“You came from my body, Magnolia Mae. I know when you’re upset before you do.”
Tears sting the back of my eyes at that. I sink onto the edge of my bed while twisting my fingers together tightly in my lap. “You notice anything strange at the diner today?”
Her pause lasts only a second. “No. Why? Did somethin’ else happen.”
“I’m just askin’.”
“Maggie.”
The warning in her voice makes guilt crawl through me. “There’s just been some weird stuff around the shelter.”
“This about that handsome Alexei?”
A startled laugh escapes me. “Mama.”
“What? I got eyes.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I didn’t say funny. I said handsome.”
Hearing my mother sound normal feels like grabbing onto solid ground after drowning all day.
Then her tone softens. “Honey, you be careful with your heart.”
She isn’t talking about danger. She’s talking about Alexei. About the way my entire body reacts every time he looks at me. About how quickly this man has woven himself into my life. Too late for that, I think miserably.
“I know.”
“You don’t have to carry everybody else’s burdens just because they look at you with sad eyes.”
I shut my eyes because that observation is way too close to the truth, and I don’t want to look at it.
“I’m okay,” I whisper.
“You call me if you need me.”
“I will.”
“And Magnolia?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Emotion surges painfully in my chest. “Love you too, Mama.”
After we hang up, I sit there staring at nothing for another minute before Viktor texts that it’s time to leave.
The drive to Alexei’s mansion feels more ominous tonight. The gates slide open when we approach, revealing long stretches of manicured grounds glowing beneath the carefully placed exterior lighting. Security moves visibly around the property, speaking quietly into earpieces and scanning every arriving vehicle.
Nobody here looks relaxed, and unease coils slowly through my chest as Viktor escorts me inside. The atmosphere feels even tighter once we step through the front doors. Men move quickly through the halls speaking Russian into radios while staff members keep their heads lowered and out of the way.
Luka appears near the staircase holding his tablet. The bruise beneath his eye looks even worse now.
“What happened to your face?” I finally ask.
His expression remains perfectly bland. “Occupational hazard.”
