DANIEL VOLKOV

"God, I miss Irina's cooking..." I sighed, staring at the heating instructions on the back of the frozen chicken tikka masala.

Andrei, Niko and I were at a grocery store on an early Tuesday afternoon. It had been a week since our wonderful Witness Protection Program transition in this charming beach town. We all hated it. It was way too sunny. Too many seagulls and too much sand.

Running a six-figure mob organization? Check. Ordering fifty-five guys around to make me rich? Check. Operating the best casinos and underground gambling parties? Check and check, baby.

But cooking? Uncheck.

"Well, well, well..." Niko not-so-discreetly eyed a woman in a summer dress across the aisle.

"Unless you're well-well-welling the chocolate chip ice-cream she's looking at, don't even think about it." I tossed five masala boxes in the cart. "We have to keep a low profile."

He pouted. "I'm bored. I miss the townhouse. I miss working with Grigor and Artiom."

"First of all, I'm offended that you're not more excited about fixing cars with me. Second, would you stop using their names while we're in public? What part of we are hiding does your pea-sized brain fail to remember?"

"It's not that I'm not excited. It's just...how come Adam gets to have such a cool job, huh?" He pointed at Andrei as if working as a security guard at a high-end lingerie store was being wasted on him.

"I mean, can you blame him?" I waved at Andrei's attire. "It's a hundred degrees out and he's wearing a button-down. He was born for it."

Andrei adjusted his rolled-up sleeves. "Who'd trust you to work security? You have the attention span of a squirrel."

"Hey. Don't make me visit while you're working, buddy," said Niko. "You'll find it very hard to focus when I decide to try on a thong."

'Oh, I'd love to see that," I purred. Niko growled back, wiggling his eyebrows.

Andrei rolled his eyes and walked away. "The car is filled up, enough shopping."

Because we had spent the morning going into every store in town to get to know the people. Scope out who was a threat and whatnot. It wasn't my fault that everywhere I looked, there was something that reminded me of Clara. So I kept buying stuff.

The hypocrite stopped before a section of fresh flowers. I told Niko to get us milk so that he'd leave me alone, then I snuck up on Andrei. He was eyeing a pale pink bouquet.

I picked an obnoxious one. "Hm...women like sentimental junk, don't they? I should cheer them up. Charlotte would love this."

Andrei scoffed.

"What?" I acted ignorant. "She loves this color."

"What? No, she doesn't."

"I think I know my sister, thank you."

"Clearly, you don't. She won't like that at all. It looks like a flamingo diarhea."

"Didn't know you're such an expert on color composition. Enlighten me, then."

He lifted the one before him. A delicate and soft shade of flowers that looked a lot like cherry blossoms. He brought it under his nose and smelled them, then nodded to himself.

Whipped. "Yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Cool, you get that. I'll get this one for Clara." I grabbed the one I was secretly eyeing this whole time.

He laughed, putting his bouquet back.

"What are you doing? Get it."

"Nope."

"Dude. You're such a chicken. Get the damn flowers. We both know you want to. You were staring at them."

"Mind your own business, Daniel."

"Oh, you're right, you're right. I'm sorry. It's not like you're in love with her or anything. My bad."

He glared. "Seriously?"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wrong."

"You are a pathological liar. You should seek help. Maybe they can help you resolve whatever trauma is holding you back. You know, before she decides she's had enough and she's done waiting and finds someone new."

It was hard to catch Andrei off-guard, but man was is satisfying as hell when it happened.

"Y-you don't know what the hell you're talking about." He looked away.

"I-I don't? Y-you sure?"

He glared harder. "Fuck off."

"You're telling me you'll be fine when she gets a boyfriend?"

"If she's happy, then I'm happy for her."

"Great, I can't wait! I'd love to see your face when her boyfriend stays the night and you hear across the hall how happy he can make her-"

"You little-" He almost gripped my throat to choke me, but stopped. Glanced left and right if anyone noticed, then hissed under his breath. "What's gotten into you?"

"Oh, not much." I smiled. "Except, I almost died."

The edges of his cold gaze softened with guilt.

"You know, it's true that your life flashes before your eyes? It happened to me. But man, I'd hate for you to see yours. Because if you keep this up, it's going to be the saddest montage ever. You're going to see the love of your life, right in front of you, for years, feeling the same way you feel about her, waiting for you to do something. You are wasting your life away, worrying if you're ever going to be good enough for her."

"Since when did you change professions to psychology, huh?"

"Get the damn flowers, you fool." I shoved the bouquet against his stomach.

He pushed it back. "Eat shit."

Back to him. "Get it or I'll shove it up your ass."

At me. "Fuck off or I'll shove it up yours."

At him harder. "I-"

"What's going on?" Niko joined us with an oblivious smile and milk. He noticed the bouquet I picked for Clara, then the pink one in Andrei's hand. His smile faded. "Is that for my sister?"

"Yes, and-" I tried to say, but Andrei pushed me so hard, I body-slammed on the snack aisle.

"No, of course, not!" Andrei chuckled. "I was just...I mean..."

