Chapter 31

Kimberly

T o say that yesterday was eye-opening would be an understatement. My emotions this past month have been on a rollercoaster, it feels like one thing after the next keeps happening in my life. I’m sure some people would argue there’s a common denominator in all of this turmoil, Yaroslav. But really, I was the one who crashed into his car. It’s not his fault Noah hurt Gran, in fact, he was a savior in our time of need. He also had nothing to do with the fire, and it’s my fault that I messed up the dates I was due my shot. Somehow, with everything that’s happened, him being the head of a Russian Bratva doesn’t feel like that big of a deal.

I’d resolved to walk away if he lied to me last night. But he was completely open and honest, we stayed up well into the night talking and he answered all of my questions without hesitation. I can’t blame Yaroslav for the life he has led, he had no choice in the matter, just like I didn’t choose to lose my parents so young or to deal with the terrible illness eating away at Gran. Frankly, it’s a miracle that Yaroslav has turned out to be the man he is.

He was thrust into the role of a Bratva boss at only eighteen, having lost his parents two years before that. I believe he was sincere when he said he wouldn’t have chosen this life, but he felt obliged to carry on the family legacy and do as his parents wished. After last night, I feel closer to him than ever.

So why didn’t I tell him about the baby?

Maybe because I can’t actually believe I’m pregnant. Or perhaps I’m being a coward, and I’m scared of how he will react. We haven’t discussed the contract, if it’s still in place, or if our relationship has become something more. With so much to discuss, his life as a Bratva boss as well as his relationship with Marta, there simply wasn’t time to drop such an emotional bombshell on him.

He’s meeting with Marta today, along with David, if everything goes well, I’ll tell him tonight. I hope he’s as happy as I am about the baby. I can’t believe how much I already love this life inside me and how much I want to be a mother.

My phone rings, it’s Amelia, again. I’m not sure I’m ready to talk to her about the baby, I just need some time to process things, but I know she won’t stop calling until I pick up.

“Hey Amelia,” I reply wearily.

“Finally! Girl, you can’t drop bombshells on your bestie and then ghost them, I’ve been worried sick. Did you take the test, are you pregnant?” she enquires eagerly.

“I’d rather not discuss this over the phone, Amelia,” I reply cautiously, I don’t know who could overhear us, there are always so many maids and employees wandering around. I’d hate for Yaroslav to find out through idle gossip rather than directly from me.

“Oh my god, that means you are pregnant, doesn’t it!” she squeals excitedly. “Let’s meet up, when are you free?”

“I need to talk to Yaroslav first,” I hedge, trying to put her off.

“No, you don’t. This is a huge decision, you need to take time out and discuss it with your bestie first girly! It’s not like you’ve been trying for a baby or have even been together that long, how do you know he wants a kid? Or what you even want,” she insists.

I have to admit, she has a good point. I have no idea how Yaroslav is going to react, perhaps discussing it with a friend first could be good.

She senses my hesitation and barrels on, “We’ll do an early dinner, that way you can talk to Yaroslav right afterward. Meet me at five, at Antonio’s,” she says, naming the café we went to when we reconnected again. I don’t know how I would have coped with everything that had happened over the past month without knowing Amelia was there. We might have gone years without speaking, but having my childhood friend back in my life was worth its weight in gold.

“Alright, fine,” I concede.

“Awesome! I’ll see you then!” she trills before hanging up.

Perhaps I should have suggested we meet this morning instead, or even for lunch. That way I could meet her while Yaroslav is out and have more time to speak to him this evening. Just as I’m about to call her back to rearrange, my phone rings again. I don’t recognize the number, but I answer anyway, just in case it has to do with Gran.

“Hello, Kim speaking.”

“Kimmy, it’s me,” my brother Noah replies jovially.

“How did you get this number?” I ask bluntly.

“I spoke to Abigail. I’ve been so worried about you. I found out about the fire through a buddy of mine. Why didn’t you call me?” he asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

Despite everything he’s done, he’s right, I should have called or at least texted to let him know we’re okay. “Sorry, I’ve been… distracted. But Gran and I are both fine.”

“Can I see you, please?” he implores.

I’m about to refuse but he adds, “I need to see you in person, to apologize to your face. Kimmy, I know I fucked up, but after thinking I might have lost you, I realized how important family is. Please? Give me one last chance.”

Considering how I’ve gotten Yaroslav and David to reunite with their estranged sister today, it would be churlish of me to then refuse to give my own sibling the cold shoulder when he’s trying to make amends. If the past month has taught me anything, it’s the importance of family.

“Alright, fine,” I agree.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” he gushes. “Could you be at The Den in half an hour?”

The Den is a dive bar, out in the middle of nowhere that never has any patrons other than drunkards and underage kids. It’s where my brother and his buddies liked to go to get drunk before they turned twenty-one and they’ve been hanging out there ever since.

“Really, Noah, The Den? Is it even open? It’s not even eleven yet.”

“I just figured it was somewhere we could talk in private without lots of people around,” he replies.

I’m not wholly convinced that it’s the only reason, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. “Let’s meet at the diner near it, that will be just as quiet, but we won’t have to deal with a load of old drunks or bikers.”

“Okay,” he agrees, “I’ll see you soon, Sissy,” he replies fondly, using Gran’s nickname for me.

***

As anticipated, the diner is practically empty, just a lone elderly man nursing a cup of coffee in the far corner. Noah’s already there, waiting in a booth for me. He doesn’t get up to greet me as I approach, something that irks me. It’s not like he ever used to, but having spent time with Yaroslav who is always such a gentleman, the lack of respect Noah treats me with seems glaringly obvious.

