The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3)(75)
“Mind if I order something to go on your tab? You can afford it.” He laughed loudly and stood up. “Guess you didn’t wreck your car after all.”
Chapter 24
MICA
I wanted to kill the fat bastard. I watched Charlie’s face. She looked startled and confused by the conversation.
“We should talk,” I finally said.
She sounded scared. “Okay.”
I drained my wine, not even sure how to begin. “You know that I’m from Russia.”
“Last time I checked.”
“My father owns a copper producing company, but the family business also manages agriculture, construction, and telecom companies. My father is one of the wealthiest businessmen in Russia.”
Charlie blinked rapidly. “Seriously?”
“I left Russia against my dad’s will to come to Canada to play hockey. I changed my name and Mark Ashford helped me keep my secret. I wanted a fresh start.”
Her eyes widened. “What is your real name?”
“Aleksandr Mica Petrovsky Mikhailov.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s your real name?”
“Yes.”
Her face flushed. “Are we even married?”
“Petrov is my legal Canadian last name.”
“So, we are really married,” she confirmed.
“Yes.”
Her shoulder dropped as she let out her breath. “Okay.”
“I don’t talk to my dad anymore.”
Her eyes raised to mine. “I kind of figured that part out. Is it because he didn’t want you to leave Russia?”
“Our relationship was broken long before that.”
She studied her plate. “I know that stuff happened to you. I’m just not sure what.”
God, I wanted to tell her. But I couldn’t talk about it. My heart wouldn’t let me.
“It’s in the past.”
“Do you miss your dad?”
Yes. “We’ve lived separate lives for a long time.”
“Does he want you to take over the business? Are you supposed to go back to Russia?” Her voice pitched higher at the end.
“I don’t have any plans to take over his business. He knows that. He’s known that for a long time.”
“So, you want to stay in Canada?” God, she was cute. I could see her trying to process this news and fully understand how it would impact her future. I found it adorable.
“Canada is my home now. I’m here to stay.”
“Okay.” She took that at face value.
I braced myself for the next questions. Coy questions about how much I was worth and how much I would inherit. Detective Wallace had let out the secret that I was heir to a billionaire. That information usually changed people.
She looked around the restaurant. “Do you want dessert?”
I gave her a bemused look. “You don’t like sweets.”
She shook her head. “I know, weird, right? I totally could crush a cheesecake right now or a tiramisu. Do you think they have that here?”
“We can find out.”
We ordered a lemon meringue pie for Charlie and a coffee for me. I waited. I waited for her questions, for her sly looks, for a shift in her, now that she knew she was married to someone who was insanely wealthy.
But they didn’t come.
She told me a story about the dogs. “I was trying to teach Sasha to roll over. And Sniper was sitting behind us, watching. And every time I gave Sasha the command, Sniper was doing barrel rolls behind me and Sasha was too busy trying to chew the cushion tassels.”
I grinned. “Maybe we have the smartest dog in the world and the dumbest dog?”
She burst out laughing. “Honestly, sometimes when I talk to Sniper, I swear he understands exactly what I am saying. And when I talk to Sasha, he’s so clueless. So damn clueless. Good thing he’s cute.”
*
On the way home from the restaurant, Charlie asked me if we could stop by the grocery store because she needed to pick up a few things.
I carried the basket and followed her around.
“We need grapefruit juice,” she said, bending down to look at the eggs.
I grabbed a carton. She glanced back at me and frowned. “That’s not our brand.”
“It’s all the same. Juice is juice.”
She reached into the basket and traded it out for another one. “This is sixty cents cheaper.”
I grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. Searching for any difference. “Are you for real?”
“Last time I checked.”
“You just found out that your husband is heir to billions of dollars. And you’re trying to save sixty cents on juice?”
She scowled at me. “You just said juice is juice. Why should I pay more for a label?”
That comment struck me as hilarious. I started to laugh and I couldn’t stop. Tears were coming out of my eyes and I was sucking in my breath, but I didn’t seem capable of doing anything but laugh.
She glared at me, not impressed, reminding me of early days Charlie. “You’re an idiot, Petrov.”
“I know,” I gasped, holding my stomach. I couldn’t help it. I felt like a weight had been lifted and everything was so light and I felt so damn good.