CHAPTER 27
Naomi
Two weeks later
“I don’t care what anyone says. When I go to America, I want to see the Hollywood sign.”
I smiled at Katarina. “You can see it from the highway. It’s not hard to miss. And it looks smaller than you think.”
“Well, I could not care less about the Hollywood sign,” Aleksandra replied haughtily, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I want to see the actual sights, eat the local food. I’ve always wanted to try a real taco.”
The girls launched into an argument about which was more important—tacos or the Hollywood sign—and I just shook my head, staring out of the window as the city of St. Petersburg passed by us in a blur. I couldn’t believe it when they said that they wanted to take me shopping. I was more shocked that Maria had given them permission to do so.
I didn’t mind being with the two of them. I loved Gavril’s sisters. They were extensions of his family and were always full of exuberance that his mother didn’t have. They had made my time in Russia pleasant, and I was willing to do whatever it took to keep their friendship even after we left.
Gavril had left me his black card this morning on the nightstand to use. It wasn’t like I needed anything, but I wanted to pamper his sisters for their kindness, and I doubted he would say much about it.
Not that he talked much to me these days. That night after the theater, he had made love to me like a man on the verge of death—like he would never do so again. And since that night, he’d gone back to being the cold, calculating Pakhan that I’d married.
“Well, I’m closer to eighteen,” Aleksandra finally said, giving me a small smile. “And I can’t wait to visit you in America and send my sister all the pictures of all the tacos I’m going to eat.”
Katarina crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “It’s not fair. We should just be able to go back when you do. It’s not like Mother would miss us.”
That caught my attention and I looked at her. “Why would you say something like that?”
“Mother hardly gives us any attention other than to say what we’re doing wrong,” she answered, tears gathering in her eyes.
I knew that their lives were probably unconventional given the way that Gavril had clearly been raised, but I hadn’t expected them not to feel their mother’s love.
“She loves you in her own ways,” I said gently. Even though I didn’t like the woman, I had to tolerate her, and I wasn’t about to badmouth her in front of her own children.
Aleksandra snorted. “As if. She doesn’t want us to have any kind of fun. It’s always the same thing. Do this. Do that. Listen to me; I’m your mother! It’s so boring.”
“That’s because your family has enemies,” I added. “And she just wants you to be safe.”
“We do get out though,” the older sister added with a sly smile. “Occasionally we will sneak out to see our friends. Mother always catches us, but it’s worth the slap on the hand. She doesn’t want to ruin our beauty by slapping us in the face like she does with Gavrushka.”
I was horrified, my heart breaking at what these girls went through, but in the back of my mind, I could understand why Maria would want to keep a tight control over what they did as well. I didn’t condone the slapping, but if one of Gavril’s sisters was taken, she could be used against the family. I wagered that he would do whatever it took to get her back, and Maria would do whatever it took to make the kidnappers suffer.
“Listen,” I told them. “I know you feel like your mother is overbearing, but she isn’t without good reason. Your brother is a very powerful man, and at any time, you could be taken to spite him.”
Katarina swallowed hard. “I know. But why can’t they both just let me have my own life? I don’t want to be powerful. I just want to be free.”
I was inclined to agree with her. Over the last two weeks I’d wondered what my life would have been like if Gavril was just a regular person who I had met at a bar or nightclub. The money, I didn’t care about, nor did I care about the lifestyle.
But I was worried about Gavril. He was going to break my heart in the end. I was fully aware of that.
“You will learn one day,” I finished. “When you have children of your own.”
“Are you and my brother going to have children?” Aleksandra asked suddenly, a sly smile on her face. “Because you guys are doing it enough to have an entire brood.”
My cheeks flamed at the thought of what they might have heard coming from Gavril’s apartment and how it had slowed recently. Sure, we still had sex regularly, but the warmth wasn’t there. The fun was gone, almost like he was back to doing his duty to get me pregnant and nothing more.
I hated it. I hated that coldness. I hated that he wasn’t there when I woke up in the morning so I could give him a smile to start his day.
I hated how he turned over once he was finished at night and didn’t even bother to cuddle with me as he had, almost like he didn’t care if I was in the bed or not.
I hated this side of Gavril, almost like someone had flipped a switch and the monster I married was back.
“We don’t do that,” I said lamely, causing the girls to crack up with laughter.
“So, do you want children?” Katarina asked as their laughter died down. “I think you would be an awesome mom. Much more fun than ours.”
“I, well, yes,” I replied, thinking of the time before I had been kidnapped. I had wanted to be a mom eventually, to have a child that loved me unconditionally. “Do you want to be aunts?”
“Yes!” they chorused together.
I smiled, though inside I was dying a little. That had been Gavril’s ultimate goal after all, to get me pregnant so he could pass our child off as Stanislav Orlov’s heir. I doubted his plans had changed. He needed it, based on what he had told me.
I just…
I hoped he would see that when I did become pregnant, it was more than just a pawn in a game. It would be his child, his heir, the one thing that would love him beyond measure. I could already picture a dark-headed son with the arrogance of his father or a lovely, bright-eyed girl who would have my sass.
What sort of life were they going to have?
What sort of life would I be looking at?