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I can’t quite wrap my head around that. I don’t think the kind of life-and-death stakes Yakov lives with everyday could ever be normal for me.
I probably won’t be around long enough for them to become normal, anyway.
“Um… so, yeah. Then we left the restaurant and came here. For drinks.”
“Right. ‘Drinks.’” She gives me an over-the-top wink. “Got it.”
I blush, but carry on. “That’s really it. I’m still here, waiting for your brother to decide it’s safe for me to leave.”
“All of this because you made the mistake of sitting down at the wrong table.” She snorts. “It’s not quite limbless on a beach. But I bet you won’t do that again.”
“I don’t know… I mean, I’ll definitely be better about making sure I’m on a date with who I’m supposed to be with. But I don’t think sitting down at that table was a mistake.”
Her eyes go moony. “Do you think it was fate?”
I do a double-take. I wouldn’t have pegged Princess Scathing Sarcasm here for a romantic at heart. You learn something new every day.
“Maybe not fate. But not a mistake, either.” I bite back a smile. “I’m glad I got to know all of you. I wouldn’t trade that.”
Mariya lets out a long “awwwww” and hands me a piece of licorice like a “Welcome to the Family” gift. “So while you’ve been here meeting all of us, where do the people in your life think you are?”
“My family is scattered. They probably don’t even realize I’m missing.”
“They haven’t called?”
I shrug. “I doubt it. They never do. But I’m not sure because Yakov took my phone as soon as I got here.”
“That bastard! What about your friends?”
My heart squeezes. “I talked to my best friend last week, but I haven’t talked to her since.”
“How did you talk to her with no phone?”
“I broke into your brother’s office and stole a burner.”
Mariya grins. “It’s giving rebellious. I love it.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” I say, wagging a finger at her. “Your brother would kill me if he thought I was a bad influence.”
“Please. I’m not influenced; I do the influencing. I don’t need you or Nik or Yakov telling me what to do.” She holds her phone to her chest. “Yakov can pry my phone out of my cold, dead hands.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m sure he would. He’ll try, anyway. As soon as I make him mad.” She rolls her eyes. “Yakov loves a power trip.”
Mariya is always taking little jabs at Yakov when he isn’t around. I’ve tried to keep my defense of him to a minimum. I can’t be a rebel sympathizer if I’m cozying up with the powers that be.
But I can’t quite swallow down this one.
“Yakov is trying to keep you safe. And me. Both of us,” I remind her. “He has a lot on his plate.”
“Don’t I know it. His plate is so full that he can’t squeeze me on it,” she mutters.
“You know, if there is anything you want to say, you can tell me. I’m good at keeping secrets.”
“You sleep in Yakov’s room,” she snaps. “There are no secrets where pillow talk is involved.”
That’s a nice picture. But it’s so far from reality that my chest actually aches.
