Stripes, p.13
Stripes, page 13
I looked in the side-view mirror as we pulled out of the compound and noticed a truck following us. They stayed right behind us the entire way to the outdoor mall, and even parked next to us. Samurai and Phantom got out.
“What’s going on?” I asked Stripes.
“They offered to take the furniture back and start setting up the rooms.”
I got out and hugged Samurai and whispered a thank you to both of them. I helped Ekaterina from the truck, and she held tightly to my hand. Anatoly walked between me and Stripes, and I noticed he constantly scanned his surroundings. I’d seen Stripes do the same thing, but it broke my heart to observe a child doing it. What the hell had he been through?
“Furniture first,” Stripes said. “Then we shop for everything else, yes?”
We decided to shop for Ekaterina first. A salesperson pointed the way to the children’s bedroom sets, then left us in peace. With every set we checked out, the more reserved my new daughter seemed to become.
“Rina, what’s wrong?” I asked.
She gasped and her eyes went wide. “Rina?”
I nodded. “It’s a nickname. Unless you don’t like it. Do you prefer being called Ekaterina?”
“I like Rina,” she said softly, a bashful look crossing her face. “Toly, will you call me Rina too?”
“If that’s what you want,” he said.
“Rina, do you not like any of the furniture here? We can pick another store.”
“It’s all so pretty. Can I really pick something?”
Stripes kneeled down in front of her. “You’re my daughter now, yes? I wish you to have the best. Whatever you like, you may have. Bed. Dresser. Everything. Do not worry about the cost.”
“Toly too?” she asked.
Stripes smiled. “Da. Toly too.”
“I like that one,” she said, pointing to an all-white set with gold trim.
“Then we’ll buy it.” Stripes leaned in to kiss her cheek, and Ekaterina giggled. He stood and lifted her into his arms, carrying her off to find the saleswoman.
“Toly, want to go pick out something for your room?” I asked. He gave me a curt nod and walked off. I followed, wondering what he’d choose. When he circled the area twice, and stopped in front of the cheapest, plainest bedroom set in the store, I knew I needed to say something. “Did you pick this because it’s a style and color you like? Or did you think you needed to get something inexpensive?”
He held my gaze and didn’t say a word for the longest time. I saw Stripes and Ekaterina heading our way and waved them off. Something told me, if my husband came over right now, Toly would never talk to me. I needed to break through his hard outer shell and get him to open up a little.
“Toly, do you think this is only a temporary place for you?” He eyed me and gave a quick nod. I felt tears gathering in my eyes, because I understood his pain. When Stripes brought me home, I’d worried he’d get tired of me and send me away. This poor boy didn’t know how to dream for a better future anymore. “It’s not. I swear, you will never have to look for another home again. Not until you’re old enough to move into your own place. Even then, we aren’t going to throw you out. I know words don’t mean anything. You’ve probably been lied to countless times.”
I didn’t know how else to reach him, so I showed him my wrists. The way he studied them, and the slight shift in his gaze, told me that he knew exactly what the marks were. Now I just needed to explain how Stripes had saved me from a fate worse than death.
“These marks are from a dark time in my life. Stripes rescued me, then he brought me to his home. I was so scared, constantly worried things would change, or that I’d find out he was lying to me. You know what happened?” I asked.
“What?”
“I fell in love with him.” I smiled. “Everything he told me was true, and I discovered he was an amazing man. The best I’d ever met. So when I say you’re now our son, and Ekaterina is our daughter, it means this is forever. You can go to school, make friends, and live the life of a normal twelve-year-old boy. The only expectations will be things like keeping your room clean or helping with chores around the house. Making good grades. Nothing sinister.”
“Why do you want us?” he asked.
