Page 34 of Solemn Vow

“I’m compromising. I want to drive you so you’re safe and warm, you want to take the bus. This way you’re still takingthe bus, and I’m making sure you’re safe. We’ve both given and gotten.”

I take a step back, dragging her with me as the bus pulls to a stop, and water from last night’s rain puddles splashes onto the cement. I’ll never get used to Chicago weather. It snows one day and rains the next. It can’t decide.

After other women get on the bus, I gesture for Marlena. She pinches her lips together in a straight line, blows a hard breath through her nose, then climbs up the steps into the bus.

She pulls out a card and sticks it into the card reader next to the driver then moves further into the bus.

“You need a payment card,” she calls over her shoulder, sounding very much like she believes this will stop me.

I look to the driver, who swallows hard as his eyes meet mine.

“Do you have a Ventra card?” he asks.

“No.” I hand him a fifty-dollar bill.

“I can’t make change.”

“I don’t need any.” I walk away from him and follow Marlena to the middle of the bus where she’s taken a window seat.

I sit beside her, careful I’m not squishing her against the window.

“Did you really think a little thing like a bus card would stop me?” I ask. She rolls her eyes and looks out the window.

She pulls her purse into her lap and scoots over a little more, giving me some space.

“You look ridiculous. You’re all muscle and so tall you barely fit.” She gestures to my knees hitting the back of the seats in front of us. I am squeezed in pretty tight, but it’s no more uncomfortable than I’ve been before.

“When I was twelve, I had to hide in the trunk of my father’s car. It was a tiny thing, my knees were up to my chin, and I could barely wiggle my toes because of all the tools and things myfather kept in there. That was more uncomfortable than this,” I assure her.

“Why did you have to hide in the trunk of a car?” She swings her curious gaze to me.

I lift a shoulder. “My father was meeting with some very bad men; he didn’t want them to know I was there.” I pat her knee. “It was fine. They didn’t find me. I was safe. My father did his business, then we went home.”

Life back in Russia was much different than the life I’ve built here, but dangerous men are dangerous men all over the world. If those men had seen me, they could have used me against my father.

“I can’t believe he took you with him to commit a crime.”

“Why do you think it was a crime?” I ask.

“I’m sorry,” she blusters. “I just assumed…” She trails off when I laugh.

“Relax,moy sladkiy voin. You assumed right. He was making a deal with men for weapons.” I stretch my arm out across the back of the seats behind her.

Before she can respond, a woman in her early sixties stops at the seats in front of us. After taking her seat, she turns to Marlena with a warm smile.

“I want to thank you again for the television set. My son set it up for me, and it’s working perfectly. And my daughter, Cherise, loves the china cabinet. Fits perfectly in her dining room.”

Marlena’s cheeks flush.

“I’m glad your daughter likes it so much.” She casts a quick glance my way before sinking in her seat again.

“You gave this woman your television and the china cabinet?” I ask when the older woman turns around and settles a pair of headphones over her ears.

“No. I didn’t give them to her. I sold them.” Marlena looks out the window. “My stop is coming up.” She reaches up andpulls the little rope over her head to ring the bell, so the driver knows not to skip the stop.

“I need to get off here.” She nudges me when I continue to block her exit.

“Why did you sell your television and the cabinet?” I climb out of the tiny spot.

---