He promised he'd come back.
The words echo in my head like a prayer. I try to sleep, but every time I close my eyes, I see Aleksandr walking into that warehouse. See Katya's cold smile. See blood spreading across expensive suits and bodies hitting concrete.
I pace instead. Back and forth across my room until I've worn an invisible path in the carpet. The guards outside my door change shifts at three in the morning, and I hear their low voices through the wood. They sound tense. Worried.
That makes two of us.
Dawn breaks over the grounds in shades of pink and gold that feel obscene in their beauty. How dare the sun rise whenAleksandr might be bleeding out somewhere? How dare the world keep turning when mine has stopped completely?
I throw open my door, startling the guard stationed there. He's young, maybe twenty-five, with nervous eyes that dart away from my face.
"Where is he?" My voice comes out sharper than I intend. "Has anyone heard from Aleksandr?"
"I don't know, ma'am." He shifts his weight. "We haven't received any updates."
"Then get me someone who has." I cross my arms, and the gesture pushes my breasts up in a way his eyes definitely notice before he catches himself. "Now."
He speaks into his radio, and five minutes later, another guard appears. Older, more experienced, with the kind of face that's seen too much violence to be shocked by anything.
"We don't have information yet," he says calmly. His tone does nothing to ease my panic, though. "The Pakhan will contact us when it's safe."
"That's not good enough." I step closer, and he has the decency not to back up. "I want to know what happened. I want to know if he's hurt. I want to know something other than vague reassurances that mean nothing."
His expression softens slightly. "I understand your concern. But the Pakhan gave explicit orders that you're to be kept safe and calm. Worrying won't help him. Especially when we don't have any information."
"Screw his orders." I wince slightly at my tone, but I'm pregnant and freaked out and don't care. I need to know what'shappening. I need to know if Aleksandr is alive. "I'm not some delicate flower who needs protecting from reality. If he's hurt, I deserve to know."
Before the guard can respond, I hear vehicles approaching. Multiple engines, moving fast. My heart jumps into my throat as I push past him and run for the stairs.
Danil climbs out of the lead SUV, and my stomach drops. He's alone. His suit jacket is missing, his white shirt is torn at the shoulder, and there's a cut above his left eyebrow that's stopped bleeding but looks fresh.
"Where is he?" I demand before he's even reached the door. "Where's Aleksandr?"
Danil's expression is grim as he guides me inside, away from the guards and staff who are gathering. "He's alive."
The relief that crashes over me is so intense, my knees go weak. Danil catches my elbow, steadying me.
"But?" I hear the word hanging in the air between us.
"But the meeting went sideways." He leads me to Aleksandr's office, closing the door behind us. "Katya brought more men than we anticipated. There was an ambush, gunfire. Aleksandr ordered everyone to scatter and regroup."
"Where is he now?"
"Gone to ground somewhere safe. He'll contact us when he can." Danil moves to the bar, pouring vodka with hands that shake slightly. "He's smart, Lena. He knows how to survive."
I study his face, reading the things he's not saying in the tightness around his eyes, the way he won't quite meet my gaze. "How bad is it really?"
He drains his glass in one swallow. "Bad enough that he didn't want to lead anyone back here. Bad enough that Katya's still out there with resources we underestimated."
"Is he hurt?"
"I don't know." The admission costs him. "We got separated during the firefight. Last I saw, he was moving under his own power, returning fire. But that was hours ago."
I sink into Aleksandr's chair, my hands gripping the armrests hard enough that my knuckles go white. The leather still smells like him, expensive cologne and power. My heart thuds in my chest and it's difficult to swallow the lump that seems to be lodged there.
"He'll come back," Danil says quietly.
The hours crawl by with agonizing slowness. I try to eat the breakfast someone brings, but everything tastes like ash. I try to rest, but sleep is impossible. Every sound makes me jump, hoping it's Aleksandr returning.