“My children are grown. You have two older sisters. One is married, and the other is in high school. They don’t live with us, and I’m not sure when I’ll get to see them again. Their father was a monster. We all barely escaped with our lives. You and Rina are a gift! I made mistakes with my older daughters. I didn’t protect them because I was terrified of my husband. Things will be different this time. You’ll have a wonderful father, and I’ll get the chance to be the type of mother I wanted to be before.”
“So, this is not just for us, but for you as well?”
“Da. For me and for Stripes. You see, he had a daughter too. He didn’t get to raise her, and now she’s passed away. He has a granddaughter about the age of my oldest girl. This is his chance to have a family of his own and get to do all that dad sort of stuff, like teaching you to drive a car, or fix a motorcycle. The two of you are precious to us, Toly. So please… pick something you really love, something you’ll want to use for years to come. Because it’s our hope you’ll want to remain with us until you become an adult and want your own house.”
“All right.” He reached for my hand, and I threaded my fingers with his. It was a start. I only hoped the rest of the day would go smoothly.
* * *
Stripes
We’d been shopping for hours. The children had furniture, which Samurai and Phantom had taken back to the compound. They had clothes and shoes. We’d taken a break to eat lunch at a pizza buffet, since that’s what the kids wanted, and now I found myself in the toy aisles at the nearest store.
Ekaterina held my hand as she stared at the shelves with a look of complete awe on her face. If it were up to me, I’d just put one of everything into the cart, but I had a feeling Melina would tell me no. Although, she’d gone to the Lego aisle with Toly, and they hadn’t returned in the last twenty minutes.
“Rina, right now, you don’t have any toys. There are children around your age where we live. I’m sure you’ll make friends quickly, and you’ll want them to come over and play, yes?” She nodded and stared up at me. “Then we need to buy some things. Has nothing caught your eye? There’s not a single toy you like?”
“I like them all,” she whispered.
I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. Of course. Before I could help her pick anything out, Melina came around the corner with a shopping cart. I arched my eyebrow as I stared. They’d filled it with Legos, video games, and a gaming system. It seemed my lapochka had tossed out the idea of moderation.
“Are we just buying everything, then?” I asked.
Her cheeks flushed. “We may have gotten slightly carried away, but he didn’t really like anything other than the Legos, and I know Clarity is always talking about how much her boys like to play video games. We did get the cheaper system out of what they had available, and only a few games.”
I walked over and peered into the cart. It looked like she’d already paid for the system and games. I opened the sack to see how many were inside. Three. I snorted and shook my head. I knew they were expensive, since I’d bought them for the club children on special occasions like birthdays.
“He needs a few more,” I said. “I’ll go with him. You help Rina select some toys. Might as well fill that cart too.”
“Daddy, stay!” Ekaterina said.
It felt like I’d been punched in the chest. How long had it been since I’d stopped dreaming of ever hearing a child call me that? I kneeled in front of her and took her hand.
“You want all of us to shop together?” She nodded. I stood, keeping hold of her hand. “All right. Toly, we’ll shop for your sister, then go find more games for you, yes?”
The boy smiled and started taking items off the shelves to show Ekaterina. The two of them picked out a few dolls with extra outfits, as well as a tea set. I eyed a house on the top shelf. It looked like it had animals that lived in it instead of dolls. I pulled it down and added it to the cart. Melina saw and immediately started adding furniture, the animals, and anything else that would go with it.
It didn’t take long to fill the cart, and we went over to the gaming section so Toly could buy three more games. We checked out at the front and loaded everything into the bed of the truck. I knew Melina wanted to get them more things, like books, and take them to the grocery store to pick out snacks they wanted to try or already knew they enjoyed. But this vehicle wasn’t made for that sort of shopping when there were four people inside it already.
We had plenty of time. For now, we’d help the children set up their rooms, and enjoy a family dinner. If it hadn’t been for Charming’s text earlier, I’d have bought the children bedding and curtains as well, but he said the old ladies had it covered. I didn’t know what we’d be walking into, but I hoped the kids liked their new rooms.
