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She’s conveniently forgetting how she told me the reason she was going hardcore was to secure the right people in time for our far-off wedding. But since I’m not marrying her, I let it slide.

“What do you think, Demi?”

Dem—Ilya makes a choking noise and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Stefina, you’ve been misinformed. There’s not going to be a wedding.”

“What?”

“You deserve a man who loves you and I don’t.”

She splutters and narrows her eyes. “Is this about love? And you’ll learn. Daddy said?—”

“Stefina, I’m in love with Erin. The mother of my child. In fact, she’s pregnant with our second child and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

“So dump thesuka. Christ, you’re young and hot, not a dad kinda guy. Let her bring those shits up.”

Ilya grabs my wrist before I can move and squeezes hard.

“You should be careful. You’re talking about my children. Their mother. You don’t want to be with a man in love with someone else and you sure as fuck don’t want to be a stepmom. Do you?”

“Two words. Boarding school. And the suka can go work the streets. She’s not worth more than that. Isn’t that where you got her from? Probably got knocked up on purpose.”

“Demyan.”

Ilya’s warning rolls off me and I shake off his hand. I stalk up to her. “You keep insulting them. That’s more than enough for me to cancel the wedding. I’d rather marry a viper than a classless piece like you.”

“Bastard!” She hisses at me. Actually hisses. “No one speaks to me like that, no one. You’ll be hearing from my father.”

With that, she flounces off, getting in her car and roaring out at breakneck speed.

“That went well,” Ilya says.

I open the door. “I’ll show you to your big burly nurse and to your room.”

Ilya’s fussedover by Olga, Magda, Alina, Erin, and Sasha. In fact, Sasha has to be held back because he doesn’t understandhe can’t climb on and walk on Ilya. I know he wants to show his love for the man, but one hand that lands dangerously close to his healing injuries and his pained wince is enough for me to pluck Sasha off.

The little boy wiggles to go back. “No, Daddy. Bad! Uncle Ilya needs me.”

Erin laughs and groans and Ilya looks super touched and I… I melt.

This kid’s big-hearted and kind. He’s two, so he has his share of acting out, but he’s got a sunny disposition and his kindness comes directly from his mama.

Fuck, maybe if I’d known about him, she should have kept me from him. Even though I hate I lost that time, he’s old enough that he’s teaching me to be softer in some ways, to open up.

Well, him and Erin both.

I slide an arm around her as the nurse comes out, a middle-aged woman who looks like she could wrestle Ilya and win. He throws me a look that’s accusing, but hey, I didn’t hire anyone for looks, just for their skills. I just shrug at him but his smile that he tries to hide says he doesn’t mind.

“You should rest,” the nurse says.

He waves her away. “I need to work.”

“Quietly.”

“Fine by me. Do you mind, Boss?”

I sigh at his deliberate use of boss in that way, but I know we need to get on this Sergio thing and fast.

It’s maybe thirty minutes later that I get the call from the gate.