Slowly, I glanced at him to see his smirk. “Are you really taunting me while I have blood on my clothes?”

“I have faith you will not harm me.”

“If you say anything more about West, do not trust the faith you have.”

“Got it,” he replied with a smile. I went back to my emails. “Seriously though, it is good to see, Adrik.”

“See what?”

“You finding someone.”

“It is not set in stone,” I informed him. Worry still twisted inside me that West would not want me to be a part of his life.

“Although—”

“Dimitri, you know I care for you like a brother. Better than my brothers. But I would prefer not to speak of this for now.” I could not allow myself to think of a future for West and me as yet. I needed him healed. Needed him to understand I would not run, no matter what he thought of himself. Most of all, everything that had happened to him was still too fresh for me, and anger brimmed close under my skin to a point I would rip another’s throat out if they said one wrong word about him.

“I understand,” Dimitri said as he pulled into the underground parking area.

“Thank you,” I told him when he parked. I exited and walked toward the elevators; the guards visibly stilled when they saw the blood on me. Ignoring them, I swiped the card and waited for the doors to open as Dimitri stopped at my side.

“Will we be here long?”

“Nyet. I want a shower and to pack more items.”

“I shall take the time to shower also. I will meet you on your floor,” he explained as we entered the elevator.

“Let my parents know I am here for a moment.”

“I will. They will want to see you.”

I nodded. “Give me ten minutes.”

“Done.”

Dimitri got out on his floor, and I went all the way up to mine for a much-needed shower. After, I stood out on my balcony in the midmorning sun, sipping a bourbon straight.

“Vodka is always better, son. Do not let your mother catch you drinking that,” Papa said in Russian as he walked out to stand beside me.

“Where is Mama?”

“In our rooms. I wanted a chance to speak with you.”

I rested my hip against the balcony and faced him. “What about?”

He gazed out over the scenery in thought. I took the time to finish my drink and set the glass on the ground before straightening and waiting some more.

“Was I a bad father?”

The shock from the question had my head jerking back. “What? Nyet.”

He hummed under his breath.

“I know our lives weren’t… normal, but had I acted too cold, where you thought you couldn’t come to me about things?”

“You were strict but never cold. What has brought this on?”