"Buk buk buk buk ba-gawk!" I imitated.

Niko waited, raising his eyebrows. "Uh-huh?"

"Nothing." He shook his head and put the flowers back. "Let's go, the food is melting."

He walked away, rubbing the back of his neck. I put the fallen snacks back in their designated shelves before approaching Niko.

I grabbed the flowers Andrei put back. "Whatever. I'll get it. My sis deserves it."

Niko narrowed his eyes. "Don't meddle."

"I don't know what-"

"If he wants to date Charlotte, he needs to be a man enough to say it."

"Oh, please. You make it impossible."

"I make it impossible?"

"You know how you looked at him just now?"

"How?" He stepped closer. "How did I-"

"Like he was going to disappoint you." I snapped. "How is your best friend supposed to be honest with you, when you look like you're going to hate him for it? Cut the guy some slack. You've know him your whole life."

"Why do you think I switched places with him when we went paint balling?" He cocked his head. "Hm? I'm not blind, Daniel. Ever since Oksana adopted him, he's had this twisted need to earn his place. That's why he started working for her instead of just being our brother. That's why he's obsessed with being the guardian. I don't doubt that he loves her, but you can love someone and still hurt them if you don't believe that you deserve them. My sister has been hurt enough. So stay the fuck out of it."

I raised my hands, not in the mood to ruffle any more feathers. Enough damage for today.

Back at the cottage, we carried the shopping bags to the kitchen. Charlotte and Clara were sitting together in front of a laptop screen on the dining table.

Clara had lost too much weight. I had been sleeping in the same bed with her every night for the last week, holding her through her nightmares. CJ made a psychiatrist visit her every day to help her with the trauma, but I also didn't mind listening to her for hours.

I wanted to do everything in my power to help. She'd risked her life to help hundreds of survivors. I'd never be able to repay her. But it didn't mean that I wouldn't try.

"What is all that?" Charlotte scowled at the shopping bags. Yeah, we might have gone a little bit overboard.

"Just, some stuff. Oh! You should probably put these in water." I gave them their flowers.

"Oh my God, these are so pretty!" Charlotte gasped at hers. I caught a glimpse of Andrei staring before he left to sulk on the patio.

"I'm going for a run." Niko grumbled, taking his shirt off.

Charlotte rushed to the living room to take pictures of her flowers by the window. I shifted my focus on the most beautiful woman, who was staring at her bouquet with a confused smile.

"I know you don't like it here, so I got these wildflowers." I explained. "They're like the ones outside the townhouse. I don't think they're the same. But they're small and white and yellow, so..." I held her gaze, feeling the rest of the world wash away. "I thought it might bring you some comfort to have something familiar around."

"Thank you...that's really sweet." She'd been so hurt lately, so tired. It showed in her voice and her expression.

"I also..." I opened the shopping bag and pulled out everything I had bought. "Got some snacks. When we watch our show tonight. Popcorn, chips, candy. Oh, I got that coconut almond truffle you were raving about. Earl gray tea with lavender, cause I heard lavender helps with stress. Oh, check this out. I also got this."

She leaned closer to look at the gold necklace in my hand. "Is that a horoscope charm?"

"Uh-huh."

"But I'm a Sagitarius."

"I know, but I'm a Leo. Why would you wear your own sign?"

She scowled. "Why would I wear yours?"

"Because I'm awesome. And because it'll remind you of the oath I made, that I'll always be with you. Turn around, I'll put it on."

She moved her hair aside and I turned, exposing her shoulders and neck. I clasped the dainty necklace on and gently held the charm as she turned back to me, only to have an excuse to touch her. She didn't seem to mind.

"Um..." She looked down at my hand against her chest, blushing. "Charlotte and I were thinking of going to college while we're here."

Pause. "Say what?"

"You know. Since I'm eighteen and she's twenty. You guys are working. CJ approves too, he thinks it'll look more natural if we do things that's appropriate for our age."

Right, right, right.

But that meant she would be around college guys. And I wouldn't be there to deposit their asses to the bottom of the ocean if they hit on her.

Not if. They would.

"Is that what you really want?" I tried to hide how much I hated that idea.

"Maybe."

"How about the animal shelter you wanted to volunteer at?"

"I can still do that. At least until they find my dad and we can go back."

We had to go back as soon as possible. But first, we had to find Tomasso. Well, not we. We had to keep it low. CJ. CJ was working on it. I needed to have a talk with him to work on it faster.

"Does your therapist approve too?" I asked.

"She's actually the one who recommended it. She thought it might be a healthy distraction. You know, to try to live a normal life."

Her gaze locked on me, soft and apologetic. As if I could never be a part of that. Or maybe that was my worst fear. Because when I thought that I was going to die, I realized I didn't want to. I realized how badly I wanted to live now that she had become a part of my life. I didn't even mind staying up at nights, if she was there next to me.

And I could not forget the way she kissed me back at the concert. Maybe I needed to remind her.

"Well, if your therapist thinks you need a distraction, who am I to say no?"

A/N
Any predictions of the chaos ahead? lol