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Eventually, my muscles begin to cramp. I wince, reaching for my calves. Arsen slides me off him and reaches down to massage my legs. The sensation of his powerful fingers kneading away the knots in my calves feels almost as good as sex. Slowly, he works up to my knees, then over my hamstrings until I’m positive my muscles have been churned to butter.
His eyes meet mine, reading my mood as he copies my smile.
“That was amazing,” I say.
“You’re amazing,” he agrees. Kissing my forehead, he braces himself against me on the bed. We’re both slumped in relaxation. My eyes flutter shut—I sway in and out of awareness. His presence is so comforting that I start to fade into sleep.
And when I wake, it’s dark out. I don’t know how much time has passed, and I don’t care. The only thing that matters is that he’s still here when I’m awake.
He’s playing with the tips of my hair, letting them wind through his fingers, then drift away to land on my collarbone.
“There’s something I need from you.”
My smile is full of lazy contentment. “Anything.”
He lets the rest of my hair fall. “I have to speak with Josh Sanders.”
And just like that, he sends us plunging back to icy reality. Cold dread snakes through my body, chasing away the comfort he brought me earlier.
“Oh.”
“It’s important,” he explains, watching me with expectation.
“I suppose it is.”
“So.” His eyes never leave me. “You’ll do it?”
I shift on the bed to stare at the ceiling. “Why can’t you ask him directly?”
“Because this is a meeting that has to remain secret. Because Josh can’t trust the people around him.”
That’s probably true, I think. How else could Yevgeniy have found me and my mom so quickly when we were supposed to be in witness protection?
“But what if he doesn’t want to meet with me?” I ask.
“That’s why you’re not going to ask him.” Arsen’s voice takes on an amused edge. “He won’t dare keep his wife from seeing a friend that she thinks is dead.”
I can’t help the smile rising to my lips. One way or another, Arsen always finds a way. Even if it’s something as unpalatable for him as working with Josh. The thought of Audrey also sends a twinge of guilt through me. She must be panicking after everything that’s happened. She hasn’t heard from me since the last time she saw me at the safe house. And if what Arsen said is true, then the next time she went, she would’ve found the scene of a slaughter.
If nothing else, I owe it to her to let her know that I’m okay.
That I’m alive.
“Okay.” I nod. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.” He curls me against his naked chest. But the feeling that I’m home is gone. Where this same exact spot once promised warmth and security and never-ending happiness, now all I feel is something else.
Something dark. Something cold. Something that frightens me.
9
ARSEN
The meeting is arranged quickly. Calling Audrey was the first hurdle, because as soon as she heard from Galina, neither of them could talk between the shouting and crying. It took longer than expected for her to convince Josh to escort her to my mansion.
Evidently, he’s not as sold on seeing Galina in person as Audrey is. I suspect seeing her is a reminder that his way failed, and not because he was unable to protect her. It makes me respect him a lot less. But this isn’t about him.
The meeting was supposed to start ten minutes ago. But for the last fifteen minutes, Audrey has clutched Galina in her arms, alternating between crying and chiding her.
