He stood there and watched me head upstairs, but he didn’t ask any questions.
Later that evening,I had safely tucked Bandit into his bed, where he was snoring beneath the blanket I had pulled over him. Then I stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the pool.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but eventually I heard the door behind me slide open.
Axel came to stand beside me.
“I saw her face.”
I didn’t look at him. “Huh.”
“She told your uncle she tripped and hit the counter.”
We made eye contact. Concern clouded his gaze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
His voice went even quieter. “I never wanted this life for you.”
“You mean the life where I became as bad as them?”
He turned to me. “The life where you have to hit anyone.”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone hurting Bandit.”
“I know.”
He reached forward and put something around my neck. It was a thick silver chain that hung almost to my breasts, and on the end was a short key with a black plastic handle.
I picked it up and inspected it. “What is this?”
“This is a key to the safe deposit box that holds your passport and all your papers.”
My eyes flew to his. He looked so solemn. “Why?”
“I don’t want anyone to have access to them, not even me. I don’t want you to have to leave this country unless you want to.”
My eyes widened at his implication. “What are you talking about?”
“Your uncle wanted to send you back to Russia.” He held my gaze. “If something happens to me, he might try to do that.”
“What do you mean, if something happens to you?” I could hear the fear in my own voice.
“Nothing is going to happen to me, but I’m just taking precautions, okay?” His eyes dropped to the key. “Keep that hidden, and don’t tell anyone.”
“How do I know where the box is?”
“Someone by the name of Viktor will bring you there. You can trust him.”
He pressed into my hand a paper with a single phone number on it. “Memorize this number.”
My eyes widened. “Who is he?”
“Someone I trust with my life, and yours.”
“You’re scaring me.”
He put his hands on my shoulders. “I just want to make sure that no one ever has control over you again.”
