Page 105 of Twisted Cage

“Well, you’re feeding her for one and no offense, but I’m going to keep a safe distance from my sister’s… you get the idea.”

“Oh my God. Big bad Nikolaj Romanoff, mafia mastermind, honorary prince of The Ophidian Order, afraid of a boob.” I roll my eyes and prop Lexi up. I’m pretty sure I might have just flashed Nikolaj a glimpse of said offensive boob in the process. Let that be a lesson to him.

“Not any boob, my sister’s boob,” he says, his voice strained. “Huge difference.”

“Well, my boob’s got nothing on her fascination with you since she won’t stay latched. So come on,” I hold her up and laugh as he adjusts his arms three times trying to figure out how to take her.

“Arms just like mine and I’ll do the rest. I promise, it’ll come naturally after that.”

He sits stock-still as I settle Lexi in his arms. When he looks down at her, she kicks her feet and lets out a giggle.

I prop my head on his shoulder and watch him soften under her adoring gaze. Her fist clutches the air, and he instinctually gives her his finger to grasp.

“Look at you. She loves you already.”

“Yeah, well, she doesn’t know me.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Babies are pretty smart. We’re the stupid ones.” Warmth fills me as he relaxes into the moment. Peace settles through me, chasing away the fear I have for her as Nikolaj settles into his interaction with her. Even going so far as to turn her so she’s cradled between his forearms in front of him.

“You’re not stupid. Impulsive, for sure.”

I cock my head and laugh. “I guess I can agree with that.”

“I thought inadvertently buying my baby sister’s virginity was the worst thing I could imagine. Now, I’m just glad her father’s not some random fucker who bought your virginity at a cabaret.” He coos down at Lexi as if he’s been doing it his whole life. “If nothing else, having this little one ensures your reckless streak is behind you.”

I stay silent—my lying days behind me. I guess it’s a good thing Konstantin isn’t random.

“Letti?”

“Yeah?” I ask, grinning down at my little girl who has Nikolaj’s finger gripped in one hand and mine in the other while she shifts her focus between the two of us and squeals.

“Did you hear me? Your reckless streak is behind you?”

Okay, so maybe one more lie won’t hurt. “Sure, Nikolaj.”

An hour later, with Nikolaj finally gone and Lexi asleep in her crib, I pump what looks like it will be an obscene amount of breastmilk. Thirty minutes and eleven ounces later, the goods now sealed in plastic bags, I head for the freezer, keeping an eye out for Konstantin.

The living room is quiet and empty.

The door to the surveillance room is closed and there’s no sign of Konstantin anywhere.

Roddick stands at the counter, an almost empty bottle of water in one hand, his phone in the other.

“Where’s Konstantin?”

He doesn’t bother looking up and I’m pretty sure he’s still pissed at me for not listening in the hail of gunfire last night.

Too bad. I know I screwed up. He doesn’t need to know that.

“He took a walk,” he mutters.

I wave my hand between his gaze and the phone in his hand, tempted to smack the cell to the floor. “A walk?”

With an exasperated sigh, he finally meets my eyes. “Yes. A walk.”

“Within minutes of Nikolaj getting here, Konstantin decided to go for a walk?”

“Yup.” His lips pop with the pronunciation of the P poking at the last bit of patience I have at the moment.

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