Natalia goes perfectly still, except for her eyes, which narrow almost to slits.
“Who are you going to see?” she asks, her voice sharp.
“Family business, Natalia,” I murmur, aloof, taking a big sip of my coffee and then placing it on the table. “You understand.”
“Family?” she asks, leaning forward. “Which family? This one, or your father’s?”
“Well, they’re one and the same now, aren’t they?” I reply, cryptic. And then I let my lips curl in a secretive little smile before turning to Daniel and ignoring her completely.
“Will you do all right without me today, sweetheart?” I ask, my voice soft and intimate. I raise a fond hand to run it down the back of his head, taking a moment to trail my fingers through the ends of his hair.
Daniel turns to look up at me, already onto my game an
