Page 81 of Cashmere Ruin

Petra jerks her head towards the master bathroom. “Taking a foam bath. Doctor’s orders.”

“A real doctor’s or yours?”

“I don’t see the difference.”

My eyes wander back towards the bathroom door. I swallow the lump of worry in my throat and force out, “Is she…?”

“Alive?”

“I was going to say ‘okay.’”

“Mm. I can say yes to one of them. The other, I’m not so sure.”

And if that isn’t reassuring…I try to curb my worry, but all it does is grow stronger. It seems to be the theme with April: anything I try to feel less of, I just end up feeling more.

I motion for Petra to follow me into the balcony. The walls may be thick here, but they certainly aren’t soundproof. “I asked Grisha to keep an eye on her.”

“Great job he’s gonna do from outside the door,” she drawls.

“I’d ask the same of you.”

On the scale of hardest things I’ve ever done, this probably takes the cake: asking Petra Solovyova to help. Technically, I’m herpakhan—I could just order her to do this. I don’t owe anyone a request, let alone a polite one.

But this ismyfailing.Myresponsibility. And I’m not going to push it on anybody else.

Petra’s eyes crinkle with amusement. “Should I pinch myself? The great Matvey Groza, asking me for afavor? Wonders never cease.”

I should’ve known she wasn’t going to make this easy. “I’m not asking for free. I’ll…” I scrunch up my face in disgust, feeling like I’ve just swallowed a fly and all its little winged family. Fuck, is this what humility tastes like? “…oweyou.”

“Hold up, let me record this. I’m gonna play it at your kid’s eighteenth birthday party.”

“Just cut the shit and say you’ll do it.”

She crosses her arms. “And why would I?”

It’s the worst bluff she’s ever pulled. “Because I know you care for her, too.”

I watch her hesitate. It’s always like this when her mask starts showing its cracks: you get a glimpse of the Petra beneath. Not the assassin, but thehuman.The raw, bleeding heart.

“In that case, I want something in return now.”

I raise a skeptical eyebrow. “Not gonna wait until the worst possible moment to spring it on me?”

“That would be the smart thing, wouldn’t it?” She sighs. “A year ago, I wouldn’t even have questioned it. Do you ever wonder what happened? To make us dumb like this?”

“No.”

“Because you already know?”

I don’t reply. I have no desire to inflate her ego any more tonight, certainly not by telling her that she’s right. That the four-letter creature that dulled her senses is the same beast that came after mine.

As if reading my mind, she finally speaks. “Yuri.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s my favor. I want you to lay off your brother for a while.”

I frown. “That’syour ask? You want time off to honeymoon in Bora Bora?”

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