Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
“Did you all still do it?”
“Kazimir, always fearless and eager for a challenge, led us on this daring mission.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.” Tisha chuckled. “Picture us naughty kids—Valentina, Pavel, me, and others, sneaking away from our homes in the middle of the night.”
“Oh God.”
“We snuck into the rival gang’s garage, and Kazimir expertly hotwired the motorcycle.”
“Wow. At thirteen?”
“We were very naughty.” Tisha winked at me. “Now. Just as we were about to leave, one of the gang’s guards spotted us.”
I opened my mouth in shock. “What did you do?”
“The rest of us raced away, completely terrified. Valentina yelled at Kazimir to come.”
I smirked. “But, he didn’t?”
“No. With the guards charging towards us with their guns aimed our way, Kazimir turned on the motorcycle, mounted it, and then let out a wild, ferocious roar.” Tisha chuckled. “It was ridiculously loud.”
“What the hell?”
“Yes.” Tisha shrugged. “Kazimir roared and roared, absolutely confusing the guards. They stopped running and stared at him with odd expressions. Surely, they thought that this boy had gone mad.”
“I can’t believe he did that.”
Tisha tucked some of his hair behind his ear. “Yet, I am glad he did. It gave us all the time to escape, and Kazimir sped off on the bike, roaring again.”
I laughed.
“We met up later near Kon’s shitty house and brought the bike to him. The man was honestly shocked we had really done it.”
“I still can’t believe he would tell kids to do something so dangerous.”
“Maybe, the Gorilla was hoping we would fail and get shot. Or perhaps, Kon saw what Kazimir would become one day, and hoped to get rid of him. Jealousy. Resentment. Any of those things.”
“That is crazy on so many levels.”
“It is, but it does not matter. Kazimir’s mother, Svetlana killed Kon, after she heard what he had us do.”
“Oh.” I blinked again. “Damn. The more I hear about her. . .the more I love her.”
“She was a great woman.” Tisha let out a long breath and placed his hands on his lap. “After whipping all of us with a very heavy, thick belt, she let us keep the motorcycle. And from that day on, Kazimir was known as the Lion for those roars that kept us from getting shot.”
“Wow.” I placed my hand on Tisha’s. “Thanks so much for telling me this story. It really gave me insight into—”
“Mysh, look!”
Sighing, I turned Kaz’s way. “What, baby?”
There, Kaz fumbled with the guitar’s strings, attempting to strum some tune. “I will give you a serenade.”
But do you need to?
Kaz stumbled forward with the guitar and faced me. “I dedicate this song to my mouse.”
“Yo, hold up!” Max tapped Misha’s shoulder and pointed at Kaz. “Look at this.”
Baby. . .
Kaz began to perform. The sounds that emanated from the guitar were, in all honesty, quite terrible.
Still, I bobbed my head with the erratic notes which only seemed to make him even more determined to serenade me.
“This song is about our love.” Kaz began to wiggle his hips. His movements were exaggerated and ludicrous. “Look, mysh. I am doing it.”
“Well. . .” I held out my hands. “You are doing something.”
Max laughed far too loud on the other side of the stage.
But as I watched Kaz, the love in my heart swelled. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t play the guitar, nor did it matter that his hips moved with the grace of a newborn giraffe. What mattered was that he was trying to make me smile, and he was absolutely succeeding. With each off-key note and awkward hip wiggle, I fell even more in love with this man, my soon-to-be husband.
When he finished, I clapped. “Bravo! Bravo!”
Barking with excitement, Harlem jumped off my lap and began wagging his tail.
Kaz stopped playing and took a bow.
Laughing the whole time, Max and Misha rose and gave him a standing ovation too.
“Alright, baby.” I slowly got up too. “I’m exhausted. Surely, the band is tired too. The memorial is officially over, everyone.”
The poor guys appeared helpless next to Kaz.
Misha helped Ava rise. A yawn left her, and then she touched her stomach. Misha gazed at that hand and a wicked smirk spread over his face.
Hmmm. She might be pregnant for sure.
Or maybe I just wanted Emilio to have more playmates and cousins his age and within our family.
That would be so dope.
As everyone began getting ready to go, Kaz frowned. “But mysh, the band wants to show me more things—”
“Baby, they can teach you stuff later. We have a long day ahead of us. It is time to get rest.”
Groaning in annoyance, Kaz gave the guitar back to Sergei. “I am sorry, men. You know how women can be.”
I rolled my eyes.
Really?
“Yeah, man.” Max carefully grabbed Lemonisha. “My baby is tired now.”
“She must get her rest.” Misha touched one of the big dangling lemons.
“What the fuck?” I frowned at Max. “You never let me touch the fruit.”