Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“That’s… accurate,” I say, deciding to go for a portion of the truth. I swallow the gingery juices that have pooled in my mouth, hoping to quell the worsening nausea. “I just got a not-so-good diagnosis. My husband is pushing for immediate treatment, but I’m not sure if I want that, given the pregnancy. So I just… walked away from him for a bit.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widen. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I force a smile. “That’s life for you, right? Anyway, thank you again for everything. I hope you find what you’re looking for in your travels.”
My legs are not fully steady as I head to the door that the two young women disappeared through. I assume it leads to the street, and I’m right. I’m about to step outside when Birgit’s hand lands on my shoulder.
“Look,” she says when I turn around. “I don’t know the specifics of your situation, but it sounds like you need some time and space to process things. At least that’s what my mom wanted when she first got diagnosed. My dad was pushing for one thing, her siblings for another, and she just wanted a chance to come to terms with it on her own. So yeah…” She takes a deep breath. “If you want that too, you can chill here for a couple of days. Get your head straight before you decide anything.”
“Thank you, but I couldn’t possibly—”
“You won’t be imposing,” she says, anticipating my objection. “I could use the company—but only if you want to stay, of course. I promise I won’t pry or push you into any decisions you’re not ready to make.”
She waits, staring at me expectantly, and I honestly don’t know what to say. Despite what she’s saying, it would be an imposition. A huge one. If I understand correctly, she only has one bed in this place, and we’d have to share it. And I wouldn’t even be able to pay her for it. Also, Alexei is bound to find me if I don’t stay on the move. Unless… he would be expecting me to stay on the move.
In fact, he’d probably expect me to get out of Geneva as fast as possible.
But no. I can’t. She has no idea what kind of man I’m running from. I don’t think I would be placing her in danger—Alexei would have no reason to come in here with guns blazing—but still, what if—
A sudden worsening of my headache scrambles my thoughts. It’s like someone has decided to put my skull in a nutcracker and squeeze until my eyeballs pop.
Gasping, I sink to the floor, so nauseated by the throbbing pain that I can barely breathe, black dots flickering with white behind my closed eyelids.
“Right,” Birgit says. “Come on now. Let’s get you into bed.”
I groan as she pulls me to my feet. “I… won’t be great company,” I manage to say, and she laughs quietly.
“Yeah, I’m getting that vibe. Let’s go anyway.”
Looping an arm around my waist, she guides me to the stairs.
Chapter 4
Alexei
“What the fuck do you mean she hasn’t been spotted?” I bark at Chekhov, our head of security.
Judiciously, he backs away. This whole clusterfuck is his fault, and he knows it. He was supposed to have guards at the clinic by the time we arrived, but their plane departed Moscow late due to bad weather, and we beat them to the clinic by about an hour. I figured it was no big deal, as the Molotovs were unlikely to triangulate our location that quickly, and I didn’t want to delay Alina’s surgery by so much as a minute. Stupidly, I didn’t think she would run. Not after fucking me like that.
Not when her freaking life is on the line.
Motherfucker. I grit my teeth until my molars ache, then scrub my palms over my unshaven face in an effort to wipe away the fog of exhaustion. I’m taking this out on the wrong person. This clusterfuck is entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight—nor gotten off the plane without our usual security measures in place. But I was arrogant. Or maybe the shock of Alina’s diagnosis and the resulting lack of sleep hindered my ability to think straight. Either way, I decided Ruslan and I would be enough to keep Alina safe until our guards arrived, and I never imagined she’d be able to slip away right under my nose—especially given how sick she’s been.
Or how she reached for me in that dressing room.
I push the memory away and force myself to focus. I can rage at my gullibility later. For now, I have to locate her and bring her back before it’s too late.
“How could she not have been spotted?” I repeat, a tad calmer. “How much of the footage have our hackers reviewed?”