Page 68 of Kadra: The Unfeeling

Perhaps that is why our sense of humor is so dark.

But yes, he thinks of my kitten as Wednesday Addams.

Grumpy and vicious.

That’s part of her charm if you ask me.

Looking at my brother’s eyes through the screen I let him see in my face that I am well. “As always she is a gem.”

He snorts. “Only you would think that Vitali.”

“Only I matter, Vladimir.” I narrowed my eyes on him.

“Whatever you say.” He shakes his head clearly amused then he asks. “How’s the boy?” Affection laces his tone. My brother might be the devil of New York to many but to his family. He is everything just like family is everything to him.

That now includes my son.

“He’s perfect.” I can’t help the smile that breaks free.

“Missed that.” Vladimir suddenly says, making me frown.

“What?”

“Your smile. Haven’t seen you smile with your whole heart since you were a small brat.”

“I haven’t seen you smile since… well… ever,” Reyna says, sounding surprised.

Ignoring my brother’s sudden sappy episode and my niece’s snarky comments, I ask. “How’s everything there?”

Vladimir takes a long pause, seeming eerily suspicious before he speaks. “All is well here. You focus on what matters.”

I made a note to ask him again when Reyna is not in the room.

“Hah. Got it!” Reyna blurts out of nowhere making us both look at her. Her dark eyes gleam when she says. “Six days from today, dyadya.”

I don’t tell her that I got the date first.

My niece, just like her father, is very competitive and has a mean streak when she loses. A very sore loser that one is. Besides, I don’t ever want to discourage her from getting better. She’s at my level and she’s not even seventeen yet.

“Location?”

“I’m sending you all the details now.” A second later a message pops up on the chat detailing the time and location. “The sick assholes are disguising the trafficking under the guise of the city’s annual charity event for sick kids held by the Governor and his family. Pretty fucking clever and highly disgusting.” My niece spats.

Motherfuckers.

Sick bastards, all of them.

Everyone involved.

“Raise hell, brat and have fun.” My brother says with an identical smile to my own.

“Oh, I will.” He can count on that. The motherfuckers are cocky as fuck or just plain stupid. Or just perhaps they have a death wish. Whatever it is… I could care less. All I care about is finishing them off and giving my woman and my kid the justice they deserve. The other kids as well.

Mikhail, too and Vladimir knows this.

This is personal to me and after all these years it was all connected.

It started with my need to find my brother and it all led me to this city. And years later it led me back here where I met the woman who owns my soul and found the missing part of my heart in my boy.

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