Page 583 of Lodestar

Because ofthisman.

The one who could dole them out and who was the reason for them.

“She did?” Star questioned, her tone shaky.

Anton’s smile seemed sincere, but hell, he’d fooled me since the start. I wasn’t about to trust my judgment. “She loathed parties. Preferred guarding the events rather than attending. Aleks was far more sociable. He was the one who smoothed the path for me, while Galena protected it.”

Star swallowed. “I wish I’d gotten the chance to know her better. The real her.”

“I doubt she played a role with you, child,” Anton demurred.

“She was the life and soul of every party we ever attended as a family,” Star admitted, tone raw.

I beckoned over a server and reached for a champagne glass. Passing it to her, I watched as she took a deep swig then snagged one for myself. Anton did the same, slowly sipping his as he mused, “People change, Star.”

“Notthatmuch,” she snapped before sucking in a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does. I wish you’d had more time with her too,” Anton countered, taking a long sip of his champagne. His nose wrinkled when he reached the base. “You should have told me the vintages you’d be serving would be swill, Star. I’d have donated better wines to the event.”

She hitched a shoulder. “It’s organic.”

Warily eyeing the flute, Anton snorted. “Of course it is. Everything is organic or vegetarian nowadays. No wonder nothing tastes as it once did.” He released a soft chuckle. “Since Chernobyl, all wine has radioactive matter in it, did you know that? They say it doesn’t affect the taste, but I say they don’t have a wine cellar that isn’t tainted.”

I lived like Bruce Wayne without the Batman sideline so I wasn’t exactly ‘in touch,’ but Jesus wept, in that one statement alone, he proved he was so out of touch he might as well have lived in the Antarctic.

“Tell me about her?” Star rasped, entirely uninterested in his snobbish tastes in wine and more focused on her mother.

“Now?”

“Yes. It’s not as if this event is more entertaining than anything you could have to say.” She peered at me. “It’s okay if you want to mingle.”

Tenderly, I chucked her under the chin while my fingers on her hips squeezed her there. Twice. “I think I can cope with not having to talk to people I’m not interested in. Anyway, I’d like to learn more about your mother too.”

Anton shrugged. “For all that Galena loathed parties, she was a social creature. Plenty of friends as she was growing up.”

“Are they still alive?”

He frowned. “I assume so. If they haven’t perished from illness. There’s a room in the house in Uvala Lapad that contains all Galena’s personal effects.”

She jerked like she’d been hit with a bullet. “Why didn’t you show me?”

“Our last interaction there involved you stabbing me in the hand with a dinner fork, Star. I wasn’t entirely sure if you’d maintain our bargain or not.

"That room is a private sanctuary of mine. Aleks’ too. I wasn’t going to share it with someone who could have betrayed me.”

“I can understand that.” She pursed her lips. “What’s in the room?”

“Mostly her childhood things. Before she left for the US and to…”

“Con my father into falling in love with her?”

Anton reached for a handkerchief in his pocket and began dabbing his top lip. “Yes, I suppose. Your candidness will never cease surprising me, child.

"Regardless, she moved the furnishings of her apartment into one of my properties. Since her death, I brought her things with me to whichever home became my main address.”

“Aleks’ too?”

“Yes. Unofficial shrines, I suppose. It’s the Orthodox Russian in me. Even if I haven’t practiced for many years.” He tilted his head to the side. “Is it hot in here?”

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