Maverik leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. “Alex initially investigated Nina’s connection to your grandmother, but was surprised to see you living with her. My father was horrified that a young girl regularly wandered New York City alone and put a few security guys on you.”
“A couple?” I asked in surprise.
Maverik nodded. “Alex, the doorman in Ryan’s building, and a third guy you’ve never met.”
My jaw dropped. “I really liked our doorman.”
Kingston laughed out loud. “Close your mouth, Kitty Kat.”
Maverik’s gaze intensified. “Did you know that there’s no record of your grandmother before she got married?”
“What?” I asked in confusion. “How can she not have any records?”
“We don’t know where she grew up, where she went to school, or who her parents were.”
I frowned. “Her parents moved here from Russia and settled in Brighton Beach. That’s where she met my grandfather. They moved away to get a fresh start, and my grandfather bought the building where we lived.”
Maverik shrugged. “Have you ever seen any pictures of your great-grandparents?”
“No,” I admitted. “Babulya didn’t have anything from before she got married. She said her family was poor.”
“Were they illegal immigrants?” Kingston asked curiously.
I narrowed my eyes at him, but I didn’t see any judgment there.
“It’s possible,” I admitted. “Americans weren’t very fond of Russia at that time, and I don’t think they ever strayed outside of the Russian community.”
“What about your grandfather’s family?” Maverik asked.
I shrugged. “They were here for several generations, and he was more American than Russian in some ways. My grandmother told me she had to scold him all the time for his American accent.”
I got a big grin on my face when I pictured my babushka meeting Kingston and Maverik. She wouldn’t have tolerated any crap from them.
“What are you thinking about?” Kingston asked suspiciously.
“My babushka would have chased you around with her wooden spoon,” I laughed. “She didn’t tolerate disrespect.”
Maverik had a faint smile on his face. “I wish we could have met her.”
Kingston got a faraway look in his eyes. “I always wondered what it would be like to have a grandma.”
“She would have loved making food for you,” I said with a grin. “Her biggest complaint was that Ryan and I didn’t eat enough.”
“I’ve never had Russian food,” Kingston said curiously.
“My babushka and I used to make varenniki and pelmeni on the weekends,” I reminisced. “We even got Ryan involved.”
“Maybe we could try it sometime?” Kingston said hopefully.
I gave him a soft smile. “Yeah, maybe.”
It had been months since I had Russian food. Cooking was always a group activity, and I couldn’t bear the thought of doing it alone. My memories of my babushka were slowly getting less painful, and more fond, but I still wasn’t there yet.
Kingston flipped through the menu, looking for something we could all agree on, and I joined in the argument. We finally settled on a comedy, and it felt good to laugh, even if it was superficial.
Pain was still buried in my heart, but in this moment, it had briefly faded to something closer to contentment. Of course, it may have also been that I was too emotionally drained to feel much of anything. As I snuggled into the blanket and glanced over at Maverik, I decided that was the more likely explanation. After all, trusting him would be beyond stupid.
Chapter 33
Katya
It was later the next morning when Richard showed up at the hotel with Nina in tow. Last night with the guys had been surprisingly chill. Security made sure we stayed in the suite, so we just watched TV and after we ordered room service.
I sat hunched on the couch between Maverik and Kingston while Richard paced in front of us. Nina was seated primly across from us and shooting daggers from her eyes. If Richard hadn’t been here right now, who knows what she would have done?
Chills went down my spine at the soulless look in my mother’s eyes. My unscheduled trip to NY had inconvenienced her, and she was going to make me pay. I just hoped it wouldn’t cost me anything I truly cared about.
“I can’t believe you brought Katya into this!” Richard roared. “What if she had gotten hurt while the two of you were drunk and gallivanting around the city?”
Kingston tossed a piece of popcorn in his mouth, completely unconcerned by Richard ranting at us for the last ten minutes. He was spread out on his side of the couch, lounging as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Maverik was the opposite. He was tense, but under control. His sharp eyes tracked Richard’s movements, and I could see the calculation inside them.
“We weren’t planning on gallivanting,” Maverik said smoothly. “And I had everything under control.”
Richard paused in his tirade to run his hand through his hair in agitation, so I took the opportunity to speak up.
“Actually, I brought them into this,” I said quietly. “It was my idea to leave originally.”
Richard’s head snapped in my direction, and I swallowed nervously. “The guys caught me trying to get to NY by myself, and they decided to come with me to make sure I was safe.”
Richard closed his eyes and breathed in deep. “Is that the truth, or did they set you up to take the fall for this?”
I sat up a little straighter. “I was angry, and I wanted to see Ryan,” I admitted. “Being taken away from my home, losing my best friend, losing my spot in my school, and then moving into a new home with strangers has been overwhelming for me.”
Richard’s eyes softened at my confession, but they hardened again when his gaze caught on Kingston.
“The boys just got
