Chapter 51 Yurkov
Yurkov's P.O.V.
I'm speechless for maybe the first time in my life. No one has ever spoken to me like that little girl just did. Did she call me Yorkie? I don't know what to do while my brothers and Dad watch to see how I'll react. I look past her and see a woman who looks a lot like my brothers and me sitting in a wheelchair. A man is standing next to her with a protective hand on her shoulder.
"Come in. This is my mommy and my daddy. Courtney is making us breakfast. These are my friends Tyler and Sarah. Bobby and Gavin will kick you out if you're bad guys." I glance at Kozar sitting on the couch. What the hell did I just walk into? I feel like the child in the room.
"Don't be scared. Dakota doesn't bite," Dad says while laughing and hitting my shoulder.
"Hi, Anushka, I'm your brother Victor, and this is Yegor." He and Yegor walk over to our sister, shake her hand, and the man's beside her.
"It's nice to meet you. I take it you're Yurkov." Anushka says, looking at me wearily. I slowly make my way over to her. I glance at Dakota, who's sitting on Kozar's lap. She is just a normal little girl, right?
"Yes, I'm Yurkov. I'm sorry, I'm a little out of my comfort zone," I admit while shaking her hand.
"This is my fiancé, Jordan. Please sit down." Anushka smiles at me, but I can see a hardness in her eyes. I know exactly where Dakota got her don't mess with me attitude from. I've never felt so out of place in my life. I sit next to Kozar, and Dakota turns to look at me, tilting her head to the side.
"Uncle Yorkie, are you happy about my mommy? Grandpa Chrissy said some people won't be happy about Mommy." I glance around the room, and everyone is waiting for my response. I wasn't happy when Dad told us about her because I thought she would only be after our money. Now, I don't know how I feel. Right now, I think I'd rather be interrogated by the FBI than by Dakota. I look at the little girl's face and suddenly feel like a fool.
"Yes. I'm happy." I answer carefully. Dakota gets off Kozar's lap and gets on mine. She puts her hands on my cheeks and looks into my eyes. Why is my heart beating so fast? I can't look away from her. She smiles and nods.
"Your eyes don't look mean anymore. Do you want to see my room?" The entire room bursts out laughing. What just happened?
"Getting to see her room is like a rite of passage," Zakhar says.
"Hey, what about us? Can we see your room?" Yegor asks. We're mafia men who have done horrible things. People are terrified of our family. However, this little girl has us wrapped around her little finger, wanting her approval. Dakota jumps off my lap.
"Come on, Uncle Yorkie. You can come too, Uncle Vicki and Uncle Gory." She takes my hand, and I suddenly feel an urge to call my son. I thought kids were a nuisance. Maybe they're not as bad as I thought.
She takes us to her room, where a man is busy painting a mural. It looks like it will be the four seasons when it's done. Dakota holds her hands out and spins.
"Isn't it the best room ever?" she asks excitedly.
"It definitely is," Victor replies.
"When's your birthday?" I ask her. She tilts her head, and even though I don't know Anushka, I can see her doing the same thing.
"Mommy said it's in two weeks." I look at my brothers. I think we're all on the same page. We will do anything to make Dakota happy.
"Do you think your mommy and daddy will let us have your birthday party at our house?" Her eyes widen, and she runs out of the room.
"She got to you, didn't she?" Yegor asks. I run my hand through my blonde hair and sigh.
"Yeah. I came here expecting to be angry and prove to everyone that Anushka wasn't as great as they thought, but I was wrong. Is it weird that I want to make sure I stay on Dakota’s good side?" I ask them. Victor and Yegor laugh.
"I think we all want that. Anushka hasn't said much, but I believe Dakota takes after her. Not many people her age are running a multi-million dollar business." Victor says as we leave her room.
"I agree. I will no longer consider females the weaker sex. Right now, I need to ensure I'm still a man." When we return to the living room, breakfast is served in the dining room. Dakota runs over to me and takes my hand again.
"Grandpa Chrissy said if I have my birthday at your house, no one will have guns. You don't like guns, right, Uncle Yorkie?" I glance at my dad, who's smirking at me. I run our gun trafficking business, but there's no way I'm telling Dakota, or she'll kick me out.
"Guns are dangerous and can hurt people," I reply without really answering her. She accepts my response, and I sigh with relief.
"Are you sure she's only four?" Yegor asks Anushka. She and Jordan start laughing.
"I can guarantee it, but she is very mature for her age. She's mainly been around adults." Anushka replies as Courtney places platters of scrambled eggs, waffles, sausage, and bacon on the table. The other two kids are completely silent. Nothing like Dakota. My niece is definitely one of a kind.
"You see it too, don't you?" Zakhar whispers as we load our plates up with food.
"See what?" I ask, passing the scrambled eggs to Kozar after putting some on Dakota's plate for her.
"Dakota is the future of our family. I believe she will be running things one day." I don't answer him as I watch her while I eat. I have become good at reading people and see that in Dakota. She listens to everything everyone says and asks questions when she doesn't understand something. Zakhar is right. She's already showing us how she would be as the head of the family business. I don't know whether to be concerned for Dakota or the people who cross her.