Page 37 of Dimitri

“He should not be upset,” Dimitri said as he looked over to Papa.

Papa, despite having been the one to give me the news, appeared as if he were the one who was upset. “That wasn’t my intent. I was simply catching him up on the news. A lot has happened in the three weeks since he’s been gone.” Papa pointed to the sofa. “If you two would join me, I’ll tell you more about it.”

I nodded. I really needed to know all that was going on. I wasn’t sure I could handle more surprises.

“Your father has been looking into ways to change ownership of the firm for about a year now,” Papa said.

“A year?” I asked, shocked. Dimitri took my hand and held it tightly.

“Yes. There have been some issues with a few of his clients. They have been too curious about asking how he looks so young, especially since he has sons who are in their thirties.”

I snorted at that. We were well beyond that, but everyone believed we were all in our thirties.

“Sí.”

“Why didn’t he mention it to us?”

Papa sighed. “With as close as the three of you were, I think on some level, he expected you and Lorenzo to follow Sebastian and join the council. When you didn’t, he decided to go ahead and get things going with offloading the firm.”

It took a moment, but I finally realized that the emotion I was feeling was frustration and a bit of betrayal. We had been close. Or so I thought. But the fact that he had decided to just uproot our lives without so much as giving us a heads-up was where I felt betrayed.

“You seem upset?” Papa said.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I understand my life is sorted. I now have my One, and we’re happy in Montana. But what if I’d not met him? Would Father still have just up and sold the firm without telling us?” Dimitri started rubbing up and down my back.

Papa shook his head. “He’s just started looking for a buyer and put it out there that the firm is going to be going up for sale. It’s taken him a year to finally come to the conclusion that he needs to sell the firm. We’ve been here a very long time, Caspian. Too long, and even you have to realize that.”

I nodded. “Yes, but why not talk to us?” I asked. “I guess I’m just overly emotional. I’ve not been feeling the best this week, and I think the pregnancy is starting to have an impact on my normally level head.”

Dimitri leaned in and kissed the side of my head. “You have a lot going on, lyubimyy. Do not feel bad. It is understandable that you are not only emotional but upset.”

Was it though? I was a partner in the firm, and I had shares in it, but I’d not been consulted about selling it. Yeah, I did have the right to be upset about it.

“We were going to come and talk to you a few weeks from now,” Papa said.

I nodded. Did that make it better? Possibly, but still. “I can’t say I’m too terribly upset. My life is in Montana now. But I should have been consulted before it was announced that the firm was going up for sale. I am part owner.” I think that perhaps that was what struck such a nerve. I wasn’t considered. What if I wasn’t ready to let it go? Of course, I actually was, which was why I seemed to be warring with myself.

“What would you like for us to do? I can discuss it with your father. Perhaps he will be willing to sell it to you? But did you not just say you were going to be making your life in Montana now?”

I narrowed my eyes at Papa because he had a somewhat smug look on his face. “Yes, and there is no reason for you to talk to Father.” I sighed. I was suddenly tired, and it was still early in Montana. Incredibly so. But I was newly mated, and, well, we weren’t exactly going to sleep early. We, of course, went to bed early, but sleep? No. Add in that I suddenly just felt off and then was up entirely too early in order to rush to the toilet, and I was simply tired and had little energy.

“Do you need a nap, lyubimyy?”

“No. I think I’ll get my things I’m taking to Montana sent, and then instead of going to the firm, I’ll just go home with you.” I glanced at Papa. “I’m not really needed here.”

“It’s not like that, mijo.”

I knew that. I reached out and gave Papa’s hand a squeeze. “I just need to go home, Papa, and home is with Dimitri in Montana now.”

Papa stared at me for a long moment before he nodded. “We will see you in a few weeks? Is that acceptable?”

“Of course,” I told him. Why was he talking nonsense? I wasn’t upset with Papa, nor did I wish to not see him. I was simply irritated.

Chapter 13

Dimitri

“Returning to work at the council wasn’t nearly as stressful for my dragon as it had been when Caspian had gone to Madrid. As it was, he’d only been there for not even an hour before we were reunited, and then he came home with me after talking with Arturo for a little while.