“Wait, what? I can’t leave. He’ll find me,” she says, once again she’s in a panic.
“Dead men can’t find shit,” I call over my shoulder. “Make a decision, chick. My breasts hurt. My little girl is hungry. I’m done here.”
When I step out of the front door, John is standing there waiting for me. I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his chest. It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
“Misha knew. He knew it was my aunt that set me up,” I breathe.
“Did you tell her?”
“I don’t know how,” I breathe.
“Your aunt is the head of your family business,” John says what I’m thinking. “You’re going to have to address it.”
“Yeah, because she won’t be for much longer. It’s time for this to end.”
Chapter 62
Get Ready
Roni
Two months later…
“Vita, I’m going to pluck you right in your mouth if you stick your spoon in Nori’s ice cream one more time,” Val calls over to her daughter as she and her twin brothers sit in the kiddie pool.
“Mama,” Vita says and pouts, giving her version of an angry face.
“I will take you out of the water and place your little butt in timeout,” Val says, sending a motherly glare at her little one.
Vita pokes her lip out more and bats her lashes. Oh God, she’s so adorable. She sneaks a peek at her two brothers still finishing their ice cream, then looks back at Val to bat her lashes again.
“My name is not Daddy. Those eyes don’t work on me. You had your own ice cream, it’s gone,” Val chides.
“You are so mean,” I say as I try to stifle my laughter.
Val waves me off and settles back in the lounger next to mine. A group of us have been hanging out by the pool with the kids at John’s house. Yes, I’ve been living here with him, but I’ve yet to call it my home.
That seems weird. Especially without Torque here. He moved back into the apartment so Natasha would feel safe there. She still spends most her time looking over her shoulder.
“Now back to you,” Val says. “You really want to do this, huh?”
“Yeah, she started this. I’m going to finish it.”
“Mm, things have been too quiet.”
I shrug. “She’s not a very bright woman. I’m sure she’ll try again.”
“You know what they say about letting sleeping giants lay. She fucked up,” Val says thoughtfully.
My aunt sure did. She never should have sent her men and the Russians to come for John’s family and me. I hadn’t known a thing about her before then.
Heck, it took a while for me to connect that asshole I killed on the roof to her. I’ve only ever seen him a few times before he kidnapped me in DR. However, one day it clicked, he was the guy that would lurk in the shadows around my aunt.
When you are taught to hide, you notice those hiding with you. I’ve heard his voice from his whispered conversations with my aunt and wouldn’t have remembered a thing about him otherwise. Yeah, my aunt is a dumbass.
Lifting my sunglasses, I watch Carmen as she stares at Kaye and Dae-Dae. She’s been eyeing them and chew on her lip as she holds her daughter in her lap. I frown, I hope she’s not turning into a weirdo on me.
I shake my head. “You know what’s crazy to me. We’re all connected. Way before this all started, we were all connected in some way. Now it’s like it’s all coming full circle,” I say.
“I’ve heard Logan call it the degrees of separation. The Alliance was built on it.”
The Alliance. The name alone feels so heavy. “I can’t believe she had my father killed to keep him from sitting at the table,” I muse aloud.
“I can’t believe she’s been plotting with Misha’s aunts for all these years. I’ve been begging him to let me at those old bitter hags,” Val snarls, causing me to turn my head to look at her.
She’s glowing from the sun. Her lips are pinched as her eyes are hidden behind her sunglasses. Even in her anger, my friend is a gorgeous woman.
“I’m growing inpatient waiting for him to give me the okay. I’m ready to get this all over with,” I say tightly.
“Call him. Tell him what you told me. I’m sure you will get what you’re looking for.”
“I don’t know. LaSalle and Logan still don’t know who I am. Why? What is Misha trying to hide and why?”
“Beats me, but if my husband asks, I’m not going to lie. I think he’ll be asking soon. He knows something is up.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t get me started on that. John is growing suspicious. He’s bound to figure out I’m leaving a gaping hole somewhere in all this.”
“I figured. Are the girls ready?”
“They will be.” I look around the pool at the other women. They all look so innocent. However, innocent they are not.
My gaze falls on Carmen again. I can’t take it anymore. I get up and murmur that I’ll be back. A peek inside the house tells me that John and my little monster are still fast asleep on the couch.
My lady parts tingle at the sight of my man shirtless with our little girl curled up on his chest—her sole protector and warrior, ready to get up and go into battle for her at any moment. She loves her father already. She’s sure to be a spoiled little brat.
Turning back to Carmen, I move to her side and sit at the edge of the pool next to her. With a bump of her shoulder, I grab her attention. She looks at me as if she’s startled to see me here.
“Hey,” she says and smiles.
“Hey, weirdo. What’s going on with you?”
She bites her lip. “I don’t know how to apologize to Kaye,” she says.
Confusions covers my face. “For what?”
She sags her shoulders. “I ruined her wedding. She and Felix were supposed to get married during the time Ry had to hide me away. They postponed the wedding because of me.”
I twist my lips at her. “If you don’t go somewhere with that. I think that baby is what made them postpone. I’ve seen the dress she was planning to wear. It was not going to hide that bump, no matter how hard she tried and she refused to get anything else.”
“I still feel bad.”
“Don’t,” I say and then whisper. “He’s giving her a surprise wedding.”
She turns to me, this time with her own confusion. I smile and put her out of her misery. “I only know because I walked in on the guys talking about it. Stop stressing.”
“All right.” She murmurs and gives me a tiny smile. “Hey, I think I have some time to go to the range this week. You down?”
“I knew I’d convert you from those blades.” I laugh as she sticks her tongue out at me.
As I look around again at the women, I now call family and friends, I know I’m making the right decision. Perhaps it is time I call Misha. We’re ready.
Chapter 63
This Could Be Us
John