I pulled into our driveway and noticed the place seemed empty. Whatever the club had done, they’d left when they realized we were heading home. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told anyone. The children might wish to thank them for their hard work. I knew I did, and Melina would too.
“Everyone go inside. I’ll call a Prospect to come unload the truck. Let’s see your new rooms.” I smiled as I led Ekaterina into the house. Toly stuck by Melina’s side. The first room had pale butter-colored walls, and Ekaterina’s furniture looked perfect against the color. Someone had hung gauze white curtains over the window. The bedding looked to be fit for a princess, as did the soft rug on the floor. I noticed a small table with two chairs. Ones I hadn’t purchased. It seemed the club had really stepped up. In addition to the bed, the set had come with a dresser, nightstand, and bookshelf. We may not have made it to the bookstore today, but the ladies had provided a few story collections.
“It’s beautiful,” Ekaterina said.
“Like you.” I winked at her. She giggled and ran off, throwing herself onto the bed.
I pulled out my phone and messaged all the Prospects, asking them to come unload the toys and put anything together that required assembly. It didn’t take them long to arrive.
“Toly, are you ready to see your room?” I asked.
We checked on the bedroom that had belonged to Minnie before, and the transformation astounded me. Instead of the plain gray the ladies had mentioned for the paint, someone had added darker blue stripes on all but one wall. In addition to the full-size bed, dresser, and nightstand, Toly also had a bookshelf and a desk with a rolling chair. On top of the desk sat a computer box, with a sticker on top that read welcome to the family.
“I didn’t pick all of this,” Toly said.
“This is the club’s way of welcoming you. The computer is most likely from Shade. He’s our resident hacker.”
“I keep thinking I’ll wake up and find out I’m only dreaming, that I’m still stuck in the cage.”
Cage? I wanted to ask more about his situation but didn’t. Not for the moment. When he was ready, he’d let me know. Until then, I’d give him all the support I could, and make sure he knew we cared about him. Just as I’d done with Melina, I would do anything in my power to help him heal.
Once their toys were put away, and we’d ordered dinner, we sat in the living room and watched movies together. My heart felt full, and I realized that while I’d had Minnie and her children, this was far different. My family was now complete. I only hoped Oksana and Yulia would welcome the children. I hadn’t met either of them yet and worried they might not like the fact their mother was starting a new life.
Soon enough, I’d find out. I knew I needed to call Grimm and Beast. They both needed to be aware our daughters were now welcome whenever they wished. Same for my zaichik. I wasn’t sure how Doolittle had held her back so far, but she’d be here within a day or two once I placed the call.
Best to get the family reunion over with… and sort out any potential issues now rather than later.
Epilogue
Melina
Two Weeks Later
Charming had been nice enough to clear out the clubhouse for us, and I was going to see Oksana for the first time in months. Stripes’ granddaughter Minnie was coming too with her family. I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. Little Ekaterina had changed her clothes at least three times, and Anatoly couldn’t seem to sit still. I knew they were worried the others wouldn’t accept them.
Honestly, I was a bit concerned too. What if Minnie hated me? What if Oksana couldn’t forgive me for my part in all this? I’d been too scared to do something. Instead, I’d let her and Yulia grow up in a house with Ruslan, and he’d done his best to destroy them just like he had me.
“Lapochka, everyone is waiting for us. Are you ready?” Stripes asked. He placed a hand on my waist and kissed the top of my head. I leaned into him, wishing we could stay like this a while longer.
“I guess I am.”
The four of us got into the truck and drove over to the clubhouse. We walked through the doors, and I stared at my daughter. The man beside her seemed closer to my age than hers, but the tender way he looked at her told me enough. He loved her. I couldn’t ask for anything more. As long as she was happy, that’s all that mattered.
“Zaichik,” Stripes said, holding his arms open. The other woman in the room rushed over and threw herself into his embrace.
“Dedushka! I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too. How have you been?”
