Page 134 of Lethal Legacy

“Pavel.” I stare at the laptop screen, studying some numbers, listening with half an ear.

“I’ve found something.” The gravity of his tone gets my full attention.

“Speak.”

“I think you need to see this.”

I frown. “Can it wait a day? It’s our last night. We’re heading back to the city in the morning. The kids start school the day after tomorrow.”

“Sorry.” Pavel doesn’t sound it. “But I think you’d rather see this as soon as possible.”

Damn it.Pavel knows better than to fuck with my time. If he says I need to see it, then I do.

“Fine.” I glance at my phone. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”

I end the call and go to the bedroom, pulling on jeans and a shirt as I go. The research facility is barely ten miles from the finca, which is one of the reasons I bought it in the first place. I’m all about convenience.

“Hey.” I touch the base of Lucia’s spine as I come into the kitchen. She jumps, casting a nervous glance at the kids. I grin. I actually love how she jumps every time I touch her when they’re around. And the kids are starting to enjoy it, too. Ofelia rolls her eyes.

“Oh my goodness,” she says with exaggerated sarcasm. “Like we don’t allknowwhat you guys are up to. You’re not exactly subtle.”

Lucia’s face flames red. “Um,” she mumbles.

Masha looks up with interest from some food mixture she’s half covered in. “Why your face red, Luce?”

“Because she’s been a bad, bad girl,” says Abby cheerfully, winking at me. Dimitry guffaws in the corner, then hastily tries to conceal it with a cough.

“Abby!” Lucia shoots daggers at her friend.

“Oh, I don’t know.” I kiss Lucia’s cheek, which makes Masha giggle. “I’d say she’s been pretty good, actually.”

“Roman!” Lucia gasps in horror.

“OMG.” Ofelia clamps her hands over her ears. “Children are present, people.”

“Gross.” Mickey shakes his head, but he’s grinning at his laptop screen.

“Hey, Mickey.” He raises his head. “Want to come hang out with Pavel for a bit? I’ve got to go to Hale Tech to check something out.” The way his face lights up makes me feel a hundred feet tall.

“Yeah,” he says enthusiastically. “That’d be super cool.”

“Right.” I kiss Lucia again, thoroughly enjoying the volcano of color on her face. “We’ll be back for dinner, okay? Sorry about this.” I shake my head at Dimitry when he stands up. “All good, brother. I’d rather you stay here.”

“Copy that.” He sits down again, pulling Abby between his knees.

“Double gross,” mutters Ofelia, shaking her head as she waves me off.

I take the Maybach, since Luis has the day off.

“Wow,” says Mickey as we pull out of the garage. “This car issocool.”

I realize, with a now familiar twinge of shame, that I’ve never actually had the kids in my car before.So many things I’ve never shared with them.

“I’ll teach you to drive it another time, if you want.”

“That would beawesome,”he breathes.

“Then it’s a deal.” I wink at him as I take the Maybach around a bend rather too quickly. “But maybe we won’t mention that part to Luce or your sisters, okay?” He nods so emphatically I almost laugh.

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