taking in the details of the space. The main room is a lofty, open floorplan with massive windows and the views that Gleb promised.”
I tuck Kat against my side, wrapping my arm around her waist as Josh squeaks his shoes across the wood floor.
“This place is huge!” he belts out. “Can we go swimming?”
Kat laughs and shakes her head. “Not today. We didn’t bring anything to swim in. But maybe another time.”
Hope shines in Gleb’s eyes as he points out all the features of the house. Somewhere between the stone fireplace and the master suite, I can see acceptance in Kat’s eyes. But she’s still hesitant. Inside, she’s that same little girl who came from nothing. She doesn’t know if she deserves all of this, and even though Gleb was the one to give it to her, I want her to know more than anything that she does.
“Let’s go check out the outbuildings,” I tell her. “Leave Grandpa Gleb here with Josh.”
Gleb nods, and I take Kat’s hand, leading her to the large shop on the property. Already, I can see a use for it. It isn’t difficult to imagine myself in here, getting back to my roots and recreating the pastime that I loved. Spending hours in the shop with my father, I would take pieces of metal and turn them into something else. But right now, I have a different idea in mind as I shut the door behind us and flip on the lights.
“What are we doing?” Kat whispers.
“This.” I hoist her up onto the workbench and wedge my body between her legs, dragging her face to mine.
Kat moans against my lips, and I take my time, tasting her. Touching her. Appreciating every second of the privacy that we rarely get these days. I’ve missed this more than anything, but I haven’t wanted to push her either. My cock is a pulsing beast in my jeans, and when I finally pull away, Kat and I are both breathless, hungry, and needy.
“Why did you stop?” she murmurs, trying to drag me back to her.
“We can’t.” I rest my forehead against hers.
“Lev.” She sighs out in frustration. “You’ve been treating me with kid gloves ever since I came home.”
“Because I don’t want to rush anything.” I brush her hair back out of her eyes and kiss the new scar on her forehead. The constant reminder that I almost lost her.
“I think it’s time,” she whispers against my lips. “Time to put the past behind us and move forward. But I’m scared.”
“I know you are, sweetheart.” I stroke her hair and cradle her against my chest, a silent promise that I’ll always protect her. That I’ll never let anyone else take her from me again.
“Do you like this place?” I ask.
“I do.” Her fingers tangle together in her lap. “But do you think it’s too much?”
“No.” My lips graze along the length of her throat, and she curls her fingers into my hair. “I think if you like it, then this is where we will raise our family. But if you don’t, that’s okay too. I just don’t want you to make a decision based on what you think you should have. Because you deserve the whole fucking world, baby. And Gleb and I both want you to have that.”
Her body trembles in my grasp, and I don’t have to look at her eyes to know she’s fighting back her emotions. There have been a lot of emotional moments since I brought her home from the hospital. Every day is a battle to remember what we’ve already conquered, instead of the things we’ve lost.