Hadley twisted herself free from her father. “That hurts. And you said a bad word. Two times.”
“This is our aunt Allie!” Hayden jumped and clapped. “We’ve seen the pictures. You said she lived far away and here she is! Standing right next to us!”
Mort pulled Hayden closer, keeping his hand on her shoulder.
“Isn’t it something, Papa?” Hadley skipped over to her grandfather and held his other hand. “Hey, Dad. Did you know it was Aunt Allie who sent us those pretty necklaces? Mom said they were trash, but I knew they weren’t. Maybe if Mom knew Aunt Allie sent them she—”
“Girls, go stand by Mom.” Robbie kept his gaze riveted on his sister. “Stay there until I get back.”
“But I want to talk to Aunt Allie.” Hadley tugged on Mort’s hand. “Tell him it’s okay, Papa.”
“Girls!”
Robbie’s bark caused each of the girls to flinch. “Do as I say. Go stand by your mother.”
“Don’t yell like that, Dad.” Hadley’s brow furrowed. “It’s not nice and I don’t like it. You’re scaring me.”
Mort tightened his hold on each girl’s hand. They looked up at him and he did his best to give them a calming smile. “Do as your dad says, okay, you two? We need to talk to Aunt Allie alone for a few minutes.”
“Isn’t she pretty?” Hadley was looking up toward her aunt. “You’re so prettier than your pictures.”
“Yeah,” Hayden agreed. “How’d you get so pretty related to grumpy old Dad?”
“Girls.” Robbie’s tone was softer this time. “Go.”
“No!” the two protested in unison.
Allie’s smile didn’t change as she addressed her smitten nieces. “I thank you for the compliment, but I can already see you’re going to be the most beautiful girls the world has ever seen.”
“Really?” Hadley gushed.
“Not me,” Hayden insisted, but the look on her face signaled a desire for Allie to tell her it was true.
Mort tugged the girls’ hands. “Scoot now. Back to Mom.” He looked down at Hayden. “This is a ten-zero, sweetie. Now take Hadley’s hand and run back to Mom.”
Hayden’s widened eyes and dropped smile told him she understood the code.
Dangerous situation. Proceed with caution.
She set her tiny jaw firm and nodded.
“Come on, Hadley. Gotta go.” She pulled her twin’s arm, dragging her away as Hadley shouted her protests. Mort watched them as they ran down the side of the field. He didn’t turn back until he saw Claire gather each of them up onto her lap.
“Stay away from my girls.” Robbie took a menacing step toward his sister. Mort grabbed his arm.
“They’re beautiful. And I like the school you’ve chosen.” Allie’s voice was calm, her demeanor as cool as if she’d just spoken to her brother yesterday. “If the money I’m sending for tuition isn’t enough, let me know. It’s important they have an excellent education. It’s the foundation for everything.”
Robbie sputtered before speaking, as though he couldn’t comprehend his sister’s audacity. “The money you send us is drenched in blood. Claire and I wouldn’t touch it if we were starving. The only reason we allow you to continue depositing the checks is to keep at least
that
money out of the hands of all those very bad people you associate with.”
“Robbie.” Mort’s tone was a warning. He didn’t need to provoke Allie. He needed to understand why she was there.
“Your boyfriend’s a drug czar, Allie. A murdering, life-ruining, Russian gangster.” Robbie shook his head in disgust. “Stay away from my family.”
“My boyfriend?” Allie turned a quizzical face to Mort before answering her brother. “Do you mean Vadim Tokarev? The man who kidnapped me and flew me to a Moscow hellhole? Beat and raped me just because he could? Is that the man you’re calling my boyfriend?”
Robbie’s face softened. Mort knew his son was torn. Like Hadley and Hayden, Robbie and Allie had been inseparable as they grew up. Allie had protected her younger
“This is our aunt Allie!” Hayden jumped and clapped. “We’ve seen the pictures. You said she lived far away and here she is! Standing right next to us!”
Mort pulled Hayden closer, keeping his hand on her shoulder.
“Isn’t it something, Papa?” Hadley skipped over to her grandfather and held his other hand. “Hey, Dad. Did you know it was Aunt Allie who sent us those pretty necklaces? Mom said they were trash, but I knew they weren’t. Maybe if Mom knew Aunt Allie sent them she—”
“Girls, go stand by Mom.” Robbie kept his gaze riveted on his sister. “Stay there until I get back.”
“But I want to talk to Aunt Allie.” Hadley tugged on Mort’s hand. “Tell him it’s okay, Papa.”
“Girls!”
Robbie’s bark caused each of the girls to flinch. “Do as I say. Go stand by your mother.”
“Don’t yell like that, Dad.” Hadley’s brow furrowed. “It’s not nice and I don’t like it. You’re scaring me.”
Mort tightened his hold on each girl’s hand. They looked up at him and he did his best to give them a calming smile. “Do as your dad says, okay, you two? We need to talk to Aunt Allie alone for a few minutes.”
“Isn’t she pretty?” Hadley was looking up toward her aunt. “You’re so prettier than your pictures.”
“Yeah,” Hayden agreed. “How’d you get so pretty related to grumpy old Dad?”
“Girls.” Robbie’s tone was softer this time. “Go.”
“No!” the two protested in unison.
Allie’s smile didn’t change as she addressed her smitten nieces. “I thank you for the compliment, but I can already see you’re going to be the most beautiful girls the world has ever seen.”
“Really?” Hadley gushed.
“Not me,” Hayden insisted, but the look on her face signaled a desire for Allie to tell her it was true.
Mort tugged the girls’ hands. “Scoot now. Back to Mom.” He looked down at Hayden. “This is a ten-zero, sweetie. Now take Hadley’s hand and run back to Mom.”
Hayden’s widened eyes and dropped smile told him she understood the code.
Dangerous situation. Proceed with caution.
She set her tiny jaw firm and nodded.
“Come on, Hadley. Gotta go.” She pulled her twin’s arm, dragging her away as Hadley shouted her protests. Mort watched them as they ran down the side of the field. He didn’t turn back until he saw Claire gather each of them up onto her lap.
“Stay away from my girls.” Robbie took a menacing step toward his sister. Mort grabbed his arm.
“They’re beautiful. And I like the school you’ve chosen.” Allie’s voice was calm, her demeanor as cool as if she’d just spoken to her brother yesterday. “If the money I’m sending for tuition isn’t enough, let me know. It’s important they have an excellent education. It’s the foundation for everything.”
Robbie sputtered before speaking, as though he couldn’t comprehend his sister’s audacity. “The money you send us is drenched in blood. Claire and I wouldn’t touch it if we were starving. The only reason we allow you to continue depositing the checks is to keep at least
that
money out of the hands of all those very bad people you associate with.”
“Robbie.” Mort’s tone was a warning. He didn’t need to provoke Allie. He needed to understand why she was there.
“Your boyfriend’s a drug czar, Allie. A murdering, life-ruining, Russian gangster.” Robbie shook his head in disgust. “Stay away from my family.”
“My boyfriend?” Allie turned a quizzical face to Mort before answering her brother. “Do you mean Vadim Tokarev? The man who kidnapped me and flew me to a Moscow hellhole? Beat and raped me just because he could? Is that the man you’re calling my boyfriend?”
Robbie’s face softened. Mort knew his son was torn. Like Hadley and Hayden, Robbie and Allie had been inseparable as they grew up. Allie had protected her younger
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