Epilogue

“You shouldn’t have lether go in by herself.” Sergei elbows my arm as we stand at the bar of the Majestic Mile Country club.

I hate places like this. It reeks of privilege and nepotism that turns my stomach.

It’s been a month since Marlena found out Michael is her father, and it’s been two days since she asked to meet with him. This was the most neutral place. She didn’t want to go to his home where his family lives. And meeting at any business our families operate would only add unnecessary tension.

I flash Sergei a glare. Michael and Marlena have been in the private room for an hour. I can’t hear anything being said, but through the glass pane in the door, I can see her profile.

“He’s not going to hurt her,” I argue. “And she wanted to handle this on her own.”

“You’re too lenient, Viktor.” He shakes his head and folds his arms over his chest.

“Don’t give me relationship advice, cousin.” I nudge him with my shoulder.

The bartender brings Sergei a second beer and tops off my water.

“Since when do you not drink?” He points at my water.

“Water suits me fine.” I take a long sip. Marlena doesn’t mind if I have a drink, but sometimes I can still see the fear in her eyes when I pour a glass. The moment I see it, I dump it. I won’t do anything that makes my girl uncomfortable.

Sergei sips his beer and turns away from the bar, leaning his elbows back. A darkness covers his expression, and I follow his stare.

A man towers over one of the waitresses, his fists clenched at his sides. We’re too far away to understand what’s being said, but she keeps taking small steps backward until he has her cornered.

“Sergei, don’t cause trouble,” I warn, sensing his own body gearing up for a fight.

“I saw that woman at the party last month. With the same man. He grabbed her.” His voice tenses and he pushes off the bar.

The woman nods at the man, while he’s poking his finger in her face.

“If he touches her, I’m keeping his finger.” Sergei turns toward the couple like he’s about to barge over and save her.

A woman rushes over. “Robin, you have a call on line two.” The man drops his hand and spins around with a casual smile. He nods and follows her away.

The waitress wipes her cheeks, then hurries through the swinging doors to the back room. Once she’s gone, he downs the last of his beer and slams the bottle down on the bar. “I’m going to wait in the car. Get your girl and meet me outside.”

The door to the private room opens and Marlena’s heading toward me before I can say anything to Sergei.

“Thank you, Viktor, for giving us privacy,” Michael greets me when he brings Marlena back to me.

“Marlena asked for it.” I pick up her coat and help her into it. I don’t give a fuck what Michael wants or appreciates. It’s only for my girl that I make these little compromises.

“I hope we can see each other again, soon,” he says to Marlena with a warm smile. I never noticed until now how old the man looks.

“Maybe next month.” She allows him to kiss her cheek, but then steps to my side.

I lace our fingers together as we walk away from him.

“So?” I ask once we’re outside. It’s not quite spring yet, but it’s already starting to warm up outside. Birds chirp in the trees surrounding the entrance.

“There’s not much to tell.” She shrugs as we wait for Sergei to get the car and pull around. “He met my mom, cheated on his wife with her, and when she got pregnant, he introduced her to my dad.”

“He pawned her off on someone else?” My jaw tenses. Fucking coward.

“My dad, or the guy I thought was my dad, loved Mom, Michael was adamant about that. He wanted to be with her. That’s why Michael introduced them. He didn’t care that she was pregnant with me. But then Mom died giving birth and Dad was stuck with me.”

“And Michael didn’t check on you, didn’t pay your father to take care of you?”

“His wife found out about the affair, and she was pregnant with their first kid at the time, so he agreed to leave me alone. As far as he knew, I had my dad. And later, when I was older, he’d come around the shop Dad worked at, and he’d see me there. Dad was always on his best behavior when Michael stopped in. He never saw Dad mistreat me or anything that would make him suspect,” she explains.

“And when he died, and you went to him for help, that’s why he helped.”

“Yeah, but he had to pretend like I wasn’t anyone special. He thought putting me with Jimmy would be safe. But then Jimmy went to jail and blamed Michael.” She rolls her hand. “It just all went to shit.”

“So, what now?” I ask. “How involved do you want to be with him?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. He’s not really my dad, not for real. And I don’t need him.” She steps closer to me, wrapping her arms around my middle. It’s been long enough that her ribs are probably healed, but I’m still careful when I hold her.

“I have you.” She moves up to her toes and kisses me. “And I love you.”

I pause, turning my head until my ear is pointed at her.

“You what?” I heard her. But I want to hear it again.

“I love you.” She smiles up at me. “And you love me.”

“Oh? I do?”

Sergei pulls up with the car, but I need a minute here with my girl.

“You do.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I can feel it,” she says simply.

I cup her face. “We need to get home.” I let her go and yank open the car door for her.

“Why so urgent?” she asks with a wry smile.

I lean over her, pulling her seatbelt across her body. “Because, love, there are a lot of things I want to make you feel today. And all of them require you to be naked in our bed.”

“Our bed.” She nods. “I like that.”

I kiss her firmly. “I love you, Marlena.”

“Of course you do. It’s good that you agree with me so quickly. It saves us time.” She winks.

The End