Page 18 of Redeem Me

Then, I came along and killed him. A part of me thinks losing Natasha Kovak was a righteous punishment for the mistake I made.

However, I really wanted her, and I’ve rarely gotten what I wanted in life. No other woman will do, either. She was my shot at something great, and I fucked it up.

Hugging me, Aunt Fred whispers, “You deserve the best.” Studying my scowling face, Aunt Fred offers her most tender smile. “You’ll get the best, too. Don’t worry. Life is a journey, not a race,” she says and glances at an annoyed Zoot. “It all comes down to timing.”

Winning a smile from him, Aunt Fred focuses on me and refuses to let me look away. When I was an asshole teenager ready to burn down her farm, she looked at me in the same way. I was certain I knew best. She swore she was the one with the answers.

Who the fuck knows, maybe she’s right again? My shot with Natasha might not be over, and the damn thing really will come down to timing.

NATASHA

Siobhan’s presence lifts me up and fills me with hope. So, of course, her departure after lunch leaves me depressed. I end up napping with the kids all afternoon. After we wake, I stay cuddled with them.

A knock at the door finally pulls me from my funk. I find the estate manager on the other side.

“Dinner is in one hour downstairs in the main dining room.”

Summoned to join my family, I clean up and dig out the kids’ best clothes from the suitcases we brought. I fix their hair and explain how we’re eating with my family.

A wary Hector asks, “Dad?”

“He’s gone,” I say, feeling tired.

The kids look at each other and then at me. I wait for them to demand more information. Except they’re three years old, and Andrew was barely around. His absence isn’t a huge deal right now. One day, though, I’ll be forced to explain how their father ended up in the boneyard.

Downstairs, my brothers—including the darkly handsome, middle son, Maks—stand near Petra who speaks with her five-year-old son, Laszlo. Katja also lingers outside the closed dining room.

I realize my father is missing. Several men linger near the front door. They aren’t dressed in slick black suits like our security. I assume Viktor is dealing with a business issue.

The mood downstairs is animated. The three young children immediately bond, talking over each other. Laszlo is a pale child prone to fatigue and illness, but he’s quickly infected by Hector and Jacinda’s wild energy.

My mother stands away from us, scrolling through her phone. I catch her gaze flash to the kids whenever they get loud. She seems slightly amused, but her chilly mask remains intact, so I can’t be sure.

Before I get comfortable, Roman gestures for me to approach him. Once I reach where he waits near the stairs, he peels his attention from his phone and sizes me up.

“Your face looks worse today.”

“I’m sorry.”

Roman narrows his blue eyes. He seems so bored of my existence. Unlike Leon, Roman was never my friend when we were little. He was already a preteen when I came along.

“Your children are Czechian orphans,” he explains, startling me. “That’s where you’ve been for the last two years. We are having paperwork completed by our Czechian government contacts. Soon, those two will possess all the proper documentation to prove they were adopted by you.”

Forgetting myself, I step closer and hug Roman.

“No,” he says, going stiff as my arms wrap around him.

“Thank you.”

Roman exhales deeply when I don’t immediately free him from my embrace. Maks snickers to Petra about our brother’s discomfort. I glance upward to find Roman looking miserable.

“Is it really so awful?”

“Your face is nightmarish.”

Stepping back, I fix his expensive shirt mussed up during the hug. “You are a good uncle.”

“Save your manipulation tactics, Natasha.”

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