Chapter 36 The days that follow Yana's fucking disaster of a visit get worse and worse. I'm getting death glares from Osip and Pavel, arctic silence from Vesper, and outright hostility from her pain-in-the-ass brother. Even Luka has turned against me, apparently. "What did you do?" he asked me last night, those big gray eyes full of accusation. "Nothing." The look he gave me dripped with suspicion. "If you say sorry, maybe everyone will stop being mad at you." "Who's mad at me?" He bit his lip, shrugged, and walked away without another word. Eight years old and already mastering the art of making me feel like shit. In his defense, he has good teachers. How the hell did I become the villain here? All I did was set boundaries. Stick to our agreement. Try to protect him from getting attached to people who won't be in his life forever. So what if everyone thinks I'm the bad guy? I've never had a problem with that before. The fact that I care now? That's the real problem. "Is Vesper gonna be here soon?" Luka bounces into my office, backpack already slung over his shoulder. "She should be. Come on, let's head outside." We walk out to the circular drive just as Vesper's Toyota pulls up. Waylen's already there, leaning through her open window like they're sharing state secrets. The sight of them with their heads together makes my jaw clench. Vesper spots us first. She touches Waylen's arm and he straightens, clearing the path for Luka to beeline to her window. "I'm so glad to see you!" Luka bounces on his toes. "You haven't been around at all lately." My sentiments exactly. But when I say it, I'm demanding and controlling. When the kid says it, it's adorable. Double fucking standard if I've ever seen one. "I'm here now, aren't I?" She keeps her eyes on Luka, carefully avoiding so much as a single glance in my direction. "And we're going to spend the whole evening together, just you and me." "Why can't you spend the night here with us?" Luka presses. "I'm swamped at work these days. It makes more sense for me to stay at my apartment." "Then maybe Uncle Kovan and I can come spend the night with you again?" He glances back at me hopefully, and I have to look away. The kid wants us to be a family so badly it's written all over his face. "I won't even be home tonight, Luka," Vesper says quickly. "I have a shift right after I drop you off." His shoulders slump. "Aww." "Hey, don't be sad. We have a full evening of fun ahead of us. And guess where we're going?" "Ice cream?" "Sure... if you don't mind getting it at the science museum cafeteria." Luka practically levitates. "Really?! We're going there now?" "It's time you experienced the science museum the way it's meant to be experienced: with crowds and chaos and kids running everywhere." He snatches his backpack from my hands, suddenly forgetting all about convincing Vesper to stay here with us. "Let's go!" Waylen opens the back door and Luka scrambles in, forgetting all about me the second dinosaurs enter the equation. Traitor. I lean down to Vesper's window so she can't escape without looking at me. She immediately shifts away, her whole body going rigid. "You should spend the weekend here," I say quietly, making sure Waylen can't hear. "For appearances' sake." Her response is flat, emotionless. "Let me check my schedule." "This isn't a request, Vesper." Her eyes flash to mine for just a second before she looks away. "I'm a doctor, Kovan, and there are other people with demands on my time besides you. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a date with some very large dinosaur bones." She starts rolling up the window before I can move my hands. I have no doubt in my mind that she'd keep on rolling it if I left them there, even if it severed them at the knuckle. Hell, she might prefer that. I step back and watch her drive away with my nephew laughing in the backseat. Unbelievable. The eight-year-old gets to leave with the beautiful woman. And I'm stuck here with her scowling brother. "Training starts now," I tell Waylen. "Osip and Pavel are waiting in the gym." "Is this really necessary?" He follows me back into the house, radiating reluctance. "You're going to be alone with my nephew. You need to be able to protect him when things go wrong." "I think I can handle protecting an eight-year-old." "From a bullet? A ten-man ambush? A high-speed chase through the city?" His mouth falls open. "Jesus. What the hell was Vesper thinking?" I push open the gym door and we step inside. Osip and Pavel are lifting weights by the mirror, both shirtless and sweaty. Neither looks thrilled about this