She shifts, curling closer against my side. "You're both. And that's okay."
The storm rages outside, but inside we're warm and safe. Her head rests on my chest, and I can feel her breathing slow as she starts to drift off. My own eyes are getting heavy when a sound cuts through the howl of the wind.
A knock at the door.
Maya starts to sit up, but I hold her back, every muscle in my body going taut. Nobody should be out in this storm. Nobody should be able to find this cabin in these conditions.
Unless they knew exactly where to look.
I move to the door, positioning myself to the side of the frame. Another knock, more insistent this time.
"Hello?" A male voice, muffled by the wind. "Is anyone there? My car got stuck down the hill. I need help."
I don't answer. Instead, I reach for the door handle, keeping my body shielded behind the frame. I crack it open just enough to see out into the snow-blurred darkness.
A figure stands on the porch, shoulders hunched against the wind, face half-obscured by the storm. But as my eyes adjust, the features become clear.
My breath catches.
It's him. The man from town and from my memory flashes.
21
LENA
The man stands on the porch, snow clinging to his dark coat, his face half-obscured by the storm. But as the wind shifts and the porch light catches his features, I see Sasha's entire body go rigid beside me.
"Alek—" The man's voice cracks with emotion, his eyes widening with shock and something that looks like joy. He takes a step forward, one hand reaching out. "You're alive. We thought?—"
He stops mid-sentence, mid-step, his expression shifting from relief to confusion as he registers the blank look on Sasha's face, the complete lack of recognition.
"I'm sorry," Sasha says, his voice carefully neutral. "I think you have me confused with someone else."
The man's hand drops to his side. He's tall, maybe six-three, with a shaved head and a thick beard streaked with gray. Even through the layers of winter clothing, I can see he's built like a bull. His dark eyes move between Sasha and me, calculating, assessing.
"Your car," I say quickly, stepping forward. "You said it got stuck?"
"About half a mile down." His accent is thick, Russian, and his gaze hasn't left Sasha's face. "I was trying to reach the main road when the storm got worse."
Another gust of wind slams into the cabin, and I make a decision that's probably stupid but feels necessary. "Come inside. You'll freeze out there."
Sasha's hand finds the small of my back, a possessive gesture that doesn't go unnoticed by our visitor. But he steps aside, letting the man enter while keeping his body between us.
The stranger stomps snow from his boots and shrugs out of his coat. Underneath, he's wearing a tailored charcoal suit jacket over a dark dress shirt. As he moves, the jacket shifts, and I catch a glimpse of a gun holstered inside. A deliberate display or simple practicality, I can't tell.
"I'm Maya," I say, extending my hand. "This is Sasha."
He takes my hand, his grip firm but not crushing. "Danil." His eyes flick to Sasha again, and I see something like pain flash across his features. "Danil Bugrov."
"Sit." I gesture toward the couch near the fireplace. "I'll make something hot to drink."
I escape to the kitchen, my hands shaking as I pull out mugs and the tin of hot chocolate mix. This man knows Sasha. Knew him. Called him by Alek. And the way he looked at him, like seeing a ghost, suggests they were close.
I add vodka to the hot chocolate without asking. We're all going to need it.
When I return to the living room, both men are sitting in front of the fire, but the tension between them is thick enough to choke on. Sasha's on the couch, his posture deceptively relaxed, but I can see the coiled readiness in his shoulders. Danil's in the armchair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, studying Sasha like he's trying to solve a puzzle.
"Here." I hand them each a mug, then settle onto the couch beside Sasha. His arm immediately comes around my shoulders, pulling me close. The gesture is protective and claiming, and I see Danil's eyebrows rise slightly.