70

Chris
Ilet go of Raven’s hand to exit the car and jog around to her door before anyone else could enter. Not that they would try. Kashton and Caden allowed me whatever grace I needed to get through the night.
I was grateful for that.
Because I was one step away from either draining a bottle of vodka to remain calm, or throwing up. Maybe a bit of both, especially if I drank the vodka.
Harry opened the door before we reached it, meeting us halfway between the SUV and the door. He held out a hand, and I shook it before bringing him in for a back-slapping hug. “Welcome to my home, cousin.”
“Thank you for having us.”
My cousin dipped his head with a grin and held his arm out for the rest of my family. “Welcome. Nice to see you again.”
This new, polite Harry would take some getting used to. He opened the door and gestured for us to join him inside.
“Papa!” A little girl ran straight up to Harry as he entered the foyer. “Where did you go?”
Her dark hair was in braided pigtails, and when she smiled, she was missing two of her bottom front teeth. Her dress swirledaround her knees, and black Mary Janes were on her feet. She looked like the female version of Harry. Good thing she inherited the softer side of his features.
Harry scooped her up into his arms and balanced her on his hip. “Remember I told you we were having special guests come today?”
She nodded and eyed us cautiously. But she still smiled. Her head rested against her dad’s shoulder as if she were torn between shyness, outgoingness, and confidence.
“This is my cousin Chris and his friends Raven, Kashton, and Caden.”
Raven grinned and waved. “I heard your name is Sofia. That’s such a pretty name.”
And just like that, Sofia lifted her head from Harry’s shoulder and he set her back down on her feet. She marched right up to Raven and crooked her finger at her. Raven got down on one knee to be at Sofia’s level.
“You’re really pretty. I love your purse.” Sofia jumped up and down. “Grogu is my favorite ever! Well, maybe Groot, too. But he’s one of my favorites. Do you want to come see my Grogu toys?”
“Sofia, sweetheart, let everyone come in and get settled.” Harry didn’t hide his grin at his vocal daughter. “Plus, it’s Maxim’s day, remember? He was very polite when it was your birthday and gave you all the attention. Now, you need to show him the same courtesy.”
Sofia’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout, and she dropped her head. “Okay, Papa.” She kicked at the ground but gave into his request as she took a step away from Raven.
I didn’t miss how the smile on my girl’s face dropped slightly at the action of the small girl.
Harry held his hand out and wiggled his fingers, and Sofia grabbed on as he showed us into the house.
I helped Raven to her feet and tucked my arm around her waist. “You’re a natural with kids, kroshka.”
“I don’t know about that, but I just talked to her the way I liked to be talked to. It sucks when people like to talk down to you,” she whispered, pain entering her eyes and making them dull. I wanted to kill whoever talked down to her and made her feel inferior in the past.
I kissed her forehead, even more in awe of her with every moment that passed. “I love you.”
She tilted her head up, and I kissed her lips. “I love you too. Now, let’s go before we get yelled at.”
“She’s got a point, cousin.” Harry clapped me on the shoulder as we entered the living room. “She’s a very smart woman. You’ve done very well for yourself. However, I don’t know how you got so lucky. She definitely lowered her standards for you.”
I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I felt like the young boy always running after my big cousin Harry when he spoke to me like that. Although it was better than the times he yelled at me.
“This must be Maxim.” A miniature version of Harry joined his sister. The boy wrapped an arm around his sister, protecting her from the new people who entered their home.
After all, they’d gone through together, seeing the ferocity in his eyes when it came to his sister warmed my heart.
The bond between them was deep and fierce.
“Maxim, this is my cousin Chris. You can call him Uncle Chris or just Chris.” Harry nodded when Maxim looked up to him for confirmation.
Maxim held his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same. Happy birthday.” I reached into my inner jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope for him.
His eyes widened before lightening up as he accepted the present. “Thank you.”
“No opening it now,” Harry said with a stern tone. “Put it with the others, and we’ll open everything at once. After dinner.”
Maxim nodded and moved to obey his father.
“Chris.”Babushkaset her spoon down in the kitchen and swiftly crossed the room with her arms open wide. Her smile was wide, and tears were gleaming in her bright eyes. “Thank you for coming.”
Raven stepped away from me with a squeeze of my arm, and I embracedBabushkatightly. I took several deep breaths, knowing what would be coming next. The years of bloody work by my grandfather’s side were still etched in my brain. No matter how much time or distance I put between us, some things always haunted me.
Sasha’s death was one of them.
“It’s so good to see you here.”Babushkareleased me and patted my cheek. “Here with Harry, Maxim, and Sofia. With your family.”
Her words hurt as if a knife had plunged into my back. Family meant the world to me. Until I lost my best friend at just eighteen because of some stupid deal gone wrong.
“Family is more than just blood,” I rasped out as I stepped back. Raven touched my back, which was a soothing balm on my fractured soul. She was the only one who was able to tame the wild thoughts and bring me back down to Earth. She was my everything.
“It is, Chris. You’ve made a family here, and we just want to be a part of it.”
The deep, accented voice had my hands curling into fists at my side. I watched as my grandfather emerged from down the hall. When I saw him after he kidnapped Raven, I had been tooangry to take in anything about his appearance. Or if I did, I didn’t commit it to memory.
But now, as I looked at him, I saw the small signs of his illness. The pale skin. Purple circles under his eyes. The way his lips pressed into a thin line.
I didn’t have much to go off of other than a brief encounter when my emotions and memories from twenty years ago were out of control. Despite that, I could tell Bryan Volkov looked like shit.
He moved slowly, his gate still strong, but he took each step carefully until he was standing before me. Without a word, he extended his hand.
I glanced down at it. Stared at it. A million thoughts swirled through my mind, threatening to drive me mad before I could process them all.
He was offering me more than just a simple handshake. It was a way to move forward with our lives. Let bygones be bygones. Or at least for now.
Forgive, but not forget.
Yet, Raven’s gentle touch on my back grounded me. I pulled back to the present and knew this was about more than just Bryan or me. This was about our whole family.
My hand met his, and we shook.
To my utter dismay, I saw tears shimmering in my grandfather’s eyes as he took my hand and pulled me in close for a tight hug.
“I know I was a fool for bringing you into the organization so young.” His voice wavered as he spoke. He didn’t release me, content to suspend our embrace. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Chris. Now, I’m a tired and sick old man filled with regrets. The biggest is how I treated your parents and then you. I have no excuse.”
He pulled back and grasped my upper arms. “I finally know what matters. I couldn’t see it until after you left. Even losing your father didn’t teach me everything important. That is family, both by blood and those forged through friendship and time.”
The silence hung heavy in the air as I contemplated his words. My eyelids fluttered shut as a myriad of emotions and thoughts whirled through my head, spinning so fast I was getting whiplash.
After several moments, I realized I needed to make peace with my grandfather, not for him, but for myself. I’d held on to my anger for too long, and it had poisoned me.
It wasn’t until I met Raven that I realized how far gone I’d been.
With her by my side, I could see the truth standing in front of me all along.
This was more for me and embracing my future than it was about them.
“Volkovs stick together,” I replied after several moments of silence.
“That we do, cousin.” Harry clapped me on the back.
The piece of my heart that I kept locked because it was battered and broken was set free and partially healed. It would knit together and scab over with time, but the scar would remain forever.
I could forgive, but I wouldn’t forget.