Page 14 of Surrogate for the Bratva
He nodded and left without another word.
Mikhail wasn’t a name you heard every day down here in the south, which only made me more curious about Roman Stephens.
Who was he and what did he do for a living?
No! You don’t care. In fact, you don’t give one single damn about who he is or what he does for a living. You don’t care who his friends are or anything else.
This was a business transaction and nothing more.
I settled into the kitchen to eat the delicious meal Roman chose which consisted of sweet potatoes, sauteed spinach, salmon, and caramelized vegetables. It was delicious and I sighed with contentment while I ate, determined to enjoy this one moment of pleasure today.
I still had to tell Jacob and Kelsie what was going on. My brother would wonder how I’d gotten the money to pay for his treatments or why I wasn’t freaking out over the bills that would arrive in the mail any day now. And I was completely incapable of keeping anything from Kelsie, I’m amazed I’d kept it from her this long.
Since I had the rest of the afternoon off, I washed the dishes and looked to see what was in the fridge so that I could whip up a casserole or two for Jacob.
I’d just decided on lasagna to start with when my phone chimed. It was a notification from my bank. Roman made the deposit, along with an extra fifty thousand dollars.
“I think you made a typo,” I texted him. “There’s an extra fifty grand.”
He responded immediately. “That’s so that you can do somethingjust for you.”
“Holy shit.” I smiled down at my screen like an idiot. Had Maxim told him what I said or was he just that intuitive?
Does it matter, my conscience asked.
No, it didn’t.
Chapter Ten
Igor
“Well you do move fast, don’t you Igor?” Maria wore a bright smile as she wrapped me in a hug. “Congratulations, you are going to be a father.”
“Thank you.” I kissed both of her cheeks before releasing her. “It does not feel real just yet, but it is.”
Maria waved me inside, barely sparing a glance for Mikhail. “Where is Maxim?”
“On another task,” I answered as I followed her into the kitchen.
“So, tell me about this woman who is carrying your baby!” She looked happier than I expected at the news, which filled me with relief. “How did you meet her?”
I smiled, remembering the gunshots and the way April had unburdened herself of all her worries. “It was quite random,” I answered and left it at that.
“Hmph.” Maria eyed me carefully. She studied me as if that too keen stare would get me to open up. “You like her.”
I frowned, aware that while I trusted Maria, it was best to keep the specifics to myself. “She is in the right age range, healthy and fit, and we were able to come to a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“I am happy for you, Igor. Do you have time for lunch today?”
“Of course.” I flashed a smile and looked around the kitchen. “Where is your chef?”
She shrugged. “He’s been sick this week and it would be a waste of time to break in a new chef when he will be back in just a few days. I prepared lunch today.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You cooked?”
“I did,” she answered haughtily. “I can cook, you know.”
“I am sure you have been taught the mechanics, it’s just, have you ever actually cooked before?”
