“Oh,” she said. “Good.” She swallowed hard, obviously waiting for the other shoe to drop.
He took a deep breath. “While we were married, we had two kids.”
Her eyes widened. “Kids?”
Andrei never took his eyes off of her as he spoke. “Two girls, actually. Asya, who’s seven, and Nadia, who’s ten.”
She stood up, disconnecting the warmth he’d depended on. “Kids? Two girls? You’re just telling me this now?”
“I wanted so badly to tell you.”
“Why didn’t you, Andrei? One kid is a pretty big deal, but you have two!” She paced back and forth in front of him.
“It never seemed like the right time. Everything between us has happened so fast.”
“I’m sure there was some time in there when you could’ve mentioned fathering children.”
He stood and took her hands, and he was grateful that she didn’t pull away. “That’s why I’m telling you now. I didn’t want this to go any farther until I told you.”
“So they don’t live with you?” she asked.
Her voice was calm, and he couldn’t read what she was thinking, so he answered the best he could.
“No. My ex-wife has primary custody. It wasn’t an easy relationship. We got together when we were young and stupid. We didn’t really split on good terms, so she took it out on me by keeping the kids. That’s why I can’t just go with you. If I leave town, I will never see them. She’s vindictive enough to make sure that never happens, and she’s been that way ever since the divorce six years ago.”
“I knew you were divorced. I found that out when I researched you before we met, but it said nothing about you having kids.”
“I protect them from anything related to my job. I do my best to make sure no one goes near them or has access to them. In case...”
“In case you actually defend the bad guys?”
He nodded since he couldn’t tell her the type of people he had to defend in the past. Bad was putting it lightly. His father had worked with some of the most ruthless bastards in the city. Some that weren’t exactly easy to work for wi
thout a guarantee they’d get off and who weren’t against using information about his children in case Andrei failed to win.
The risk to his family was one of the main reasons why he and his father bickered so much. Andrei wanted to deal with the people who weren’t a threat to his family. His father’s theory was that the worst ones had the deepest pockets, and if Rusak & Associates did their job the way they’d always done, they’d never lose a court case.
Andrei refused to risk it. That’s why he dealt with the ones who were being charged with less heinous crimes. Most of the suspects he represented were just stupid enough to get caught but not smart enough to consider ransoming their lawyer’s kids. Andrei would die before letting any of his clients use his children for leverage, even the so-called innocent ones.
“This is a lot to take in,” she said, sitting back down. “I don’t really know what to say to you. Hiding something like this... I have been nothing but straightforward with you since the beginning. Now you’re telling me you have children.”
“The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, and I couldn’t stand it if you hated me for this.”
“I don’t hate you, but I’m upset. I think that’s reasonable.”
She sat so still that he knew she was still in shock. He’d probably be too if their roles were reversed. Knowing how he inherited his father’s quick temper, he probably wouldn’t be taking it as well as she was.
“Of course it is. I’m so sorry, Victoria.”
“I just wish you didn’t wait so long to tell me. It’s all just overwhelming, especially now.”
“Because of your promotion?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “That and there’s a lot going on that I have to deal with.”
He could tell she was holding something back in her answer, but he couldn’t push her to say any more. Not when he wasn’t sure how she was taking all of it.
“You don’t have to deal with any of this alone. I meant what I said. I want us to figure this thing out together. Don’t you?”