Page 156 of Cruel Juliet

“Good. That’s her job now. Tell her, too.”

“Right away, boss.”

“And double Dimitri’s security.”

A beat goes by as the implications of my request sink in. “Of course, boss.”

I end the call and turn back to Sima. “Lilia’s safe. She’s with Anya.”

Her shoulders slump in relief. “I never thought I’d say this, but thank the stars for that woman.”

“You’re saying you don’t like my housekeeper?” I tease.

“If we get past tonight, I’ll make her Lilia’s freaking godmother.”

We get to the bottom of the stairs. Mikhail is waiting for me, standing with Maksim in the middle of the foyer.

I put Sima down and let her go to him. Costs me a lot, though.

“Maks.” Her smile is so radiant. “You really helped Petyr?”

“I helpedyou.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I know it is. By the looks of her, Sima knows it, too. “You’re my sister. I wasn’t going to let our father take another one.”

The reference to Lara makes them both misty-eyed.

“Besides.” Maksim clears his throat. “Now, there’s no feud anymore. It was a stupid thing anyway. Better to work together than against one another.”

She smiles, then hugs her brother. “Thank you, Maks.”

“I didn’t do anything,” he says gruffly.

“You did. More than anyone in this family except…” Sima trails off. “Well. You know.”

He looks like he does. Maybe it wasn’t just Sima that Lara grew up protecting.

“I have to go now,” she says. “Lilia, she’s?—”

“Go,” Maks interrupts. “I’ll call you. And I’ll tell Mom you said hi.”

Sima’s face twists into a complicated expression at that. Half joy, half sorrow.

I can’t blame her. Her relationship with her mother is fraught at best. Sima might love her, but she won’t forget that the woman wasn’t there for her when she needed her. Or for her sister.

But now, they have something they didn’t have before. They havetime. And the freedom to make things work again, if they so choose.

I wrap Sima into a side embrace. She curls up against me. “I leave the rest to you,” I tell Mikhail.

“Of course. Give ‘em hell, cuz.”

He has no clue how right he is.

Kira may be Dimitri’s wife, but what she did tonight was inexcusable. She better have a damn good explanation for it, or I won’t have any mercy to show her.

None at all.

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SIMA