Page 13

When his silence becomes a smidge uncomfortable, I say, "What did you dream of being, you know… when you were little?"

"Oh," he breathes, scrubbing a hand over his beard. He smiles again, then says, "I wanted to be strong and powerful. I would watch movies with Ivan and Alexei—you know the kind where the hero has to defeat all the villains and save the girl?" That warm grin makes me smile too.

"You wanted to be a hero?" I almost chuckle. "Most boys want to be a fireman or a policeman."

Dimitri gives me a playful nudge as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out another peppermint, offering it to me. I smile as I take it and fumble with the wrapper, but my gloved hands are too clumsy so he takes it back.

"Do you think my father would let me dream of being a policeman?" He chuckles as he unwraps the candy and holds it out to me.

My chest swells as I stare at it, pinned between his thumb and forefinger, held out as if he expects me to eat it right from his fingers. My face flushes and my belly flips. There's a strange pull in my chest toward him and this warm, relaxed nature he has.

"I suppose not."

"Exactly." He grins. "So open up and let me be the hero in the only way I know how." When he winks, I feel a flush of heat from my belly shoot upward into my neck and face.

I lean forward slowly, keeping my eyes locked on his, and pinch the peppermint with my teeth, but losing my balance, I splay a hand on his chest to keep myself upright. The peppermint is sweet, but it's the thudding of his heart under my palm that surprises me. Dimitri is nervous. I can feel it in every jump of his pulse.

"Mmm," I moan softly as the sweetness starts to dissolve on my tongue. I think for whatever horrible reason, fate has given this fool eyes for me. "You saved the day."

Dimitri leans away, shoving the wrapper into his pocket as I ask, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I push the candy into my cheek, waiting for him to reply.

"I just… You were pretty upset after we met and you sent those medical files. I just wanted to check on you." His ears are bright red now, and he rubs the back of his neck a few times. "So…"

I dip my head and hide a grin. Why am I grinning? This man is my enemy. I'm only working with him because we have a common goal to stop the alliance between our families. I don’t want my sister marrying into that name knowing what was done to me. It wasn't right. I can't let her sell her life off to a bunch of monsters, all so my father can get money and more territory. She's being complicit in the cover-up if she does.

"I'm okay, Dimitri. Thank you for worrying about me." When I look up, he's looking away now, still tinged pink with embarrassment. I get a second to notice how handsome he is, though rugged and fatigued. It's a little sad.

He's such a strong man, powerful too—someone my father might respect if he had a different last name. And he's so kind and warm, not at all like the men in my world. But he's the brother of the man who ruined my life and crippled me emotionally. How could I ever justify that?

"We, uh…" He pauses and then turns back toward me. "We should probably not linger here. I have a feeling if those medical files were genuine, there's some sort of paper trail about your father paying the doctor off to keep him quiet. Not reporting a rape is a crime.”

He rubs the back of his neck again, and I get the feeling he's ready to split. Nodding, I take a step back and swallow the flavor of peppermint on my tongue.

"I can keep pressing. You're right, he probably paid the doctor off. And if it helps us with our goal of stopping the alliance…" I find myself gravitating toward him as he takes a step backward, starting to move away.

"Good, yeah. And I have a lead on some financial ties to other cover-up stuff." He's being so vague, saying things that sound like they mean something in the grand scheme of things, but my gut tells me this little rendezvous has nothing to do with our strange partnership and secret mission.

I think he likes me.

"Okay, call me," I mumble, raising my gloved hand to wiggle my fingers in a goodbye, and after he turns and walks off, I feel the glowing bubble of warmth surround me with every step I take through the market under the twinkling lights until I'm back at the car where my driver waits.

I don't even understand what just happened, but I liked it. And as stupid as it sounds, I think I'd like to do that again.

10

ALANA

It's too warm in here. I'm sweating under this thick sweater as I push the food around my plate and listen to my mother and father talk about the wedding plans. Natalia chimes in every so often, but not one of them cares to understand how I’m feeling about it. It's like they can't see how upset I am or how much it's hurting me.

My head hangs. I think of Dimitri and our walk through the Christmas market the other day. It's sort of ironic how the only person in the world who seems to want justice for my life is the brother of the man who attacked me. My own father doesn't care that he's put his own name and reputation on a higher pedestal than his daughter. To him, the issue was settled when he pulled that trigger and Ivan dropped dead.

"Alana, you're not eating, honey. Do you feel okay?" Mamochka reaches out to press her hand to my forehead, and I shy away. I'm in no mood for this. She knows damn well why I'm not eating and why I've been sulking and grumpy.

"Young lady," Batya grumbles, as if using some harsh tone with me would make me straighten up. I'm not ten years old anymore. I don't know why he thinks that will work. Maybe because I still live with him under his roof where he provides everything I need.

But maybe that needs to change. I could get a job somewhere and find my own place. My jaunts with Dimitri have taught me that I'm bold enough to go places alone now. It's not inconceivable that I could do what thousands of other single women all over this city have done.

"I'm not hungry," I mumble, thinking of the reason.