“Are you excited?”

“I’m nervous as hell,” Logan muttered as she completed another 180 and retraced her steps, doing a fine job of trying to wear a hole in the carpet of their hotel room.

Kodiak stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I love you for doing this. It’s a big decision and I know we haven’t really talked about something like this before. I don’t want to push my dreams on you.”

“Is that what you think you’re doing? Kodiak, that little girl touched my heart just like she did yours. She has no chance for a decent life without us. My God, even her name sounds Russian, like she was meant to be with us all along. I know how much it has always meant to you to have been accepted into the Glazov family, and I understand why you want to do this for Romina.”

Kodiak kissed her forehead and pulled her close, enjoying the feel of her hair against his cheek. “I want you to be happy. Don’t do this just because I want to.”

“We’re her only chance, Kodiak. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t take that baby back to the States. I just hope she likes me. Oh, God,” she said with a frown as she leaned back and grabbed his arm. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

“How could she not like you? I liked you the first time I laid eyes on you.”

“You just wanted to fuck me.”

“That, too,” he said solemnly.

A knock on the door interrupted the moment. “You ready?” he asked. He crossed the room to the door, pausing to look over his shoulder at his wife as he rested his hand on the doorknob.

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

“Okay, then. Let’s do this,” he said and opened the door. “Lucca, please come in. Who do you have there?”

Logan peered over Kodiak’s shoulder, determined to get a peek at the little girl in Lucca’s arms, and her whole world came to a standstill. She was beautiful beyond anything Logan had even imagined. She had a pale pink bow in her curly, dark hair and was clutching a tattered baby doll.

“Kodiak, Logan, this is Romina. Can you say hi, Romina?” The little girl burrowed into Lucca’s neck, turning her head just enough to look at the two strangers. Tentatively, she raised her cupped hand and, keeping her fingers locked together, moved the fingertips up and down before burrowing her face into Lucca’s neck once again.

Logan stepped toward them and tentatively stroked Romina’s hair. “That’s alright, there’s no rush. That’s a beautiful bow in your hair. Did Lucca pick that out for you?”

Romina nodded and touched the pink bow and turned toward the lady with the soft, kind voice. A beautiful brown eye peeked out at Logan as the little beauty popped her thumb in her mouth and sucked vigorously, keeping her arm firmly around the doll.

“Lucca’s your best friend, isn’t he? This is my best friend, Kodiak. He’s my husband.”

Romina straightened abruptly and took her thumb from her mouth. “You been fighting,” she said solemnly.

Kodiak’s eyes widened when she spoke perfect English. Then he thought about what she had said and sighed. “Yeah, I have, honey.”

She frowned and observed, “You got a boo boo.” Then she tilted her head and pursed her little lips. She leaned toward Lucca and whispered, “He got two boo boos.” Lucca met Kodiak’s eyes and shrugged helplessly.

Kodiak had been in fights before, but he’d never felt ashamed of any of them. Until now. But as usual, Logan had his back. She skillfully turned the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Kodiak and I want to get to know you. I think we’re all going to be great friends.” Logan’s voice quavered as she held out her arms. “Would you like to come see me?”

A long moment passed in silence as Romina considered the invitation. Then, to Logan’s great surprise, Romina released her hold on Lucca’s neck and leaned toward her with her arms outstretched, a hand still clutching her doll. Lucca blinked rapidly and swallowed hard as he let her go, clearing his throat as the little girl settled easily onto Logan’s hip.

“Hello, beautiful,” Logan whispered as she looked into the biggest chocolate brown eyes she’d ever seen. It was all she could do to draw a breath. The intensity of Romina’s gaze brought to mind the moment of recognition a newborn will have for its mother, when the baby is placed on the mother’s chest moments after birth. Somehow, some way, Romina was already bonding with her new mother.

Logan turned toward her husband as she lightly bounced Romina on her hip. “Would you like to go see Kodiak?” The little girl looked up at Kodiak from beneath her lashes, gave him a shy smile and giggled before hiding her face in Logan’s neck. He took a deep breath, opened his arms, and waited. He didn’t have to wait long.

How could he have ever known a child could feel so utterly perfect in his arms? He didn’t say a word and neither did she. The room was silent except for the sound of Logan’s soft sobs as she watched her husband step into fatherhood as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Romina reached up and touched the wound on Kodiak’s lip, careful to keep the touch light so as not to hurt him. Then she leaned up and kissed the bruising around his eye.

And that was when Kodiak Glazov fell in love for the second time. He knew without a doubt that he had been put on this earth to take care of her…and that he’d kill the first motherfucker who even thought about doing her harm.

“Um, your paperwork.” Lucca’s voice was gruff as he handed the envelope to Kodiak, who accepted it with his free hand without taking his eyes off his daughter. “It’s all legal. Sounds like your father is taking care of her Immigration paperwork, so no worries there either.”

Kodiak laughed under his breath. “You name it, my father has the goods on someone who does it. I’m not at all surprised that he’s got Immigration contacts clearing a path for her already.”

“She’ll have full American citizenship, and you’ll have no trouble from Amelia. Listen, we need to get moving. I’m sorry we don’t have time for you to get better acquainted, but you’ve got a plane to catch.” And Lucca had his own brand of justice to serve up across town.

Romina stiffened in Kodiak’s arms and turned toward Lucca, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked from Lucca to the door and back again.

