Page 48 of Lethal Alliance

Papa answers my call on the first ring.

“Papa.” I close my eyes in relief. Some part of me I don’t like to acknowledge was afraid of what Roman might have done to my father.

God knows he has good reason.

“Darya!”

I flinch at the exhausted rasp of his voice, wondering if he’s slept at all since the last time we spoke.

“Don’t hang up,” he says hastily. “I need to speak with you—”

“I’m home, Papa.” I cut him off. “With Roman.”

“Oh, thank God.” His relief is palpable. “When can we talk?”

“Roman has asked me to set up a meeting with you.” I twist the bed sheet around my hand. “Today, if possible.”

“As soon as you can.” He’s switched to Russian, something he rarely does on the phone and an indication of how agitated he is. “Darya, the children—the guards won’t tell me anything—”

“They’re gone, Papa.” I wrap my hand more tightly in the sheet, watching dispassionately as my fingers turn white with blood loss. “The Orlovs took Masha and Ofelia.”

“Ya yego ub’yu.”I will kill him.

He says the words in a cold, detached tone I’ve never heard him use, not even after he discovered that Mama was dead. He doesn’t swear or rage. Just that one sentence in hard, flat Russian:I will kill him.

“Yes, well.” As much as I share his sentiment, I’m not entirely at peace with Papa, not after reading Roman’s letter. “I doubt Roman will offer you that chance.”

And to be quite frank, it’s a wonder it isn’t you that Roman is coming after, given all you’ve taken from him.

Papa, for once, is silent.

“Roman is with his men now. I imagine he will return some time this afternoon. We will come to see you then.” I speak in English. It’s a subtle expression of my own anger. Russian is for family, for my childhood, for poetry and stories and safety.

English creates a slight degree of separation that I need just now.

My father has kept secrets. Dangerous secrets that destroyed Roman’s childhood and are directly responsible for endangering Masha and Ofelia. Love him though I do, I’m not certain I’m quite ready to forgive him.

And if I feel that way, how must Roman feel?

I shudder at the iron control he will need to tolerate any kind of interaction with my father.

“Come as soon as you can.” Papa delivers the words in curt Russian, hanging up before I can answer. There have been many times in my life when I’ve felt angry at my father’s aversion to emotional expression, at the hard rein he keeps on his own emotions. Right now I’m grateful for it. I’m in no mood to pretend an affection that I don’t currently feel.

My stomach lurches, and I throw off the bedsheets, making it to the bathroom just in time. I sag limply against the porcelain, my heart fluttering. I’m not certain if the morning sickness is linked to my emotions or not, but it’s exhausting. I retch again, not hearing the bedroom door open.

“Ah—excuse me—I didn’t know you were here.” Maria, Roman’s maid, hovers in the bathroom door, looking at me with concern. “You’re unwell. I will call for a doctor.”

“No, Maria.” I hold up a palm and lift myself off the floor, shaking off her hand. “There’s no need. It’s just a stomach bug, nothing more.” The last thing I need is for her to call a doctor and alert Roman to my condition. We all have far too much on our collective plate right now to add anything more to it.

“You need to see a doctor.” Maria gives me a rather owlish look.

“I’m fine.” I let go of the sink and give her as convincing a smile as I can muster. “I just need a shower. I’ll be out in a moment.”

“Hmm.” She stares at me through narrowed eyes, as if weighing what to say. It’s the first time we’ve met since my return, and I can sense her internal conflict. Maria has been loyal to Roman and the children for a long time, and it took time for her to trust me when I first arrived. I suspect my unannounced departure has damaged our earlier alliance. “I’m glad you are home,” she says finally.

I notice she doesn’t shut the door the whole way when she leaves. I suspect she wants to keep half an eye on me.

I head into the shower, wondering rather tiredly if I’m going to face the same wariness from all of Roman’s people. It feels exhausting, especially when I can’t tell anyone the entire truth.

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