Franka and Ivan knew the second I reported her missing. I’m glad she came here, instead of turning to Lily or someone else.
“How?” She folds her arms across her chest. It’s incredible that a mustard-yellow nightgown which goes up to her neck in ruffled lace can be sexy, but Nina makes it work.
“You thought you could get away from me.”
I lean back against the door, matching her defensive posture. She’s been difficult lately, but I’ve got her now. I’d been steeling myself for the day when she would try to leave. I know she’s scared after Denis’s death, but my family is not a threat to her or Ava. Not if she listens to me.
“I did get away from you. And somehow…” she trails off, deep in thought. Her mouth sets in a line. “You know them. Ms. Orlov and Mr. Jones.”
There’s no point lying to her anymore. She would have realized eventually.
“Franka Orlov is an old friend of Vanya’s. And Ivan works for me.”
Nina’s soft brown eyes widen and she begins to shake her head.
“But I’ve lived here for years.”
“Since you got back to the city. I know.”
“Explain.”Nina drops to the bed, folding her face down into her hands.“Right now. With no lies, no secrets. I’m sick of the secrets, Art.”
“When you moved back to the city, you came back onto our radar. I wanted to make sure you were safe. And make things a little easier for you.”
“That’s why it was so easy to find this rent-controlled apartment?” Her voice is muffled.
“I wanted to help.”
And I couldn’t stay away. It was a compulsion, when she came back. I couldn’t resist it.
“I didn’t need your help, Art.”
The word cuts through my chest. I like to think that, even if I did have this urge to keep tabs on her, the arrangements were mutually beneficial. Nina had people she could trust, people who would keep her safe, even when I couldn’t.
“I couldn’t keep you safe. You didn’t want to see me. So I made sure other people would.” It was the obvious solution.
Nina makes a sound that is somewhere between a gasp and a sob. “I thought I was the luckiest person in the world when I moved back here.”
“People make their own luck, Nenoka. But it could have been so much easier if you just told me about Ava.”
She looks up from the bed. “I tried.”
“You could have trusted me enough not to believe whatever bullshit Polina fed you. Then, things would have been easier. I wouldn’t have had to do all of this just to protect you. I should’ve been there.”
“You weren’t. I left you, Art. You had no right to set up a team of people to keep an eye on me, even if that’s somehow normal in your world. Don’t you realize how fucked up that is?”
Oh, Nina.
It could have been so much worse. I set myself boundaries. I held back from seeing her, until it was too urgent not to.
I would have arranged much more if I’d known about Ava — but I was trying to hold back, trying to be good and not interfere where she didn’t want me.
“I would have done anything to keep you safe. And tonight, I’mglad that they were both here. Because they did keep you safe, by telling me where you were.”
“This is… This is way too much.” Nina looks up at me, her eyes filling with tears. “I’ve already decided. I’m going to Italy tomorrow.”
“With Lisette and Viktor?” I frown. She’d said she didn’t want us to go with them, even when Lisette had specifically requested her medical advice. She wanted to stay here and continue her residency, even though the offer was tempting.
“You were the one who said I needed to go with them.”
