Page 31 of Fate and Family

He’s right. The dropdown bed is dangerous, and with his shoulder, I don’t want him to get hurt worse than he already is. I pat the bench, and he continues to glare at me.

“I’ve already said I will steal your last breath, and now you want to snuggle?”

“That's a very poetic way of saying murder. Plus, you said you’d wait until I got to the embassy. We’ve got time.”

He exhales, deeper than defeat—a total loss of any sense of self. His whole body crashes onto the bench as he sits, his shoulders slumping hard against me and the wall.

“If you put your head in my lap and your hips on the bench, you can stick your legs out.” Oh, Russia. You’re always playing Tetris, aren’t you?

He grumbles something about being in the lap of a viper, which makes me want to correct him—vipers don’t have legs, so what he’s suggesting is impossible. But he shifts his weight and nestles his head on my thighs. His legs stick out and fill the rest of the space.

The train rocks us, lulling us into a false sense of peace. Unsure what to do with my hands, one goes on his chest while the other strokes his hair. I’ve dreamed of this moment forever, but it’s not hitting in the sexy way it does in my dreams.

“Are you comfortable?” His question throws me. One minute he’s threatening to kill me, and the next, he’s worried if I’m comfy?

“Yes. You’re the one with the shitty view of my underboob and up my nostril.”

“Boogers and boobs. I’m a lucky man.”

I huff. “Well, shit, look at that—youarefunny.”

My fingers start to stroke his hair again. It’s soft, the motion repetitive, and everything I want right now. He doesn’t bristle at my touch. Instead, he closes his eyes.

His heartbeat slows, and the rocking of the train lulls him to sleep.

Chapter

Fourteen

Dimitri

“Holy shit!”

I open my eyes. My shoulder throbs, and my legs cramp in the tight space. Where am I? Who’s talking? Why does everything hurt? Slowly, the events of the night before seep into my mental fog.

I lost everything—my home, my family… And Katya, the liar and spy. But she’s also the only reason I’ve made it this far.

My head is still on her lap as I blink at her. She’s frantically fanning her face as she stares at a phone. Where did she get that? Hell, when did she even find it?

“What’s wrong?” My body feels like it’s on fire. “What happened?”

She blinks, like she doesn’t recognize me. “Markus is alive.”

“Who?”

“He’s my partner.”

Partner? Right, she’s not really Katya. Fuck, I don’t even know her real name. Of course, she has a partner—probably one she’s been screwing every night when she goes back to her little spy world.

“How do you know he’s alive?”

“User AMCSPFN276 just posted his thoughts on the last album in the ‘Who is Kiki?’ forum on Reddit.”

The blood rushes from my head, and sitting up too fast makes my vision blur and my brain pound. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Amanda Chase Super Fan 276—that’s my partner Markus. And he posted an hour ago.”

That’s...underwhelming.

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