Page 113 of Silenced

Dmitri hums as he takes a sip of lemonade. “I wanted to let you know personally that we’ve widened the search for your ex-husband—”

Nikolai’s hand slams against the table, and quickly, I excuse, “He doesn’t like it when you say that.”

“Say what?” Dmitri sputters.

“Husband with a possessive pronoun,” I offer.

“What would you prefer I call him?” Dmitri questions, his eyes bugging wide.

“How about ‘cunt?’”

My lips twitch. “He isn’t in possession of one.”

Nikolai,Niko, grunts. “It’s ridiculous how hard he’s tunneled down.”

“He was a little like you,” I admit. “Lost in social services, abandoned by CPS at a really young age.”

Scrubbing his floppy hair out of his face, Dmitri mocks, “You Americans think you have it so tough. You don’t even want to know what accounts for CPS in Russia.”

“I never said it wasn’t bad, but bad is bad, especially when it comes to children, isn’t it?” I demur, finding myself in the bewildering position of defending my ex.

“What Niko had to endure is something Amnesty International would wade into—”

“Enough,” Niko signs with a slice of his hand through the air.

Dmitri, grumbling as he takes another sip of his drink, mutters, “Where was he raised?”

“Connecticut.”

Dmitri stills. “His files say Jersey.”

“Like I said, they kind of abandoned him. He ran away a lot.” Uneasily, I ask, “I doubt he’d head back there. It’s not like he has a family. Outside of…”Me.But that goes without saying.

I don’t have to look at him to know Nikolai is glowering at me for making the unspoken connection.

“He has no reason to think you’re in Florida,” Dmitri points out.

“True.”

“Would he consider Connecticut home?”

“No. Jersey.” I shuffle on Niko’s lap and, in a wistful tone, confess, “My mom still lives in New Jersey.”

“Are you close with her?”

“I used to be.” I sigh. “Until my father died and Harvey came along.”

They share a look.

“What’s her name?”

Why do I feel like Dmitri already knows the answer to that?

Still, I reply, “Dema Turgenev.”

“I’ll check things out at her place if that’s worrying you,” he soothes.

Isit worrying me?

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