AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hah. No. Borrowed my phone and snooped. Little fucking spy. Would make a good FSB agent, though.”
Although I’m appalled at Zaro’s actions, I’m not surprised either. It’s a wonder Iakov hasn’t killed her yet. I might have if I were him, but maybe he’s more patient when it comes to dealing with the antics of spoilt rich girls.
“How was Paris?” I ask.
He waves a hand. “Noisy. Hotel was nice, though. Food was fucking great.”
I laugh. “You’re a lover of French cuisine, Iakov? I never knew.”
“Yea.” He gives a dry, rough laugh. “I fucking love a petit four.”
“A petit what?”
He holds out his hand with his thumb and index finger a few centimetres apart to indicate something small. “You know. Tiny cakes.”
I stare at him, completely taken aback. “Really?”
“Mm.”
I try to picture all six foot five of Iakov, with his tattoos and bruises and stapled cuts and big black boots, holding a tiny, delicate strawberry tartlet, and I shake my head at the ridiculous image.
“Thanks for looking after Zaro,” I say instead. “I worry about her.”
“No big deal,” Iakov says. He jabs his chin at me. “How did it go with your woman?”
Oh, how I wish she was.
“She’s not my woman,” I say without resentment. Since I can’t help the smile forming on my lips, I resume tracing a circle around the fountain rim, stepping carefully over strings of thorns and patches of wet lichen. “It went well.” I point at him. “She said everyone in Spearcrest fancies you.”
Iakov barks out a laugh. “Hah.” He throws his head back and fixes me with his eyes narrowed into black slits. “But not her, though.” He sucks on his cigarette and exhales around it. “The way you two were looking at each other, doubt I’m competition.”
His implication is clear—but so is the promise I made Theodora.
“I think her family’s religious,” I say, straying on the side of cautious truth. “No matter how much I love her—no matter how much she loves me—I don’t know if we’ll ever be together.”
It’s a lie disguised behind a bitter truth.
Theodora and I never spoke about what our relationship would be like now we’re back in Spearcrest. No matter what, I know I’ll never be more than a secret. And I can accept that. I can accept it, trusting that the future will be different, that fate won’t always keep us apart—that Theodora, one day, might be free to choose for herself.
“Yea.” Iakov nods grimly. “Her father’s a cunt.” He finishes his cigarette and stomps on the butt. “Shame, man. You two have a cute thing going on.”
“Cute?” I raise my eyebrows, taken aback by hearing that soft word in his wolfish mouth.
He frowns at me.
“Do you mean cute like your little French cakes?” I ask, stepping off the fountain edge.
“Miserable fucker.” He grins and throws his arm around my shoulder. “Let’s drink our sorrows away together.”
“We have class tomorrow,” I point out.
“So?” He shrugs, dragging me away. “Tomorrow’s problems for tomorrow.”
Chapter 40
True Saint
Theodora