“It’s okay, Mina, I’ll be right here,” he assured her quickly. “And when you get home, you can show me around and maybe we’ll play with your new toys.” She nodded reluctantly as she clutched her doll tighter than ever. “Of course, you can take Lilly with you.” Romina sniffled and laid her cheek against the doll’s tangled hair in relief.

Kodiak reluctantly passed Romina back to Logan, then strode over to the bed, put the diaper bag’s strap over his shoulder, and grabbed the handles to their two overnight bags with one hand. “Okay, ladies, time to go home.” Then his free hand was on Logan’s lower back and they were out the door.

“I’ll sit in the back with Little Miss,” Logan said as she settled into the back seat and watched as Lucca strapped Romina into the car seat. She swept Romina’s curls from her forehead, smiling as the little girl leaned toward her and closed her eyes.

“What the hell?” Kodiak exclaimed harshly a few minutes later. “Baby, cover her eyes, get the blanket…get...something…” His voice trailed off as Logan leaned forward to see what he was talking about.

Thank heavens Romina had fallen asleep and wouldn’t see the three decapitated, nude bodies hanging upside down from the overpass. One woman and two men. People strolled along as if such carnage was an everyday occurrence. And maybe it was, judging by the casual way one man glanced up and easily stepped to the side to avoid the blood that still dripped from the broken bodies.

“Retribution for the drive-by shooting,” Lucca explained quietly, “compliments of the Ramirez brothers, to make things right with your father. Glazov was most displeased that the shooting went down without the cartel’s knowledge, and that it put you in danger.”

“I’m sure he was,” Kodiak said, shaking his head at the gruesome display. “Damn.”

Logan was once again impressed by the reach of her father-in-law’s power. The Pakhan’s love for his family might, by necessity, be rooted in blood and gore, but it was still love in its purest form. “I love that man so much.”

“Me, too, baby. Me, too. Now, let’s get to the plane and take our baby home.”

“I’m all for that,” Logan answered, gently running her hand over the sleeping girl’s curls, ready for this new chapter in their lives. She was more than a little intimidated by the challenges of suddenly being someone’s mother, but if anyone knew how to pull up her big girl panties and get the job done it, was Logan Glazov.

Before boarding the plane, they gave Romina and Lucca a moment to themselves to say goodbye. The farewell started with sleepy tears as she clung to him, but whatever he whispered in her ear must have worked because after a long hug, she joined Kodiak and Logan on the plane.

Once they were safely ensconced on the plane and were at cruising altitude, Kodiak was finally able to go to sleep. Logan used the time to get better acquainted with Romina. She got up, opened the cabinet above the seat, and peered inside with a smile. Yes! Somehow, Roksana had come through for her like she had known she would.

She turned to find Romina reaching out eagerly for the teddy bear she held in her hands. Moments later, Romina had the bear and her doll in her arms as she made introductions.

Logan settled the trio on her lap for a story. “When I was little like you, I wasn’t very happy. My parents weren’t around a lot, just had other things to do. My dad liked to gamble so any money we had always went to the casinos. He might as well have cast it into the wind. My mother drank to deal with it and I…well, I guess I just survived.

“I started running track because it helped me blow off steam and get rid of the pain. I would run and run and run. I was always racing against myself, no matter who else was on the track. I was always trying to be faster. Running got me a scholarship to go to college.

“This was my teddy bear. I wish I could say it was a gift from my mom and dad, but I bought it for myself when I was a big girl in college. It reminded me that I could take care of myself. Now, I’m going to tell you a very special story. It’s a fairytale, the story of how I met my Prince Charming—your daddy.”

“Da.”

Logan laughed. “Yes, you can call him whatever you want. Da works just fine. That’s your Da,” Logan confirmed as she pointed to a sleeping Kodiak.

“Sweepy Da,” Romina giggled as she hugged the bear with one arm and her doll Lilly with the other. She snuggled closer to Logan, yawning as her eyelids started to droop.

“Well, I had an important paper to write. I decided to write about a powerful family—the Glazovs. The thing about powerful families, though, is they have secrets, secrets they’ll do anything to hide. The kind of secrets they’ll take to the grave.

“Sometimes I think about writing a book about my life. I’d have to change all the names, of course,” she chuckled. “Maybe I’ll just write about how we went on a jungle adventure and found you. Anyway, back to my story. I had built up so many walls to keep from getting hurt, but nothing was going to stop your daddy. He just chipped away at them, brick by brick. He was my Prince Charming, my dark knight. My old life fell away, but I kept my teddy bear to remind myself that I finally had a family, a real family.” Her voice broke on the words. She smiled tremulously down at her girl, wanting her to really hear every word. “Just like you have a family now, a family that will always look out for you. I’m giving my bear to you now so he can remind you of that every day. Romina, you have a mommy and a daddy now. We love you so much, sweetheart. And we will always, always take care of you.”

Logan looked down and laughed softly. Romina had fallen asleep during her impassioned speech, clutching Lilly and the teddy bear. That was okay, though. They had years to cover all the important stuff. Logan kissed the top of Romina’s head, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep with a smile curving her lips.

Kodiak resisted the urge to smile. Da. He was somebody’s Da. And Logan’s dark knight. Well, listening in on that private moment would be his little secret. She was right, though; secrets were part of the Bratva life. But this secret was innocent enough that he didn’t think she’d really mind. And she was right about something else too: she really did need to write a book. He had been glad to let Logan and Romina have their special moment together. After all, he would have his own soon enough – a lifetime’s worth.