Page 11

It was one of the things she most regretted, and it was where I had originally gotten the idea to have a painting commissioned. I wanted to give Illayana something she’d wished for desperately for years.

A photo with her mother.

“Do you…like it?” Fuck. I’d never heard my voice so fucking timid before.

She smiled, and just like that, I relaxed.

“I love it.” She hugged me, and I couldn’t help but sink into it. When did my heart soften so much? When did the Volkov children worm their way into it? I honestly had no idea. “Thank you,” she whispered, still holding me tightly. “Thank you so much. This was something I’d always dreamed of but knew I would never have. You have no idea what this means to me.” Her voice cracked, and I didn’t fight the urge to hug her harder.

When Illayana stepped back, tears were streaming down her face, but she wasn’t sad. Her smile said that. They were happy tears. Arturo quickly embraced her in a hug, offering her his love and support.

Lukyan thrust a small gift wrapped in bright green Christmas wrapping paper into my hands. “For you.” He grinned.

I took it, turning it over. “Oh, Lukyan, you didn’t have to do this.”

It was small, could fit in the palm of my hand, and felt incredibly light. Curiosity streaked through me. Dimitri leaned over to see what it was as I ripped it open.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, holding it up.

“It’s a friendship bracelet!” Lukyan said excitedly, his smile big and beaming. “I made it myself. You see the beads? I chose red because I know it’s your favorite color, and if you turn it this way, you can see the letters on it.”

Sure enough, when I twisted it, I saw what he was referring to.

T-H-E C-R-I-M-S-O-N D-E-A-T-H.

My smile mirrored his. “I love it. Thank you.”

Lukyan’s chest puffed. As I slipped it onto my wrist, he made his way around the room, handing out a similarly sized gift to the others. First Drea, then Tatiana, and finally Arturo.

“One for you, too, Arty,” he said, holding it out to the large man.

Arturo glared, not making a move to take it. Illayana rammed her elbow into his side and narrowed her eyes, her head inclining to the gift, telling him to take it.

Arturo mumbled something under his breath. I couldn’t hear what it was, but by the tone, I knew it wasn’t good. “Thanks,” he grumbled. He opened it and held it up.

“I chose blue and green for you so it matches your eyes,” Lukyan said proudly, though there was a hint of mischief layered in his voice.

Arturo’s face twisted in disgust, two fingers holding the bracelet far away from his body, as if it were contaminated.

“Where’s mine?” Illayana asked.

“I only made them for the people I like. You didn’t make the cut.”

Illayana gasped. “Asshole.”

“Here.” Arturo grunted. “You can have mine.”

“No, no, no, Arty. She can’t. It’s for you. See? It has your name on it.” The smile was still firmly plastered on his lips, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on Arturo’s face.

I’d never seen the man so horrified.

Lyla bounded up and stood behind her husband. “He spent a lot of time on it.” Her face morphed into something dark and dangerous, and she raised her arm, activating the hidden mechanism in the wrist bracer Tatiana had gifted her. The black blade sprang out with a swish, and she ran it slowly across her neck in warning.

Arturo blinked. He sank his hand into the bracelet, it coming to rest nicely on his wrist, his blue-green gaze never wavering from Lyla.

Lukyan turned, and Lyla quickly hid the bracer behind her back, smiling widely. She used her other hand to offer him a supportive thumbs-up.

“That little shit-stirrer,” Dimitri commented, shaking his head. Despite his words, there was still a small smile curling on his lips.