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Language isn’t a barrier I’ve encountered before. All of a sudden, it’s a wall caving around me. Underscoring how, by climbing on that plane, I’ve handed complete control over to Nick. I’ll only be able to understand what he chooses to share with me.
The gates creak open slowly, Viktor climbs back inside, and the car creeps forward. Up a long, sweeping drive. We turn a corner, and all of a sudden, I can see our destination. It looks like every single light is on inside, illuminating the entirety of the massive mansion.
I’d estimate it covers a similar square footage as the apartment building Leo and I lived in.Livein, I remind myself.
If I lose sight of who I am—what I want—I won’t make it through this. I have to believe this is temporary. That the seriousness on Nick’s face when he told me Leo and I were in danger will quickly be alleviated and life will return to normal.
Viktor stops the car in front of the building. Calling it a house is a misnomer. It’s a palace. A compound. Two wings flank the massive entrance, spreading far enough to each side. It’s impossible to take the whole structure in at once.
The same car Nick sped off in is parked outside the wooden doors that mark the mansion’s entrance. A tall, dark figure leans against the black bumper, golden shadows dancing across his impassive expression. The flame disappears, then flickers to life again.
It’s a strange sensation—knowing small details about someone, but nothing big. I know that Nick carries around a silver lighter. I even remember how rough the metal felt against my fingers, marred with scratches and age.
But I don’t know why Nick disappeared from my life without a word. Or the scale of what exactly he’s involved in now that requires a small, heavily armed army to work for him.
The first time I met Nick, I noticed the aura of charisma that surrounds him, the way you’re pulled in effortlessly by his presence alone. It never faded. And it’s especially obvious now, against the backdrop of the stone mansion and the manicured grounds and the darkening sky.
I’m worried how well I ever knew him. If I can even trust this version of him, who seems so at ease in these circumstances. Who appears unfazed by the threat of violence and unbothered by having us here.
The flicker disappears again as Viktor parks the car. I open my door right away, intending to demand answers. The sooner I know what the situation is, the easier it will be to figure out some solution.
Cold air smacks me in the face. I forgot, somehow, how bitter the wind was during the short walk from the plane to the waiting car. No customs or baggage claim. There weren’t even any airport workers when we landed. Just hordes of men, wearing black clothes and stoic expressions. Is it illegal to enter a country that way? Probably. The thought sends a fresh spike of anxiety through me.
I’m used to feeling alone. Not to feeling helpless. It’s an emotion I purged from my system and never wanted to be reacquainted with.
I wrap my arms around myself to ward off the chill, feeling the dig of the phone in my pocket pressing against my stomach. It should be reassuring, but it isn’t any longer.
At best, my outdated cell usually manages a couple of hours of battery life. I’m sure it’s dead by now. Even if it is charged and the gothic castle in front of me has Wi-Fi, I have no idea who I would contact or what I would say. I’ve always prided myself on my independence and self-sufficiency.
And it would be one thing if it was just me taking risks.
But I’m not willing to gamble with Leo’s safety.
Nick strides toward me, his long legs eating up the distance between us quickly. I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to it. “Where’s Leo?”
Everything about this moment feels surreal—including hearing Nick ask me that question. Hearing him say our son’s name.
“He fell asleep—” That’s all I get out before Nick is rounding the car and opening the door.
A few seconds later, he’s standing and then walking toward the front door that’s swinging open to greet him, a sleeping Leo draped against one shoulder.
I’m too stunned to move for a minute. I’ve nevernotbeen a single mother. Every decision when it comes to Leo has been squarely on my shoulders. And in a matter of hours, Nick has totally taken over. Barged into our lives with the same subtlety of a bull in a china shop.
I thought he’d have apprehensions about parenting. That he would avoid Leo or act uncertain around him. I had eight months to get used to the idea of being a mother, and I still felt unprepared.
Nick found out he’s a father less than forty-eight hours ago. And yet he’s acting like he’s carried Leo around a thousand times before.
His assurance isn’t comforting. It makes me feel even more uncertain and out of control as I follow Nick inside. My feet feel heavy and my chest hollow as we walk through a soaring entryway. Uniformed staff scurry around, but no one stops to greet us. Everyone’s eyes are downcast, their posture subservient. Like they’re…scared.
My heart rate picks up as I watch Nick’s tall frame move toward the stairs. No one speaks. Everyone silently moves out of his way.
I swallow, picking up my pace and hurrying upstairs after him. My focus is on Nick’s back and nothing else, drawing on old memories to quell the panic inside of me.
I think of the way he used to kiss me. The way he used to hold me.
That’s part of who Nick is. He’s not just this cold, detached man everyone appears terrified of.
My eyes are bleary with exhaustion as Nick walks down a long hallway and into a room. By the time I catch up, he’s laid Leo down on the huge bed and is taking off his coat and shoes. Draping a blanket over his body. Leo has always been a heavy sleeper, but I’m surprised he hasn’t been jostled awake yet. He’s still in his elf pajamas, curled up on the massive mattress that makes him look small.
