I turned around. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with an indifferent expression.
"What?"
"The kid's stuff," he said. "Don't pack so much. They have everything there. I'll buy him new things."
Would someone who actually cared about a child say something like that?
Aiden was only a few months old. He was used to his own clothes, his own blanket, that stuffed toy that helped him sleep. Anyone who understood babies knew how stressful a sudden change of environment was for an infant, let alone not even letting him bring familiar things.
"Okay..." I tried to keep my voice normal. "I'll pack less then."
He nodded but didn't leave, just stood in the doorway watching me pack.
I turned back, continuing to put things in the suitcase, my mind racing.
I needed to contact Kirill.
I needed to tell him what I'd discovered.
My phone was in my coat pocket. If I could send a message while Julian wasn't paying attention...
"I'll go check on Aiden," I said. "He should be waking up soon."
"No need." Julian's voice was cold. "He's sleeping fine. Keep packing."
I pretended to continue organizing clothes, and in the instant I bent down, I quietly slipped my hand into my coat pocket, felt the outline of my phone.
Just a little more...
"Give me the phone."
Julian's voice was like ice water dumped over my head.
I froze.
"What?"
He walked over, grabbed my wrist, and yanked the phone from my pocket. The movement was rough enough to make me cry out in pain.
"Julian, what are you—"
"You think I don't know who you saw today?"
His face was inches from mine, those once-gentle eyes now like ice, completely devoid of warmth.
"You think I don't know you and Kirill Orlov spent an hour in that café?"
My heart nearly stopped.
He knew. He knew everything.
"Every bag of yours has a recorder in it." He waved the phone, his tone casual, like he was commenting on nice weather. "Your conversation with that Russian, I didn't miss a word."
My body started shaking.
"Julian..."
"So he told you? Told you I'm going to kill the kid?" He tilted his head, looking at me with a twisted smile. "That's not good. I was planning to handle this more gently."
