I grin warmly and hug my best friend. “I would love a cup. Thank you.”
The moment I sit down is the moment the weight of the world melts from my back. Macedon fades out of existence and those marriage contracts shrivel up, leaving me with the desire to feel safe, protected, and loved.
Outside these walls is a world that shouldn’t exist, one that I hardly want to participate in but that’s required for me to survive. If I can just stick to Demetra, then maybe I won’t have to face those horrors. At least not for another hour.
This could be my life with Lev, I consider while accepting the presents Lydia hands me. Several of them surround me on the carpet, causing me to blush unexpectedly. Even my own family didn’t get me seven gifts. Lev would probably do the same thing. He would give me so many presents that it would make me sick.
I balance the hot cocoa in one hand while opening gifts slowly with the other. It’s always been my thing to open gifts mindfully. I love savoring the moment, allowing myself to stay present in the warmth of it.
Each gift is as lovely as the last. They’re not particularly expensive, but they’re thoughtful in the fact that the people who gave them to me thought that I might want them. Candy cane perfume, an instant film camera, and a huge makeup kit are among my favorites.
After spritzing myself with some perfume, I sit next to the fire with Demetra, pretending that she’s my sister and that this is our family holiday together.
She touches my shoulder lightly. “You all right?”
I sigh wistfully. “Just tired.”
“Not a great morning back home?”
“How could you tell?”
She grins weakly. “I just know things have been rough lately. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t, but thank you, Demetra. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you had me over today.”
Her smile turns as warm as the fire. “My parents love their gifts. And Miles?” We both turn to look at her brother, who’s absorbed by his new model airplane. “Well, I don’t think he’ll stop talking about that for weeks.”
“I remember you mentioned he had a thing for planes.”
“He’s going to be a pilot someday.”
I grin wide. “That’s such a good goal to have.”
“I think so too.”
Another thirty minutes pass before I decide to take my leave. I give each member of the Sideris family a loving hug and then retreat to the service car, heart racing as I lean forward to instruct the driver to take me to the Dvornikov mansion.
***
Anatoly looks pleased to see me when I walk inside. Lev meets me seconds later and then invites me to accompany him to the guest house on the edge of the garden. I can’t help peering over my shoulder every few seconds to see if anyone is following us. Aside from the security detail, it looks like we’re alone.
Drugs packed into tightly sealed bags and guns tucked inside soft pallets are on display in the guest house. I touch the edge of one of the crates, noticing the way Lev flinches as I reach for one of the guns. Thinking better of it, I drift past the illegal bullshit and slide into the modern living room. Nothing terribly criminal in here except the decor.
After settling into a chair, I fold my hands in my lap and shrug my shoulders, the knots already returning. He sits next to me, leaving a few inches of space. As much as I’m afraid to reach for him, I’m tired of being without him. This place is awful. We’re getting nowhere by staying in Macedon.
“I want to run away with you.”
He squares his gaze on me. “Really?”
I nod. “Lev, I’ve been hoping it was you this whole time. I’m heartbroken that you didn’t take my virginity. I should have gone to you. I should have trusted my gut instead of leaving it up to the group of you.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I guess I thought you would turn me away.”
He frowns while taking my hands in his, sweeping his thumbs over my knuckles. “How can you think that?”
“You can’t say you’ve treated me particularly well, can you?”