49. Roman
Chapter forty-nine
Roman
Of course, the first thing Tati wanted to do was go see Juliet.
I drove, Tati wrapped up in Mikhail in the back seat, whispering to each other, but my right hand snaked behind the center console and wrapped around her calf.
After two months of not seeing her, not touching her, not knowing when or if she’d ever be free, and the urge to touch her, to reassure myself that she was real and really here, rode me hard.
I drop her ankle to shoot out a text privately, before dropping my phone back in my lap and driving to the barn.
The air in the car is charged. Everything we haven’t said, everything we want to say fills the space like smoke. Lev’s behind us on his bike, but even the weight of his needs and expectations is a presence in the SUV.
I glide into a parking spot at New Hope and cut off the engine. Tati’s out of the door before I can even come around to open it for her. She takes off on a sprint. Mik follows behind her, but I stay outside. I’ve been planning for this day, but now that she’s free, we have to move quickly.
New IDs, new destinations, and her uncle wants to fly to Boston to meet her before we head overseas, wherever Tatiana ends up wanting to live.
It’s a conversation we need to have sooner rather than later, but right now I’m texting the equine transport plane about their earliest availability.
I was shocked to learn that horses fly in cargo planes all the time.
The underbelly of the plane has stalls with straw bedding and hay nets, and that most horses are given a light tranquilizer because flying might be the most unnatural thing a horse can do.
Whenever Tatiana and we end up, Juliet will have to come, too.
Lev turns off the engine of his bike as I approach.
“Can you pack up all of our bags? And Sparkles? I don’t know where we’re going, but we need to go soon.”
I look over my shoulder to the farm’s entrance, as if Chernov or Vitale soldiers are going to appear any minute.
It’s obviously not likely since they’ll all be recovering from the raids, but sooner or later someone’s going to get organized and go after the person responsible for taking them down: Tatiana.
Fuck, I’ve never been prouder of her. My na?ve, love-hungry ward hacked her captor’s computer and used the FBI to take down two massive mafia and trafficking families.
I’ve always been in awe of her, but now I want to learn everything.
I want her to tell me everything she did, line by line, so I can revel in her success.
Lev looks longingly at the barn, and I feel guilty knowing I’m asking him to leave her again just when we got her back.
I squeeze his biceps in my hand.
“We don’t have much time.”
With this, he swallows and nods, kicking the engine back on and taking off down the road.
Text to Ilya done, equine transport on standby, private pilot lined up, I walk into the barn and follow them to Juliet’s stall. Tatiana’s sagged against the animal, who I swear has her head wrapped around Tati’s body, holding her in an embrace.
Tatiana’s body shakes with sobs, and the image guts me. I know she’s been through a lot, and we’ve been mainly helpless. But I hate seeing her sad.
I’m torn. I hate to break up this tender moment between Juliet and her rider, but we don’t have any time to waste.
I let myself into the stall and run my hand over Tatiana’s back. She responds instantly, launching herself into my arms, burying her face in the crook of my neck and letting out what feels like a lifetime’s worth of tears.
“I hate to bring this up, Tanya, but we need to talk.”
Red-rimmed blue eyes look up at me, and fuck, it makes my heart hurt. I never want to see her cry again. I wipe tears off her cheeks and hold her beautiful face in my hands.
“We can’t stay in the states.”
Her eyes widen in shock.
I shake my head. “It’s too dangerous. You can cut the head off of a snake, but it can still bite. The Chernovs and Vitales all still have loyal soldiers. Someone will step up to take charge. And we’ll spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders.”
Her shoulders sag as she accepts the truth.
“But,” I say brightly, trying to cheer her up. “That means we can start over wherever you want. Argentina. Russia. Ireland. South Africa. You name it.”
Alarm flashes across her features.
“And I already have a plane waiting to take Juliet wherever you decide.”
She stares at me for a long, uncomfortable amount of time; her face unreadable. I wish I knew what she was thinking.
“I love you,” she whispers, tipping up on her toes and pressing her warm lips against mine. In a second my body’s on fire, molding itself to her, wrapping her in my arms, cupping the back of her head in one hand and bending her the way I like.
We kiss for longer than we probably should, but I don’t care. I feel like I can breathe again for the first time in months. Like the sun’s come out again after months of darkness. Like my heart has remembered how to beat.
But an alarm sounds in the back of my brain that she’s not out of danger yet.
I pull my lips away from hers like it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, chest heaving, and rest my forehead against hers.
“I’m so fucking in love with you...” I whisper, my breath caressing her face.
She pulls back farther, a confidence or knowing or something firming up her spine.
“And you all are coming with me?” She looks to Mik, as if he’d ever leave her side.
I don’t even bother with a response.
A soft smile plays on her lips, and I like it so much more than the sadness that was there a moment before.
“I’ve always wanted to visit Paris.”
The city of love.
And that’s all I need to hear.
I walk back out to the SUV. I find a realtor in Paris who can help us with an apartment at first while we find houses we want to buy and download Duolingo onto my phone because I don’t know how to speak French.