Page 149 of Mile High Daddy

My mother sighs, her grip tightening on my hand. “Lila, Alexei is my cousin.”

The words hit me like a slap.

“What?” My breath catches. “You—what do you mean? Since when?”

She swallows, her face unreadable. “Since forever. My family…you already know I came from a Bratva bloodline before I left. Alexei’s father and I were close before everything changed. When I realized the situation with Mikhail, I reached out to him.”

I blink. My mind is racing.

“You reached out to him?” My throat tightens. “Why?”

She exhales. “To protect you.”

I freeze.

My mother’s voice is gentle, but firm. “I didn’t trust your father. And I didn’t know if Mikhail was as dangerous as the men who came before him. So I asked Alexei to watch over you.”

My gaze snaps back to Alexei.

His expression is unreadable, but there’s something almost hesitant in his posture.

“Everything was going fine,” he says, his voice measured. “Until the night Mikhail was attacked.”

I stiffen. “The night I left?”

He nods. “I was blamed for it,” he says. “Mikhail’s enemies wanted to turn him against me. So I left town before things escalated.”

I left Mikhail wounded and bleeding. A lump forms in my throat, guilt curling through my ribs.

I shake my head. “So you came to Camden Hill…”

Alexei nods. “To watch over you. On your mother’s request.”

I stare at him, my thoughts racing. “And Ryan?” I ask.

He exhales, crossing his arms. “Ryan was involved with one of the crime families.”

I frown. “Which one?”

“The Giordanos,” he answers. “They’re based in Chicago, but they have connections everywhere.”

A shiver runs down my spine.

Ryan. The guy I thought was just some random finance guy—he was involved with them?

Alexei continues, his voice steady but edged with something colder. “He tried to recruit me, wanted me to work with him on a deal, but I turned him down.”

“Why?” I ask, my fingers tightening on the blanket.

His mouth quirks slightly. “Mostly because I didn’t want to blow your identity.”

My stomach flutters uneasily.

Ryan had been right under my nose this entire time. My instincts about him were right.

“Also, he was a jerk,” Alexei adds casually. “The guy thought he was untouchable.”

I swallow hard. “And the deal?”

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