You can take the boy off the streets of Moskva, but you can’t take the streets out of the man.
Misha could afford to build a house out of his favorite candy now. That won’t stop him from savoring each and every one of them.
“A lot of male saints killed people?—”
“Says who?”
“Someone whose father made her read the bible. St. George was a soldier before he was martyred.”
“Oh, wow. One?—”
“How is this my life right now? Jesus, Misha. Get out of here and I’ll talk to you downstairs.”
“No!” She yanks on his sleeve. “Tell me more! I want to know!”
The word “everything” goes unspoken.
“You’re waiting on Maxim,” Misha reasons, his lips barely forming a smirk. “Why did you hang out with Nikolai?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Why not?” She props her chin on my chest. “Did he make you feel safe?”
My jaw works.
“Have you ever seen a picture of his parents, Victoria?”
“Misha,” I warn.
“No. Do you have some? I’ve never seen any pictures! Oh, my god, do you have baby ones?!”
Snorting, Misha collects his phone and brings up a photograph. He tosses the device onto my abs for her to snatch.
“We always take pictures of our keepsakes and have spares on each other’s phone as a failsafe.”
I rub my middle finger along the length of my nose.
She doesn’t notice. Her fascination’s locked onto the picture. “Wow.”
“Uncanny, isn’t it?”
“Are they related?”
“Nah. It’s just a weird twist of fate.”
“They’re so similar.” Sorrow has her brow furrowing. “That must have been bittersweet,dorogoy.”
I ignore Misha’s reaction to the endearment.
“It seemed like a sign when I was younger,” I confess gruffly.
“Does Nikolai know?”
Misha shakes his head. “We don’t talk about it. I only found out because I saw him studying the pictures he had.”
“How many?”
“Three. One of my parents’ wedding day.” My eyes turn downcast. “My grandmother and mother at a picnic. And one I took of my grandmother when she…” I rub my cheek. “She gave me a disposable camera. Like a foolish child, I wasted most of the film on stupid shit when I should have been taking pictures that’d help me remember her.”
