Kashton
Raven sat sideways on my lap as I fed her dinner the next evening. In our short time together, I enjoyed these little things, such as feeding her or caring for her needs. Brushing her hair. Helping her dress.
“You guys are spoiling me with all this amazing food.” She laid her head against my shoulder. Her eyes fluttered shut, and I placed the half-empty plate on the end table. I was learning more and more about her. She didn’t eat a lot at a time but tended to snack. A nibbler.
Chris had grilled up steaks and chicken, along with sides of mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans.
“Thank you for the compliment, kroshka.”
Her eyes opened, and she gave Chris a soft smile. “When is Harry supposed to be coming over?”
Our little one was also inquisitive. She wasn’t happy that Chris hadn’t shared what Harry told him last night.
Chris glanced down at his Apple Watch. “In about thirty minutes. I’ll get started on the dishes.” He moved to his feet, and Caden joined him.
Raven relaxed against me, and I ran my hand up and down her back in soothing strokes as we watched TV and waited for Harry to arrive.
A knock of the door echoed around the living room, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Chris striding toward it. His eyes had darkened, and the muscles in his neck bulged from how tightly he clenched his jaw. He was on edge, and I hated to see him like this.
So… conflicted.
Chris greeted his cousin in Russian and led him into the living room. Raven was on the couch beside me, insisting that she didn’t want to be on my lap as she met a family member for the first time.
I helped Raven to her feet as Chris brought Harry into the living room.
“Nice to meet you, Harry.” I extended my hand. “I’m Kashton Wulf. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
He shook my hand, his grip powerful and firm. Inclining his head, I made note of the similarities between him and Chris. They had similar bone structures, but Harry was hardened, his face showing signs of his age. Long salt and pepper hair reached his collar, and stubble decorated his jaw.
“Nice to meet you as well.” His accent was thicker than Chris’s. His voice was deeper. His dark eyes drifted to Raven, and a hint of a smile spread over his face, making his features appear softer.
Chris breezed past Harry and stood on Raven’s other side, wrapping an arm protectively around her waist. “This is Raven, our woman.”
The smirk grew into a full smile as Harry took in Raven’s features. “Very nice to meet you, little one. You have nothing to be frightened of with me. I’d rather stab myself than harm a woman or child.”
At least the Volkovs all had that in common. No innocent women or children were to be harmed. Even in Bryan’s faction, men who disobeyed were dealt with harshly. Or at least that’s what Chris told me.
“Thank you,” Raven replied. Her back straightened, and she held her hand out for him. “Charlotte Alexander, but please call me Raven.” She wrinkled her nose. “I hate being called Charlotte.”
Harry nodded, a hint of longing sparking in his eye. “Raven it is. Thank you for having me in your home, Kashton.”
“No thanks needed. You’re family. Please sit. Caden should join us shortly.”
As I finished my statement, Caden entered the room. “Caden, nice to meet you Harry.” They shook hands, and we settled onto the couch.
I think Harry chose an armchair situated further away out of respect for Raven and his cousin. He didn’t want to intimidate her.
“Okay, I’m dying here.” Raven tapped her feet up and down. “What’s going on?”
Harry’s brows rose as he visibly fought back a smile. “She’s an impatient little one, isn’t she?” He directed the question to Chris.
Raven stiffened, her back going perfectly straight as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Is there a problem with that?”
“Shhh,” Chris murmured, kissing the top of her head as he tucked her beneath his arm. “Harry doesn’t mean anything by it. Or at least, he better not or I’ll kick his ass just like I did before I left Russia.”
Dark eyes hardening as he stared his cousin down. Harry then moved his gaze to Raven. “I most certainly didn’t mean anything negative. Quite the opposite, in fact.” The harsh mask fell from his face as he smiled and spread his arms out. “Cousin, I am not the same hardened man that you remember. I touched on it briefly last night, but after you watch your daughter, the pride and joy of your heart, battle a vicious disease, and you aren’t sure she’ll pull through? Yeah, it puts a lot of shit in perspective.”
Raven gasped, and her hand covered her lips. “I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been.”
Harry closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again and nodded at our girl. “Thank you. Sofia is in remission, thank God. Has been for four years after fighting for four years before that. She was only two when she was diagnosed.”
Fuck, my gut twisted at the agony that little girl must have gone through. No one deserved that, especially not a child who was innocent of all sin.
“Anyway,” Harry cleared his throat, closing the topic. The pain evident in his body language told me how deeply it had affected him. Family was important to the Volkovs, but almost losing your daughter? I could only imagine how that could change you as a man. “I came to the United States for Sofia’s treatments, and we decided to stay. We only moved to the Portland area in the last year after living in Seattle.”
“Why didn’t you ever reach out to Chris if you lived here?” Raven asked, her question holding no malice or ill intent. She was a naturally curious person and didn’t hesitate to ask the questions that popped into her mind. “I mean, I can imagine that he would have loved to know you were so close.”
“I confess I watched his accomplishments and didn’t want to interfere with his life.” His dark eyes softened as he regarded Chris with the love and affection of a brother rather than just a cousin. “At first, I’d been so focused on Sofia that everything else fell away. When she went into remission, so much time had already passed that I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Chris’s hand clenched into a fist on his thigh, and Raven snuggled further into him. He was hurting. Had been hurting since Bryan came back into the picture and brought so many old memories surging back.
My heart ached for my best friend. He was going to need us more than ever to get him through everything right now.