Nas suddenly looked tired. “No, I ate on the plane. Thanks anyway, Ada.”

Lev stated, “I’d like to ask why you’re home early, but I have a feeling I already know the answer to that question. How was the flight? Did Lidiya fuss much?”

It was then the little girl started babbling. “Eeya. Eeya. Eeeeeeeya.” She looked at Sasha and said, “Asha. Ma Deeya. Deeya.” She looked at Lev and stuck a hand into Sasha’s mouth. I was stunned that he offered no complaint and that he simply smiled around the tiny fingers. “Otet. Papa. Papa. Otet.” Nas came next. “Azeeya. Azeeya. Ma tetu. Tetu.” Then she glanced at me, blinking before turning to Sasha and uttering an unsure, “Zzzzhena.”

Sasha huffed out a soft laugh around the fingers, and little Lidiya smiled a toothy grin, her eyes smiling just as Lev’s had.

I turned to Lev and smiled. “She kind of looks like you.”

He turned to me, his eyes full of amusement. “That would make sense.” He paused a moment before adding, “After all, she is my daughter.”

Chapter Eight

Mina

Nastasia drove in silence, and I was thankful for the song on the radio for making a ridiculously awkward situation a little less awkward.

After Lev told me that Lidiya was his daughter, leaving me officially shocked, the conversation took a quick turn as Lev stood with the little girl, walked over to his sister, kissed her on the cheek, and thanked her for bringing Lidiya home. The next words out of Nas’ mouth were in another language. Although she spoke softly, the words sounded harsh. Sasha added to the conversation, and Lev responded easily. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought they might be talking about me. When the three of them turned to look at me, it became clear I was right.

Rude much, guys?

Lev kissed his daughter’s head but spoke to me. “You need something to wear tonight, and I’m afraid the clothes you have aren’t appropriate. Nastasia will take you shopping. Buy whatever you need.”

Buy clothes? With what? Love? “In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have any money.”

His brow rose. “I know you don’t. Nastasia has my credit card. You’ll buy whatever my sister thinks you need.”

The protest began before he even finished. “I can’t accept that. You’ve already done too much.”

Sasha eyed me closely, searching my face for a sign of deception, but I meant it. Nastasia’s hard eyes softened, but only slightly. Lev glowered at me. “I threw away your clothes with the intention of replacing them. At the very least, you’ll need a pair of jeans and a coat that fits.” He sighed, irritated. “You don’t even have any undergarments.”

Thanks for bringing that up in front of your whole family, asshole.

That was true though. He did throw out my clothes, leaving me with little to work with. My shoulders slumped. “Okay, well, how about we call it a loan? You can dock my pay until I’ve reimbursed you.”

All three of their faces took on a look of disbelief.

No one spoke until Lev let out a firm, “No.”

I stood taller, crossing my arms across my chest. “I’ll be paying you back, Lev, whether you like it or not.” After a short pause, I admitted quietly, “I don’t like owing people.”

Nastasia rolled her eyes and groaned, taking my wrist and dragging me toward the door. “Don’t bother, little girl. He won’t give in.”

Now, as we drove in silence, I slid down farther in my seat and sighed. “Any chance you’ll let me borrow some clothes and tell your brother we bought them?”

She looked at me then, and with her eyes covered with sunglasses that made her look like a model, she peeked over the top of them. I didn’t miss the slight curl of her lip. “I’m a whole foot taller than you, and you weigh less than me. Besides, I don’t lie to my brothers.”

“Great,” I muttered.

Another few minutes of silence then she started, “Listen, I don’t know you, so no offense and all, but if you fuck over my brother—”

I didn’t let her finish. My shoulders rigid, I cut in, “I haven’t known your brother for more than twelve hours, but in that time, he has been extremely kind to me, and I would rather eat my own tongue than do something to hurt him.”

Silence.

“Not many women would have the lady balls to speak to me so boldly, let alone cut me off.” Her lips pursed in surprise.

Perhaps it was a compliment, but I was still pissed at her assumption. “Your brother seems like a smart man. And he’s always a step ahead of me. I’d like to think he knows what he’s doing, even if I don’t know why he’s doing it.” I kept it real. “Your brother doesn’t know it, but he saved my life.”

She turned back to the road, indicated left, and turned into a mall parking lot. “I will beat you bloody if you do anything to make him regret that.”

Placing my chin on my knuckles, I looked out of the passenger window and grumbled, “Got it.”

The clothing store Nas took me to was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Upon entering, we were served champagne, which I sipped once before putting it down, because it tasted like a thousand smarmy assholes. The clerk stood by, assessing me as Nas told her what I needed.

I was shoved into a dressing room that smelled of wildflowers and was the size of a single bedroom, with three outfits in hand. As soon as I undressed, Nas pulled the door open and stepped inside.

Squeaking, I used my arm to cover my boobs and hissed, “What the fuck are you doing?”

She snorted. “You got nothing I haven’t seen before, kulka.” At my clear panic, she rolled her eyes. “Relax, Max. I just wanted to see how the clothes fit.”

“Turn around,” I ordered.

She watched me closely. “Jesus.” She finally turned. “Prude much?”

Reaching for the closest dress, I threw it over my head. “You can turn around now.” I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was black, tight, and undeniably sexy, but… “This isn’t me.”

Nas stepped closer, pulling at the garment, her brow furrowed. “I think that’s kind of the point, right?” She stepped back, assessing the dress on me. She shook her head. “No, no. Not good. Try another.”

She turned before I could ask her to and I was grateful. I took off the black dress and tried on the white one. In very much the same style, tight and tailored, but this one had a pencil styled bottom. I liked it.

From the way Nas smiled, she liked it too. “Yes. Put it in the yes pile.” After trying on all the other clothes, it was clear that nothing else looked good on me. Nas cracked under the pressure, growling, “You’re so fucking thin. You look sick.”

It was said in anger, and I knew I shouldn’t have taken it to heart, but I did. Turning my back to her, I hid my shining eyes, blinking away tears of shame. I knew what I looked like. I didn’t need reminders. The way I looked made me sick. I know I looked ill. I felt ill. Did she think I had a choice?

“Hey,” she uttered softly then awkwardly added, “sorry.” I nodded, still facing away from her. She sighed. “I’ll have this wrung up and we’ll try somewhere else, okay?”

The latch of the door closed gently behind her, and I quickly changed into my too-big jeans, scruffy white tee, and Lev’s oversized sweater, slipping on my flip-flops. From outside the door, I heard Nas talk to the clerk. “We’ll take this one. The rest we’ll think about.”

“Very good,” the clerk stated. “That will be $849.00. How will you be paying today, miss?”

Before Nas could respond, I flew out of the changing room in a rage. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?”

The clerk sniffed with derision while Nas glared openly at me. “The hell is your problem?”

“No!” I shouted. Looking directly at the clerk, I spat, “That dress is not worth that much money. Do you know how many starving kids you could feed with $800.00? Do you?” My voice shaking, I muttered, “Shame on you.”