Page 74 of The Promise

Were they hiding from the FBI, or looking for Karine?

“We’re done here,” one of the lawyers spoke up.

The agents didn’t look like they were going to agree to that. If only that would make a different, but ... no.

Roman turned away from the conversation, then, headed for the bar in the corner of the room while the lawyers did their thing. He needed a drink, and poured himself three fingers of dark rum.

“We have other questions,” Packard said.

“Our apologies, but this is as much time as Mr. Avdonin has today. He can’t help you with anything else. For further questions, have them delivered in writing to my office so we can take the appropriate time to discuss them, and his answers, with our client.”

While Roman gulped the rum down his throat, he watched the two FBI agents stand up. They didn’t hide the fact that they weren’t happy about being made to leave, but that was the game they agreed to play when they questioned him.

One of the lawyers walked the agents to the door of the hotel suite, while the rest of the people in the room remained exactly where they were.

The agents were gone moments later, making Demyan turn to his son.

“So, Leonid is missing, then. If he’s underground, it’s safe to say Dima has probably done the same.”

“Something tells me they’re not just hiding out doing nothing in the middle of nowhere,” Roman replied, already annoyed.

Demyan shook his head, saying only, “You need to watch your back, son.”

“Perfect, so nothing much has changed.”

SIXTEEN

Michelle had encouraged Karine to meditate—something she hadn’t tried before, and didn’t know very much about until the doctor brought it up. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, requiring more concentration and focus than she was used to when the purpose was to relax. Even though she’d been suspicious of the idea at first, not believing it would help her in any way to get that deep inside her own mind, she decided to follow Roman’s advice.

She kept an open mind with regards to Michelle and the journey she was taking Karine on.

Two weeks of practising day after day, and it finally felt like it was making a difference. Clearing her mind one measured breath at a time, weightless limbs releasing any tension, and everything was ... quiet.

Soft, even.

Her favorite time to meditate was in the morning—like now—so it was the first thing she started her day with, sitting cross-legged on her bedroom floor, facing the open window where the fresh scent of the lake and woods flowed in with a light, chill breeze. Her lungs filled with crisp air. The now-usual echo of voices in her head were all but gone, having faded farther away with every passing minute and each breath she took.

When Karine finally did open her eyes again, her mind was empty. Not in the way it used to be before—when she was always muddled and confused by medication. It was a new clarity she hadn’t known existed.

Karine bounced up off the floor with a smile and changed into a fresh set of clothes, satisfied that she had properly started her day. The rest of it always went better like that.

Masha and Claire’s voices floated from the direction of the kitchen as Karine made her way downstairs, following the mouthwatering scent of breakfast wafting through the halls.

Her appetite had improved, too.

More than she expected.

Michelle correlated her newfound interest in food to the fact her senses were no longer numb—eating wasn’t just mechanical for Karine. Not something she had to do just to sustain her life. She actually enjoyed the textures, even the way food looked, and especially the smell and taste.

She even wanted to learn to cook.

More than anything, Karine wanted to tell Roman. He called her every day, ready and willing to hear each second of her days repeated to him without complaint, and every time she found that she missed him a little more. It didn’t even matter that whenever she wanted to hear his voice, all she needed to do was text him, and he called her back. It was never enough to leave her satisfied—the invisible hole in her heart grew larger still.

And even if he couldn’t call her back straight away, he eventually did. Never left her hanging. Those promises he kept meant the world to Karine. Especially the small ones.

“You’re looking ... happy,” Claire declared, pouring steaming black coffee into mugs as Karine took a seat at the table. Masha chanced a glance over her shoulder from where she cooked at the stove, seemingly relieved to see her.

“You do,” Masha agreed.