Thanking Josh profusely, I carried the burning Styrofoam cup to an empty table and sat staring out the window.
Fiona Lewis was still alive, and Kirill took care of her. I didn’t know where I thought she’d gone, but it made sense. Kirill had always been fiercely protective of his downtrodden mother. He had been a champion of the women he loved, me included. At least he still loved Fiona. It was illuminating and precisely what I needed. There was a part of Kirill Chernov that remembered who he was under the abuse, sadistic training, and the soul-destroying job of living up to his violent father’s merciless expectations.
It was a crack in the wall Kirill used to hide his true self, and I’d seen it. But he didn’t know I’d seen it. It was my little secret and fuel for my dwindling hope. He also hadn’t said anything to his mother about an engagement to some high-profile mafia daughter. He had only talked about me.
I sipped the tea and burned my tongue. A looming presence beside me made me jump, and Kirill slid into the seat opposite. The man had an uncanny knack for knowing where I was at all times.
“Where did you get that?” he asked, taking my cup and sipping the burning tea.
I nodded toward the cashier, not trusting myself to speak normally.
He narrowed his eyes at the young server.
“All he did was give me tea on the house. He didn’t hit on me. No need to kill him.”
Kirill’s dark eyes swept across my face. “Lucky for him. You look cheered up.”
I couldn’t be sure, but he seemed relieved to see my melancholy had lifted.
I shrugged, and my unzipped hoodie fell off one shoulder. “Seeing my mom always cheers me up. Thank you.”
Kirill’s eyes moved to the sloping shoulder of the hoodie. He reached out and tugged it back into place. I realized I’d probably flashed a lot in those two seconds.
“Keep this closed,” he muttered. “Unless you want me to burn this place to the ground.”
“I’d be perfectly happy to cover my body up if you’d let me,” I complained. I paused and changed the subject. “How’d you know about this place?”
He shrugged nonchalantly, but I knew better. “It’s the best care in these parts.”
“And you want to give my mother the best care money can buy?”
“Why shouldn’t I, Princess? She’s like family to me.”
He was thawing the ice around my heart, and there was nothing I could do about it. Now that I knew his secret, my resentment was deteriorating.
“Now you’ve cheered up, I don’t want you moping around all day or not eating. That wasn’t a part of our agreement.” Kirill was watching me carefully, like always.
“Does it bother you to see me suffering? That’s not very villainous of you.” I sighed, draining my tea. I was pushing it, but we were in public, and I was feeling bold.
“I don’t want to snap a rib when I’m fucking you senseless. I take care of my things, Molly,” he said with a satisfied look that made me want to knee him in the balls.
Before I could think of a snappy comeback, my stomach let out a loud growl.“Good to know. Now we’re talking about it, I’m pretty hungry.” Actually, I was starving. It was like the dark clouds had lifted, and I’d been in a fog until now. “Shall we grab something here?” I asked, looking toward the cafeteria.
Kirill stood immediately. “Absolutely not. Let’s go.”
36
KIRILL
Iplanned on taking Molly somewhere no one would recognize me. It was imperative that my father remain clueless about Mallory. But since Niko wasn’t letting it go, I was no doubt fighting a losing battle. Still, it paid to be cautious.
I knew a little diner near Cedar Green nursing home that was always empty. First, however, Mallory needed clothes. If one more man looked at her with interest, I was going to shoot him dead in the street. Unfortunately, my plan to keep her nearly naked and easily accessible with the see-through wardrobe had fucked me over.
I stopped the car outside a small boutique on a leafy street and took Molly inside. The sales assistant eyed us with interest. Molly looked like she had wandered off a photo shoot set, and I looked like her accountant in my dark suit and tie. I liked to dress like a respectable businessman when I went to visit my mother. I hoped she’d forget what I was and what I did, but she never did.
“What are we doing here?” Molly asked, looking around the boutique suspiciously.
“We are getting you some clothes that don’t make me want to decapitate people as we’re walking in public,” I muttered, striding along the rails. I pointed one of the approaching assistants to a stack of jeans and turtleneck sweaters.“Get me these in her size,” I told her. “Change,” I directed to Molly.