17. Maggie #3
I stare at him while unlocking the door. “That sounds exhaustin’.”
“It’s my job.”
“That answer is becomin’ deeply irritatin’.”
The corner of his mouth lifts like he’s almost amused, but the expression disappears quickly.
I step inside my apartment while Viktor remains out in the hallway near my door. As soon as the door shuts behind me, exhaustion crashes over me so hard that I lean back against the wood with my eyes closed. The silence feels strange after the nonstop stress surrounding me all day.
A few seconds later, I kick off my shoes, push away from the door, and head straight for the kitchen.
The cold beer waiting in the fridge feels like the closest thing to emotional survival available right now.
I twist the cap off and take several long gulps standing there barefoot beneath the dim kitchen light while cool air spills from the refrigerator around me.
It helps. Not enough, but enough that my shoulders loosen for the first time since the market. Then I set the bottle down on the counter and head toward the bathroom.
I shower hotter than usual, standing beneath the spray long enough for steam to completely fill the room while my thoughts race in endless circles again. The market. The man saying my name. Alexei refusing to let me walk away. The warning written across Ivy’s drawing.
I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my hair. My mind continues spinning. Then my stomach twists so intensely that I brace one hand against the sink while staring at my reflection in the fogged mirror.
This isn’t normal. None of this is normal.
And somehow, I’m still getting ready to go to Alexei Agapov’s mansion like that sentence belongs in my life.
Sweet baby Jesus.
I change clothes three separate times before finally deciding on dark jeans and a light pink cotton top that feels casual enough not to look ridiculous while still making me appear slightly more composed than I actually feel.
My phone rings while I’m brushing my hair.
Mama.
Relief moves through me as soon as I answer.
“Well, hey there, baby.”
The sound of her voice loosens a knot inside my chest so fast it almost hurts. Background noise from the diner hums loudly through the phone. Normal sounds. Safe sounds.
“Hey Mama.”
“You alright?”
The question comes right away, which tells me my voice already betrayed me.
“I’m fine.”
“Mhmm.” Her tone turns knowingly skeptical. “And I’m twenty-five.”
A tired smile pulls at my mouth. “You always know.”
“You came from my body, Magnolia Mae. I know when you’re upset before you do.”
Tears sting the back of my eyes at that. I sink onto the edge of my bed while twisting my fingers together tightly in my lap. “You notice anything strange at the diner today?”
Her pause lasts only a second. “No. Why? Did somethin’ else happen.”
“I’m just askin’.”
“Maggie.”
The warning in her voice makes guilt crawl through me. “There’s just been some weird stuff around the shelter.”
“This about that handsome Alexei?”
A startled laugh escapes me. “Mama.”
“What? I got eyes.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I didn’t say funny. I said handsome.”
Hearing my mother sound normal feels like grabbing onto solid ground after drowning all day.
Then her tone softens. “Honey, you be careful with your heart.”
She isn’t talking about danger. She’s talking about Alexei. About the way my entire body reacts every time he looks at me. About how quickly this man has woven himself into my life. Too late for that, I think miserably.
“I know.”
“You don’t have to carry everybody else’s burdens just because they look at you with sad eyes.”
I shut my eyes because that observation is way too close to the truth, and I don’t want to look at it.
“I’m okay,” I whisper.
“You call me if you need me.”
“I will.”
“And Magnolia?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Emotion surges painfully in my chest. “Love you too, Mama.”
After we hang up, I sit there staring at nothing for another minute before Viktor texts that it’s time to leave.
The drive to Alexei’s mansion feels more ominous tonight.
The gates slide open when we approach, revealing long stretches of manicured grounds glowing beneath the carefully placed exterior lighting.
Security moves visibly around the property, speaking quietly into earpieces and scanning every arriving vehicle.
Nobody here looks relaxed, and unease coils slowly through my chest as Viktor escorts me inside. The atmosphere feels even tighter once we step through the front doors. Men move quickly through the halls speaking Russian into radios while staff members keep their heads lowered and out of the way.
Luka appears near the staircase holding his tablet. The bruise beneath his eye looks even worse now.
“What happened to your face?” I finally ask.
His expression remains perfectly bland. “Occupational hazard.”
That somehow explains absolutely everything and nothing at the same time.
“Where’s Alexei?”
“He hasn’t returned yet.”
Annoyance flares through me and judging by the change in Luka’s expression, he notices.
“He asked me to apologize for the delay.”
I nod once, but it does little to calm me because every person in this mansion looks braced for impact. Then a blur of dark curls launches directly into my legs.
“Maggie!”
Every bit of anxiety eases when Ivy hugs me hard enough to nearly knock me backward.
“Well, hey there, sugar bean.”