Fall Into Place (Taking the Fall #5)(22)

“Can anyone tell me why Viktor Kozar just pulled up to the warehouse, looking like he’s about to murder someone?” My heart starts pounding at Carter’s words, and I latch onto Samuel.

“Yeah, because your son married his daughter,” Saint says, propping his shoulder against the wall.

“You got married, too? Is no one going to let me plan a wedding around here? Carter!” Cherry pulls on Carter like he can un-marry us. Suddenly, I feel guilty that I took this away from her. Hell, I took it away from my mom, too. I’m her only daughter, and I never even thought about that.

“I’m guessing she’s the daughter of the woman you tracked down for him all those years ago?”

Before I can ask how everyone knows my father, he’s standing in the doorway. Carter moves his wife behind him as he turns to face my dad. Samuel tries to do the same, but I push back, ending up in front of him. His arms lock around me in a possessive hold, but since we’re still cuffed it’s not like I’m going anywhere easily.

My dad’s face is hard only for a minute before he’s in front of me, trying to pull me into his arms. Samuel reluctantly lets me go, but the cuff doesn’t allow me much movement. My dad still manages to lift me from my feet, hugging me tight.

He doesn’t get upset often, and when he does it’s usually to do with my mother and me. But when he’s like this, he speaks Russian. As he holds me, he tells me how worried he’s been. I hug him back the best I can with one arm, feeling bad that I upset him. I hate it, but there was no other way. He would’ve never let me go.

“Sweetheart, can I have a turn?” I open my eyes to see my mother standing behind him. I'm of the same stature as my mother, but that’s where the similarity ends. She has long blonde hair and soft green eyes. My dad always called her an angel because she really does look like one.

My dad places me on the ground, and my mom comes in for her hug.

“Have you been having fun?” She pulls back, cupping my face in her hands. “Just like your father, you needed some adventure.”

“She doesn’t need adventure,” my dad says from behind her, making my mom turn to look at him. With her one look, he stops talking. I know the look she gave him. It’s not a hard glare like my father’s, it’s the one filled with love that makes us melt and do whatever she asks.

“Is he, like, going to kill us all?” Jeanette asks from behind me.

My mom tilts her head and looks at her. “No, because without you two, he wouldn’t have his daughter in the first place.”

“Is this the family I’ve heard you talk about, Mom?” I ask. I know the story of my mom and dad. It’s a story my mom loves to tell. How she knew my dad was watching her, but he’d never make a move. So she disappeared, knowing he’d come and find her. And he did with the help of a man named Saint and his friend Carter. To this day my mom still giggles about the story of giving my dad the slip. How my dad went from hard as stone to soft as cookie dough for her when he finally found her.

“What are you talking about, kitten?”

“My dad reached out to you to find me on purpose. He knows your family. I’m guessing he didn’t count on you trying to keep me.”

Samuel pulls me back into his arms, locking them around me again. “There is no trying.” His words are firm, and gone is any sign of his usual humor.

My dad stares at him, and I know Samuel is probably just staring back.

“You asked me to find her, and I did. Here she is. She’s safe and sound, and that’s how she’ll stay with me.”

My dad goes to take a step towards us, but my mom puts a hand on his arm. He stops instantly at her touch, my mom able to help him see reason.

“Don’t make us lose her. You’re pushing so hard because you think someone is going to hurt her. There isn’t anyone anymore, sweetheart. No one is after us, and if you keep pushing we’ll lose her because she’ll just keep running from us.”

“It’s hard to let go,” he says, looking down at my mom, and I know what he means. My mom said my dad spent so many years never feeling anything that when he felt for the first time with her it was like a floodgate opened. He latched onto her so tightly, and with me it was worse. He’s never loved anything before us, and he’s scared to lose it and go back to what he used to be—an unfeeling person. I just wish he’d see that if he let me go, he’d actually have me.

“I know. But it’s time. You’ve given her everything you wanted. You even turned her into a mini you. I think she’ll be okay.

The room goes eerily quiet, no one wanting to speak after that.

My dad looks over my shoulder, locking eyes with Samuel. “You’ll protect her?”

“With my very life, but to be honest she’s pretty good at protecting herself. If my busted lip isn’t a sign of that, I’m not sure what is.”

My dad looks down at me and finally smiles. He raises an eyebrow, and he looks almost proud.

Cherry pops her head out from behind Carter’s back. “Am I getting two grandbabies now?” She has such a hopeful look on her face I can’t help but laugh.

“Lays We almost just died and you’re thinking about babies.” Jeanette picks up a pen and throws it at her.

“I want more girls. You stole them all!” Cherry whines, and Carter rolls his eyes.