Page 73 of Daddy Brigadier

“Something like that,” I reply, recalling the day we got matching tattoos. She was about to graduate from high school and head off to college. We did it so that no matter how far apart we ended up, we would always feel as if we were together. Looking back, I now realize how stupid that was. Now that we’re in the same city, the gap between us feels larger every day.

He lowers his head, locking eyes with me, as if he’s on the verge of asking the question that weighs on his mind. “What’s her name?”

I brace myself, expecting the inquiry, but instead, he gives a low grunt, tilts his head back, and shuts his eyes. He pulls me closer, as if he too senses that once the truth is revealed, everything will change between us.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

LEXI

Someone is speaking, their voice pulling me from sleep, but the words elude me as I linger in a dreamlike haze. I slowly open my eyes, finding the morning light streaming through the curtains, filling the bedroom with its warm, golden glow.

“Valentin,” I whisper, feeling the weight of his absence as I wake up without his arms around me.

I turn to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, with his back to me. His bare shoulders rise and fall with steady breaths, but there’s a brewing storm beneath that calm exterior.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” he says into the phone before tossing it onto the nightstand with irritation.

“Valentin,” I say, sitting up and fixing my gaze on him. “Come back to bed.”

He glances over his shoulder at me but then turns away again. “Just go back to sleep, Krasotka.”

“I guess you didn’t sleep?” The sheets pool at my waist as I gently place my hand on his warm back.

His muscles seem to tense momentarily before he exhales, softening slightly under my touch.

He remains silent, but there’s still such a heaviness weighing down his shoulders. It pains me to witness him like this. And it’sstrange, too, since it almost makes him human. This man usually moves with such confidence, but for the first time, I feel I am witnessing him stumble.

I pause for a moment, brushing my fingers softly along his spine. “Please, talk to me.”

He finally turns to face me, his dark eyes filled with something unreadable. He barely spares me a glance, as if it’s deeply irritating that I am breaking into his thoughts at this time. “We can talk later,” he murmurs gruffly. “I need to go meet with the Pakhan.”

I take a deep breath, trying to push aside the almighty sense of unease coiling in my stomach. “Is it something serious?” I want to urge him to tell me. I want to plead, so that he doesn’t leave me here in such a state of tension and unknowing. But I dare not ask. Dare not demand anything.

Inside my gut, I am almost asking myself,is it about me?But no, of course it isn’t. It’s just that I have never seen him this way before, so distant and so emotionally disturbed.

Valentin’s expression changes, a flicker of danger gleaming in his eyes. “It’s about my retirement.”

I sit up straighter. My unease mostly dissipates, and I can breathe again. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

His jaw tightens, betraying his struggle and inner turmoil. “I do, but I want it on my own terms—not dictated by Andrei or influenced by Elise.”

My teeth grind together at the mere mention of her name.What are you up to, Elise?

I meet his gaze softly. “What if I went with you?”

Valentin watches me carefully, his silence heavy, evaluating. Finally, he exhales and runs a hand through his hair. “You’re too young to throw your life away.”

“I just want to be with you, that’s all.”

His dark eyes pierce into mine, filled with a fierce intensity, something dangerously compelling. “If only it were that simple, Krasotka.”

He exhales deeply, running a hand down his face before rising with an aching, exasperated sigh. His fingers are twitching slightly, no doubt aching to curl into fists, yet he battles to maintain his composure in front of me. Finally, he leans down, pressing a kiss on the crown of my head.

“I’ll be back later.”

A painful cry wells up in my chest, fueled by my unease over his meeting with Andrei. I shut my eyes tightly, turning away from Valentin as he dresses in silence. I remain still, eyes closed, when he kisses my forehead in what seems to be a final goodbye.

As I hear the soft click of the door, I open my eyes and gaze out the window. The gentle brightness spills into the room, but it does little to relieve the heavy burden in my chest. With a resigned sigh, I pull myself out of bed and push through the weight of the day as I head to the bathroom.