Chapter Ten

Brooke

"S o he stuffed your panties in his pocket and left?" Lara's eyes were wide and as shocked as I felt in the moment.

I nodded. "Yeah, talk about history repeating itself, right?"

I mean, what the actual fuck is wrong with him?"

"He's ruthless and used to getting his way, which I gave him. Easily. Again." I shook my head and buried my face in my hands. I couldn't believe I'd done it again, one kind word or action from Ilya Kuznetsov and I was putty in his hands. Damn it!

"You regret it?"

"Yes," I answered easily, then caught her disbelieving expression. "No," I offered a little more hesitantly. "I don't regret the sex, it was incredible. Hot and hard and fast, and perfect. But I regret that it was Ilya who spurred that desire in me for the first time in years." I regretted more that I couldn't stop thinking about that hot as hell quickie in his office, because just like in college, the high was followed by the low of knowing I was nothing more than an easy lay.

"Well, enjoy the sex for what it was and keep it professional. If you can." She wiggled her brows, making me laugh as the doorbell sounded. "Oh, maybe he's back for round two. Or is it three?"

"Funny." I rolled my eyes and stood. "Except it wouldn't be funny at all if it was him because Karina is upstairs." My heart was in my throat as my feet carried me closer and closer to the door. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I opened it. "Ryan." It was my brother in his Winter Valley Police Department uniform. Ryan was almost six years older than me, we'd been closer when we were younger, but gotten more distant once he left for college. I could have done with my protective big brother after what happened with Ilya, but when I fell pregnant with Karina, he treated me like I'd ruined his entire life. Sometimes he was as straightlaced as a Victorian schoolteacher.

"Good to see you, Brooke." His smile was half-hearted at best, and that was fine with me. We would never be as close as we once were, but he loved Karina and that's what mattered to me.

"Come in. What brings you by?"

He stepped inside and spun around as if this was his first time inside my small rental, which was my first clue that something was up. And then he rubbed the back of his head the way he did when he didn't want to talk about something.

"Ryan…" I sighed.

"Ilya is back in town," he stated. "I saw him a few days ago and I waited for you to say something, but you haven't, so now I am." His voice held that cop tone that I hated more than anything. He'd had it since well before joining the force, which only made it more annoying.

I rolled my eyes and went back to the kitchen where my pizza was getting cold. "Why would I say anything to you at all about it?"

"Because I'm your brother."

I barked out a laugh and rolled my eyes. "Now you are, but there was a good two-and-a-half-year period where you were nothing at all to me. And Ilya was a big part of that." He'd been upset when I refused to tell him who the father was and refused to speak to me until I had. Dad had been angry that the pregnancy meant I would have to give up on my dreams of college and Mom was just unhappy that my heart was broken. It was a tough time for the whole family. My parents argued a lot, and eventually got a divorce. They both swore it was nothing to do with me, but Ryan held me responsible for the collapse of their marriage.

"Have you seen him?"

"Another thing that is none of your business." I turned my focus to the pizza, picking up a slice and taking the biggest bite I could to avoid the weight of his stare. But he just kept staring. "Fine. He hired Montrose Accounting to do his books and Ruben is going to pay for the rest of my degree if I keep Ilya happy."

"I'll pay," Ryan offered, his expression thunderous.

"So you have another thing to hold over my head for the rest of my life? No, thanks."

Ryan folded his arms and scoffed. "You're prepared to keep him happy?"

The way he said it pissed me off. "Making one silly mistake a stupid teenager doesn't make me a whore, Ryan. But thanks for your vote of confidence that that's the only way I could possibly keep him happy."

"Brooke—" he began, but I gave him my back just as Karina rushed down the stairs.

"Uncle Ry, you're here!" She flung herself at my brother with the biggest smile on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see my favorite girl."

I didn't have to look to know his smile was as big as hers. Despite our strained relationship, Ryan loved Karina and he doted on her like a good uncle should.

"Want some pizza?" Karina offered. "It was really good and extra cheesy!"

He laughed and then he was sitting at my kitchen table. "Lara," he said in that stiff tone meant to make her feel unwelcome.

"Officer. Trample anyone's rights lately?"

He frowned. "Get any criminals off lately?"

"Tons," she shot back with a wide grin. "Because I'm damn good at my job."

"Excuse me." I jumped up from the table and rushed to the bathroom before my tears fell. I hated that Ryan and Ilya both made me feel like that insecure girl I used to be. They both took me back to that time and I hated it. Sometimes I hated them.

A knock sounded on the bathroom door, and though I hoped it was Lara, the knocks had a distinct sound of law enforcement. "Brooke, open up. I'm sorry."

I yanked the door open and glared at my brother. "Are you sorry, Ryan? Because you said something close to that eight years ago, so I'm pretty sure that's not what you think." I shook my head. "I'm tired of arguing with you. Maybe you should just come by to see Karina when I'm not home."

"That's not what I want, Brooke. With Dad off in Texas with Sandra, and Mom gone, we're all we have."

"You mean you're stuck with me. Well, guess what? I don't need you to look out for me. You've never been very good at it anyway, but you are good with Karina, so thanks for that."

He frowned. "Are you kidding? She's great. I love that girl to pieces."

"I know. That's why I put up with the constant jabs, but I'm sick of it."

"So, what, we're just not going to talk at all?"

"We don't talk now. We argue and we bicker, and we play nice for Karina. Let's just skip to that part."

He clenched his jaw tight, his anger closer to the surface than usual. "I just want you to be careful, Brooke. Ilya isn't the person you knew back at college."

I detected the warning in his tone. I know that some of Ruben's clients were borderline shady, but I'd not found anything amiss in Ilya's accounts. If anything, his business appeared squeaky clean. I wasn't about to run to his defense though, "Our relationship is strictly professional. It's my job and you don't need to worry about anything else. I'm pretty sure he was never the person I knew."

Ryan sighed. "He's missing out, Brooke. Karina is an incredible little girl, and he doesn't know that, and it's his own damn fault. Remember that."

"Yeah, thanks," I said, as I headed back to the kitchen. Karina was eating her pizza oblivious to the fact I'd rushed out in tears. I was thankful for that, I didn't want my little girl worrying.

"Oh, before I go, Ella and I are planning on taking the kids to her parents' house at the Hamptons, the month after next. We wondered if Karina wanted to join us?"

"Mommy, please?" Karina squealed as she rushed over. "They have a boat, we can play pirates. Please Mommy, please?"

"I'll think about it," I answered noncommittedly. Maybe I was turning into one of those overprotective moms. Karina was all I had, and the thought of her leaving me, even for a weekend, made my heart sink.

"You know she'd be safe with me," Ryan said, as my daughter danced around us.

He pressed a fierce kiss to my forehead and gave me one of those big brother stares before he took off. "Duty calls. See you Wednesday, Karina."

"Wednesday date night," she called out. "I'll be there, Uncle Ry." She was so excited about it, and that was what mattered.