She followed his gaze to the three-story structure. The dark brick had seen better days, so too had the air-conditioning units and the zig-zag that was a fire escape she’d be leery of using. Across the street was a fenced in basketball court hugging up to a high school that was normally teeming with kids, during school hours or not. It was quiet today but for a group of boys hanging around smoking.
Was Alekzander judging where she’d ended up? Finding it lacking?
Of course, he was. How could he not, considering what he was used to? He wasn’t a snob, but this was very far from the Flatiron District in Manhattan.
“How do you know I care for—?” She stopped and glared at Maksim, who was tapping into his phone, no doubt invading someone else’s privacy. “Your friend is in need of a hobby.”
“He’s found one,” Alekzander returned with a mild humor. “Her name is Sydney.”
She tried not to roll her eyes. “How nice. I am sure she will keep him occupied for the evening. Maybe two, if she is very special.” She remembered the man’s penchant for variety. She also remembered him coming to their apartment one evening with two women on his arms. He’d never been fickle, or particularly secretive about his endeavors, and he’d always gotten a kick out of making Sacha blush.
“Sydney is different. We were out celebrating their engagement last night when you saw us.”
That took her aback. “Oh. I am sorry. I meant no disrespect.”
“I know. It’s not like we didn’t know who Maks was before he met her. She has a twelve-year-old boy, and they’re putting the wheels in motion to adopt Sydney’s deceased friend’s daughter.” He nodded toward his friend. “Family man.”
“How wonderful for them,” she said dutifully, only half meaning it. She hoped the womanizer was truly in love. How tragic if Sydney were to go through what Sacha had gone through. Even worse would be if those children were hurt in the process.
“Gabriel was married last summer,” Alekzander supplied then. “To my cousin.”
She reared back. “Your cousin? Gabriel is gay?” Now that she found shocking! “But Sergei is married. Er, well, I suppose he could have left Renee…” She stopped when Alekzander shook his head hard, his expression pained.
“No, Christ, no. Not Sergei. And Gabriel isn’t gay,” he said in a funny voice. He hesitated for a brief moment, as if considering his words, then he went on. “Last summer, my uncle shared with us that he has a daughter. Her name is Eva. She’s twenty-five. Vasily left her and her mother when Eva was an infant. They lived in Seattle until…”
“Until…?” She leaned in unthinkingly, her curiosity peaked when it shouldn’t have been.
“Eva’s mother was killed.”
“Oh, no.”
“The Baikovs claimed responsibility. It seems they found out about her through someone in our organization.”
Her fingers came up to cover her mouth. The hair on her nape rose, and she didn’t even have anything to do with the situation. But she could imagine the severe consequences paid for crossing the Vasily in such a way.
“Your uncle must have been very angry.”
She dropped her hand when her words came out muffled. Why was he speaking so openly about this with her? she wondered in a far corner of her mind.
“You could say that. He brought Gabriel in to watch over Eva while he followed the ones responsible back to Russia.”
He didn’t say anything more, but she could only imagine what the outcome had been. And call her evil, but she would be the last one to condemn the man for his actions. All she had to do was put herself in his place. Had her parents not died in an accident, had someone killed them, she would have wanted to seek revenge, too.
“And the two fell in love?” she found herself asking.
Alek smiled. “They’re expecting a son in March.”
She smiled back because she’d have done the same with anyone when they told her of a happy ending. Even though she hadn’t had the chance to know Gabriel as well as she’d gotten to know Vincente and Maksim—because Gabriel had lived in Seattle while she and Alekzander had been together—she’d spoken to him over the phone many times when he’d called the apartment. She’d liked him.
“One I think you might appreciate most; Vincente found someone.”
Again, as she’d have done with Justin or Angela, she unthinkingly reached out to touch his forearm. Vincente had always held a special place in her heart. “Really? What is she like? Oh, I hope she is a decent person. He deserves someone nice.”