The Double

I bit my lip. “But if you’d seen what Ralavich did...he was happy to burn families in their homes, just to make a statement. I feel like he’s the real danger. Konstantin...people respect him. He protects them. They’re not the same—”

“All these men are the same,” said Carrie sharply. Then, more gently. “Hailey, it’s important not to get drawn in.”

I flushed. Was that what was happening? Was my judgment sliding, because I was attracted to him? “Yes ma’am,” I said, chastened. But it still felt wrong.

I told them about the safe and they said they’d show the photo to the FBI’s technical team. Then I finished off my make-up and did my hair. I was gradually getting faster at it, but I was also realizing it’s a lot easier to look glamorous when you don’t have a job to rush off to each morning.

The weather had changed. The freezing winds of the night before had dropped away and it was a bright, clear day. I pulled on a green jersey dress and a soft pink cardigan to keep my shoulders warm. I wasn’t going to risk any more sneaking around, not right now. So I figured I’d explore the rest of the mansion. But when I opened the bedroom door to step out, Grigory was there, his hand raised to knock.

Before I could stop him, he’d pushed me inside and kicked the door closed behind him. “Konstantin’s in his study,” he panted, his hands already on my waist and sliding upwards. “We have at least an hour.”

My eyes went wide. This is how they’d done it? Right here in our bedroom, while Konstantin was downstairs?! It was a miracle they’d never been caught!

Grigory walked me backwards towards the bed, our bodies pressed together. His hands pulled my dress up over my ass and I could feel his cock hardening against my thigh. “No,” I said into his shoulder, but he ignored me. “No!” I said, more loudly.

He stopped and I twisted away from him, breathing hard. I staggered away, tugging my dress back into place.

He ran a hand through his hair, angry and hurt. “What’s the matter with you? You normally….”—he shook his head—“you enjoy the risk.”

I swallowed. “Not anymore.”

He shook his head. “Then let’s get out of here. Leave him and let’s go! You keep saying it’ll be soon. When?!”

I stared at him. It was worse than I thought: Christina hadn’t just been having an affair with him, she’d been planning to run away with him. “Things are different, now,” I croaked. “Konstantin—”

“He doesn’t love you! But I do!”

And I could see in his eyes that it was true. I felt awful for him and I could see exactly how it had happened. Of all the guards, he was the one who was closest to Konstantin and Christina. He’d been with them every day, for months. He’d seen his boss’s sexy girlfriend, seen how she was trapped in a loveless relationship, and he’d wanted to rescue her. I actually started to feel a little sorry for Christina. Maybe I’d been too hard on her. Maybe, starved of warmth and affection, she had fallen in love with Grigory, and planned to run off with him as soon as she’d accrued enough money from Konstantin.

I took a deep breath. “I need to think,” I told him. “Just be patient.”

I started to back away, but he grabbed my shoulder and drew me back to him. And then he leaned down and—

I drew in my breath as he kissed me. He was very different to Konstantin: there was no heady rush of pleasure, no dominant, commanding intensity that sent a spike of heat straight down to my groin. But each press of his lips was full of love: it was a slow, sweet, lover’s kiss, light as a butterfly but loaded with the weight of how he felt for me. He buried his hands in my hair and it felt so good, for a second I lost myself in it….

And then I gently pushed him away. “I have to go,” I told him. And ran.

I raced down the stairs, lips still throbbing. As I passed the door to Konstantin’s study, my cheeks exploded into heat and my chest contracted. Guilt? I told myself it made no sense. I was lying to Konstantin, plotting to betray him. What did it matter if I let some other guy kiss me?

But that’s how I felt. I knew I couldn’t let Grigory kiss me again.

I didn’t want to run into him again so I hurried out of the back of the mansion, somewhere I hadn’t been yet. When I saw what was in front of me, my run slowed to a jog and then a walk. And then I just stopped and gazed around in wonder.

Many years ago, someone had planted a garden to match the mansion. There were flower beds full of color, tree-lined paths where lovers could stroll and red-brick walls that divided the garden up and created secret, shady spots where you could sit on a bench with a book.