Page 88 of Disguised as Love

We made our way inside, and Manya continued fluttering around us. My eyes met Raisa’s, and hers were full of questions and worry but also relief. We were here. Her family…me. God, it shredded my heart to even hope that I might be one of the people she worried about…one that she was relieved to see standing here.

We’d barely gotten Petya up to Manya’s room when a thin elderly man with a shock of white hair, skin that sagged, and a black doctor’s bag that had seen better days showed up in the doorway. He shooed everyone out, but Manya refused to leave Petya’s side.

Malik, Raisa, and I stepped out into the hall together.

“Where’s Ilia?” I asked.

“With Ito-san down the hall. Doctor Gerard will see to him after Papa,” Raisa replied.

“He needs a hospital,” I said.

“When we get to the States,” Malik returned. “Go pack a bag, ‘Isa. We’re leaving as soon as the helicopter lands and Papa can get onboard.”

Raisa started down the hall and then stormed back, shoving a finger into Malik’s chest. “You should have told me!”

His eyes narrowed. “You weren’t supposed to come back, ‘Isa. Papa told you to never come back. And then you show up with him”?he waved his hand at me?“with an FBI special agent, and you expect me to come clean? You know I couldn’t.”

“Mama…she was losing herself, and you let her.”

“If she didn’t, everyone would have known something was up. Papa and I both hated it, but it had to be done,” he said. Then, he stepped around her and headed down the hall. “You have no idea what it’s been like, so don’t start throwing arrows. It’s done. It’s over. We can finally move on. Now, fucking pack a bag so we can leave.”

Then, he sauntered down the hall, twirling his cigarette holder in one hand.

“And you.” She whirled on me as her brother departed.

I frowned, unsure of which of the things I’d done had raised her wrath.

She closed the distance between us, staring up at me with eyes on fire. Then, she stood on her toes and placed her lips on my cheek. “Thank you,” she said, fire melting away into pure gratitude.

She went to turn away, but I caught her wrist and hauled her back.

“You may not listen to your father or your brother, little one. But when we get to safety, we are going to have a long conversation about exactly just who and what you will listen to.”

The pulse in her wrist pounded against my grip.

“You have no right to command me,” she said, but there was a dare in her tone. A dare that filled my veins with heat.

“I do. Because you’re mine,” I said, and she glared, struggling against my hold. “But you can set some rules of your own, because as much as you’re mine, I’m also yours.”

The fight went out of her, and her eyes looked cautious now. Worried.

“Cruz,” she started, shaking her head. “We can’t…it’s impossible.”

“Go change and pack a bag, little one,” I said as I pulled her wrist up to my lips and kissed the fluttering pulse. “We’ll talk about possible and impossible later.”

I dropped her hand and headed toward the room that had briefly been mine next to hers. I needed a shower, a change of clothes, and the extra burner phone I’d left hidden in a vase in the room.

Ten minutes later, I was dressed in a pair of artfully distressed jeans, a T-shirt that felt like silk, and a brown leather jacket matching the deep-mahogany of my eyes. The jacket would forever be a reminder of this time in St. Petersburg.

I picked Raisa’s locket up from the dresser, shoved it into a pocket, put a few things in my go-bag, and unburied the burner phone. Then, I unlocked the hidden door to Raisa’s room and stepped inside to make sure she was packed and ready. I heard her shower running and dialed the phone.

“Nolan, it’s Cruz,” I said as he picked up.

“Cruz…fuck…thank God,” he said quietly. I heard voices in the background?female voices?and I sighed with relief, knowing he’d gotten to my mom and Nan just like I’d asked him to.

“We’re waiting for a helicopter,” I said. “Not sure where the drop point is yet, but I’ll be in touch.”

“A helicopter? Who’d you promise to screw to get that?” Nolan replied.

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