Page 52 of Born into Blood

“A few months after they started hooking up, your mom found out she was pregnant. Judging by the bruise he left on your mom’s face, he must not have been too happy about it.”

I tighten my grip on Lara and run my thumb along her hand, a constant reminder that she’s not alone.

“A few days later, the rumors started spreading that the Melnikov Bratva had killed the Lebedev brothers—Osip and Konstantin.” With his elbows on the desk, Lou opens his hands and shakes his head. “I don’t know all the details, and I don’t want to know them. I didn’t then, and I sure as hell don’t want to know now. I don’t want any trouble from your family,” he tells me.

“And you won’t have any,” I say. “We just want information about Osip.”

“All I heard was that he’d hurt someone the Melnikov brothers cared for, some woman, and that they killed him for it. After that, I couldn’t let your mom keep working. She was pregnant and she was connected to shit that I didn’t want staining me. I gave her some money, and then I heard one of her old failed Prince Charming’s hooked her up with some job as a receptionist. That’s all I know.”

“What was my dad like? What was he involved in?” Lara asks, and I don’t like the numb sound to her voice.

Lou shrugs. “He was a very dangerous man that I had no desire to fuck with. I didn’t dig around because I didn’t want to know. Guys like me survive by not getting involved with guys like him. It’s not cowardice. It’s just pure fucking survival. Either one of those families could’ve easily taken me out, so I did what I had to do. I let your mom go, and then I never breathed a word of any of it to anyone.” He sighs and looks at me. “Until today, of course.”

His eyes go to Lara, and he almost looks apologetic when he says, “I’m not in the business of saving women beyond giving them a job and a way to make money. Your mom saw what she wanted to see in your dad and she clung to that.”

“That sounds like her,” Lara whispers.

“How’s she doing? I’ve thought about her over the years, wondering how she is.”

“She’s fine,” Lara quickly says, unwilling to reveal her mom’s secrets, and I fall a little harder for her when I see the spark of protective loyalty shine through.

“Glad to hear it,” Lou says. He raises his brows, giving me a pleading Are we done now? look. If he’s wondering why I don’t already know all this, he’s made the wise choice to keep his questions to himself. Not that I’m surprised by that. He’s not the kind of man who changes over time. Ten years from now, he’ll still be in this shitty office, wishing for a cigarette, and trying like hell to stay invisible to men like me.

“Any other questions, kisa?”

She shakes her head. “I guess not. Thanks for talking with us, Lou.”

“I’m glad everything turned out okay for your mom.”

I keep my hand on her hip as we both stand up. Lou stays sitting, already reaching for the pack of cigarettes that are hidden in his top drawer.

“Don’t tell anyone we were here.” I don’t need to add that I’ll kill him if he does. His shaky fingers tell me he already knows that.

Lara and I leave his office, cigarette smoke already filling the small space as Lou gives in to his vice. Keeping my arm securely around her, we leave the dingy club, blinking when the sun hits our eyes and feeling in desperate need of a shower.

“I can’t believe my mom worked there.” Lara looks back at the shithole we just walked out of. “And my dad was an abusive jackass who hit her.” She gives a harsh laugh. “I think you were right. Maybe it’s best not to know. Maybe I should’ve stayed living in my mom’s fantasy where my dad was some sweet man who actually wanted me to be born and not some monster who abused women.”

I pull her in for a hug, and when she wraps her arms around me, she feels the gun I have tucked in my waistband and goes still. “Is that a gun?” she whispers.

“Did you really think I’d go in there with you unarmed?”

When I look down at her, I can tell that’s exactly what she’d been thinking. “There are a lot of things about my world that you’re going to need to get used to, kisa, and one of them is that I’m always armed.”

“I didn’t feel a gun on our date last night.”

“It was in the car, and I had a knife strapped to my ankle.”

“Good to know,” she whispers. “It’s not going to accidentally go off, is it?”

I smile at her innocence. “No, baby. The safety is on, and I know how to handle my weapon.”

Her cheeks turn pink, and I can’t help but laugh. “Come on, sweet girl, let’s get out of here.”

“Can you take me back to my apartment? I don’t want my mom getting suspicious.”

“Of course, but you’re going to have to tell her about me at some point.”

She grabs my shirt and pulls me closer. “I know. I’m sorry.”

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