“Too much champagne,” I grimace, sticking my fork into a slice of pineapple. I’m craving the entire bowl. But I don’t want to go overboard and vomit again.
Valerian keeps looking at me. “Yeah. It must be. Take it easy today.”
I cut up the pineapple, scoffing. “I’ve been doing that every day.”
“Including last night?” Valerian sticks his eyebrow up at me.
I concentrate on the pineapple before I drive myself crazy from looking at his face. There’s definitely something different about him. I can’t put my finger on what.
“How’s Igor?”
“Still a pain in my ass,” grumbles Valerian. The metal spoon clangs against the side of the cup as he mixes his coffee. “Unfortunately, we’re not much closer to finding out who these other men are, or who they’re working for.”
“You said they were working for Igor.”
“Correct,” says Valerian. “But Igor doesn’t have any money. Assassins aren’t cheap. Even shit ones like Lucas cost a fortune.” Valerian taps the spoon on the side of the cup. He takes a long sip of coffee.
I’m mesmerized by the way his lips curl around the edge. “Maybe he framed me after all.”
“He didn’t. I burned all the files.”
“Thanks.”
He sets his coffee back down. “I also took care of your little stunt last night with the camera crew.”
I click my teeth. This isn’t what I want to hear. Mom and Lila deserve to know where I really am…
Even if I’m not quite ready to pack my bags and leave yet.
“I have to say—I was impressed. You were thinking outside of the box.”
That’s because I’m always trying to stayoutof the box.
“What happened to the rest of your family?”
“The Bratva is my family.”
“No, I mean, your actual family. Your parents.” I bite into another slice of pineapple. “Are they still alive?”
Valerian shuffles in his seat, straightening up. “Why do you want to know this?”
“Because I want to know who I married.”
Valerian hooks his finger around the cup, drinking more coffee. He keeps it in his hands as he speaks. “Truthfully, I don’t know if they’re still alive.”
“What?”
“I never knew my mother. My father always had… several women on the go at once.”
“Your mother left?”
Valerian nods. “Yeah. Not like I blame her. She gave birth and wanted nothing to do with me. I’ve always been the spitting image of my father.”
“And what about your father? Where is he now?”
Valerian looks at me skeptically, like he knows I saw the photograph. “Long gone.” He takes a sip of coffee, swirling the rest around. “He had his problems, stealing other men’s wives and what not. But he was innocent.” Valerian looks at me, sighing.
“He was sent to prison?”