Page 5

I lift the glass to my lips and take a sip of vodka, letting it swirl around my tongue before sliding down my throat as I stare at her, deciding which way to steer this conversation to get to the point.
“My concern grew when I overheard you and Nadia talking on the phone a couple of days ago.” I see her brows rise.
“You mean when you were spying on Nadia as you have her trapped in your penthouse like she’s ten and you’ve grounded her!” Irina’s voice rises a bit. “You know what the English say about eavesdropping. No good ever comes of it. Especially if it’s a telephone conversation and you can’t hear the other side of the story.”
“Nadia is not a prisoner,” I tell her. “She is laying low after accusing an official’s son of abuse.”
“Of course you wouldn’t take Nadia’s side,” Irina accuses.
“Nadia was playing a very dangerous game,” I point out.
“And then you were the opposing counsel against her in the case,” Nadia says. “Now she has lost her medical license.”
“She is lucky it was just her license.”
“So what did you overhear?” she asks me.
“That you and Gavriil are looking to adopt a child!”
My sister doesn’t even flinch. “That’s right.”
“Is everything okay with you, Irina?” I swirl the vodka in my glass watching her intently. "Are you having problems conceiving or is this an attempt at rebellion?”
Her eyes flick with fire, but her voice becomes quiet. “You want to know why we haven’t had a child?”
“Yes.”
She hesitates.
Then she mumbles, “I’ve had four miscarriages.”
I stare.
She takes a breath, choking on it. “The last one nearly killed me. The doctor said I need to rest. Wait for a year to fifteen months.”
My chest tightens. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want to fail you. Or our people.” Her voice cracks. “But I’m not ready to give up. I just need more time and all the stress and pressure of trying to have a baby before I’m twenty-nine…” Her eyes tear up and she looks at her hands. “It’s part of the problem.”
My heart squeezes for her. “Do you want out, Irina?”
“I…” Her eyes meet mine. “I want more time.”
I nod slowly. “Okay. You have another year. But that’s all I can give you before we need to go to plan B.”
“What exactly is Plan B?” She looks at me curiously.
“Don’t worry about that,” I tell her. “You just worry about completing your mission.”
“I do need you to leave me alone and give me space,” Irina tells me. “No more pressure as it’s not good for me.”
“Okay,” I agree. “But I want you to check in with me. It's not just about your mission, Irina. Your calls once a month mean more to me than that.”
“Sure.” She nods. “Enjoy your stay in Vegas, Damien. I hope you’re able to help your client.”
She turns and walks out without a backward glance.
As the door shuts, Konstantin steps out of the shadows.