“We’re back to insulting each other?”
“It’s a good thing,” she chuckles softly. A yawn cracks her face in two. “Do you mind if I take a quick nap? I’m feeling a little tired.”
“My shoulder is available.”
Her smile grows wider and she leans against me. Within seconds, she’s sleeping soundly, her hand wrapped around my arm.
Lev removes his headphones once she’s out. “I’ve never seen you like this,” he remarks.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know… calm.”
“I’m always calm.”
“Not like this. You’re at peace. Serene. Fuckin’ Dalai Lama over there.”
I know what he means, but the stakes are too high for me to admit as much out loud. Also, I’m not entirely convinced that Yulian is fast asleep.
Somehow, I’m not ready to forgive my brother enough to allow him into the inner circle of my thoughts. Especially as it pertains to Jessa.
“You ready for fatherhood?” Lev asks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say. “But I want Marina taken care of before the baby is born.”
“We’re both working on it,” Lev says, glancing at Yulian. “We’re checking every dark corner, every possible hideout, and keeping men stationed in plain sight, too. She won’t get past us.”
“Have you contacted Yaromir yet?”
“Yes. He’s open to meeting.”
“Any idea if Marina has made contact with him?”
“None at all. I figured it would be best to scope things out with him at the meeting. We can get a better sense if he’s lying or not.”
I nod. “You’ll accompany me to the meeting.”
“I expected to,” Lev says before glancing at Yulian. “What about him?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“When are you going to stop punishing him?” he whispers.
“When I feel like he’s taking this seriously.”
I watch Yulian’s fingers twitch slightly, but he certainly looks like he’s sleeping. It isn’t lost on me how little I trust him now. How suspicious I am of every little thing he does. Is that twitch a betrayal? Is that sigh a lie?
I don’t know. I just don’t know.
* * *
As the jet’s wheels hit the tarmac, Jessa wakes up with a gasp.
“It’s okay,” I say, rubbing her arm. “We landed.”
“Already?”
“You slept the entire flight.”