Well, this is just fucking great. Here I am being bear-hugged by Xav and Eric and Ash walks in with her father.
Today had just got worse than I could’ve ever imagined.
Why the fuck was he here?
Chapter 11
When I got in the car with André, I thought he might take me back to Viktor’s so I was going to call Quinn to say he could pick me up. However, André got a phone call before we’d even set off. He spoke in terse Russian for several minutes before hanging up. Glancing back at me in the rearview mirror, he pulled out of the carpark and we set off. It was only when I realised we weren’t driving in the direction of Viktor’s I spoke up.
“Where are we going?”
André glanced back at me.
“Viktor’s office.”
“Wait, why?”
“He wants to see you.”
I sat back, unsure of what to even say to that. It’s not as if I didn’t want to see my father, I just hadn’t been expecting to. Not after seeing Isabella. My mind whirled with everything she’d told me. I wasn’t exactly in a fit state for company.
The journey to Viktor’s office was quiet except for the soft tinkle of classical music playing on the radio. When we pulled up outside, André fired off a message on his phone. A few minutes later, Viktor himself got in the car. He smiled when his eyes fell on me after he got settled.
“Hello kotik.”
“Hi.”
I fidgeted, unsure of what to say to him. André pulled away from the curb into the rush hour traffic.
“How was your meeting with Isabella?”
Isn’t that a question and a half!
“To be perfectly honest, it was shit.”
He didn’t even blink at my reply.
“Did she not answer your questions?”
I waved a hand.
“Oh no, she did, I just didn’t like her answers. And I really don’t know how to feel about what I’ve learnt. The only thing I do care about right now is she told me Frank is trying to band together the other families to declare war against Il Diavolo which puts me, Quinn and the boys in danger. They won’t do anything until he has proof I’m with them, but it’s still worrying.”
When it came to matters of my safety, I didn’t hesitate to let Viktor know what was going on. It involved him as much as it did Quinn.
“This is… concerning news.”
“You’re telling me. All I want to do is to get home so I can tell Quinn. He’s not going to be happy.”
I watched Viktor carefully for signs as to what he truly thought of this situation, but his expression didn’t give much away.
“Would you like André to take you straight home?”
I wasn’t sure Quinn would appreciate Viktor knowing where he lived, but then again, he probably already knew anyway.
“If that’s okay, then I don’t have to make him drive all the way to yours to get me.”
Viktor issued a command in Russian to André who nodded.
“Uh, do you need directions?”
“André knows where he needs to go.”
I decided not to comment on that. My suspicions had been correct. Viktor had been thorough and left no stone unturned when it came to Quinn clearly. I wasn’t exactly comfortable with how much my dad knew about my boyfriends but there wasn’t much I could do about it now.
He didn’t try to engage me in conversation whilst André drove. I thought about texting Quinn to let him know I was on the way but decided I’d be there soon enough. Staring out at the window, I realised how much I missed being outside. Even though London was muggy and full of tourists as it was summer, I still missed my city. The sights. The sounds. The smells? Not so much. I could do without that. Really, I missed my freedom. One day I’d get it back. One day when Frank was gone from our lives. One day the five of us would be able to get on with our lives without his shadow looming over us.
When we pulled up outside the house, I turned to Viktor. He’d been on his phone during the drive, but now he was watching me carefully.
“Um… thank you for bringing me home.”
Home.
I don’t know when it became home to me. This house where I’d been locked away for what felt like forever. Perhaps when I realised I belonged with the boys. Belonged to them. We were each other’s in the most fundamental way a person could be. I couldn’t imagine going back to the flat Frank had bought for me. That wasn’t home. It never had been. But this house… these men… they were my home. My forever home.
“Did you… did you want to come in and maybe stay for dinner?”
I don’t know why the words tumbled out of my mouth. Perhaps it was the need to forge a real connection with him. I had absolutely zero clue what Quinn and the boys would say about me inviting my dad in. Xav and Eric hadn’t met him yet and Rory hadn’t been formally introduced. And would he even say yes? He was probably busy. Why had I even asked him?
I’m so stupid.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded profusely because I really did want him to come in. Was it crazy to be so eager to make my relationship with my dad work? Especially when I’d had such a shitty father growing up. I guess you could call Frank my stepfather, but honestly, I really didn’t feel anything for him but anger and bitterness.
Viktor turned to André and spoke to him in Russian for a few minutes. I tapped my fingers on my leg, afraid to hope he was agreeing. When he turned his gaze back to me, he smiled.
“Shall
