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Frederick grimaces. “You’ll probably want to see this for yourself. Come on!”
Given we’re still recovering from our injuries, my brother and I aren’t exactly scrambling to get down the stairs. I cling to the railing and take the steps one at a time, both of us using each other for balance until we’ve made it to the main floor. From there, I take off, determined to see what all the noise is about. If we really were under attack, I’m sure I would have heard gunshots by now. This isn’t the case, which only spurs on my curiosity.
When I get outside, I walk into a scene of utter chaos. Dad is shouting at someone just out of my line of sight. Guards surround him, weapons drawn—but for some reason, they aren’t firing. Mom’s beside him, tugging on his arm to try and get him to calm down. When I step forward, I see Charlotte. Is she in trouble? What’s going on? Does it have to do with the man she’s standing in front of, her arms outstretched in an attempt to shield him?
When I finally look at the man…
Our eyes connect.
Time stands still.
Dark black hair and equally dark eyes. A solid jaw and a determined frown. Strong arms and a solid chest, his silhouette so familiar to me I’d recognize him in the dark.
“Andrei?” I rasp. My throat closes. Is this some kind of fever dream? My feet carry me forward before my brain has a chance to tell them what to do. “Andrei!”
I’m not sure what happens next. Do I run to him? Or does he charge past my father and his guards to get to me? It doesn’t matter. All I care about is the way he opens his arms and hugs me tight, our bodies colliding like distant stars. I drink in his warmth, breathe in his scent. All those weeks of torment and grief are suddenly wiped away, replaced instead by the steady beat of his heart and the feel of his fingers combing through my hair.
My whole body trembles as he whispers my name over and over again like a prayer. I cling to him like the earth beneath us might fall away at any moment. How is he here? I thought he was dead. Dad said—
“You lied to me,” I murmur, glaring at my father over Andrei’s shoulder. Tears well up in my eyes, blurring the corners of my vision. “Youliedto me!”
“He lied to both of us,” Andrei grumbles, but he doesn’t let go. If anything, his arms tighten around me. I think he’s just as afraid as I am that something will tear us apart.
“I was trying to protect you,” Dad says. His face is unapologetic, but I sense the anguish in his tone. “This man… He’s not good for you, Sandra.”
“Isn’t that for me to decide?”
“He’s the reason the Antonovs have lost control of Moscow!”
“I don’t care. I love him!”
Andrei cups my face in his hands and smiles. “You do?”
I reflect his smile, so overjoyed I think my heart might burst. “I really do.”
“I love you too, Sandra.”
Just hearing him say it takes my breath away. I don’t know whether I want to laugh, cry, or break out into tears of relief. I can’t even begin to explain how good this feels. His arms are my sanctuary, my home.
“Andrei, there’s something I need to tell you—”
“You’re pregnant.”
I blink up at him, confused. “Yes, but… How did you—”
“I might have mentioned something to him,” Charlotte confesses. “I knew you were lying, Sandy. And I couldn’t just stand idly by.”
“You’rewhat?” Dad exclaims. His whole face is purple with anger. Thankfully, Mom knows exactly how to calm him down.
“I think we should take this inside, hm?” she suggests, patting Dad on the arm. “Come on, dear, before you give yourself an aneurysm.”
“I’m not letting this fucker inside my house—”
“Come along, dear,” Mom says to Andrei, ignoring Dad outright. “Would you care for a pot of tea? Maybe a soda?”
“A glass of water would be great.”
“Wait a damn minute!” Dad exclaims.
