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“All you have to do is say that, with a reasonable smile on your face, and I think we can beat him.”
“This isn’t just about winning,” Alexei says. “I really do believe what I’m saying. I like the idea that I’ll have to do a good job and that I’ll be accountable.”
“Leaders have to do things that the people won’t like sometimes,” the man says. “But we’ll make sure we do them at the beginning of a new term, not at the end. Also, we recently abolished the term limits for the office of the President, so you could conceivably keep the position for your entire lifetime and pass it on to your own son.”
“Or daughter,” Alexei says.
“Right, of course. Wow.” He sighs. “You really are perfect.”
“When did you want to meet?”
“How soon can you get back to Russia?” he asks.
“I’ll let you know.” Alexei hangs up, drops the phone on the nightstand, and crosses the room toward me. “I know this is weird.” His eyes are so intense. So dark blue. So deep that I could fall into them.
“How long do you think you’ll be gone?” I ask.
“The referendum vote is soon,” he says. “It’ll all be over within a matter of weeks.”
“The information age,” I say. “Our world’s quick and small now.”
“It’s an adjustment for sure,” he says. “But it’s also pretty amazing.”
That’s true enough, and for a century-old man, he’s handling it all quite well. “Before you go, I’m going to show you something amazing.” I whip out my phone. “See this?”
“The call button?” He looks unimpressed. “I’m not that backward.”
“But this one,” I point, “is called FaceTime. You can press this, and it brings up a video image of me. You’ll be able to see me any time you want to chat.”
He reaches out and grabs my hip with his right hand and drags me closer.
I squeal and nearly drop the phone. “Hey, I was showing you how to use—”
He presses the finger on his free, left hand to my lips. “Shh.”
“Believe me. Even if it’s only a few weeks, you’ll want to know how to use FaceTime.” Or maybe it’s just me who longs to see his face whenever I can’t.
He shakes his head, dragging me even closer, until our hips are pressed together and my body presses against his all the way up to my chest. My heart’s racing so fast that my pulse’s pounding in my ears. I know what’s coming next. I lift my chin, looking into his eyes.
“I won’t need to use that video thing,” he says. “Because you’re going to come with me to Russia. Right?” And finally, his head lowers over mine until his lips are just a tiny distance away. “Adriana.”
My name’s a caress.
Hearing him say it—a shiver runs through my entire body.
“Say you’ll come.”
“You’re going out there to run for President,” I say. “As a Romanov heir, you’re going to ask all the people of Russia to vote for you.” I can’t even explain why it’s so crazy for him to take me with him. “I’m the daughter of a single mother who was married to her own brother-in-law. I can’t possibly—”
“I don’t care about any of that. No one else will either, trust me.”
“I was a criminal, Alexei. Before you had that man arrested, he was ordering me around because I borrowed money from his brother. Money I couldn’t repay until you gave me all that cash.” I don’t want to say any more, but I have to. “Money I tried to repay by throwing races.”
I feel sick now, and I shove myself away from this man—this prince. I don’t deserve him, and now he knows it, too. I can’t meet his eyes, but I need to hear him say it or I’ll keep hoping.
“How do you feel now? Knowing that I took that money you gave me and paid it to a mobster?”
“I feel like I should have had him arrested much sooner,” he says. “But I don’t blame you for any of it.”
