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“Her grandmother, huh?” I shook my head. Nora’s life was so different than what I had envisaged it to be. Would she even want to know me now that she had her answers? I had no idea. But I knew what I wanted. So until she told me to leave her alone, I was going to be there for her.
Katya went back to her hotel, and I took Nora home. She was all but catatonic. I couldn’t even blame her.
Once there, I stripped her of her clothes and then got naked before manhandling her into the shower. I let the hot water pour down on her, as she stood, unmoving, unmoved by our proximity or nakedness. Taking the shampoo, I washed her hair carefully before scrubbing her skin of dirt, blood, and whatever other bodily fluids she’d encountered.
She let me touch her in the most intimate places with no reaction, and I was seriously beginning to wonder if I shouldn’t check her in to a psychiatric facility. I gently bundled her out of the shower and enfolded her in a robe before leading her to the bed. Taking one of the sedatives Doctor Ross had prescribed, I made her take it with some water.
“Come on,” I told her, “time for bed.” I tucked her into the blankets and then stood looking down at her, wondering if I would lose her forever now that her sister had been found.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
NORA
Istartled awake sometime in the middle of the night, hoping it had all been a bad dream. For maybe half a second, suspended in time, I almost believed it. Then my heart sank back to my feet where it had been living since the life went out of Celia’s eyes. I realized that I’d never really doubted I’d find her somewhere, alive and well.
In my mind, Celia had been built to survive anything.
Oh, how wrong I was.
I couldn’t help being filled with anguish at the thought of her trapped for months…months.And there I had been, just wringing my hands the whole time. I should have pressed Detective Reed harder than I did—not accept his bullshit excuses.
I felt as though regret might kill me. It was a weight, pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. I gave a shuddering gasp as the tears I didn’t know were pressing behind my eyelids began to fall.
There was a movement in the bed beside me, and I realized I wasn’t alone. A strong arm slipped around my waist and my muscles jumped before the scent of Bleu de Chanel wafted towards me. I knew who it was.
“Alexei?” I called. I had figured he’d cut his losses and ran as soon as possible now that I’d been exposed.
He pulled me in so that I was lying against his chest.
“Are you alright?” he asked me softly.
His tone was surprising to me. I expected some anger at least, due to my deceit.
“How did you find me?”
He sighed. “Torture and tech.”
I turned, squinting at his form in the darkness. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean we threatened to scoop Igor’s eyes out if he didn’t tell us where Kirill took you.”
My heart sank. “So you know about him?”
“About… who?”
“Kirill. And what he’s been doing—apparently behind your back.”
“I do.” His voice became really cold. “And he’ll pay for that. And for hurting you, too.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
There was a rustling of the sheets as he turned his head. “For what?” he sounded curious.
“For all this. Kirill. The whole thing. You found out he was betraying you because of me.”
He huffed in quiet laughter. “I should be thankingyoufor that. You shouldn’t be apologizing.”
I sighed, feeling the tears soak into the pillow beside my face. “I just…” I shook my head, “I guess I’m tired. This has been…”
