Page 253 of Mile High Ruin

She comes closer and hands me the paper bag. Inside is a drawing of a baby with wings, horns, and what looks like smoke coming out of his mouth.

“He’s a dragon,” Anya explains. “Because he was born during shooting.”

Nadia closes her eyes.

Vadim, standing near the window, says, “Actually, that’s pretty much what happened.”

Anya beams at her uncle. She climbs carefully onto the chair beside my bed after Vadim tells her not to jump, then asks me whether Leonid can visit when he’s bigger, whether he likes rabbits, whether his hair will be silver, and whether he’s allowed to bite bad people when he grows teeth.

“Absolutely not,” I say.

Vadim says, “Depends.”

I point at him. “No.”

Anya looks delighted.

Nadia hugs me before she leaves, and for a moment she doesn’t say anything. She only holds me carefully, like she understands that some apologies are too complicated to say while a body is still healing and a baby is still in intensive care.

“I’m glad you are here,” she says.

I nod because my throat closes. “I’m glad too.”

Mila and Daniel come two days later.

I know they’re outside before they enter because Vadim’s face changes in a way I have learned to read. He doesn’t look angry exactly, but he looks prepared to become angry if the conversation requires it.

Mila steps in first. She looks thinner, her hair shorter, her face nervous but determined. Daniel stands behind her, awkward and bruised and trying very hard not to look directly at Vadim for too long.

For a second, Mila and I only stare at each other.

Then she comes to me, and I hug her as much as I can without hurting myself.

“I’m sorry,” she says immediately.

“No.”

“I should have told you more,” she says.

“No, not at all,” I say. “It was your secret to keep. Besides, you’re not responsible for your brother’s actions, nor for those of the men who hurt you.”

“Thanks,” she says, her eyes filling with tears. She turns to her brother. “I was tired of you fighting my wars.”

“It wasn’t just your war,” Vadim replies fiercely. “I don’t regret anything I did. I did it only to protect you. But I know where I went wrong.” His palm squeezes mine. “I should have trusted my gut.”

She turns to me. “Do you see how insane my family is? My brother started several fires because he couldn’t believe he had fallen in love.”

“That’s not true,” he says.

“We wouldn’t have been in this hot mess if you just admitted your feelings and communicated better,” she says. “But then again, I don’t think I would have met my handsome hunk of a husband.”

“Husband?” Vadim and I say at the same time.

“Yes. Now, no more murders please. Let’s just focus on Sloane getting better, and the baby too.” She turns to face me. “And to think, you were just trying to survive our batshit family—” She shakes her head.

“That’s true,” I say with a shrug. “But only the male members.”

“I’m the only male member,” Vadim says.