Heat washed into my face. “No, that’s okay. You don’t have to introduce us. I was just wondering who he was.”Adrik.My skin tingled. Adrik meant “dark” in Russian.
Ef’s lips twitched, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “Adrik’s a great guy. He’s kind of quiet and aloof. Been with us for about eight years now, I think. He’s completely trustworthy and loyal to a fault. I promise he’s not as scary as he looks. You have nothing to fear from him.”
I promise he’s not as scary as he looks.
What didthatmean? In all the years I’d watched him from afar, I’d never gotten a “scary” vibe from him, though admittedly, I’d never seen his face.
Laughter floated in from the open door behind Ef. Then the rest of the family flooded into the house, swarming around and congratulating me. We weren’t a large group, but we were close, and I loved each and every one of them.
My grandparents had four children. My Aunt Nina and her twin sister Angelina (who was deceased) were the oldest. My Uncle Pavel was the middle child, and my papa was the youngest.
My parents (Alexei and Marisha), had two children: me and my younger brother, Efrem.
My Aunt Nina and Uncle Nicholai (who was also deceased) had three children: Sacha, the oldest grandchild, his middle sister, Zasha, and youngest sister, Mila.
Nina’s twin, Angelina, who had died before I was born, was my cousin Zeke’s mother. Zeke had been raised by his father away from the Bratva, and none of us had even known about him until a few years ago. He was now a famous musician.
My Uncle Pavel and his wife Galena (who had been killed about a year and a half ago by a rival Mafia family), had three children: the twins, Lev and Dominik, and their younger sister, Yelena.
My grandmother, Lada, had passed away when I was young, and I didn’t remember her. My grandfather “Deda” was the greatest, and I loved him dearly.
It was times like this that I was reminded how fortunate I was to have such a loving, supportive family. Even if they made me feel smothered sometimes.
My grandfather was the first to step forward. Leaning down, he squeezed my hand and kissed each of my cheeks. “Well done, Annika. Another astounding performance. I’m very proud of you.”
I smiled up into his mismatched eyes—one brown, one blue—that many people found scary, but I’d only ever seen filled with love. “Thank you,Deda.”
He moved off and my Uncle Pavel stepped forward. “Amazing,” he said simply. “Even though we advised against going out tonight, you went ahead and bravely faced your fears. Stunning performance, Annika.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
With a nod, he stepped aside, and my Aunt Nina stepped forward with my cousins Zasha and Mila. The girls hugged me, and their mother smiled and praised me before they also moved off.
Warm hugs and heartfelt congratulations continued for several minutes as my other cousins came forward: Sacha and his girlfriend, Willow; Lev and his fiancé Siena, and her little boy, Nico; Dominik and his girlfriend Leah, and her daughter, Abby; Zeke and his wife, Mia; Lev and Dom’s younger sister, Yelena, and her boyfriend, Gio, who was Siena’s younger brother and, like me, in a wheelchair because of a vicious attack. Only, his paralysis was permanent, and Gio would never walk again.
Then my parents came forward.
“I have never been so proud,” Papa announced. “I can’t believe you’re my child. Where did all that talent come from?”
I chuckled. “Thanks, Papa.”
Mom hugged me, squeezing me tight. The concern in her eyes when she stepped back told me how anxious she’d been about my safety. “You did fabulous, sweetheart,” Mom murmured, patting my hand. “But I was on edge the entire time, afraid that psychopath would return. I’m just glad you don’t have another performance until next month.”
“I needed to do it, Mom,” I said quietly. “I had to face my fears. And I won.”
“Yes, you did.” Mom smiled. “You’re very brave.”
Finally, everyone began to move off.
Efrem lingered after the others left. “Ready for bed, sis? I can push you to your room if you want.”
I gave a grateful nod. “Thanks.” My little brother was a sweetheart, always so thoughtful and considerate. He’d make some lucky girl a great husband one day.
Just as we reached my door, my phone vibrated in the side holder on the wheelchair.
Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.
Plucking it up, I swiped the screen.