Page 89 of Claimed By Desire

“No worries.” Lev’s charming smile comes back like slamming a door shut. That emotionless glare disappears as he buries the real him. “Not looking great, huh? But it’s getting there.”

“You’re doing a good job.”

“I’m mostly just getting in the way.” He laughs and gestures for his sister to follow him. They talk about the renovations and I give them a little space. It’s impersonal, but at least they’re getting along. That’s a good sign.

“I was telling Alex about Dad letting me play dress up back here,” she says.

“Do you remember the time you swallowed that diamond?”

She groans. “Not this story again.”

I’ve heard it a dozen times too, but it’s a good one.

He cackles and gestures at where she’s standing. “You were right there. I remember clear as day. You must’ve been like three or four, and Dad let you hold this huge diamond. You were looking at it and letting it sparkle in the light, then before anyone couldstop you, you plopped it in your mouth like a grape. I think when Dad lunged forward to get it back, he scared you, and you just swallowed the damn thing.”

Nat rolls her eyes. “Who gives a million-dollar diamond to a toddler?”

“Dad was freaking out and cursing forhours.”

“He made me drink like a gallon of apple juice and he was digging around in my diapers for a couple days. It was so awful.”

“Got it back though, cleaned it up, and set it back into a necklace. Nobody ever knew.”

“That poor rich lady walking around with a stone that was in my small intestine.”

“Just think. Somewhere out there, that stone’s still getting passed around.” He pauses and beams. “Just like it passed through you.”

“Okay, this is gross,” Nat says, laughing despite herself. “Why can’t you tell nice stories about me?”

“Because there are none. Remember Mrs. Meyer?”

She glances at me. “My evil piano teacher.”

“NathatedMrs. Meyer. That poor old lady. You tortured her until she finally quit on Dad. He was livid.”

“She was the worst.” Nat’s smiling and getting into it. “But that’s not as bad as you and that math tutor.”

“Don’t you dare bring Mr. Gupta into this.”

“You stole his wallet!”

“He called me lazy and dyslexic.”

“Okay, he might’ve deserved it a little bit.”

The siblings fall into an easy rapport sharing old childhood stories and I sit back to listen. I’ve seen this a hundred times before and usually I get bored to tears, but right now it feels good. After losing Step, after eloping, after the pregnancy, after Lev hating Nat, it’s just nice to see them acting like themselves again.

It couldn’t last. Once the stories taper off, Nat gives me a look, and I know what she’s going to do. I should take this on myself, but she doesn’t give me the chance.

“We talked to Valentin Zeitsev earlier today,” she says.

Lev seems caught off-guard. “Really? You met with the Pakhan? What about?”

Natalya glances at me. I look back at her and raise my eyebrows. If she gives me the sign, I’ll tell him.

But she pushes forward, and I’m proud of her for it.

“We know how to end the war with the Italians, and you’re involved.”

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