Page 30 of The Bratva King

He thinks about it. He lifts one shoulder in a small shrug.

I take that as no.

I pick up the desk phone and dial the kitchen extension.

“I need two burgers. And fries. The good fries, not the thin ones. Send it up to my office.”

I hang up.

The boy is watching me.

“Eight minutes,” I tell him.

I have no idea if he understands time. I’ve spent time with Mila, but I’ve never been responsible for her. I’ve never had to worry about whether she understands minutes, or if she’s eaten. Her babushka, Olga, handles all that.

“How old are you?” I ask, even though I know.

He holds up four fingers.

“Do you go to school?”

He shakes his head.

“Where’s your father?”

He stares at me. I don’t think he understands the question.

I gesture to his backpack. “Take it off. You don’t look comfortable.”

He doesn’t move. Whatever. Not my back.

I open my laptop and check my email, aware of him watching me. He’s still deciding how much he trusts me. I reply to one message before there’s a knock on my office door.

“Come in.”

One of the kitchen staff steps in with a tray and freezes when he sees the kid. I can only imagine what’s going through his head.

“Set it here,” I tell him. He does, careful not to look too hard at Luke.

“That’s all. Thank you.”

The guy scurries out. I remove the dome and watch Luke’s eyes. A flash of approval lights them.

“We’ll eat over here.” I carry the tray to the low table between two chairs in the corner.

My staff knows me well. Four little containers of ketchup. Six packets of mayo. Another small dish for mixing.

“Come on,” I say. “Before it gets cold.”

He slides out of the chair and drops to his knees beside the table. I push one of the burgers toward him. I don’t think I have to cut it or anything. Pasha used to do that with Mila.

I tear open two packets of mayo and squeeze them into the clean dish. Then I dump in a container of ketchup. He watches while I stir the mixture. Always more mayo than ketchup. Always.

“Try it,” I say.

I dip one fry in and take a bite. He reaches for one from his plate and does the same. His eyes light up when he takes a bite.

“See?”