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Finally, she turns and stalks back into her room, slamming the door behind her. I stand there for a minute, lost in thought. No matter how much I want her, I can’t allow this to go any further.
I won’t.
I have to think about Nikolai. With the Bratva on our backs, our life is already a twisted maze. I’m not about to let Scarlett complicate things further.
She’s a distraction.
And distractions get people killed.
Chapter 12
Scarlett
Nikolai watches with interest as I set out an assortment of tools on the work table in his study room. For a change, we don’t have Anton looming in the background and I must admit, I’m enjoying the boy’s company. Not to mention that after that moment of insanity in the hallway, I can’t look the man in the eye without wanting the earth to swallow me. Meanwhile, he’s behaving as if nothing ever happened.
God, he’s a bastard!
“What are we doing today, Scarlett?” Niko eyes the tidy black velvet pouch with interest. It’s not my toolkit of choice, but right now, since that’s in the hands of a band of murderous thugs, I’ll have to make do with my backup kit.
“Today, we try something different.” I wink at him. “Today, I’ll teach you how to pick a lock and create a makeshift rope out of sheets. It’s always good to have some extra skills up your sleeve.”
He blinks at me in confusion. “Pick a lock? Sheets?” he asks. “What for?”
“Well…uh…you never know when you might need to get out of a tight spot,” I tell him. God knows I’ve been in that situation more than once. Present circumstances included. “Won’t it be cool to do something other than puzzles for a change?”
He nods eagerly, and I smile at his excitement, but there’s a nagging feeling that I’m crossing a line.
Tough.
These are good skills.
I remember how much I loved moments like these with my dad, and it spurs me past my misgivings.
“Alright, first things first,” I say, pulling a tension wrench and a hook pick from the pouch. “These are your tools for picking locks. The wrench applies pressure, while the pick moves the pins inside the lock.”
“Pins?” he says. “There are pins in a lock?” He looks confused.
“Different kind of pins,” I tell him. “But don’t worry about that now. Just watch.”
Nikolai watches intently as I demonstrate on the door to the room, carefully explaining each step. His small hands mimic my movements, determined to master the skill.
“Got it!” he exclaims after several attempts, successfully unlocking the door.
“Excellent job, Niko,” I praise him, ruffling his hair. We try it several more times, and I have to admit, the kid has a knack for it. A tiny sense of pride swirls.
“I’ll be a champion at this!” He grins up at me as he picks the lock again.
“Without a doubt! Now, let’s move on to making our rope.” I move along to the next phase of the lesson.
“Cool!” His eyes are shining as he watches me.
I grab a pile of sheets I’ve brought in from the linen closet and begin folding them into long strips. “You’ll want to tie these together tight in a string of knots, like this.” My fingers deftly weave the fabric together, creating a sturdy rope. “With enough practice, you can use this to climb out of a second-story window.” Or even higher if you’re making a hasty getaway from the cops, except I don’t add that last part.
“Wow,” Nikolai breathes, following along as best as he can with his small fingers. “But why would you want to climb out of a window?” His brow furrows.
“Um…to play hide and seek?” I suggest.
“Is that what you did when you were a kid?” he asks.
