Page 51 of Blood & Snow
Heat rises in my cheeks as I set it aside and reach for another dish.
"Sorry. My mind wandered."
"Where does it wander to these days?"
She studies me with a penetrating gaze.
"You've been different lately. Distracted. Absent…"
The observation sends panic through my nervous system.
If Irina notices changes in my behavior, how long before she starts asking questions I can't answer?
How long before my lies collapse under her scrutiny?
"I'm not secretive. I'm just tired from working so much."
"Working or something else?"
Her tone carries gentle suspicion.
"You come home at strange hours. You jump when the phone rings. You have new clothes that hotel maids don't typically own."
My blood freezes. "New clothes?"
"The sweater you wore yesterday. I've never seen it before, and it looks too expensive for someone earning housekeeping wages."
She sets down her dish towel and faces me fully.
"Where did you get it, Nadya?"
The sweater.
I'd forgotten about the cashmere top Xander bought during our shopping trip, and I'd worn it home without thinking about how it would look to my sister's trained eye.
Now she's noticed, and I need an explanation that won't give away what's really been going on.
"The hotel sometimes gives employee bonuses in merchandise from lost and found," I say quickly.
"I picked it."
"Guests leave behind cashmere sweaters?"
"Rich guests leave behind expensive things all the time. The hotel lets staff keep items that aren't claimed within thirty days."
I turn back to the dishes but my cheeks are burning.
Irina doesn't look convinced but she doesn't press, either.
The silence between us grows uncomfortable because I know how stupid I’m being and how dangerous it is for all of them now.
"I should show you something," I say, deciding to control the revelation rather than let her discover it accidentally, though being preemptive doesn't quell the fear bubbling up.
"Wait here."
I retrieve the shopping bag from behind my coat and return to the kitchen.
Irina watches as I remove the black dress and diamond earrings, laying them carefully on the counter.
