"Stay. Talk to Danil. You two have a lot to catch up on." Her smile doesn't reach her eyes. "I'll be fine."
She disappears into the bedroom before I can argue, and suddenly, it's just Danil and me, the fire crackling between us.
He moves to the kitchen and returns with a bottle of vodka and two glasses. "Figured we could use this."
He pours two generous shots and hands me one. "To old friends and new beginnings."
We drink in silence, the vodka burning down my throat. It tastes familiar, expensive. Smooth as silk with a kick like a mule.
"So," Danil says, refilling our glasses. "You and Maya. That's serious?"
"What makes you think that?"
"The way you look at her. Like she's the only thing in the room that matters." He takes another drink. "I've never seen you look at anyone like that."
"Maybe I'm different now."
"Maybe." He studies me over the rim of his glass. "Or maybe you're finally letting yourself feel something besides ambition and control."
I don't answer, just stare into the fire. The flames dance and shift, hypnotic.
"Remember that time in Prague?" Danil asks suddenly. "You got so drunk you tried to convince me we should buy a castle."
A flicker of something. Not quite a memory, but close. "Did we?"
"Buy the castle? No. But you did buy a very expensive bottle of wine and then couldn't remember where you put it." He laughs, the sound genuine. "Found it three days later in the hotel safe. You'd locked it up for safekeeping and forgotten the combination."
"Was it at least good wine?"
"It was vinegar by the time we opened it." He shakes his head. "We ended up pouring it down the sink and ordering room service champagne instead."
"Sounds like I was a real genius."
"You had your moments." He takes another drink, his expression growing more thoughtful. "But you were also the smartest man I knew. Still are, probably. Even without your memories."
The compliment sits uncomfortably. I shift in my seat, the leather creaking. "Smart enough to get myself shot and dumped in the woods."
"That wasn't about intelligence. That was about trust." His voice goes hard. "Someone close to you betrayed you. Someone you never suspected."
"Do you know who?"
"I have theories." He won't meet my eyes. "But no proof. Not yet."
The fire pops, sending sparks dancing up the chimney. Outside, the wind rattles the windows.
"This life here," I say slowly, gesturing around the cabin. "With Maya. It feels right. More right than anything in those memories."
"That's because it's simple. Uncomplicated." Danil leans forward, elbows on his knees. His shoulders are broad enough to block out half the firelight. "But simple doesn't last. Not for men like us."
"Maybe I'm not that man anymore."
"You'll always be that man. It's in your blood. In your bones." He refills both our glasses, the vodka glugging out in generous pours. "You can hide from it for a while, but eventually, it catches up."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a fact." His dark eyes are serious now, all traces of humor gone. "And speaking of facts, there's something you need to know."
The shift in his tone makes my spine straighten. The easy camaraderie of moments ago evaporates like steam. "What?"