mandatory training session, but they know by the look on my face not to argue. "Let's start with basics," I begin, but Waylen has already walked past me, staring at the boxing ring in the center of the room. We all join him by the ropes. "Any boxing experience?" Osip asks. "A bit. Back in college." Osip's eyebrows shoot up, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Then we have somewhere to start. Stretching first." He gestures for Waylen to follow him while Pavel grabs a water bottle. "You sticking around for this?" Pav asks me casually. "Why wouldn't I?" My brother gives me a look that says I'm an idiot. "Come on, man. You and Waylen obviously hate each other." "We don't have to be friends. This is business." "You're dating his sister." My eyes snap to his. "Don't be a smart-ass, Pavel. You know damn well that Vesper and I aren't real. We never were and we never will be. This is about getting custody of Luka. Once that's done, she and her brother will be out of our lives for good." "You really think that's what's best for Luka?" "I don't remember asking for your opinion." "You sure as hell didn't. Pigs would be flying overhead if you had. But right now, I'm not one of your soldiers-I'm your brother. And I don't need permission to tell you when you're being an ass." "This conversation is over." I wave Waylen over. "Let's see what you're working with." Waylen struts over with way too much confidence, his superior attitude written all over his face. Osip starts to climb into the ring, but I stop him. "No. I'll handle this." I catch the look Pavel and Osip exchange behind my back. It only makes me more determined to knock this pretty boy on his ass. "When you're with my nephew, you need to be alert," I tell Waylen as we step into the ring. "Always. You've seen his mother. The woman is completely unhinged. Her husband's worse. There's no telling what they might do. Luka needs protection at all times, no matter who he's with." "What about my sister?" My hands freeze on my gloves. "What about her?" "You said it yourself. Your sister-in-law and her husband are dangerous. You saw how she attacked Vesper the other day. She already hates her. So who's protecting my sister?" "Your sister isn't in danger." "I disagree." His voice is steady, unwavering. Like he's been practicing this speech. "She's been in danger every single second since she met you." We haven't even started boxing yet but somehow, Waylen has managed to get in the first strike. Pavel and Osip lean against the ropes, watching like they're trying to decide who to bet on. If I know them at all, that's exactly what they're doing. "Is this really where you want to have this conversation?" I drawl. He shrugs. "No time like the present. Luka's not here. Vesper's not here. And, surprise-I'm not actually scared of you, Kovan." "You should be." He shakes his head. "I've known guys like you my whole life. It's all about power and control. It's about who you can manipulate and how. Well, my sister isn't some pawn you can use and throw away when you're done. Neither am I." I study his face, trying to figure out exactly how much he knows. "What are you getting at, Waylen?" "The truth." "The truth is your sister is a grown woman who makes her own choices. And she chose me." "Then she chose wrong," he spits. "You're not good for her, Kovan. You're going to ruin her." "You underestimate your sister." "No, I know her. She's strong, but she has a breaking point. Hurt her enough and she'll shut down completely. She'll disappear into herself and you'll never reach her again." He starts circling me slowly, his eyes never leaving my face. It's funny that I ever thought he looked like a Ken doll. He has true grit in his eyes, a determined clench in his jaw. He looks Bratva. "We've always been close. We tell each other everything. Until now. Until you. Now, she keeps her feelings locked away." "Maybe she doesn't trust you." "Oh, she trusts me," he says with absolute certainty. "She's just scared of what I'll tell her. She knows I don't approve of you or this relationship. Usually, that would be enough to make her leave. But for some reason, she's determined to stick around. Even though she's hurting." I'm tired of his passive-aggressive bullshit. Tired of dancing around what he really wants to know. "Fine. You want the truth? Ask me what you really want to ask me." Waylen doesn't even blink. His breathing stays steady, but his hands curl into fists. "You and Vesper. Is it real?" I don't hesitate. "No. It's not." He nods like that's exactly what he expected to hear. Then he punches me in the face.