Page 101 of The Mistake

“Are you against a war?” I asked.

“No, I’m not against a war, I think we need one, because since my fake death, some people have gotten a little too cheeky.”

“What exactly do you have planned?”

“A whole lot of things, but we’re not talking about my plans, let’s talk about yours. Where are you going tonight?”

“Why are you so interested in my Valentine’sDay plans?”

“I hate to break it to you, Ive, but out of all my men, you’re the weakest link when it comes to romance. You just don’t have a single romantic bone in your body.”

“My wife doesn’t complain and I’ve handled Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, without your help.” I hadto point that out.

“Ah, yes, but the woman still doesn’t have a dog.”

This was insane.

“No, she doesn’t need a dog.”

“But you’re out here doing work, and she’s indoors or out exploring. Just think of how … enamored she’d be if you got her a fucking puppy.”

“Why does this matter to you?” I asked. I’d already gotten her a camcorder so she could film and takepictures of our life together. A puppy was going to need training and a whole lot of space.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m making sure my brigadiers are happy.”

“And that’s what you do, make your men happy?” I folded my arms across my chest and looked at him.

“Aren’t you happy?”

“What about Victor and Peter?” I asked. He’d gotten me, Slavik, and Andrei married off. I didn’t see or hear anything about Victor or Peter.

Ivan clicked his tongue. “I’m taking care of things, trust me. You should be more focusedon your wife.”

“Why does her happiness matter to you?” I asked.

He’d been about to walk away. There was a car waiting for him and he suddenly turnedtoward me with a serious expression on his face. “Because there are few people in this world that are precious. Those that are special need to be fought for. Charlotte hasn’t had a great life, but even with all those odds stacked against her, she finds a way to smile.”

It was rare for me to see Ivan looking so calm, but also, that look on his face. I had a feeling that even as he smiled, there was nothing that amused him. This was the real Ivan, the face he rarely showed. I saw it for a fleeting couple of minutes, and then it was gone.

He moved toward his car, and there was a man in the front I recognized as one of his close guards.

In the next second, he was gone.

****

Lottie

I expected to go out to dinner. Ive had told me we were going out to a restaurant, and he’d even told me what outfit to wear. It was a pretty pastel-blue dress, with some lace over the top of the dress. It showed off a great deal of skin but was covered by lace as well. The dress was beautiful. Again, I didn’t go with makeup and I pinned my hair back as he preferred the length to be long.

This morning, on our first Valentine’s Day, he’d already given me a card, as well as a bouquet of the brightest red roses. Chocolates had arrived after he left, and a necklace and bracelet as well. Both of which I wore tonight.

We were not at any restaurant, but instead, I saw the signs for an animal shelter. It was quite late, so I was shocked to see the gates open. Then I realized they hadn’t been left open, but someone waited for us as they closed the moment we drove through.

“Ive, what’s going on?”

Ive opened the door and held his hand out to me, which I took. I looked around but it didn’t matter what I looked at, nothing made any sense. He pulled me into his arms as Hubert got out of the car.Like so many times before, he turned his back to us, giving us privacy.

“Your dad took something from you, something you loved.”

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