Page 88 of Merciless Daddy

Chapter 9

Salvatore

Iwanted to start my life as Yelena’s Daddy straight away, but unfortunately, business got in the way. And by business, I meant that Yelena wanted to check in with her brother. By eight the next morning—even though he was on a plane—Yelena had made Kiryl turn in a slow circle twice, lift both sleeves, show the backs of his hands, and tilt his face toward the camera so she could inspect his jaw.

“Closer,” she ordered.

Kiryl leaned toward the secure tablet. He sat in the rear cabin of a plane over the Atlantic, wrapped in an airline blanket and wearing the expression of a young man who had survived his first fight and already regretted telling his older sister about it.

“Other side.”

“Lena.”

“Other side, Kiryusha.”

He obeyed.

There was a faint red mark near his temple. No swelling. No split skin. His pupils appeared equal. His hands shook slightly when he held them toward the camera, but there was no blood under the nails and no bruising across the knuckles.

“You were in a fight.”

“Tonio was in a fight. I participated with equipment.”

From somewhere else on the plane, Tonio shouted, “He was a natural.”

Yelena’s pale eyes cut toward him.

Tonio took a bite of pastry and became deeply interested in chewing.

“Did anyone restrain you?” she asked Kiryl.

“No.”

“Inject you?”

“No.”

“Give you pills?”

“No.”

“Did you eat?”

“On the plane.”

“What?”

Kiryl looked trapped.

“What did you eat?”

I understood the problem. He knew this was a test and had no idea what answer passed.

“Eggs,” he said finally. “Bread. Coffee.”

“Water?”

“Yes.”