Page 92 of Vasily the Hammer

It will snow a lot in Colorado. Lazy mornings sitting by the window with hot cups of coffee, watching snow fall in heavy clumps. Bundling up in layer after layer after layer to make snow angels with Artom. Vasily using his considerable muscles to make an oversized snowman. Tipping my head up to catch the snow on my tongue while Vasily dotingly scrapes the windows of my car so I can get to the morning shift at my work. He’d do that every single day. I know that.

Life could be a dream.

I lay my hand over his, still resting on the gear shift from parking the car, as though ready to back right out again if I just say the word.

He leans over and kisses my cheek through the veil.

“Whatever you want,zvyozdochka.”

Whatever I want. I could scoop Artom up right now and head on back to Tampa. I’m already planning to go back in a week or two. Vasily called Sasha yesterday and asked him to personally visit my restaurant and let the staff know not to worry if they hear news of my death. He’s securing my house, too, making sure everything’s safe so we’ll be able to stay there. I could tell Vasily that what Iwant is my freedom and if he insists on being in Artom’s life, he’ll just have to figure out what he’s going to do with himself in Tampa and we’ll work out some custody agreement.

Good relationships aren’t built on love; they’re built on trust. I could tell Vasily there’s simply no way he could ever earn my trust again, and that would be that.

His hand feels so good in mine.

“I think I want to be a Bratva wife.”

He grins, charming as ever. So easy to forget what he is, the power he holds.

“Let’s get this going, then.”

Dima’s voice crackles through the earbuds we both wear from the opposite side of the church, and it’s enough to distort it slightly. “You didn’t ask if I’m positive this is what I want to do.”

“Shut up, Dima,” Vasily and Kseniya both say.

But Dima should be concerned. The initial plan had been private confrontations with Kostya and Tony. Maria and Janson were already arranging them when we got word that there was going to be a joint funeral, Tony claiming it was only right we be together in death since we couldn’t be together in life and the Russian Orthodox church meant so much more to me than the Catholic church ever did.

I’m sure plenty of people are scratching their heads over the decision, same as we did when we first heard. After all, much to my mortification, plenty of people have seen the videos I made with Vasily. But then Dima got the call from Kostya, the tragic news of Vasily’s overdose, no doubt spurred on by losing me, and my suicide over learning of Vasily’s death. He insisted Dima come to the funeral, of course, and to bring Kseniya and Alex but to please have them stay in the car until everyone was sure the church would be safe.

It’s a trap. And not only is it public, but Artom, Maribel, and Camilla’s kids are all going to be here. We can’t just let today play out however Tony and Kostya envision it— Lord knows they might be planning to execute Dima— but I wish the kids weren’t here. Kseniya and Vasily are just ribbing on Dima, but I do think he could use some real encouragement.

“Janson and Maria are both in there to protect you if things go lopsided,” I remind him more gently. “Camilla says Gino will keep an eye on you too, although he’s taken on the job of keeping the kids safe.”

“Good man,” Vasily grunts. “I should see if he wants a job with me.”

“He’s Mafia,” I remind him.

“Janson’s FBI and Benedetti is ATF. It’s been working for me so far.”

I shake my head, but I’ve had to forgive a lot of people, not just Vasily. Camilla misled me about my feelings toward Vasily. It made an even worse situation, but she more than made up for it by giving Vasily his day with Artom. I wasn’t even mad at her when she said, “Okay fine, he can be Artom’s dad,” like it was her decision to make. Convincing Gino to flip organizations would mean I’d get Camilla back in my life.

Vasily flashes his headlights once. It’s all we’re safe doing or else people will definitely notice us, but we only need to do it once before the back door opens and we’re waved in. Vasily gives me a quick kiss before hopping out of the SUV, running around to my side to open the door for me— at his insistence under the guise of shielding me, like there are random snipers here making sure we’re in our coffins one way or another— and runs alongside me into the church.

Once inside, I look to the man who opened the door for us. It takes a second, an impressively short amount of time considering the ever-present amnesia, but I grin and say, “I think you’re the first person I confessed to about being in love with Vasily.”

Father Niko nods and says, “And I think you two have delivered my brother back to me.”

Vasily gives him a big, manly, back-thumping hug. “You can thank Dima for that. He’s got Alex.”

“God bless Dima.”

I give Vasily a pointed look because yeah, he’s going to have a big grovel with Dima when all this is over whether either of them thinks he needs to.

Chapter 28

Vasily

The funeralis the first true test of Ana’s decree that Xanax snack time be over.

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