Shirley
I watch as Evgenii kills Pietro as though it means nothing.
I watch as Ettore takes his son’s body and leaves.
I watch as Ivan nods and he leaves with Evgenii.
He doesn’t look in my direction at all as he, Ivan, and members of their family file out past me. I feel like someone has grabbed my heart and was squeezing it slowly. My head spins as I watch Evgenii’s retreating back.
I jump slightly as I feel someone touch my shoulder, and I look up at Alessandro. “Are you okay?” he asks gently.
I shrug, trying to be more casual than I probably feel, “I’m fine, all in a day’s business.”
He pulls me into a hug, and then everyone surrounds me, telling me how they’re happy that I’m okay and that I’m back with them. That I’m their family and they love me. We’re not normally an emotionally vulnerable family like this, and it takes my breath away to realize how much I’m loved. Dominic pulls me into a hug, and so does Frankie, and then Katya and Arianna wrap their arms around me and hold me tightly.
“Oh, Shirley,” I hear Mom’s voice being me and turn. She comes to me and hugs me. “I’m so happy you’re okay. We would be devastated if anything happened to you.”
Dad also comes in and wraps his arms around me. “We would be broken, my child,” he says quietly, kissing my forehead.
Alessandro watches us and then invites me to sit with him when everyone has filed out of the room.
“I knew you’d come for me,” I say quietly, looking at him. “I never doubted it.”
“I thought Evgenii was going to take my and Ivan’s heads off at one point.” I look away as he mentions Evgenii’s name, and he sighs. “I’m sorry
I told him about the baby. It was an honest mistake. I didn’t mean to.”
I smile and look back at him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it. I’ve already told him I don’t want him in the child’s life and that
I’ll be making plans to raise the baby back on the West Coast.”
He nods, but I can see the sadness in his eyes. “What about your baby? What will you tell them when they ask about their father?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to think about it right now. There’s still time to sort out the details.”
He hesitates, something he doesn’t often do, but I quickly interject. “Please don’t. I don’t want anyone’s advice, just their support.” He nods. “Of course, Shirls. I’d do anything for you.
***
I look out the window as we drive through the city. I feel at peace with my decisions, and I’ll be glad when I can go home. Pierce is excited to see me and somewhat pissed that I didn’t tell him I was pregnant or kidnapped and that he found out from Dominic. He’s ecstatic to be an uncle and is already suggesting baby names.
The car stops, and I look up at the offices of the Pacheco family. I look at Alessandro, who nods, so I get out of the car with my briefcase. Alessandro, Katya, and Frankie have joined me today for the proposal as support and protection. There are also four guards with us, just in case. When we walk into the boardroom, I see that Ivan, Evgenii, and their family and guards are already there.
We take our seats, and Don Pacheco is wheeled in on his wheelchair and sits at the head of the table.
Evgenii reaches into his briefcase and pulls out a US letter-sized brown manilla envelope. He hands it to Ivan because, respectfully, Ivan should hand the proposal over to Don Pacheco. I take mine out and give it to Alessandro. Alessandro looks at me. It’s a strange look I can’t place.
Then he glances at Ivan and slides our envelope over to Don Pacheco.
Ettore Pacheco opens each envelope and reads over them, he looks somewhat surprised at something on Volkov’s proposal. I’m slightly worried that Evgenii changed his proposal because I cut ties with him. It hadn’t occurred to me yesterday.
Shit.
He lays the proposals face down and nods. “I have chosen to accept the proposal from Don Sorvino and his family.”
We all smile at each other. Alessandro stands and shakes Ivan’s hand. “Thank you.”
Ettore claps his hands. “We have prepared a feast for celebrations, so please sit.”
Everyone retakes their seats, and the doors open. Platters of food are set down on the table, and champagne and wine are brought out. There is no animosity between the family members as they chat with each other, as though we weren’t battling for a powerful territory that puts us one over the Volkovs. I wonder briefly what they proposed.
I’m happy, though. I eat food and stick to soda water as I chat with Arianna and Katya about Arianna’s pending wedding. Vaguely I hear Ivan, Alessandro, and Ettore talking next to me as they sign the proposal.
