Page 63 of Crowned

“I walked. It wasn’t hard.”

The man glances up at me, taking in my face, my ripped clothes. “Shouldn’t you be in school? Why do you want work?”

“Fuck school. I’m going to be a father.”

Konstantin stares at me. “At your age. Who’s the woman?”

“Ekaterina Lugovskaya.”

The man standing behind me bursts out laughing, but Konstantin watches me with a serious expression. “I haven’t got enough money to keep the Lugovskayas happy. How do you expect to win them over working as a petty criminal for me?”

I stuff my bruised knuckles into my pocket. “That’s my problem.”

Konstantin thinks about this and then nods. “All right. If you want work and you think you’re tough enough and clever enough, I’ve got work for you. Welcome to the team.”

“Spacibo, Pakhan.”

An amused smile touches Konstantin’s lips. “No need to call me that. I’m not aPakhan. Yet.”

Thirty minutes later, I leave the warehouse with a spring in my step and my orders from Konstantin. He listened when I told him what I’m good at, which is sneaking around at night. He also cautioned me not to be an idiot like Stepan and tell anyone what I’m doing, even Katya. Women don’t understand this sort of thing.

“She’ll be happy about the money and that’s all she needs to know. Women don’t belong in our world. They’re not strong enough,” Konstantin said as he patted my cheek and sent me on my way.

My new work keeps me out until dawn most days. At first, Mom and Dad don’t remark when I stop going to school and start sleeping all day. After a few weeks, Dad starts giving me suspicious looks, like he knows there’s something different about me. It’s not just the muscle I’m putting on. Konstantin treats me like a man, and I’ve started feeling like one.

Nights when I’m not working, I secretly visit Katya in her bedroom.

“My parents are so angry with you,” she says in a harsh whisper, but there’s a mischievous smile dancing around her lips.

I don’t want to talk about her parents. I’m staring at her belly, which is getting huge. I hover my hand over the bump. “Can I?”

Katya rolls her eyes, smiling, and then nods. “If you want to.”

I lay my hand on her stomach. She feels…great. Weird, but knowing there’s a baby in there is kind of amazing.

“Wow,” I breathe.

Katya peers up at me. “You really think it’s so wonderful?”

“You don’t?”

“I don’t know. This baby has caused me nothing but tears.” Her face softens as she gazes down at herself. “I guess it’s not her fault. Or his fault. Maybe it is pretty cool.”

Katya lets me lie next to her on the bed with my hand on her belly. She seems tense at first, like she’s worried I’m going to try something, but I don’t, and I don’t want to. Eventually she relaxes.

“I don’t love you,” Katya suddenly announces. “I’m not going to fall for you or anything.”

I shrug this off. “I don’t love you, either.”

Her mouth twists with amusement. “I already knew that. You haven’t even tried to kiss me. Why are you even doing this?”

“It’s a baby. What’s it going to do without a father? And it’s my flesh and blood.”

Her eyebrows draw up and together, like she’s pitying me. “You’re really lonely, aren’t you? I get that. I’m lonely, too.”

My hand moves over her belly, and I find myself smiling. “I guess we won’t be alone now.”

When I arrive home, Dad is in one of his drunken moods and he’s dying for a fight. I can tell by the way he keeps clenching and unclenching his fists.

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