Shirley
After spending the night at the carnival with Evgenii, I’m frustrated because I didn’t get any information from him. I want him to feel what I felt. I want him to see what it’s like to fall in love with someone who is just using you for information.
After breakfast, I follow Helena as she makes her way to the greenhouse. She notices I’m there just as she steps out.
“My girl, what is it?” she asks gently.
I want to cry, but I don’t. Tears aren’t going to do anything for me. I
need to be strong, but I don’t want to go through this alone.
She leads me over to the bench we sat on before, and we sit facing each other. She takes my hands gently and looks into my eyes. “You can tell me anything.”
I look down at first and give a big sniff before I look up at her. “You were right. I’m pregnant and don’t know what to do about it.”
Helena purses her lips because she understands what I’m implying, and she says, as gently as she can, “In this family, there are no mistakes. Each member has their place, and so will your baby.”
I nod, understanding that she means I need to have the baby.
She squeezes my hands. “Who is the father, Shirls?”
I feel like it’s not a question, but I glance away and then back at her. “A guy I met on the West Coast, I thought it would amount to something, but he left me for another woman.”
I feel so bad lying to her, but I feel worse when she quirks an eyebrow. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but please don’t lie to me. I’ve been your mother since the day Arianna and Dominic brought you and your brother home for a shower, fresh clothes, medical attention, and food. You’ve been our family since that day, and we will always love and protect you.”
A lone tear rolls down one side of my face, and I release her hand to swipe it away. “Please, can we go with my story, just for when the family finds out? I don’t want to disappoint Alessandro or any of the others. I don’t want them to think less of me.”
Helena, my mother, squeezes my hands. “I know it’s Evgenii. I know he’s the father.”
My eyes widen. “Please, Ma, please don’t tell Alessandro. Please promise me you won’t. I didn’t tell him anything. We got drunk, and…one thing led to another. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
Helena pulls me into a hug against her chest and strokes my head. “Don’t worry, he won’t hear it from me, but I really think you should come clean with Evgenii. We’ve been through this before in our family. You shouldn’t stop a father from knowing he has a child.”
I breathe in her perfume and close my eyes. “I will. I just want to get through this proposal and secure Staten Island for the family, and then I’ll tell him. But I don’t want to tell him before that, and I don’t want him in my or the baby’s life.”
“That isn’t your choice to make,” her voice is soft as she continues to stroke my hair. “But we will work out the details later. For now, your secret is safe with me.”
I sit up and wipe my eyes. “Do I look okay?”
Helena smiles and nods, glancing at the door. “And not a moment too soon, here comes Amelia to call us for church.”
“Ladies,” my sister-in-law says as she walks in, “everyone wants to get going.”
We stand and follow her out. I put a smile on my face and feel much more relieved now that Helena knows about the baby. At least I have her in my corner.
We drive in convoy to church, and I sit alongside my family. Alessandro, Katya, their children, and mom and dad sit in the front pew while the rest of us fill in the pews behind them.
Church passes in almost a blur, and as I take the sacrament, I think of how hypocritical I am. I’m not supposed to bear children out of wedlock, and here I am acting as though I’m not carrying the bastard of a Bratva senior member.
We only mingle for a few minutes after church. Enough time for the men to chat to the priest about things he needs for the church before we all file back into the cars and are driven back to Alessandro’s estate.
Several of the women stayed behind, the older aunts and grandmothers, to direct and help with the preparations for the family lunch.
As I step into the garden, it occurs to me that the Volkovs will also be at Sunday lunch. I sit with Arianna as they arrive, and she insists we find Kira and Tori and sit with them. I reluctantly follow, and we sit at a table together to talk.
“I really want Roman to have a sibling,” Tori tells us, her eyes glancing at her son, who is bouncing on her lap, wanting to escape. “But I’m torn because I want to focus on my career, but I don’t want Ivan to be too old if we have another child. Argh, I don’t know what to do.”
I feel so awkward as she discusses children, knowing that I’m incubating my own. Arianna grins mischievously. “I think you and Ivan make pretty babies and should just have a dozen of them. Populate the family with these drop-dead gorgeous children.”
We all laugh but try to cover it up as Ivan walks over. He glances around curiously and then shakes his head. “You know what, I don’t want to know what you lot are up to. Here let me take Roman. He can run around while we talk business.”
He scoops up his son, who giggles happily. Tori smiles lovingly at her husband, and I look away because I am jealous. That’s when I see Evgenii. He catches my eye and turns to make his way toward our group.
As he starts crossing the yard, I get up. “Sorry, ladies, but I need the loo. I’ll be back soon.”
I walk quickly toward the house, and initially, I go to the bathroom, sit on the counter and read my emails on my phone. I can’t stay there forever, but I don’t want to return to the group or to see Evgenii, so I pretend to finish up and go to the library for a breather. I browse through Alessandro’s collection of books. It’s a well-kept secret because everyone thinks they’re Frankie’s books because he’s the nerd of the family, but Alessandro loves to read. I’ve heard him read to the twins at bedtime, and he does impressions and everything, it’s adorable.
