Page 128 of Lethal Alliance

Then again, they haven’t spent the past few days attuned to every slight nuance in his body and voice. It’s like we have a secret language that only we two know and hear.

And from the look on his face, he doesn’t seem keen to ever speak that language again.

Alexei walks away, with Mak at his side. My heart twists sickeningly in my chest. I fight the urge to scream his name, to demand that he look at me, but I know that I can’t.

You’ll see him again,I tell myself. There’ll be another time to talk.

But I have a hard time believing my own internal assurances. The intimacy of the cell is like a dream, a strange twilight that no longer seems quite real. And something tells me that by the way Alexei turned away from me, talking to me is the last thing he wants to do.

I mask my expression as Roman turns to us, smiling, and rests his hand on my head. “Ready, sweetheart?”

“Can I give her the shot now?” the doctor asks. He’s been trying to inject me for the last half hour, and he looks extremely annoyed.

Roman raises his eyebrows at me, then rolls his eyes when I shake my head. “Of course you don’t want a shot,” he mutters.

“I’m sorry.” I take his hand. “I just want to hear the whole story from Mickey before they knock me out, if that’s okay.”

“Christ, you’re stubborn.” But his hand tightens on mine.

I smile despite the splintering pain in my leg. “I guess I get that from my father.”

Roman goes very still, his eyes drilling into mine. Finally he nods slowly, his mouth stretching into a reluctant smile.

“I guess you do,umnyashka,” he says quietly. “I guess you do.”

39

ROMAN

My limo pulls up to Vera’s door amid a watery London morning, and I come out of it at a run.

“Where is she? Where’s Darya?”

“She’s upstairs.” Mak’s man eyes the blood seeping through the bandage on my shoulder. “Sir, perhaps you should be in the hospital—”

“Doc’s already patched me up.” I put my hand out, forcing myself to pause. “Thank you for making it here in time.”

“It was a bit too close for comfort.” The man shakes his head. “I’m sorry about your man Bryce. He did a damned good job holding Fedorov’s men off. Realized what was going on and communicated to us before he went down. If it hadn’t been for the work he and the rest of the team did, we wouldn’t have had a chance. Do you have any news on his condition?”

“Not yet.” I’m already past him, heading for the house, my eyes on the upstairs floor, where I can see a silhouette moving behind the curtains. “They were operating on him when I left the hospital.”

I leave the guard outside and take the stairs two at a time, calling her name as I go. Darya turns as I burst through the door, crossing the floor swiftly so we collide in the center. I wrap my good arm around her, feeling the rapid thud of her heart like a triumph against my own, inhaling the sweet scent of her like a benediction.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur against her hair. “I’m so goddamn sorry, Darya.”

She turns her head from side to side under my lips. “You’re alive,” she whispers. “The children are alive. That’s all that matters.” She tilts her head back. “Where are they?”

“A private hospital not far from here. I came to bring you there myself. Ofelia’s leg is broken, but they can’t operate until the swelling goes down a little, so we’ll be staying here in London until that is done. Masha is okay, physically at least. Mickey’s with her.”

“Take me to them.” Darya is already turning toward the stairs. “My bag is packed and waiting by the front door.” She glances back and then frowns, taking in my sling properly. “You’re hurt? Why didn’t anyone tell me that?”

“I’m fine.” I nod at the door. “Got patched up on the plane. Let’s get to the hospital.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“Then the hospital is the best place for me. Either way, let’s go.” I usher her down the stairs and into the waiting limo.

“There’s a doctor in with Vera,” Anton tells me in a low voice as I pause at the limo door. “She’s asleep now, but it took a long time to calm her down.”

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