Ettore reads off some of the things I’ve put in my proposal, and I look at Evgenii to see the look of utter betrayal on his face. I try to keep my look neutral as he glowers at me. I knew he’d be upset, but he looks livid.
Good, now he knows how I feel.
A small amount of guilt tugged at my heart because I had said we were even, but this was before that. This was decided before that.
Evgenii leans over to get Ivan’s attention, and he listens, nods, and looks at me.
I look away, but Evgenii stands up, drawing attention to himself,
“Apologies, Dons, Pahkan, and family members. I will need to be excused. Some work has come up.” Once the leaders give their blessing, he buttons his suit jacket and leaves the room, his food and drink untouched.
I turn back to the ladies observing me and shake my head. “I don’t care.”
They don’t look like they believe me, but we go back to discussing the wedding.
Alessandro touches my arm once we’re out of the building, “Ride with me again. I want to discuss something.”
I climb into his vehicle, and once we’re on our way, he looks at me. “I’m pleased with the job you did,” he sighs. “I think you deserve a pay increase for a job well done-maybe a little bonus. I’ll let you give me an offer on what you want for both. I’ll decide what you get.” I sit back and sigh. “I can’t believe it worked.” “What worked?” he asks curiously.
“So, Evgenii and I had an agreement to make our proposals identical so that it would be a fair choice between the families, but I changed mine to be better to secure the territory for us. It’s brilliant because we won and because I finally taught Evgenii what it’s like to be led along and then betrayed.”
Alessandro doesn’t look as impressed as I’d hoped, and I’m confused. He looks out the window and remains quiet. I bite my lip, worried he is mad.
“It’s just business. Ivan won’t hold it against you, surely,” I say.
He looks at me and gives me a sad smile.
“Are you mad?” I ask quietly.
He shakes his head and sighs. “I didn’t want to take this from you.” “Take what?” I ask.
“Evgenii had lowered his proposal to ensure that you won. He deliberately did it and had it approved by Ivan so that it could be his gift to you, to make up for what he did,” He puts a hand on mine. “Ivan told me yesterday.”
I shake my head. “Why would he do that?”
“He felt guilty?” Alessandro suggests. “Or because he really does love you? Shirls, you still worked damn hard and deserved the win. It’s still your win in my eyes.”
I look out my own window, confused. I’ve known Evgenii always to be a go-getter and always to make sure that his family came first. I don’t know how I feel about this. I hate him, but I don’t. I hate him, and I’m hurt, but a part of me is quietly whispering that I need to move on from that because these last few weeks, he’s gone out of his way to love me, to prove he loves me and that he wants to give me everything but I don’t know if I handle that. How can I trust someone who shattered my life to pieces?
Alessandro squeezes my hand, but we don’t speak again.
When we get home, he takes my briefcase and jacket and hands them to the maid. As we walk, he turns towards the dining room, we weren’t expecting food, but Alessandro always eats with Helena and Romero.
“I’m going to go lie down. I’m not hungry,” I try to smile, and he nods.
I get into my room and sit on my bed, staring at the wall. Should I
have given Evgenii another chance? How was I supposed to know he meant it? I mean, he said so, but he also said many things last time and then betrayed me. He can’t just have my trust back with a few words and great sex.
I curl up on my bed, trying to figure up what this emotion is building inside me.
I think it’s guilt.
Evgenii
I laugh at my sister. It’s our turn to host Sunday lunch at our restaurant. It’s been days since the Pacheco proposals, and I’m still salty, but Nat makes it better. She has always known how to bring a smile to my face. We’re waiting for Tori’s family to join us so we can eat.
Nat smiles brightly and says, “I’m going to go help in the kitchen because I might be able to sneak a bite. I’m starving.”
I wave her off and pour myself another drink, turning to my left. Yuslan, my younger brother, is watching his girlfriend go with Natalia. I smile, “She’s beautiful.”
“She is. She might be the one,” he grins.
“You always think whoever you’re dating is the one. Come on. Be a bachelor like me.” I chuckle.
Yuslan shakes his head, “I don’t think you’ll always be one, though.”
I snort and am about to respond when I sense someone sitting to my right. I turn to see Shirley seated there, looking up at me.
My mood instantly drops, and I sigh, sipping on my drink.
