Semper Mine (Sons of War #1)(58)

He’s serious.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“I’m trying to figure out how to put up some boundaries before she drives me f*cking insane.”

“I understand.” I want to laugh but don’t.

He shakes his head.

“You want my advice? Sit down and tell her. Be direct, firm and consistent. Don’t let her lay any mines,” I respond. “If you give her the chance to set the stage, she’ll walk all over you, and you’ll let her. You’re a doormat with women.”

“She says the same, and yeah, she does that all the time.”

“Wait until she’s tired or something,” I advise with a laugh. “She’ll listen if you’re upfront and honest. It’s the approach I took with her.”

“She listened to you. I want to figure it out before I tell her my news.”

“Riley says they’ll let you stay in?”

“Won’t be going back to my group,” he says. “I’ll be working as a spokesman. Recruiting in inner cities and shit.”

“Right up your alley. You’re great with people. We all miss your stories.”

“I was a little disappointed,” he admits. “I understand you can’t send a one-legged Green Beret into combat. I get to stay in the military and do something worthwhile. This is a happy medium, I think, until I tell Katya I’ll be recruiting for the war effort.”

“You may be surprised,” I say quietly. “Katya loves you. Even if she doesn’t agree with the war, she knows people like you fight it.”

“True.”

I settle back and close my eyes.

I don’t notice that I doze off, until the car comes to a stop. Rousing myself, I take in their home. It’s a legitimate castle, a mansion made of stone. I’ve seen it once before, but I still find myself mystified why someone who lives here would be in the military when he had a clean, solid out.

We get out of the car. The house is quiet and dark, and he takes me in the back. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised to see a kitchen staff already at work in the large space. People who own a house like this don’t cook their own food.

Probably why Katya’s cookies are so awful.

We go up a service stairwell to the third floor. Wide hallways are well lit, the thick planks of wood flooring covered by a plush runner. Wrought iron chandeliers hang far overhead from wooden beams.

The interior is how I imagine a ski lodge. This kind of wealth is so beyond me …

I shake my head. It’s a mistake to be here. There’s no way Katya could be interested in someone like me.

The fleeting thought doesn’t stick.

Petr stops and points to the room across the hallway. “My room. Katya’s is one down.”

I glance the direction he indicates, my heart quickening. It’s almost four in the morning. I’m not about to knock and wake the dragon.

Petr opens the door to a chamber much larger than any I’ve stayed in. The massive sleigh bed faces a cozy living room with its own burning hearth. Large windows overlook the back lawn. The furniture is heavy wood, the rug deep blue and the trophy case opposite the door filled with everything from red ribbons to military mementos.

My gaze settles on the hearth once more. I love a fire and have never lived anywhere with one. The triangular, wooden case holding a flag above the hearth makes me pause three steps into the comfortable room.

“Petr, are you sure?” I ask, surprised. “This is Mikael’s room.”

“It’s yours for however long you want to stay.” His back is to me. He’s crossing the room to lower the drapes on either side of the windows.

There’s a sudden lump in my throat. I’m not usually at a loss for words like this. The meaning behind letting me stay here runs soul deep.

“Baba and I talked about it,” he says, glancing at me. “It only seemed right.”

“It’s an honor,” I manage. “Really.”

“I owe you everything. The least we can do is give you a place to stay whenever you come back to the States.”

I’m so accustomed to being alone, to having nowhere but my rack in whatever country the Corps sends me to, to a childhood where I was moved around every year at least …

The idea of having a real home, one I can always return to, isn’t one I can really digest after the long day.

But I like the idea. A lot.

At my silence, Petr smiles. “Bathroom.” He points to one of the doors along a wall and then to another. “Closet. You’re welcome to move anything around that you want.”

I nod.

“Get some rest. I’m sure Riley and Carson will be up at some point tomorrow to drag you out.”

He leaves.

I set my gear down and absorb everything he’s said.

Home. It’s not something I ever expected to find or in this case, have dropped into my lap. I can’t help wishing I felt better about this trip. If Katya hates me, this isn’t going to be home for long.

Too tired to dwell on it, I take a quick shower and drop into bed.





Chapter Twenty: Katya


Today is the set up for both my father’s annual party and the holiday fundraiser I’m managing. Both kick off tomorrow, with my event – a Winter Wonderland auction and dinner benefiting children of wounded vets – lasting all day. It’s the first I’ve organized, and my nerves are completely shot.