Page 30 of Sergei
Maybe Nikolai was right.
Maybe I had fucked us all.
10
ALINA
“Ihave to go.”
“What?” I gasped. “Where?”
“Into town. I have something to take care of.”
My chest tightened at the thought of being in his apartment alone. It was a beautiful place, and I knew I would be safe there, but I didn’t like the idea of being there by myself. Not just yet. So, I took a chance and asked, “Is there any way I could go with you?”
“No. It’s too dangerous.”
His answer was immediate and sharp, and it took all I had to swallow the sting. I lowered my head just enough to hide my disappointment as I muttered, “Okay. I understand.”
He didn’t move. He just stood there in the doorway. I could feel his eyes on me, so I glanced up at him and was surprised by the anguish in his expression. Finally, he let out a curse, then said, “You can come, but you stay in the car. Understood?”
“Understood.”
I couldn’t believe it.
He was actually going to let me go.
Before he had a chance to change his mind, I slipped on my shoes and followed him out into the hall. He stopped at one of his many closets and started rummaging through various containers. After a moment, he pulled out an old toboggan and a pair of gloves. He thrust them into my hands and ordered, “Put these on and keep your head down.”
I nodded, then slipped them both on as I followed him out into the hall. He didn’t speak as we made our way to the elevator and started down to the car garage. The cold air bit at my skin as we stepped outside and made our way to his car.
I heard the beep when he unlocked the doors, and I thought he was making his way over to the driver’s side. But just as I was about to reach for the door handle, he came up behind me and opened the door. He stood patiently as he waited for me to climb inside.
He’d done the same thing the night before, and he’d done it without thinking. Alek, on the other hand, never held doors or even slowed down when we were walking in a crowd. He never placed himself between me and a busy street. These weren’t things that I’d really ever noted before. It was just the way things were.
But it was different with Sergei.
He wasn’t so self-absorbed that he didn’t take notice of others around him. He had character, and that was something that some men didn’t have. Alek certainly didn’t.
He got in next to me, and seconds later, the engine roared to life. In a blink, we were out of the garage and on our way. I didn’t bother asking where we were going. I found it doubtful that he would tell me, so I kept my eyes on the street ahead. Or I tried to.
Every now and then, I’d turn and take a quick glimpse at him, and it was clear from his intense scowl that something was bothering him. I should’ve left it alone, but the tension radiating off of him was getting to me. “Is everything okay?”
“No, actually, it’s not.”
“Anything I can do?”
“Afraid not.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
He kept his eyes trained on the road ahead, making it clear that he wasn’t in the mood for idle conversation. But that didn’t stop me from saying, “In case you didn’t know, you’ve changed a lot since we were kids.”
I was hoping that he might respond, and we could strike up a conversation. But no such luck. I gave it a moment, then asked, “Do you remember that summer when Viktor picked a fight with those older boys at the park?”
His eyes flickered over to me, but he didn’t respond.