“Good.” She smiled up at him. “The kids are excited to see you.”
“Minnie, I need to introduce you to some people. My wife, Melina, and… my children.” Stripes tensed, as if waiting for her to throw a fit.
“Children. The ones you said you were adopting?” she asked.
“Da. The adoption is done. Anatoly and Ekaterina.” Stripes cleared his throat. “Melina and I talked and decided we would wait and tell everyone at the same time.”
Minnie went to the kids and held out her hand. Anatoly shook it, but Ekaterina seemed unsure. After a moment, she tentatively gave Minnie a hug. It warmed my heart to see her accept the children. She hadn’t spoken to me yet, or even made eye contact. It didn’t matter. As long as she was nice to the kids, I could handle her disliking me. After all, she probably felt like I was trying to replace her grandmother. Or perhaps her mother, since I would be closer in age to her. Even though Stripes was her grandfather, he was the closest thing she had to a dad. I’d heard her stepfather was also gone.
“What do I call you?” Minnie asked.
“Whatever you’d like. You can just call me Melina if that’s what you’re comfortable with.”
Minnie nodded. “All right. It’s nice to meet you, Melina. I hope you and dedushka will be happy together. I know the kids want to meet you. After you’ve spoken with your daughter, come say hi.”
She wandered back to her family, and I forced myself to walk over to Oksana. She hadn’t approached me, and I wasn’t sure how welcoming she’d be. However, she’d shown up, and that had to mean something. She wouldn’t have come all this way if she hated me, would she?
“Hi, Mom,” Oksana said.
“You look beautiful. Are you happy?” I asked.
“Very. Grimm is such a good man. And… we’re expecting a baby!” Oksana clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. Stripes wasn’t sure how you’d react, and I thought it might be better to talk about it in person.”
“Really?” I wanted to hug her, but she hadn’t made a move yet. As much as I wanted to treat her the way I always had, something held me back. Even if she did seem to be in good health, and her smile was brighter than before, there was also a darkness in her eyes. One that hadn’t been there previously. What had the Bratva done to her?
“Did you know Minnie named one of her kids Oksana?” she asked. “That’s going to get confusing during holidays.”
“It was her mother’s name,” I said. “I didn’t realize she’d named her little girl that, though. Stripes did tell me about Minnie’s mother.”
“So you have two new kids, huh?” Oksana peered around me to look at Anatoly and Ekaterina. “They look terrified.”
“I’m sure they are. It’s only been two weeks since we adopted them. I still don’t know everything they’ve been through, but the Bratva had them. I doubt their lives were easy.”
“Did anyone tell you about the money?” Oksana asked.
“Money?”
“The Bratva gave you money. It’s in an account under your name, and you can use it for whatever you want. Save it for the kids. Take an extravagant vacation every few months. It’s a lot of money.”
“No, nobody mentioned it. I’m sure Stripes had his reasons. He’ll tell me when he thinks the time is right. I’ll try to appear surprised.” I smiled. “I think you’ll like him, Oksana. He’s so good to me. I never knew men like him existed.”
“I’m glad, Mom. And I know Yulia will be too.”
The smile slipped from my face. No one would tell me anything about her. I’d heard they were sending her to a school. How had she ended up with another motorcycle club? And why?
“Oksana, what happened to your sister?”
“Mom, I don’t think that’s something you’re ready to hear.”
I collapsed onto a chair. I knew it. They’d hurt my little baby. No matter how much time passed, would Yulia ever want to see me again? I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t.
Stripes kneeled at my side and placed his hand on my thigh. “Lapochka, what’s wrong?”
“She asked about Yulia. I wouldn’t tell her, so I think she drew her own conclusions.” Oksana sighed. “You can’t keep everything from her forever.”
“I’m aware,” Stripes mumbled. “When she’s ready, I’ll tell her. Until then, please refrain from upsetting your mother. I nearly lost her once already. I can’t go through it again.”
