That is, if he’ll take me back.
What if he’s married by that time as well?
That ominous thought makes my blood boil.
There’s a knock on the door before Alya rolls her wheelchair in. She’s dressed in an elegant robe, her hair held in a French twist.
I let my hand drop from my chest as I force a smile. “Looking beautiful, Alyonushka.”
She purses her lips. “Do you want to get married, Yulik?”
“Of course not. But what the old man wants, the old man gets.”
“You have someone you love, don’t you? Cy mentioned a Vaughn?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” I force a grin. “It’s only the two of us. I will protect us, okay?”
“Not okay. I don’t want your protection anymore.”
“Alya…” I step toward her.
She was crying when I got here, holding on to me with all her might, mostly because I was injured, but she’s looked different lately in a way I can’t pinpoint.
“I won’t let you do this,” she announces.
“We can’t run away. Even with Cy’s genius, we’ll be Dad’s targets.”
“I’m not running away.”
“Then what are you suggesting?”
“I’ll marry into Boston.”
My shoulders tense up. “Absolutelynot.”
“You know I love you to bits, but you don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“And you don’t get to sacrifice yourself for me, Alya.”
“You don’t get to either!” Her lips tremble. “I know you’ve been feeling guilty since the accident, thinking it was your fault even though I’ve always told you it wasn’t. You feel a responsibility toward me because of that and Mama’s dying wishes, but I’m old enough, Yulik. I can make my own decisions, and I want to move out of your shadow.”
“Alya…” I get on my haunches and take her hand in mine. “Marriage is not a joke.”
“Tell that to yourself, jumping into a marriage with a girl you’ve barely met while your heart is elsewhere.”
I narrow my eyes. “Smart-ass.”
“Always have been.”
“Listen, I have a plan, Alya. I can sacrifice a couple of years in this marriage and then?—”
“No.”
“Hear me out.”
“You hearmeout.” She lifts her chin, then smiles softly, looking more and more like Mama. “Actually, I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while but was hesitant to.”
“Tell me what?”
