Chapter Twenty-Eight
In which there are warm baths and many questions.
Moulin Rouge Soundtrack - Come What May
Lucca…
When Dr. Giardo finally released Tatiana two days later, she begged me to help her back to student housing early in the morning, saying she didn’t want to be center-ring in the Academy freak show.I got why, stares and false sympathy are irritating as fuck, no matter who they are directed at.
She tries to protest when I carry her, and I ignore it. All I can think of is racing across the lawn to the clinic with her in my arms ten days ago.
When I turn in the direction of the men’s side of the building, she stiffens. “I should really go to my room,” she said weakly.
“Don’t worry,” I said, “I don’t intend to soil your virtue.”
“You already did that,” she interrupts.
“I’m taking care of you. And as I recall, you were an enthusiastic participant in the soiling.”
“Let’s not call it that,” she sighs, but she doesn’t argue as I carry her up the stairs to my place. “Is Konstantin going to mind that I’m his space?”
“No. He and Mariya have been really worried about you, so I expect she’ll be over a lot, too.”
“On the bright side, Athena always wanted to have her own place, she’s sort of getting her wish,” she said. “Also, she is very loud and I’m happy not to have to hear it.”
“What, like her music?” I ask.
“No, her… you know,” she said, flushing a little.
Given how pale she’s been, the extra color in her skin is a relief. I’ll just have to keep embarrassing her. “You mean when she’s fucking?”
“Will you stop that?”
Yeah, she definitely looks healthier when she’s blushing.
“Go over the six fastest-acting plant-based poisons with me again,” Tatiana said, rubbing her forehead.
“We’ve run through prep for this test three times,” Mariya whines, clearly bored out of her mind. “Let’s do some plotting instead.”
Konstantin looks up from his gaming console. “Plotting?”
Mariya and Tatiana talked us through their conversation from yesterday.
“I’ve thought about it since my genius friend,” Tatiana nods at Mariya, who's attempting to appear modest, “laid this all out for me, and it’s raised more questions. Whydidmy brother seek an alliance with the weakest of the Moscow Six? My father had connections everywhere, surely Roman could have reached out to more reputable ones.”
“With attacks coming in from all directions, Roman can’t know who to trust, especially if your father kept so much of his business from him,” I said.
“Yeah, but Roman and Ilia knew one of the biggest threats was to Tati, right?” Kon asked. “I mean, the reason she’s here is to keep from being kidnapped. Did he just pick the Rostova Bratva because Leonid has a son of marriageable age?”
“Yeah…” Tatiana rubbed her forehead again, she was exhausted, I could tell. “My father spent a lot of time with Leonid. I know they did business. Maybe Roman and Ilia decided he was the first, safe choice.”
“Baby, it’s late and if you’re going to get better, you’ve got to sleep,” I said, rising from the couch and stretching. Before she could argue, I scooped her up and carried her to my room.
“Night night, Nurse Toscano!” Konstantin called.
“Flip him off for me, would you? My hands are full.” I said to Tatiana, laughing when she used both hands.
Carrying her into the bathroom, I sat her on the counter and started the water in the tub. “How about a hot bath?”