“What do you want?” I can’t even bring myself to say her name, “Have you decided you want money from me for child support? Cause you could have just emailed me. I’ll deposit it in whatever account you send so you can run off back to the West Coast.”
Her eyes sparkle, and she nods. “I deserve that. Can we please speak in private?”
I shake my head and hear Ivan clear his throat. He gives me a pointed look, and I scowl and nod. “Fine, come on.”
I leave my drink and lead her into one of the private party rooms. Chairs and tables are stacked up against the side, and I go to a table standing in the middle and lean against it with my arms crossed over my chest.
There’s a long pause before she says softly, “Your beard is even grayer than before.”
I shrug. I don’t know what her play is, but I’m not giving her anything but the bare minimum.
She licks her lips and glances at the floor before looking at me and saying, “Evgenii. I thought that I would never be able to forgive you for how you betrayed me. You shattered my self-confidence and everything I thought about the world. You robbed me of innocence I didn’t even know I had. But I was young, and business was business, and I know that I need to move past that.”
She pauses, and I can feel a lump forming in my throat. I stand straight and clear my throat. “It’s fine,” I say gruffly, “We’re even so we can both get over it.”
I try to move past her, but she places a hand on my chest, “I’m sorry.” She looks up at me with pleading in her eyes, “I’m sorry I betrayed you by changing my proposal, but I wanted to make you feel how I had felt. How it felt to be led on and then screwed over. I was head over heels in love with you when we met, and after everything you did, I thought I would never be able to love another person again.”
The guilt sits heavily in my chest, and I nod. “I get it. I fucked up and hurt you. You got me back. We’re good.”
She shakes her head, frustrated. “No, I couldn’t love another person again because I loved you. I still love you.”
I pull back immediately, unable to look at her. “We can’t be in love. We’re toxic to each other. After everything we’ve done against each other, the betrayals and lies, how can we ever trust each other? And without trust, how can we ever be together? It will always hang over our relationship.”
She holds her hand out. “I’m Shirley McCannister. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I stare at her, raising an eyebrow. “Did you knock your head? What are you on about?”
She swallows. “I know it’s stupid, but I am introducing myself again so we can start fresh. A new relationship, separate from what we did before.
We’re not those people anymore.”
I shake my ass and try to stop the smile. I shake her hand. “Evgenii
Volkov, you got a pretty good ass, you know that. I like it.”
She laughs, and it’s music to my ears. I want to be mad at her, but that little stunt melts my heart. I approach her and put my hands on her arms, drawing her to me so I can lean down and kiss her deeply.
She slides her arms around my neck and holds me tightly. When the kiss ends, she rests her head against my chest. “I want to raise our baby together. I want to be with you and raise our family.”
I stroke her back. “I would love that very much.”
I let her go and lace our fingers together, leading her out of the room to find both families waiting for us, staring in our direction. Alessandro and Ivan are at the head of the tables. Ivan is sitting, but Alessandro is standing, holding a glass of wine, “I have wonderful news, everyone. Shirley is pregnant with Evgenii’s baby. We are going to have another member of our family join us in a few months, and a great wedding to party too.”
Ivan stands up, raising his glass, “Another beautiful unity between our families. What is it that you Italians say?”
He leans down to Tori, who smiles and whispers in his ear. He stands straight. “Cin Cin!”
“Cheers,” Alessandro chuckles, raising his glass.
Everyone cheers and claps, and then there is a loud scraping of chairs as everyone gets up to congratulate us. I smile brightly. The only odd thing I notice is that Nat isn’t with the crowd. She is standing at the kitchen doorway, her arms crossed, but she’s smiling sadly.
I’m distracted by our leaders coming to congratulate us, and I shake both their hands. Alessandro holds my hand tightly, “That’s my sister.”
“If anyone hurts her, I’ll kill them with my bare hands,” I say with a smirk.
Alessandro nods and moves to Shirley.
Soon we are all sitting down again, and everyone is talking over everyone. I finally have the love of my life, and then it dawns on me. I feel like I’m floating in the clouds. I turn to Yuslan, “You knew!”
He grins, “Knew what?”
“You commented I wasn’t going to be a bachelor for long,” I turn to Shirley. “How did you rope everyone into this?” “Because I’m nice and feisty.” she grins.