Page 89 of Brutal Reign

Dinara’s notes fill the email body, along with what looks like a professional headshot. I scroll down to examine the details before clicking on Ross’s photo. The image that fills my screen is a man with brown hair, brown eyes, very clean-cut, about 5’9’’ according to her intel. He looks like every other suit-wearing nobody you’d find in any law firm.

He’s originally from the UK and settled in Canada. A corporate lawyer in Toronto, married with two kids. His firm has a London office, which he often visits.

Given that Hope wasn’t open to anything serious, and Ross was married, I’m guessing they had a one-night stand. Hegot what he wanted, then disappeared back to his comfortable suburban life.

Even if Ross knows about Kin—which I doubt—he’s probably terrified of his wife finding out. He’ll never become a problem for us.

The relief I feel is edged with a dark satisfaction that this Daniel Ross will never know what he’s missing. He’ll never see Kin’s first day of school, never teach him to fight, never earn the hero worship I see in those blue eyes—eyes nothing like Ross’s brown ones.

Eyes that remind me of Kamilla’s. But maybe that’s just my imagination.

The moment Kin stops dead in his tracks, staring up at the massive T-Rex skeleton dominating the central hall of the Natural History Museum, I know I made the right call.

His mouth falls open as he takes in the towering replica, its massive skull angled down like it’s inspecting the tiny humans below.

“Wow,” he breathes. His head swivels between displays like he can’t decide where to look first, as he tugs at his mother’s hand.

“Yes, it is pretty wow,” Hope echoes, unable to keep the smile off her face. When her eyes catch mine, I feel a flicker of satisfaction.

After this morning’s revelations about Chen and Kin’s paternity, I decided to blow off work and focus on what I actually give a fuck about. And that’s spending time with the two people who have become more important to me than I could’ve imagined.

The entire main hall is ours. There are no school groups, no tourists, no distractions. Just us three and sixty-six million years of prehistoric history. Best money I’ve spent all year, especially when I see the look on Kin’s face. And Hope’s too, because she looks over the fucking moon to see her son in his element.

Kin runs to me and practically launches himself into my arms. It’s the first time he’s reached for me like that, and it nearly makes my heart explode.

“These are real dino bones!” he exclaims.

“Some of them,” I explain, “and some are replicas.” I walk toward one of the main displays and read the placard aloud. “This one’s millions of years old. Can you believe that?”

“That’s even older than Pavel,” Hope says with a playful wink.

“Hey, forty-three is young,” I shoot back.

She grins. “Young compared to the dinos.”

Seeing her this relaxed and playful, I want to bottle the moment, to keep this version of her forever.

I give her a look full of mischief. “Careful. I might have to show you later what an old man is capable of.”

The way she blushes makes me want to drag her into the nearest bathroom and make good on my promise.

“Come on, come on!” Kin wiggles his way down and grabs both of our hands, tugging us toward the Triceratops display, oblivious to the tension crackling between his mother and me. “Pavel, how big were their brains? I bet really big.”

I launch into an explanation, about dinosaurs actually being misunderstood evil geniuses, that has Kin giggling like I’ve told him the best joke in the world.

When I glance at Hope, she’s smiling too, her guard lowered, and everything else fades away except how right it feels for the three of us to be together.

This is the life we could have if she allowed it.

Our guide appears from around a corner. Dr. Popov is a professor of paleontology, in her late thirties, with kind eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. I specifically requested her because she specializes in working with kids.

“Kin, Hope, meet Dr. Popov. She’s going to be our personal dinosaur expert today,” I say, making the introductions. “You can now direct all your burning paleontology questions to her.”

“Call me Roksana.” She bends down to Kin’s level and shakes his hand. “Are you interested in dinosaurs?” she asks in careful English.

Kin nods, momentarily shy as he grips Hope’s hand, until his eyes snag on something in the distance.

“Is that a raptor?!” Kin points at a smaller skeleton in a glass case, practically jumping up and down.