Ring or not, this will always be strange to me. Liya confounds me—and impresses me, strengthens, grates me, and inspires me. She’s a conundrum, one that I can’t help trying to pick apart and study.
If only I had more time to figure her out.
The spell breaks when I knock on the door. Her eyes sharpen when they land on me; her back stiffens, and her hand protectively rests on her protruding stomach. She doesn’t appear bashful at all about me walking in on her wearing a bra and panties. She just looks annoyed.
I should have just kept spying on her.
I set the tray on the table near the vanity. “Have you seen the news?”
“I don’t bother to look anymore.”
“I understand.”
I prepare a cup of tea for her and set it on the vanity.
She lifts her teacup and blows on it. “Let me guess: Cardona is pulling some shitty stunts around town.”
“Correct.”
“What are we dealing with this time?” She sips her tea. “Shootings? Stabbings? Bombings?”
I slip my hand into my pocket, winding my fingers around the wedding ring. “All of the above.”
She looks away in disgust. “Wonderful.”
“Do you have any ideas?”
She waves her hand over her tea. “None. The mayor is breathing down Berkowitz’s neck. There’s even talk of a snap election to vote him out. And the NYPD is practically on strike. This is a mess.”
“We’ve handled messes before.”
“This is worse than anything we’ve done, Pavel.” Her face goes white as she touches her throat. “Well, maybeI’vedone worse things.”
When I step toward her, she doesn’t react. I rest my hand on her shoulder.
She shudders. “If we can’t keep the mayor interested, he’s going to force Berkowitz to drop the whole thing.” She runs her hand mindlessly over her stomach in circles. “And there goes my immunity.”
“It’s time for a new strategy.”
“What doyousuggest?”
My eyes fall to her belly. In there, life develops. Slowly but surely, a carbon copy of Liya and me will keep growing. Inevitably. It’s the kind of thing that makes me worry.
Because I have no control over it.
I squeeze Liya’s shoulder lightly.I have no control over her either. I meet her gaze in the mirror.But I can still turn this war around.
I release her shoulder. “Battles are best fought in person, don’t you think?”
Her jaw drops. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve done it before. You’ve seen me do it.”
Her face spasms, and she looks away. “Don’t remind me. That was the first time one of my plans went bad.”
“You know what I’m capable of doing, Liya.”
“And I know you’re capable of putting yourself at risk by doing it.”