“Hi,” I say awkwardly as I sit down.

“Sis,” he replies with a nod. The eagerness to please, and desperation in his voice from before is now absent.

“Howdy there, welcome to Dina’s Diner, what can I do you for sweetheart?” asks the friendly waitress, whose nametag reveals she is the one and only Dina.

“Just a coffee please,” I reply.

“Oh, now, you’ll go upsetting Big John out back if you don’t order something to eat, looks like you could use some meat on those bones. How ‘bout a slice of apple pie, freshly baked this morning?” she asks in her southern drawl.

“Sure, sounds great,” I reply. Gran always instilled manners in me and it’s practically a sin to refuse Southern hospitality, turning down food is frowned upon.

“Excellent. And for you?” she asks directing her gaze at my brother as she refills the empty cup of coffee in front of him.

“I’ll take the pancake stack, extra bacon, extra eggs, extra syrup, and a slice of that pie,” Noah responds.

“Well, I do like a man with a healthy appetite! Coming right up sugar,” Dina says with a wide smile before bustling off to get our orders.

“Hungry?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, Noah was always able to eat an obscene amount and yet never seemed to gain weight.

“You know it, breakfast is my treat, of course, Sis,” he replies as Dina returns with my coffee.

“Such a generous brother!” she exclaims with a smile before trotting off again.

I know better than to trust these bouts of generosity when it comes to Noah, a sudden influx of cash is never a good sign. “Lucky hand in cards?” I ask.

“Nope. All that’s behind me, but I’m gonna be coming into some cash real soon,” he replies cryptically. “So, Sis, tell me. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” I reply vaguely.

“That’s not what I heard,” he replies, a confident grin on his face.

“Oh, what did you hear?”

“I heard that you’ve not been in to work in almost a month and that you’re shacking up with some billionaire. I take it he’s the one paying for Gran’s care facility, too?” he asks.

Shit. Noah was bound to find out sooner or later, but there’s a reason I didn’t want him to know much. Noah’s bound to try to get some money out of this.

“Yaroslav has been a good friend helping me out during a difficult time,” I reply, sidestepping his question without lying.

Noah’s demeanor has me on edge. He’s up to something.

Dina returns with our food, telling us to let her know if we need anything else before departing. Noah eagerly digs in while I push my food around. She’s right, the pie is delicious, but I’m too anxious to eat. I should have known Noah would have ulterior motives for wanting to meet. He’s never shown remorse before unless it benefited him in some way.

“We both know he’s more than a friend, Kim,” he sneers.

“My relationship with him is really none of your business, Noah,” I reply, defensively folding my arms. “If you think by virtue of being my brother that he’s going to give you a penny, you’re wrong.”

He lets out a humorless laugh, “I don’t think he’s going to give me money because I’m your brother, I doubt your pussy is worth that much. But I know he’s going to give me money to keep his little secret.”

“What secret might that be?” I ask, hoping it’s something inconsequential. If Noah knows the truth about Yaroslav, it’s a big problem.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Kimmy. We both know your boy ain’t whiter than white. Even if you are fucking a cracker,” he sneers.

“Noah Walsh, I know Gran taught you better than that!” I scold, feeling shocked he would use a racial slur when we both know firsthand how hurtful they can be.

“Oh untwist your panties, I’m sure he’s been called worse. Look, let’s not beat around the bush here. You tell your ‘friend’ that I want one million by tomorrow or else I go to the cops with all of the information I know about his ‘business’,” Noah threatens.

“How do I know you’re not bluffing? That you’re not just pretending to know information other than rumors?” I retort, hoping that my guess is accurate. How could Noah have found out anything the police haven’t? How could he have learned all this when I only just found out what Yaroslav was involved in.

Noah raises an eyebrow, leaning back smugly in his chair and opening his arms wide, “Because, Sis, as you so often like to remind me, I hang out with a bad crowd. We know things, we’ve seen your boy in action, and some have been recruited, but we don’t snitch. And I won’t, if he gives me what I want.”

My heart races as I’m flooded with panic. Oh god. He’s serious. He could actually turn Yaroslav in. My hand instinctively reaches for my stomach as I think of the precious life growing inside of me. There’s no way I want my child growing up with a father in prison.

“Noah, he’ll kill you for trying to blackmail him,” I plead. “Just because you’re my brother that doesn’t protect you.”

As much as my brother might be a low-life piece of shit, I don’t want him to die. But I know how Yaroslav has to be. Ruthless. He can’t let Noah get away with something like this without opening the floodgates, family or not.

Noah shrugs, “Convince him, that’s your problem, not mine. Think how upset Gran would be if something happened to me, it might finally finish the old bird off.”

He’s right, if something happened to Noah it would break Gran’s heart. “At least give me more time,” I beg, hoping I can change his mind or figure out a solution.

Noah shakes his head. “A man like Yaroslav has that kinda money to hand, he doesn’t need more time. More time gives him more opportunity to find and kill me, and I rather value my life. Lie to him if you have to, tell him you need it for something else. He seems quite willing to throw his cash at you for opening your legs. I don’t care how you get it, just get it,” he says, standing up.

“You can pay for breakfast, you’re a trophy fuck now. Twenty-four hours Kimmy. Send the money to this account,” he says, sliding a scrap of paper with the information in front of me.

“Noah, you can’t do this!” I cry out desperately as he walks away, but he ignores me.

Fuck. How do I protect my brother and the man I love from each other?

Double fuck. Did I just admit that I’m in love with Yaroslav?