Page 80 of Ruling Scar
“You make everything your business.”
Says the man who barged into my house at seven in the morning.
“I know something happened.” His tone grows harder. “Max refuses to speak to his mother.”
“That sounds like a Max and Yelena problem.” Albert saddles up to me, begging for breakfast.
“I can’t fix it if I don’t know how to help.”
“Maybe you can’t fix it.”
“I know you’ve never been a fan of Yelena, but she’s a good mother to her boys.”
Just not to me, right?
“Despite what she might say, I’m not the one stopping Max and Roma from speaking to her.”
“Roma. . .” Dad trails off and I almost feel sorry for him. Other than Dima, I doubt anyone’s seen the lost expression on his face before.
“Go and spend time with your grandchild.” They say parents completely change once they become grandparents. Sailor is already the apple of Lev’s eye.
He’ll protect her, but not raise her, and that thought gives me hope that she won’t end up as fucked up as the rest of us.
“Elijah.” Dad cocks his head to the side, the fight going out of him. All giants fall eventually. Lev can either keep growing his power or stop messing with his sons’ lives.
“We have a meeting,” I remind him. We Zimin men head to the office even when we don’t want to.
Dad wipes his face blank, nodding.
But he stops midway toward the front door. One hand remains in his pocket, the other scratching Albert’s spoiled head. “What are you going to do about Lennie?”
“I can’t tear her from my soul, Father.” Everyone will just have to get used to the idea of us.
He sighs, disappointed I didn’t understand him. “I meant, how are you going to get back into her good graces?”
He jerks his chin toward my bruised face. I fucking hate it when my father brings up good points.
Smirking, he lets himself out.
I receive one text from Leonora in the afternoon.
Leonora: The party for Isolde’s birthday is tonight. At Fujimori’s.
It takes two more minutes before she grudgingly texts again.
Leonora: If you’d like to come you can meet me there at 8 pm.
Elijah: Come over for dinner and we can go together.
Leonora: I have a lot of books to read.
Leonora: Bring a gift.
Hell if I know what the British triggerman likes, but I show up at eight on the dot with a perfectly wrapped present.
There are few places more important in our world than Fujimori’s. It’s the place of important deals but tonight. . . tonight early 2000s pop music plays. It’s closed to the public and there’s a greenish tinge thanks to the dim lighting.
Decorations hang from the ceiling and I spot Ren standing along the wall.
