We finish shopping as the sun starts to set. Makeup, toiletries, shoes, everything I need to exist as a person instead of a ghost. When one of the bodyguards calls him over, I take advantage of not having him by my side and make a secret purchase.
The drive back is quiet.
"Thank you," I say quietly. "For today."
"You're welcome."
Back at the estate, the bodyguards carry my bags upstairs while Aleksandr walks me to my room. We stand in the doorway, and the air between us feels charged with everything we're not saying.
"Goodnight, Lena." He doesn't move to come inside.
"Goodnight." I wait for him to kiss me, to push his way in, to claim what we both know he wants. But he just looks at me with those gold eyes that see too much, then turns and walks away.
I close the door and lean against it, my heart doing complicated things in my chest.
Later that night, I lie awake in my enormous bed, surrounded by shopping bags and new clothes that I didn't have the energy to put away. I wait for his footsteps in the hall, for the click of my lock disengaging, for him to appear in my doorway like he did last night.
But he doesn't come.
The hours stretch, and I tell myself I'm relieved. Tell myself it's better this way, that distance is what I need to keep my head clear and my heart protected.
I'm lying to myself, and I know it.
Morning comes too early, pale light filtering through the curtains. I drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom, my body aching from tension and lack of sleep.
That's when I remember the pregnancy test I managed to buy without him seeing.
My hands shake as I open the box and follow the instructions. I set the test on the counter and force myself to wait the longest three minutes of my life.
When I finally look, the world tilts sideways.
Two lines. Clear and unmistakable.
I'm pregnant.
38
ALEKSANDR
Istare at the city through my office window, watching morning light paint the skyline in shades of gold and gray. For the past two days, I've been busy reorganizing and getting caught up on business that happened while I've been gone.
Danil sits across from me, his massive frame making my leather chair look like doll furniture. He's nursing his third coffee of the morning, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he slept about as well as I did.
"We need to flush them out," I say, turning from the window. "Whoever paid Yuri is still out there, waiting to see if I'm really back or if this is temporary."
"Agreed." Danil sets down his mug. "But how? We can't exactly send out a questionnaire asking who tried to kill you."
"No." I move to my desk, pulling out a leather-bound notebook. "But we can create an opportunity for them to reveal themselves."
His eyebrows rise. "I'm listening."
"A party." The idea crystallized sometime around three this morning when sleep refused to come. "A welcome home celebration. Invite everyone. Captains, soldiers, their wives and girlfriends. Make it mandatory attendance."
Danil's expression shifts from confusion to understanding. "You want to watch them. See who's nervous, who's too comfortable, who avoids eye contact."
"Exactly." I lean back against the desk, crossing my arms. "No one will turn down an invitation from the Pakhan. And in a social setting, with alcohol flowing and guards down, people get sloppy. They say things they shouldn't. Make connections they think are subtle."
"It's risky." But I can see him working through the angles. "Bringing everyone together in one place. If someone wants to finish what Yuri started, you're giving them a target-rich environment."
