Page 46 of The Lies Between Lovers

“A couple of hours ago,” Vaslav replied, shifting around on the chair before deciding to forgo it altogether. Once he was standing on two feet, he scrubbed a hand down his beard and nodded her way. “Hospitals aren’t exactly my favorite place. Are you almost done here?”

“I think they’re getting him ready for the doctor to come in and turn off everything.”

Vaslav’s attention flicked between her and the doorway a few paces behind her, and then he gestured between them. “There was some damage around the lock on your front door. Igor got a call this morning from a politsiya captain to say they’ve closed the issue. Decided it was a simple manner of an old man who interrupted an intruder attempting to break in a villa whose resident was on an impromptu vacation.”

Vera’s shoulders lifted with her next breath—that’s how deeply she sucked the air into her lungs, willing it to settle the anxiety thrumming through her bloodstream. “But was that what happened?”

Vaslav’s tongue peeked out to wet the seam of his bottom lip before he muttered, “When things happen to people who have a connection to me, it’s never random, Vera.”

Of course.

She finally released that breath she’d been holding in with a shaky rattle. Rubbing at her face to soothe the sudden spring of tears did nothing, but she also didn’t try to hide the emotion when she dropped her arms back down to her side and stared at Vaslav who was unmoved by her crying.

What were the chances?

She found herself asking that question again—the same one that she asked Hannah in Italy; the very question that chased her back to Moscow because she didn’t have an answer. What were the chances that Hannah’s ex-husband would ask about Vera—would threaten Hannah for information about Vera—because she was connected to Vaslav?

Probably pretty good.

“Who did it is still a mystery I am working on,” Vaslav added after a second. “But like most things, I doubt it’ll take me long to figure out the puzzle. Until then, I expect you to let me keep you safe and out of harm’s way.”

Vera blinked back at the man. “Or am I in harm’s way because of you?”

“They can be the same thing.”

“You had a bead on me before this even happened,” she accused. “Someone watching me, right?”

Vaslav shrugged. “Are you expecting an apology?”

“Or an explanation!”

Her slightly raised voice sent his left eyebrow lifting high in silent warning. Not that it mattered; no one noticed, and even the nurse in Mr. Anatoly’s room didn’t come out into the quiet, empty corridor.

“Because clearly you need it,” he returned sharply.

Well, how could she argue with that?

Now?

“Did your father pay for the chartered jet that brought you back to Moscow last night?” Vaslav asked, then, changing the direction of the conversation without warning.

A knot formed in Vera’s brow as she replied, “Yeah, I couldn’t get a quicker flight, and I called him because he had connections in Italy that I knew would get me back here as soon as possible.”

“Why?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Vaslav cocked his head to the side. “It’s an easy question—why?”

“Why what? I can’t read your mind. Why did I call my father, why did I leave, or why did I come back—which one?”

“All of them.”

Despite her best efforts to stay still and keep all that nervous energy and worry hidden, her chin started to tremble. She’d come back because she knew it was the right choice when she heard Viktor’s voice on Hannah’s voicemail, but she was also very aware of what would follow when she told Vaslav her suspicions.

Did she want blood on her hands?

“Vera?” he prodded, gentler than before.