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“I can’t just disappear in the dead of night without an explanation. She’ll worry.”
“She’ll feel worse if you’re dead, Laila.” He grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. “I will not watch you die like Natascha.”
My heart aches for him—for everything he’s been through.
But I’ve been through a lot, too.
“I’m going to speak to my mother before I leave with you,” I insist.
Again, his hand tightens around my arm, and I’m sure he’s about to bundle me up in my comforter and drag me out of the room.
Instead, he releases me. “Make it fast.”
He scrapes a bloody hand through his hair, and a gold watch flashes on his wrist. A priceless gold watch, streaked with blood. Subtlety in symbolism is for the fucking birds, apparently.
The proof has been there all along, but I only saw what I wanted to see.
“Arsen?” I hesitate in the doorway. I know the answer before I even ask, but I have to hear him say it. “You’re a dangerous man, aren’t you?”
“Not to you,roza.” His green eyes are shrouded in shadow. “Never to you.”
15
ARSEN
“Brother!” Dominik is panting as he answers the phone. “Valentin said there was a— He said Natascha?—”
“She’s dead.” The words are a fact. An objective truth. I hated Natascha, but her death should bring upsomethingin me, shouldn’t it? I should care that she’s gone. I should give a fuck. “Her body is being transported to Adamov Place as we speak.”
“Okay… then where the hell are you?”
I glance towards the door. It’s only been a handful of minutes since Laila went to talk to her mother, but it feels like it’s been hours. Maybe I should’ve dragged her through the window like I wanted. It would’ve been faster.
“I’m with Laila.”
“Jesus, Arsen, I coulda done that! Rolan is going to expect to see you at the house. He’s going to expect you to be with his daughter’s—your wife’s—body.”
I cringe. Natascha was still taking her dying breaths when I was planning how to get to Laila.
“This is more important.”
“Brother…” Dominik’s voice lowers. “I get that Laila needs to be moved, but we have shit to handle here first.”
“That’s what you and Gedeon are for. Go to Adamov Place and wait for me there. We’re on our way.”
“‘We?’”
“I’m bringing her with me.”
The silence is rife with all the things that Dominik isn’t saying. Thankfully, he bites his tongue. “I’ll see you soon.”
As I hang up, Laila finally appears on the porch. Her eyes are puffy, though a knitted scarf hides most of her face.
We walk wordlessly to the car. She doesn’t fight as I pull the seatbelt over her belly and fasten it in place.
It’s the first time I’ve let myself truly look at her. I don’t know if I’m surprised or pleased to see that, despite the pregnancy, she looks exactly the same as I remember. Same gorgeous blue eyes, hiding hints of purple. Same pouty pink lips that are currently curved into a very distinct frown.
It’s like no time has passed at all. I remember every detail of her.