I hear someone clear their throat behind me, and I know who it is before I turn around. He’s so good-looking, but dammit, I wish Evgenii would leave me alone.
“Shirley, please just listen to me. I never apologized for what I did, not properly. What I did was absolutely rotten. Something no person should ever have to experience, not even in the name of family business. I toyed with your feelings, and I am so sorry I did because I honestly did fall in love with you. It wasn’t just family business back then, and it is the greatest regret of my life because we could have had all these years together. I can’t go back and change what I did, but I have changed as a person since then. I will do anything to have another shot with you, please.” His eyes are sparkling with emotion, but all I feel is anger. I’m angry that he brought this up and that he thinks words are enough to gloss over the situation, that it would mend my heart. I’m mad he lied about the whole situation, and all his apology does is stoke the fire of revenge burning deep inside me.
I take a deep breath and try not to show how angry I am. “Evgenii, we can try again.” I see the hope in his eyes. “But we need to take it slow. We’re not picking up from where we left off. We’re going to start fresh.”
And I’m going to shatter your heart the way you broke mine, I think to myself.
Evgenii walks forward and nods. “Agreed. Anything you want.”
I nod. “I’m hungry and want to spend time with my sister and cousins.”
Evgenii nods. “Of course, let’s go enjoy lunch.”
He seems so much happier, and I ignore the little spark of guilt I feel for doing this. No, the anger is greater, and it buries that spark.
After lunch is done, we escort the Russians out to their cars, and
Evgenii stops by me and smiles down at me. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
I nod, giving him a small smile. “Of course. I’ll be in touch.”
“Can I give you a kiss?” he asks softly.
I nod, and he leans down, softly kissing my lips.
I can feel everyone’s eyes on us, especially my mother’s, and Evgenii pulls away and grins. “See you soon.”
I watch him walk off with Ivan, who gives him a strange look. I turn and walk back to the house, knowing I will have to explain myself later.
As I walk near Katya and Alessandro, I hear my brother say,
“Personally, I think the women in this family are far scarier than the men.” I smile.
Evgenii
I have a smile on my face the whole way back to Ivan’s house. Tori keeps glancing at me skeptically while she cradles a sleeping Roman in her arms. Ivan also seems quiet, but it doesn’t bother me. I have prayed and hoped a heartfelt apology would make Shirley see that I was sorry, for her to give me another chance, and it’s worked. Honestly, it was Natalia’s idea after I spoke to her last night, so I really have her to thank.
We reach Ivan’s house, and Tori excuses herself quietly to put Roman down. I follow Ivan to the back deck, but he still hasn’t said anything. He pours us each a drink, and I thank him, sighing with contentment.
Tori comes back, and Ivan hands her a glass of wine while we drink our Vodka neat.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ivan asks after several moments of silence. “If you break Shirley’s heart again, I won’t stop Alessandro from stringing you up.”
I frown and shake my head. “No, you’ve got the wrong idea. I want to be with Shirley, guys. I am head over heels in love with the woman. I apologized for what I did, I explained everything to her, and she said we stand a chance together. I need to try because I see a future with her.”
Ivan glances at Tori and sips his drink. “You’re my favorite cousin, Evgenii, but surely you realize you shouldn’t trust Shirley. You destroyed her world last time. You convinced her you loved her, and then you broke her heart. I doubt she’s just forgiven you and decided to build a life with you.”
It’s rich coming from him, but I can’t say that. He may be my cousin, but he’s also the head of our family. Instead, I smile. “Shirley has always been a good, kind, loving person, and I know she won’t hurt me.” I feel confident as I speak. “I know if she says we stand a chance, we do. She isn’t like me. She isn’t cold and ruthless. She’s matured since we dated, and to be honest, I didn’t pretend to be in love with her. Looking back, I now know I always was in love with her. I just kept my blinkers on and wouldn’t admit it.”
Tori clears her throat. “I don’t know about that. Shirley is well known to be harsh, especially on the West Coast. She gets things done, whether you stand in her way or not. She may not be the same person you remember. Do you really think Alessandro would let her run the West Coast if she was soft?”
I finish my drink. “I’ll show her my intentions every step of the way and win her love back, you’ll see. I will prove to her we deserve to be together, that we belong together.”
I know I sound like a hopeless romantic, but I also know that if everyone else can find their better halves, so can I. I know it’s Shirley, and I know that together we are stronger than apart.
Before they can say more, I excuse myself. “Thanks for the ride, but I need to work on our proposal for Don Pacheco. I don’t want to keep him waiting and give a chance to rival families to take Staten from us.” “Not even Shirley,” Ivan comments, raising an eyebrow.
