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“Ruslan’s busy.”We’re also not his problem anymore.“And we need to get home.”
“Home?” Reagan asks enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You meanhome-home and not—”
No, no, no—
“Oh my goodness!” I gasp, making all the kids jump. “I, um, forgot to call Aunt Phoebe. She was expecting us ages ago.” The girls look confused. Josh is the only one whose expression has turned wary. “If everything’s settled here, we should be going.”
Ruslan’s gaze is trained on me. Lord, that stare—it draws things out of me without him even having to lift a finger. “I’ll escort you home. Or to Phoebe’s, if that’s where you’re going.”
Is he calling me out? Or is he just being protective?
“There’s really no need.”
He’s got that pinched look on his face. Lips pursed, eyebrows joined in one skeptical slash. That stubbornGod-himself-can’t-change-my-mindkind of look.
“I insist.” His tone is biting. “Kirill and I will follow you. Your place or Phoebe’s?”
Shit. “My place.I’ll, uh… I’ll just have her meet us at home.”
“Can we go in Ruslan’s car?” Caroline pleads, putting her hands together.
“Yeah, yeah! Please? Pretty please, Aunt Emma!” Reagan joins in.
“Girls—”
“It’s okay with me,” Ruslan agrees.
I know he’s just loving this chance to undermine me in front of them. To tear down every aspect of my life. But Idoneed to talk to Josh. I can practically see all the questions rolling around in that little head of his.
“Okay, fine,” I relent. “But behave, okay?”
The girls whoop and dart off with Ruslan and Kirill. I gesture for Josh to join me in the Chevy. The moment I’m in the driver’s seat, I grab my phone and text Phoebe.
EMMA:Pheebs, there’s been a situation. It’s a long story. But I need you to come to Hell's Kitchen now. FYI, Ruslan will be with us.
I don’t wait for her to reply before I start driving.
“Aunt Emma…?”
I take a deep breath. “Josh, honey, we can’t tell Ruslan we’re staying in the motel. In fact, we can’t tell him anything at all. Okay?”
I don’t have to look at him to know that he doesn’t like the sound of that. “Butwhy?”
“It’s complicated.” He groans. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. That’s a lame answer. The thing is, no one can know that we’re leaving town, Josh.”
“Even Ruslan? He’s our friend.”
Not anymore.
I feel something in my belly. It’s not nearly dramatic enough to qualify as pain. But it does feel like a reminder.
Ruslan can never know about this baby. If he did, he’d never let me leave. I wouldn’t be his secretary or his lover anymore; I wouldn’t even be his friend. I’d be no more than a womb for hire. And that would make me his prisoner.
I’m not about to subject myself to that kind of torture.
More to the point, I won’t subject this baby to that kind of torture.
“Ruslan has his own life to get on with, Josh. And we have ours. Plus, the fewer people that know about this, the better.”
