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“Thank you.” My words sound hollow, but my appreciation is honest. It’s all I can manage right now, especially after rehashing the details with August.
“Of course, my boy.” He squeezes my shoulder, then ducks away and takes his leave. I glimpse several guards on the other side of the door as he leaves, one of them being Andrev. From Alena’s earlier words, I owe him a debt for Alena’s life.
That kind of debt cannot be repaid.
Exhaustion takes me back to the couch, and I shuffle my way back between the cushions. It’s easy to move Alena back into my lap, and she immediately nuzzles into my abdomen in her sleep. I can’t fathom how close I was to losing her. I had been so focused on keeping her that I hadn’t given much thought to losing her.
I was too cocky.
Now, that risk is very much real.
Stroking her hair, I map out the gentle features of her face over and over, committing every slope and faint freckle to memory. As I do this, the exhaustion deep inside me swells and my eyelids grow heavy despite the alertness of my mind. My fight or flight hasn’t calmed yet, not even with Alena back in my arms.
A soft buzz catches my attention. The new phone August provided for me lights up on the table with a message, and it takes some careful maneuvering of Alena to reach it.
Settling back, my chest clenches with the burn of acid as Alexei’s number flashes on the screen. It’s a relief to know he’s still alive and that his actions to help me escape didn’t result in his getting caught. He’s a good kid and a decent asset for now.
The first text is a simple message. ‘I hate those rainy days.’
He’s checking to see if we’re on secure communications, so I text back my response.
‘Just another wet summer.’
Alexei's next message comes through in the dying light from the fire.
‘Aleksander’s worried. Has contact with someone IN your house. Can’t reach them. Be alert.’
In my house?
He means my inner circle. Ten minutes ago, I stood there and assured August that my inner circle was untouchable and there was nothing to worry about. They were the people I had vetted and trusted the most.
I stare at Alexei’s message until my eyes blur, and my heart beats painfully sluggish in my chest while a burst of thought explodes through my mind. Aleksander’s inability to reach his mole could mean one of two things—they’re too afraid to make contact while in August’s home, or they’re already dead.
Either way, one thing is clear.
My inner circle has a mole.
5
ALENA
“I can’t believe we’re back here,” I murmur, skimming my hand over Kristof’s bare chest.
We’re cuddled in bed—a new bed in a new room.
Upon our return to Kristof’s home earlier today, Kristof took me on a different path through the gardens. We’re set up in the south wing this time, far away from the events of all the deaths that occurred in the wing we called home. If I squint, I can almost pretend we’re in a brand-new home. The south wing is decorated very differently, with lots of greens and blues amid the dust sheets on nearly every piece of furniture.
Removing those had been fun.
Stepping back onto the property had been hard, though. Kristof felt that staying with August was too risky, considering they’re both big players in the war against my father. One good hit would wipe them both out, and then where would we be? When he laid it out to me, it made sense, and all I really cared about was not leaving his side.
We could have left the country and I wouldn’t have minded.
August is providing security, though. You can’t walk two feet without finding a guard armed to the teeth. Most of them are silent shadows, and I like that just as much as I like knowing they will protect Kristof. Andrev is always lingering nearby, too, and at least I can get a conversation out of him. The south wing also has the added benefit of facing the nearby mountain, and such a stunning view almost makes it worth being back here.
And Kristof never leaves my sight, something we both feel strongly about.
“It’s our home,” Kristof replies quietly, half of his attention on his phone while his fingertips trail over my bare back. “I’ll be damned if your father thinks he can chase us out of here.”