I give him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Pakhan. Enjoy your Sunday.”
I leave, and I try not to let what they’ve said get to me. Shirley isn’t a pushover, but she isn’t heartless. She has always had a heart of gold. I think about Tori saying Shirley runs the West Coast. I wonder if that’s really true. I thought her brother Pierce ran the operations there.
I arrive back at the house and immediately start working on my proposal for Staten Island. I remember what Shirley is offering and will keep it in mind as I draft our proposal. I remember what Ivan said before I left. He is doubtful that I will want to win the bid because I’m against Shirley. To be honest, I am hesitant, but I know I have to put my family first. Well, unless I can devise a way to convince Ivan to do me a favor.
A notification sounds on my laptop, and I see it’s an email from one of my informants. I open it, and as I read the writing, my eyes widen.
Don Pacheco was attacked and is currently in the hospital, fighting for his life. They don’t know who or which family is behind it.
I know this will cause a war.
I race back to my car and drive to Ivan’s house.
“I can assure you, I wouldn’t instigate a war like that without forewarning you,” Ivan is on the phone as I walk out to the deck. “I trust you weren’t behind this either, Alessandro.”
He’s quiet for a moment and then nods. “Even though we’re competing for Staten Island, I would not go behind your back like that. Our families are tied together, and a slight against your family is a slight against mine. I will, however, have my men investigate who is behind the attack so we can form a united front and deal with the offending culprit before it escalates to full-blown war.”
Ivan falls silent again, listening to Alessandro. I get myself a soft drink and sit on a lounger as I wait for Ivan.
“Don’t worry. I have the best man for the job. I’ll keep you updated.”
Ivan hangs up and looks at me. “What information do you have?”
“None.” I shake my head. “I came straight here to find out if it was the Sorvinos, but clearly, it isn’t. I do, however, think the only other family with enough manpower to challenge either of our families is the Gobulevs.” I meet his eyes, and Ivan sighs.
“Don’t let your feelings for Mikhail cloud your investigation into this. Find out what you can, and if Mikhail has instigated this, I will personally deal with him.” Ivan sips from a water bottle. “And be safe. Who knows who the culprit will attack next.”
I nod, and Ivan walks back into the house. I take out my phone and dial Shirley’s number.
“Hello.” Her answer is short, but I can hear chatting around her.
“Sorry, I thought you might be home,” I say quickly. “This is clearly a bad time.”
“I have a few moments,” she says. “Kira and I are just outside the bistro about to tuck into some delicious food.”
I stand up and pace. “Did you hear about Don Pacheco?” I ask curiously.
She pauses, then says, “I did. Did you have something to do with it?”
“No, our family didn’t, and I heard Ivan confirm with Alessandro that yours didn’t either.”
“Do you have any idea of who it can be?” she asks.
“I think it’s Mikhail’s family behind it,” I answer truthfully. “But I need to prove it before Ivan will deal with him.”
“Every family has a secret they don’t want to expose. I bet this one is Mikhail’s.”
I don’t like the tone she is taking, as though she’s forming a plan to personally extract the information from him. Maybe she has a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know, which bothers me. What could she possibly be hiding?
“Maybe you and Kira should go home. First, there was an explosion at our territory in lower Manhattan, then an attack at Ivan’s house, and now this. Someone is determined to get what they want, and I will die if something happens to you, Shirley.” I wait for her response, my hand shaking slightly.
Shirley says something in what sounds like Italian to Kira. At least, I assume it’s Kira. “No, Kira says we’re safe here. No one would dare attack the bistro. It’s one of Alessandro’s biggest ventures, and they would be asking for a death sentence.”
I don’t feel better because if it is Mikhail, he won’t care. He’s brazen enough to pull something like that off, especially if he thinks Shirley snubbed him.
“Just, please be careful,” I ask. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
My mind goes back to her comment about everyone having a secret they don’t want to share, and I decide to ask her about it.
“Shirley, what did you mean when…”
There’s a loud explosion, and the line goes dead.
Dread envelops my body, and I dial her back, but it goes straight to voice mail. I try again and again, hoping it’s just a bad signal.
That’s when one of my guards comes in. “A store next to the
Sorvino’s Bistro has been blown up, sir.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. I grab my holster, throw it across my body, slide my gun into it, and throw my jacket over it. If I see Mikhail there, I will fucking shoot him in the head.
Shirley had better be all right, or I won’t wait for him to arrive.
I call Dominic. I have to dial twice before he picks up. “You heard?’
“I’m on my way there,” he says. “I’m with Frankie and some of our men. It’s a disaster.”
The pit of my stomach falls away, and I feel like my world is turning upside down. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be there soon. Shirley, she was there. She was with Kira.”
Dominic swears, and I hear him tell Frankie that Shirley was with Kira there.
“I’m sure she’s okay,” he says. “I’m sure of it.” I hang up.
I’m not sure of anything.