Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“Hey, Auntie, you want to come with us to the mainland?” Sammy asks.
I lift a brow. A smile comes to her face. “I do need to look for a new bear for Mishutka Mishyenka. He dropped his in the water and now he’s having a fit over it.”
“Dad, can we go?”
“Yes, you can go. I want you to stay close to Lovie and Jamie. Call me if you run into any issues.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be good.”
“Can I go too?” Milanie asks with a smile on her face as she moves to place her hand in Sammy’s.
I watch and wait for him to flinch away. I nod my head and pull a face when he doesn’t. Instead, he doesn’t look at her, but he does give her hand a squeeze.
“Yes, you can come with me. You wanted a new swimsuit, right?”
“Yes, Mommy. The one I have is too small.”
I can see that. Milanie has been getting tall and she’s not as thin as she once was. Misha might have a problem in the making.
“Let me go grab my purse.”
“Mommy, no,” Mishutka Mishyenka whines as his mother tries to hand him over to his father.
“Come, spend time with Popa,” Misha croons.
“No, I want Mommy,” Mishutka Mishyenka says.
“It’s okay, babe. I’ll take him with me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Da, I’ll leave the twins here. Ksenia has been following Vlad around all morning. When he picked her up, she was a goner.
“I’ll get my baby back when we return home. For now, those two are attached as she wraps him around her little finger. She’s not going to want to leave with me today. Your other son will be happy to hang with Popa.”
“Fine, I want you armed, da.”
“Always.”
Misha palms the back of her neck and kisses her possessively. It’s clear he loves her and has become a different man because of her. It’s good to see.
“Eww,” Tasha teases.
Misha looks at her and narrows his eyes. “You chose the Italian over all this. Don’t be jealous. You have right man for you,” he says with a dark grin.
“Time to go,” Sammy sings.
We all laugh as he drags Lovie from the room with him by the hand. I tug Tasha into my chest and start to recruit for the volleyball game. This should be fun.
Sammy
“Why would you ask her to come with us? Is that wise?” Lovie whispers as we go to walk out of the house.
“It will be fine. You are about to gain the Russian’s loyalty for life. Besides, what will happen today will make sure the future works in our favor. I need this to happen. It is a win in the grand scheme of things.”
“You’re something else, kid.”
“Why, thank you.”
“You know I meant that with sarcasm, right?”
“Yes, I did. As did I,” I say with a grin.
She places a hand on my head and ruffles my hair. “Don’t get hurt today. That will only piss me off. No one wants to see me pissed off.”
“Got it. I can assure you no one with me will get hurt. You are to stick to me until I give the signal.”
“And what’s the signal?”
I give her a little smile. This is one of those times when nothing can look like it has been planned. Uncle Misha won’t like that.
“You will understand when it happens.”
“Right,” she says and rolls her pretty eyes.
Lovie has a very pretty face and smile, even with the piercing running through her septum. I think the piercing brings attention to her beauty and glow.
“There you guys are. You ready?” Jamie asks as he comes out of the house behind us.
“We are missing a few in our party,” I reply.
“What? I thought we were the only ones going.”
“My visions have changed. This is how it must go.”
“Sammy,” Milanie sings as she runs over and takes my hand.
“We’re ready. I hope we aren’t holding you guys up.”
“Sammy,” Jamie drags out as he sees the rest of our party.
“It will be fine. Trust me.”
Jamie sighs and nods. “Let’s go.”
***
“Mikhail, enough. I’m not having this today. Get your butt up before I take you into the bathroom and give you something to cry about.
“Where do you even get this mess from? I’m tired of it. Stop embarrassing me. Now.”
Mikhail looks up at his mother with tears in his eyes and trembling lips. He gets angry and stands up from the floor where he was having a tantrum.
He stomps his foot and the look that comes to his mother’s face says he’s in trouble before she grabs him by the arm and drags him off. Milanie looks between her mom dragging her brother out of the store and me. I haven’t been talking to her much, so she gets a sad look on her face and turns to run after them at the last minute.
“No, stop,” I say with little volume and without the urgency I should give.