AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The trees looming a short distance from the house provide only minimal protection. There’s no gate. No barbed wire. Nothing to slow a bullet or a trained soldier. I jump as underbrush crunches nearby and my heart hammers, spurring my unease. In every swaying shadow, I see danger. Movement. Robert.
“It’s safe enough,” Mischa boasts, suddenly closer. “And my men know how to hide, Rose. So don’t get any cute ideas of running.”
I hunch away from him, hugging my arms around my torso. “What is this place anyway?”
“Property,” he snaps. “And, for now, any Winthorp spies should steer clear. Your good friend Sergei has ensured that. Either way.” He shrugs, scanning the area surrounding the clearing. “She needs to learn.”
I bristle at the seriousness in his tone. “Learn what?”
“How the Winthorps play: dirty.” He fixates on a distant part of the yard where, at first glance, I see nothing.
Then a glimmer of golden hair flashes between a thicket of branches.
“Bang!” Mischa bellows, letting his voice ring throughout the clearing. Startled birds scatter in every which direction, and I marvel at his confidence. Despite his mistrust of the older Vasilev, he truly doesn’t seem worried. “I’ve found you. Try again.”
A dejected Mouse limps from around the base of a tree, her lips pursed. My pity lasts only seconds before she disappears again.
But not for long.
“Pathetic,” Mischa snarls a minute later. His new target is a monstrous pile of chopped wood. “You can’t hesitate. Try again.”
Sure enough, Mouse darts into sight and then races away.
For what feels like hours, he makes her hide before discovering her easily. Over and over. Behind brambles. Or trees, or sections of the house.
Finally, he advances toward another tree, huffing in exasperation.
“You’re dead,” he declares, yanking her from her hiding place. “You need to be more careful—”
“Mischa…” I watch my hand brush over his shoulder before I even register touching him.
“What?” He glares at my fingers and then follows my gaze toward Mouse.
She stands awkwardly in his grasp, huddled against the bark of the tree. In the pale light, it’s easy to make out a silvery substance glinting on her cheeks. Tears.
I start toward her, but Mischa crouches on one knee and grabs her arm, turning her to face him.
“I’ve scared you, haven’t I?”
The shift in his tone stops me in my tracks. The gruff soldier I know is replaced by…a man. One who sounds repentant.
“I’m sorry.” He reaches out to smooth a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “But I don’t want you to get hurt again. Do you understand?”
Swiping at her streaming eyes, Mouse nods. Her face is red, her mouth trembling. But her brave veneer is no match when Mischa coaxes her into his arms and stands, lifting her entirely.
“Ican’tsee you hurt again,” he repeats, his voice low, just for her. “So if I have to teach you to hide so that no one can ever get close enough, I will…”
His gaze turns distant, and I don’t think he realizes what he’s doing: holding the girl in his arms so tight that no one could ever rip her away. He isn’t here but years in the past. With his sister, Aljona?
“I know.” My heart pounds as I step forward, though I’m not sure why I intervene at all. “Let’s play another game.”
They both jump at the sound of my voice. Aware of their scrutiny, I stoop and pluck a wildflower from an unruly patch at my feet. Pale blue, its thin petals stand out in stark contrast against the gray, overcast sky above.
“This is the most valuable thing in the world,” I say, holding it out to Mouse.
Still trapped in Mischa’s embrace, she eyes it warily before finally clasping her fingers around the stalk.
“You need to protect it,” I tell her. “Protect it with everything you have. And him?” I point to Mischa. “He’s the monster you’re guarding it from.”
