Page 54 of Forgotten Vows
“No. They aren’t resisting the idea of havingher, specifically, around. It’s not personal. The men dislike having a Petrov hanging around.” He shook his head slowly. “I’m not saying that’s okay either, but don’t stress about it. Until my father says we should be worried, they’re just being dramatic.”
“I don’t see how anyone in the family can be worried about Raisa’s presence. If Luka didn’t trust her enough in the sense that he deemed her a threat, he never would’ve let her stay in the first place.”
“Or maybe he was trying to be open-minded because we all witnessed how sad and mopey you were about that woman for eight years and he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
That too. Luka was a fair leader, but he was pragmatic.
“Besides, maybe it won’t matter.”
I frowned at him, not following. When he only gave me a knowing look, confusing me more, I guessed at what he was implying. “I already pointed out to her how it had to be this way.” Talking about what Raisa and I lightly argued about as we made love last night wasn’t something I wanted to share with my cousin, but it fit in the direction of our conversation.
“I explained to her that it was never a matter of her having to give up her family versus me giving up mine. She cut ties with her family and her family at large. That was her choice. If she expected me to do the same, to cut ties with every Dubinin just to be with her, it wouldn’t have made sense. I am proud to be a Dubinin. I will always be loyal to the family and this organization. But she never wanted to be stuck under her father’s rule. She hated being trapped as a Petrov. It made more sense for her to leave this world. Not for me to be a martyr like that only to prove how much I loved her.”
“I agree.”
“And if I were to have ever walked away from the family name in the name of love, I wouldn’t be in the position to offer her the security and protection she and Lev now need.”
“Again, I agree. I meant that it might not matter if the family ever truly trusts her and welcomes her. How long will she hang around this time? What are your intentions with her, anyway?”
I scowled, feeling the skin on my face stretch with how I gaped at him. Incredulous that he could’ve even asked that, I waited for one of his signature smirks that came with an admission of joking.
“Do you see Raisa and Lev staying with the family for good?”
I huffed. “Wait. Are you asking if I think Luka will welcome them into the family? Or are you asking if Iwantthem to stay?”
“Uh, both, I guess?”
I shook my head. “How the fuck can you even ask that? Of course, I want them to stay. I can’t believe you wouldn’t already know how much I need them in my life.”
“I have a hunch.” He shrugged, looking more like the jokester he usually was, laidback and not serious. “If you were hung up on her all these years you’d gone no contact, then yeah, you’d want her to stay for a while yet.”
“I don’t intend to keep her with me for awhile, Emil. I want her to stay forever. She is the one. She was the one back when we met that summer. And she will still be the one when I get the approval from Luka that there are no obstacles from Konstantin.”
“Like I said. I have a hunch.”
The car stopped, braking at the curb of where Emil would get out for whatever he needed to deal with before leaving again. Of all of us, he was the most mobile. But I enjoyed when he was around to talk to, especially like this. He paused, waiting to get out.
“Luka plans to talk to her today.”
He nodded. “I heard.” As he adjusted the knot of his tie, he sat up more. “I’ve been collecting most of the information about her. You know that.”
I did. Between him and another couple of select spies, they were heading up the investigations. About Konstantin being alive or dead. About the Riveras targeting her. About if Raisa could be a spy or a threat at all.
“And so far, nothing.” He’d kept me apprised of the developments. I hadn’t needed him to tell me that Raisa hadn’t shown up with nefarious claims or intentions. I trusted her completely. But I had to follow my uncle’s orders and lethimcome to the same conclusion that she was just the love of my life, the woman who’d miraculously run back to me because she knew I’d keep her safe.
I couldn’t make Luka trust her after I’d hidden the fact that I was with the daughter of an enemy so long ago. I couldn’t force any Dubinin to lower their guard and rest easy that my son was an heir between our lineage and the Petrovs’.
Patience was key, and I intended to let everyone conclude that Raisa was mine and would be mine, rightfully, for the rest of our lives.
“We’ll keep looking. And I’m curious about what my father will think after speaking with her today.” He frowned at the buzz of his phone.
Mine went off with the same alert.
I pulled the device out of my pocket and tried not to panic at the slim line of text with the notification at the top. A call was actively coming in, but it was the header that stole my breath.
Intruders had shown up at the school.
I’djustdropped Lev off, and now it was a risky situation.
