Page 68 of Unholy Tsar

I scroll through the choices, pausing when I spot one of my all-time favorite movies. An oldie but a goodie.

“We are the Millers?” I can hear the confusion in Maksim’s voice as I click play.

“It’s about a drug dealer. You should be able to relate,” I tease, to which he responds by lightly pinching my hip.

The movie is a comedy and doesn’t really take itself too seriously, but I love the idea of different people of varying ages, but slightly similar backgrounds coming together to go on a road trip in an RV—to pick up a shipment of marijuana in Mexico, but still, a road trip is a road trip, right?—while pretending to be a family.

And along the way, they learn to care for one another and eventually become a real family through the trials they face together.

I keep stealing glances at Maksim’s face as the movie progresses to see his reaction, but he remains stoic until Scottie P. shows up with his Know what I’m saying? line. He cracks a small smile, then he actually laughs when David meets Scottie and sees his ‘No Ragrets’ tattoo.

“I bet he regrets that extra ‘a’,” Maksim comments.

I chuckle, snuggling into his chest happily.

I must fall asleep, though, because when I wake up, the TV is off, and I’m alone in bed. I sit up groggily and rub the sleep out of my eyes, then pad to the ensuite.

After freshening up, I tie my hair in a messy bun and go to find Maksim. But before I can open the bedroom door, I hear someone calling his name.

I don’t want to interrupt anything, so I stop and stay quiet. Though, curiosity gets the best of me, and I can’t help but listen in. Pressing my ear to the door, I hold my breath.

“It’s already been three hours, sir. If we don’t land soon, we’ll run out of gas. How much longer do we need to keep flying around the tarmac?”

“How many hours of gas do we have left?” Maksim asks.

“Two hours,” the person replies.

“That’s more than enough time. Keep flying,” Maksim orders, and the other person replies with a murmured agreement.

What’s going on? I frown as I open the bedroom door and make my way to Maksim. He’s still in the private cabin in front of the bedroom; everyone else is in the main section.

“You’re awake,” he smiles up at me as I take my seat across from him.

“What was that about? We’ve been flying around for three hours? Why? Aren’t we in Russia yet?” What time is it even? It looks dark outside the window. How long did I sleep for?

“We are in Russia. We just haven’t landed yet. I’ll tell the pilot he can now.”

He presses a button next to his chair—a similar button is next to mine—that will summon the stewardess.

“What? Why not?” I ask, but before he can answer, the cabin door opens and the stewardess walks in.

“Tell Cole he can land the plane now,” he instructs her. After she’s gone, he turns to me, “What do you mean why? I didn’t want to risk you getting another panic attack when we landed. So, I waited until you were awake.”

My lips part in surprise as I stare at him. Wow. “I-I don’t know what to say. Thank you. But… I mean, that must’ve been very expensive.” And thoughtful, so, so thoughtful.

“It’s worth it if it means you’re well-rested. I know I didn’t let you get much sleep last night.” He winks at me, and my cheeks flush.

As we disembark from the jet and make our way into another Range Rover, his thoughtfulness stays with me. He’s always so sensitive to my needs and takes action in anticipation of them. I’ve never experienced that before. Never.

If he keeps this up, I’m not going to be able to keep him out of my heart for much longer.

“What are you thinking about so intently?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I murmur and glance out the window at the sunset. Beautiful. We continue to drive for another thirty minutes or so, during which I immerse myself in the gorgeous landscape.

Eventually, our car slows in front of a sturdy gate. It squeaks open, revealing a long, winding driveway that leads us to what can only be described as a palace.

And no, I’m not being extra. I mean an actual, real-life palace, with turrets and wings and everything.