“You did good. Thank you. Did you eat too?”
He shrugs. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah, no, that’s not an answer. Sit down and eat.”
“That’s foryou.”
“Matvei, you made enough food to feed a football team.” I stare at the mountain of eggs and toast in front of me.
He scowls. “You need to eat.”
“Iameating. But seriously, how many eggs is this?”
“Four.” He folds his arms. “You need protein.”
I point at the ridiculous pile of toast. “And what’s with six slices of toast? Worried I’d run out mid-bite?”
He shrugs. “The first two didn’t toast right, so I just… kept going.”
Despite everything, I feel a small smile tug at my lips. “I think you accidentally made an entire loaf.”
“Maybe.” He gives me a look. “Are you gonna eat or just keep running your mouth?”
To appease him, I take a few more bites. It’s actually really good. I pick up the water he gave me, pausing when I notice the pink tint. I narrow my eyes. “What’d you do to the water?”
“Electrolytes.” He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. I take a sip, shaking my head. “You reallydon’thalf-ass anything, do you?”
He smirks. “Not when it comes to you.”
"And the bathroom is filled with… supplies and stuff." The tips of his ears turn pink.
If I wasn’t already falling for this man before, this might have done me in.
"I just got off the phone with Rafail and then Zoya."
That catches my attention. "Zoya? What’s going on?"
"Oh, she was the one who helped me decide what you needed. Polina had to go somewhere with Rafail, but Zoya told me what food to cook and what supplies to get."
I nod. "I’d really like to get to know Zoya better. Seriously, can you please eat some of this food with me?"
He sits down, dutifully picks up a slice of toast, and takes a bite, locking eyes with me like it’s some kind of serious business negotiation.
"O’Rourke warned us about Interpol," he says between bites. "They’re breathing down our necks. They’re working with the Russian authorities, and they’re looking for you."
I shrug, rolling my eyes. "I figured they would eventually."
He gives me a sharp look. "Oh shit. Seriously?"
I nod. "Of course. It was only a matter of time."
His jaw tightens. "Yeah, and the Irish won’t cover for you. The only reason they’re not cooperating with Interpol is because they fucking hate them and formed an alliance with us."
That part surprises me.
"So I take it you and Rafail aren’t too keen on the idea of me running again?"
I can’t quite keep the petulance out of my voice.
