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Maybe he’ll choose to be in my world after the baby is born.
Maybe he’ll be a good father, and there will be more days like this. Maybe we’ll be happy together. But how I can make that happen is something I’ll have to figure out.
Chapter 17
Paige
After an unhurried morning alone upstairs, Andrei and I go downstairs, and I glare at the front door when we reach the main hall. That imposing door will only keep the world out if it remains shut.
Peevishly, I wait for Dmitri to burst into the mansion and seek out Andrei, as usual, for some emergency or the other. I eye the door, waiting for him to appear, holding up his phone with an urgent text. And then they’ll speak in Russian to keep me in the dark and disappear into the office.
But it doesn’t happen.
Did Andrei threaten everyone so they’d leave us alone today?
Morning gives way to a serene afternoon as Andrei and I walk toward the gardens. The garden offers no privacy with its low hedges and flower beds—there’s nothing that grows higher than one’s waist. Nothing that will block the view of the house to the surrounding woods.
I look for Natasha behind the garage, but she’s nowhere in sight. I guess she has something to do elsewhere, and my shoulders relax, knowing the dirty business in the garage isn’t happening today. I can’t believe how many times I stood behind it with her, clueless about what went on inside.
“I’ve never roamed the entirety of the grounds before,” I laugh, holding Andrei’s hand. “But I’ve certainly tried.”
“Then come.” Andrei pulls me toward the sweeping lawn. “Let’s explore, as long as you promise not to run from me.”
“I promise,” I tease him back. But I can’t imagine leaving here. I’ve never had that thought before.
We walk toward the perimeter of the property, along the edge of the woods, and I admire the mansion from a distance. I’ve never noticed the immense size of the impressive brick structure isolated on a grassy slope. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run except for one place. My gaze sweeps over to the maze, the only obstruction in view, and I hope Eva doesn’t suddenly appear.
I pull Andrei forward, turning our backs to the house. “What’s in the woods?” I ask.
His eyes darken, and I wish I hadn’t asked. “It’s not safe in there, Paige,” he answers. “The woods are dangerous and conceal things that can hurt or kill. Even I avoid walking through them.”
Andrei gives me a stern look and walks off as I try to peer through the canopy of leaves. I can make out rough terrain that looks deceptively inviting in the soft light of the afternoon sun. The breeze rustles the leaves and carries a sweet, earthy smell with it. Birds sing from the branches like a siren’s song, but I’ve been fooled before.
I want to know what’s hidden, but at the same time, I’m afraid of what I might find. I turn away and catch up to Andrei, linking my arm in his.
“It sounds as if you could be talking about yourself,” I reply lightly. A part of me will always be drawn to Andrei, despite his secrets.
He smiles, pleased that I’ve listened for a change. “Why go into the woods when we have a comfortable house?”
We continue to walk, circling the mansion, when I notice an attached garage with double doors on the far side of the building. In front of the doors is a driveway that disappears behind a low, overgrown gate many yards away. I had wondered where they kept the hundreds of Rovers his guards drive.
“Did you ever get your car back?” I ask as we head toward the doors.
Andrei shakes his head, looking unconcerned. “Talia can keep it. If she did return it, I’m sure she would’ve added a tracking device or a bomb.”
He laughs, but I don’t join in. Andrei smiles at my somber reaction and places a kiss on my cheek. “Come. I’ll show you my latest toy.”
The dim interior of the garage is pleasantly cool compared to the outdoors. It’s definitely not like other people’s garages, at least the ones I know. No clutter of unwanted household items or dust bunnies hidden in the corners. The blackened Rovers are lined up in neat rows like a showroom.
Off by itself is a silver Lamborghini that glows in the dim light. The light that reflects off its sleek lines makes it look as if it’s in motion. I move my hand along it, admiring the smooth, clean surface. Andrei touches a keypad on the driver’s door, and the headlights flash as the engine hums to a quick start.
He opens the passenger door. “Let’s take a drive.”
Though he warned me not to go into the woods, we drive through the low gate and into the woods, leaving the safety of the mansion behind us. The woods obscure a narrow road, but we’re still on his land. The car winds along the twisting road, and I look out my window at the view. To my right, there’s a small clearing where the grass sprouts through the dark soil. I turn my head and look straight ahead.
“How big is the property?” I ask.
“Seventy acres,” he replies. “Every time you tried to run, I was worried you would get lost in the woods, not that you would get away.”
