Page 101 of The Dark Side

Katia smiled and cooed, "There you are."

Jolie rubbed her face with it, looking around, forcing her eyes to blink.

"Are you the same woman who saved my daughter in a gunfight?" Katia joked. If Jolie had known the things Katia witnessed and the moments where fear overwhelmed her, she wouldn't have been able to play around. There were times when Katia was embarrassed by her reactions, but time and repetition strengthened her. As she believed, one day, Jolie would be immune to such things, if she stuck around.

It made her sad for Jolie's innocence. As much as Katia hated it about her, it was also something she envied.

Jolie sat back, keeping her knees to her chest and her arms crossed in front of her. "I shouldn't be here," she finally managed to whisper.

Katia smiled, knowing the woman was talking about the house and not her bathroom. "No, but here you are."

"Is it too late?"

"Maybe," she admitted softly. Katia sat on her knees and rested her chin on the tub's edge.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

A shrug, and the thought stuck with her about the reason. The words breached her lips without intention. "When I was a little girl," she found herself saying, "I wanted to be a nurse. I wanted to care for people. I used to carry around a briefcase full of supplies and bandage up all my stuffed animals." Her eyes drifted as she tried to remember what it felt like to want something so badly it hurt. "But I was always reminded that it would not be so. I was meant to be a wife and mother and nothing else."

"That's terrible."

She shrugged. "It is the life I've been given."

"Aren't you bored?"

Katia giggled and nodded, "Yes, immensely. But shopping helps." The words were expected of her. She's a girl, so she must love shopping. She knew how to play the role she was made for, but sometimes, she wished she was strong enough to get out.

A knock on her door sparked fear, and Katia spun her head, but then she remembered who it might be. "Excuse me." She got to her feet and shut the door behind her. With a deep breath, a shake of her blonde hair, and a forced light in her eyes, she opened the door to find Gil. The look on his face was one she couldn't turn away, and she stepped back to let him through. In Russian, she whispered in warning,"Jolie's in the bathroom."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you."

"Katia."He reached out, gently touching her hand.

Katia closed her eyes, and though she wanted nothing more than to collapse in his arms, she stayed stiff and distant, walking away from him."You didn't give me a pen,"Katia began."So, who's pen was it?"

Gil straightened his back, putting up his own walls to protect himself."I don't know."

"How could it be the same?"

"I don't know that either. There was a little difference. The shape of it."

Katia tried to make a connection."Adrik didn't interrupt the Secret Service transport. My family did. I gave you that pen. There is no possible way another could have gotten into the house. Unless…"Katia shifted her gaze to the bathroom door.

Gil also glanced toward the door, whispering,"Do you think it was her?"

"If it was, then she saw us."

"And she's working for the police."

Katia rolled all this around in her head. There was a benefit to it, but she would have to be careful."Don't share this information. It might be helpful to me. Goodnight,"Katia dismissed, opening her bedroom door.

Gil closed the distance between them, a hand on her cheek even though she tried to pull away. He gripped the side of her face, forcing her eyes on him. Katia flicked her eyes over him; every second he looked at her, questioning silently if she was okay and if she needed more than she was saying, it knocked another brick out of her sturdy walls. She swallowed, hating the water stinging the back of her eyes.

Not wanting to weaken her, Gil stepped out of the room, "Goodnight."

Katia shut it, locking it, resting her head against it, and breathed, fortifying her wavering strength. She took one last breath and went back into the bathroom.

---