Page 19 of Emerald

“This isn’t your fault, Max. Please, don’t blame yourself. I didn’t tell you my story to make you feel bad. It’s the agency’s, fault,” I tell him as my eyes narrow over Maxim’s shoulder and glare at Damon.

He nods in understanding.

“There’s been too much guilt over this fucked up world we’ve all been thrust into. Maybe this was always written in the stars for us, Max. Karma for generations of living in the world’s underbelly.”

“I’ll be the first to say, I’m sorry for misjudging you,” Sophie says from where she’s sitting.

“You were the only one judging her,” Mackenzie snips.

Sophie glares at her sister before continuing her words, “They gave you no choice other than to be their killing machine and I honestly don’t know if I could have survived that life.”

Guess that is high praise from her. “You would have coped,” I say.

Sophie shakes her head. “As much as I would like to think I’m that much of a badass, yeah, I don’t think I am.”

“What happened to Anna then?” Sergei asks.

I look over at the old man, and my stomach turns. “One year after our training we were both sent on our first mission. They told us that it would be one day, then we would be back at the agency. Anna and I wished each other luck, we were both so scared. We didn’t know how we were going to be able to seduceour targets, let alone kill them. We’d never killed anyone before. I went and did what I had to do and made it back to the pick-up zone and then headed back to the agency. That night, one by one, the recruits came back, all except Anna.” Sergei’s face drops. “No one would answer my questions. I tried so hard to find her, but the very next day I was sent off to become a jewel. And I never got back to the agency again till I needed extraction in Moscow. I never stopped looking for her, Sergei,” I tell him.

“That’s because your information is hidden at the highest level. Or so my contacts say,” Brooks explains.

“Even I don’t have high enough clearance regarding Anna’s files,” Damon adds.

“Where the hell is she?” Sergei demands.

“Wherever she is, I’m going to find her. I promise you,” I tell him.

7

ELENA

After the family chat last week, things in the Clark house have settled down, yet Sophie still keeps an eye on me. Even though she apologized, I don’t think she one hundred percent trusts me. Today, we are putting it all behind us because my brother is marrying the love of his life, Grace. All week everyone has pulled together and made Tomas, Mateo, and Zoe’s home into a magical wonderland for them both. It will be a simple wedding of just us in the compound, it would be hard to explain Grace’s marriage to a dead man. They will think she has lost her mind with grief.

Sergei became ordained via the internet so that he could marry them. Grace’s father, Frank, is walking her down the white rose petal-strewn aisle in the back garden, and the wedding arch is a stunning old almond tree, which is blooming with gorgeous white and pink flowers.

Mateo is strumming a guitar as Grace walks down the aisle, looking like an angel toward an emotional Maxim. She’s dressed in a simple white satin slip dress that hugs her curves. Her blonde hair cascades down her back like spun gold in lightwaves. Her bouquet is a simple wildflower selection from the gardens.

My brother is wearing a pair of navy trousers and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He’s also decided to take out his contact lenses today, he said he wanted to see his wife for the first time with nothing between them.

Who knew my brother could be a romantic? I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother happier than in this moment as he stares out along the aisle to where Grace is walking to him. The big bad shadow of death wipes a tear from his eye as he stares upon the woman that he is going to marry. Maybe one day something as magical as this might happen to me.

“She looks gorgeous,” Mackenzie says, wiping the tears from her eyes as we sit on mismatched chairs pulled out from the house and set up to accommodate everyone on either side of the aisle.

It is a relatively quick ceremony, and we all hoot and holler when Sergei pronounces them husband and wife and Maxim kisses Grace so fiercely and passionately it almost makes me blush.

The reception is held on one long table beside the pool. We moved the chairs from the ceremony back up to the pool area. Everyone pitched in and made something different for the table. Sergei and I made a traditional Russian wedding gift, Karavai, which is a round loaf of bread decorated with braids, flowers, and swans.Our decorating skills are not the best.The round shape represents the sun, a sign of fertility and prosperity. It is a staple at any Russian wedding. Usually, it is baked by women who enjoy having a family and have healthy children, but Grace is stuck with Sergei and me today with the help of Zoe for the healthy children part, it will have to do for this tradition. Either way, it was made with love and hope from us all, which is all that matters. It truly was an amazingly beautiful yet simple weddingfeast, that was filled with nothing but love and hope for a better future.

After the first dance, Maxim reached out and asked me to do the traditional mother/son dance with him.

“Thank you for giving me all this,” he says as we glide over the grass area.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You saved me, Elena. You made sure that both Grace and I were free from our old lives. That we could have a future without looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” he says.

“You owe me nothing, Max,” I tell him as we slowly sway to the music playing through the stereo.

“I do. If it wasn’t for me, you would be a famous ballerina. Your life would be different,” he states honestly.

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