Page 118 of My High Horse Czar

“And again when you thought Nojus was going to kill you and I called pretending you were Kris, you ran straight at Leonid. Running away. When you first realized you liked Alexei, you sprinted away from Russia so fast, you left little flaming tracks behind you.”

I have to admit, she came up with a few times. “Fine, but in this instance, I’m not running. It’s a strategic retreat.”

“How did you feel about it when Kristiana and I lied to you, strategically, to try and force you to be around Alexei more?”

I hated it.

“How do you think Alexei will feel when he comes back—he’s on his way to the hotel now, frantic, by the way, because you won’t answer the phone—and finds you gone?”

“Mirdza, if he’s on his way, I need to go. Stop stalling me.”

“What if Leonid orchestrated the whole thing, and he’s waiting outside for you to be stupid? Then he can catch you and use you as leverage against Alexei.”

I hadn’t even thought of that. I was too panicked about what I’d done to Alexei to consider that it might have been an intentional attack. “Do you think Leonid planned it?”

“He kept you captive. He would have looked into everything about you, and the reporters know a lot about your connection to Nojus and his brother.” Mirdza shrugs. “I have no idea where else they’d have found the evidence. All the people you worked with are in jail or dead now.” She snorts. “Speaking of, Grigoriy’s pretty upset. Someone in prison knifed that horrible brother who was threatening you. He wanted to end that one himself.”

“I’m glad it’s not weighing on his mind,” I say. “But I’m going to sleep better knowing he’s gone. Tell him there’s always Martinš.”

Mirdza frowns. “My leg’s healed. I’ve let it go.”

I can’t keep my lip from curling. “That makes one of us.”

“Put your stuff away so Alexei doesn’t know you were going to leave him.” Mirdza’s voice is soft, like she knows how hard it would be on Alexei if he did see that I was going to run.

“But—”

“He has shown you every way he knows how that he’s committed to you, even declaring he loves you on air. He had to know what they’d find when they dug around, and he had to know a Latvian girlfriend—or any girlfriend—wouldn’t be popular.” She shrugs. “He’s a big boy. Trust his judgment.”

“I don’t want to cost him the election.” I can’t live with that. “Leonid needs to lose.”

“I agree,” Mirdza says. “That’s why I think you should do a press conference yourself.”

I’m still laughing when Alexei walks through the door. His eyes take in Mirdza, my bag, and the tears running down my face as I laugh.

“What’s going on?”

“Mirdza thinks I should do a press conference.” I wipe my cheeks. “Can you imagine?”

“Igor wants you to do one, too. Would you?”

Is he kidding? “I barely speak any Russian.”

“You’ve gotten better,” Mirdza says. Which basically means that even she admits I suck.

“Plus, I’m a disaster on camera, and I’m terrible about answering questions on the spot.”

“But you’re honest, and you’re kind,” Alexei says. “The people will see that.”

“You’re their golden boy,” I say. “You just said you loved me, so every woman in Russia is already predisposed to hate me.”

“She’s right about that,” Mirdza says. “But if you went on stage and, I don’t know, fell on your own face, they might pity him.”

I’m going to slap her.

“Anyone who really gets to see you will love you,” Alexei says.

“Oh, no,” Mirdza says. “Remember how I said to trust his judgment? I take it all back.”

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