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Anger flooded back. “How can I not?”
He matched my scowl with his own. “I’ll take care of it. I don’t want you to worry about anything.”
There was no arguing with someone who could never understand, but I wished he wouldn’t dismiss my very real fears so easily. We finished the meal in silence, a far cry from the fun we’d been having while he cooked.
After dinner, he refused to let me clean up the dishes and showed me to the room I’d be sleeping in. Once again, my jaw dropped at the beautiful bedroom. It was wallpapered in a cheery bamboo print with nature drawings of tropical birds in simple silver frames. The bed was wider than the room I shared with Annie and had gauzy curtains hanging from the tall frame. A sliding glass door led out to a balcony spilling over with pretty flowering plants. Another door led to a bathroom with a whirlpool tub and shower so big I was sure I could stand in it with my arms outstretched.
“My cousin’s wife or Evelina should have arranged for clothes for you in the closet,” he said, standing in the doorway while I made a quick perusal of the room. “Anything you need should be in the bathroom as well, but let me know if they forgot anything.”
I turned to look at him, not sure what to say. I didn’t want to thank him because, ultimately, I didn’t want to be there. But as far as being a prisoner went, I couldn’t have asked for anything more comfortable and downright luxurious. I only stood there awkwardly.
He put his hands on my shoulders and leaned down. “I really do promise everything will be okay.” With a brief smile, he turned and left me alone.
I was too full to get right in bed, so I got in the tub and let the scorching hot water and lavender-scented bath oil soothe my frazzled nerves. It didn’t seem possible to have so many emotions in one day. It was probably the trauma of getting snatched off the street, having my life upended, and being pregnant combined.
After my fingers and toes were shriveled, I found a comfy pair of pajamas in the closet and sat out on the balcony. It was just a touch too warm, but the flowers everywhere smelled intoxicating, and the odd sounds emanating from the garden kept me staring at the dark expanse that I thought must be the ocean. Everything was so decadent, but it was a struggle not to slip into despair. As much as Leo told me not to worry, that was an impossible feat when I didn’t know what was going on at home.
A knock on my bedroom door brought me back inside, where the cool blast of air conditioning was a welcome respite to the steamy outdoors. Leo stood in the hallway, holding out his phone.
“You can call your grandmother if you promise not to breathe a word about where you’re at or that you’re with me.”
“I promise,” I said eagerly, crossing my heart for good measure.
He smiled and handed over the phone. I was lucky Gran had forced both Annie and me to at least memorize each other’s numbers, or I wouldn’t know what I would have done. I supposed I could have emailed her and waited for her to check like she did once or twice a month.
“Who is this?” Gran said when the call connected.
“It’s me, Gran,” I said. Before I could assure her I was all right, she exploded.
“Can you tell me why Annie and I are in a house in Long Island surrounded by Russians with guns?”
I repeated the question for Leo’s benefit. He smirked. “I bought the house to possibly live in when the baby’s born. It’s in the middle of renovations but still perfectly livable. It has internet, so your sister can do her schooling online until the threat is neutralized, and my men will take your grandma to any appointments.” He paused as if he was forgetting something. “The bills will all be taken care of.”
I stared at him, mouth hanging open, nearly forgetting Gran was on the phone. “Did you hear all of that?” I asked, stunned, almost speechless.
“Yes, but I don’t understand what’s happening. Where are you? When are you coming home? When are we going home?”
I calmed Gran down as best I could while dodging most of her questions. “Try to treat it like a vacation,” I said. “Are the men being nice?”
“They’re very respectful young men,” she admitted begrudgingly. “One offered to make pierogies.”
I whispered that to Leo, and he nodded. “That’s Pavel. She should take him up on it. They’re delicious.”
I had Gran put Annie on the phone to make sure she was adjusting all right. She prattled on excitedly about the house having three stories and a backyard as big as her school’s playground. I listened while watching Leo watch me with a smile on his face. He had changed into his uniform of sweatpants and a t-shirt that hugged every muscle of his chest. I liked him best that way, even though he could rival any Armani model when he wore a suit.
Leo finally held out his hand for the phone back, and I told them I’d get back in touch when I could but not to worry. Everything would be fine. I burst into tears as soon as I ended the call and handed back his phone.
I wiped at the river flowing down my cheeks. He looked completely out of his depth at my outburst. “This isn’t because of your kindness,” I said stubbornly. “It’s just the stupid baby hormones.”
“You shouldn’t call the baby stupid,” he said, completely deadpan.
I laughed against my will and then threw my arms around him. He caught me and wrapped his own arms around my waist, his hands sliding down my back as he pulled me close. His body was molded to mine, and I let my forehead drop to his shoulder, never wanting to leave his embrace.
After the briefest moment, he gently stepped back, keeping his hands on my hips. His eyes searched mine, still wet with happy, relieved tears. “I didn’t do any of this out of kindness,” he said. “I’m only trying to make things right that shouldn’t have gone so wrong in the first place.”
He wiped away the moisture from my cheeks and tucked my hair behind my ear. Just like on the plane, everything in me wanted his lips to touch mine. I closed my eyes, willing it to happen, not ready to take the initiative myself. I would have died if he rebuffed me, but I was so close. So, so close.
“Goodnight, Sunshine,” he said, his hands sliding away from my hips.
