Page 58 of Nemesis

Maybe one day, she’ll understand.

Octavia’s accusation warps into the buried memory, stirring up grains of dormant guilt.

“One day, I’ll have to leave,” I whisper. “But not tonight.”

Her face falls as soon as the words leave my tongue, but I can’t give her the promise she needs. I’m not the kind of person who has the luxury to promise they’ll stay.

“Not tonight,” she repeats softly, slipping her fingers into mine.

I pull back the bedsheet and climb in, taking care not to break the lock of our hands. Grime and blood still coat my clothes, stiffening the fabric at my joints. I think the two of us need sleep more than a shower at this point, but the race is close.

“Vasiliy?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

God.

I can actually hear the last piece of ice crack and sheet off my heart.

“You never need to thank someone for doing the bare fucking minimum. Demand more from people.”

A cute snort fills the air.

“Fine. Then I demand that you train me to take down men like you did back in the cage. I’ve never seen anyone fight like you.”

“You fight me every day, you little tyrant.”

She gasps. “Not true! You’re a shit stirrer, and you know it.”

I can’t stop laughing, rolling over to my side so we’re face-to-face.

“Besides,” she continues. “I have big plans to knock you on your ass. You won’t even see me coming, buddy.”

I smile so fucking wide, it’s a miracle the cut on my lips doesn’t open back up.

“Fine. We’ll start in the morning. I have a feeling you have many violent talents we have yet to pull out.”

As I watch her slip under the blankets beside me with a sassy smile on her face, I wonder for the first time if I ever had the will to leave through the bathroom window in the first place.

I’ve learned exactly three things since I woke in the dark hours of the night and dressed, intent on gaining my bearings.

Siderov poorly guards the windows. It only took a few minutes to unscrew the bolts and scale down the side of the three-story residential house, and I didn’t even have to turn the lights on to do so.

Apparently, we’re in some suburb called New Jersey. I always thought American geography was boring as hell, so I only ever bothered to memorize the states that were useful for my assignments. I never thought I’d actually be sent here on said assignments.

Octavia snores. It’s kind of cute.

From what I could tell, we seem to be in a safehouse well hidden within a boring residential district. The other properties in the area are coincidentally vacant or for sale—no one around to hear a thing.

Siderov plans well. I have no doubt that bits and pieces of his story are accurate. After all, the best lies often are to some extent. I’m not stupid enough to believe his intentions are as honorable as he claimed, but I’ll play along for now.

I wonder if he accepted the ransom our captors had offered and proceeded to smoke them out. He knows more about them than he cares to admit, and I intend to find out what he’s withholding.

Reaching up, I grasp the final ledge with my fingers, angling my boot into a loose board before hoisting myself to the window. I’ve been out long enough that the dark sky is now starting to streak with the purple rays of dawn, and the rising sun heats my exposed neck. I would’ve stayed out longer, but I don’t want Octavia waking alone. Her face looked so soft and relaxed when I left. Nothing like how it looked when she caught a few hours of sleep in the cage.

When I finally pull myself up to the bedroom window, biceps flexing in a soothing burn, I free one hand to wedge the glass back up and step into the room⁠—