Too still.
Bandit was curled up next to her, and his tail thumped when he saw me.
“Are you going out?” Her voice sounded wooden.
I could handle angry Mila and sad Mila, but I didn’t know what to do with numb Mila.
“Just briefly, something’s come up. I’ll be back in an hour, tops.”
“How’s Anton?”
“He’s going to be fine. I sent him to the hospital to get checked out, along with the guard.”
“Okay.”
I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My face looked like crap. Maksim had put butterfly tape over the cut on my cheekbone, but I was definitely getting a black eye to accompany my swollen and split lip.
My face hurt like a bitch, but not as much as the rest of my body.
“There are two guards on tonight, and Oleg is on his way over.”
“Thank you.”
She looked too small sitting on the bed. I wanted nothing more than to crawl onto that bed, lie down beside her, and pull her into my arms, but the best way I could protect her was to do what I needed to do.
I sat down on the bed briefly. “It looks like your uncle and aunt will be staying in Canada for a while.”
Her unfocused gaze was fixed on nothing. “I figured.”
I reached over and grabbed her hand. Her slender fingers were cool to the touch. “You okay?”
She blinked slowly as she looked at me with concern. “Your face.”
“Doesn’t even hurt,” I lied.
“Did you see our living room?”
“It’s a mess.”
“There were fluffy balls everywhere.” Her voice was faint.
I lifted my hand and touched her hair. “We’re going to get through this, okay?”
“You’re coming back?” Her voice hitched when she asked.
“I’ll be back soon. Why don’t you lie down and rest?”
Without hesitation, she curled up on her pillow and Bandit shifted on the bed to lie against her back. I pulled a blanket over them both.
I stood at the door, watching her for a moment, but she didn’t move.
I closed the door softly, fighting every urge I had to stay by her side.
Twenty minutes later,I sat in the parking lot of Jungle’s Chicken and Ribs, which had been closed since I moved to Vancouver.
I called Yuri’s number, and he picked up on the first ring. “We just got word that Grisha is in Canada.”
“He showed up at my home about an hour ago.”
