My husband’s eyes are narrowed and his jaw is tight, but he’s not reaching for any weapons, which I take as a good sign.
“We’d like to speak to our sister alone,” Konstantin says, addressing him.As usual, my oldest brother lacks all subtlety—not that the situation requires any.
We all know where we stand.
“You can speak to her here and now, with me, or not at all.”Alexei’s lips stretch into a grim smile.“Your choice.”
“It’s fine,” I say as Konstantin’s nostrils flare dangerously.“We’ll just take a few steps this way, okay?We’ll be within your sight at all times.”
Before Alexei can reply, I grab Konstantin’s hand and drag him toward the reception desk, which is empty today.Valery immediately joins us, standing in such a way that the sprawling leaves of the six-foot-tall cane block most of his face.
I make sure Alexei isn’t about to explode—he’s glaring at us darkly but staying put—before I turn to my brothers.“Thank you both for coming.You didn’t have to, but?—”
“Nikolai and Chloe are on their way,” Valery says in a low voice.“They’ll be here tomorrow afternoon.”
I can’t hide a shocked gasp.“Really?With Slava?”
“No,” Konstantin says in a similarly quiet voice.“They left him in the compound with Pavel.It’s too dangerous for him here.Listen…” He leans in so his face is also blocked by the cane, and his voice drops to a barely audible whisper.“We’re working on a plan to get you out.We can’t do it before the surgery, but?—”
“No.”The word escapes my lips before I can consciously formulate the thought.“Don’t.”
Valery cocks his head.“Why?”
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
I don’t want my brothers to rescue me for the same reason I didn’t contact them when I escaped—because I don’t want to endanger them.
And because the thought of being separated from Alexei again makes me feel like I can’t breathe.
The realization is like a thunderclap in the middle of a clear sky, as disturbing as it is startling.But it’s true.I don’t want to be away from Alexei.Maybe it’s the tumor messing with my brain, or maybe it’s everything that happened yesterday and Alexei’s irrational determination to take care of me no matter what, but the thought of being without him, of facing the battle ahead without his strength and resolve… I can’t even imagine it.
I don’t want to imagine it.
“Has he hurtyou?”Valery asks, very softly.
I shake my head.“And he won’t.But he will hurt the two of you.And Nikolai and Chloe.Please…” I shift my gaze from Valery to Konstantin and back.“Listen to me… I’m fine.I want to stay with him.Please don’t do anything—not now at least.”
Valery and Konstantin exchange a look.
“I mean it.”
“She means it.”Alexei’s sardonic drawl makes me jump.Somehow, he’s approached us without my noticing.His eyes gleam mockingly as he loops his arm around my waist to pull me to his side.“Now if you’re done plotting against me, your sister has major surgery in a few minutes.”
Valery reaches out and squeezes my hand.His expression is the closest to strained I’ve ever seen.“Good luck.You’ll do great.”
“She doesn’t need luck.She has the best doctors,” Konstantin says.Adjusting his glasses, he gives me a level look.“You have a good chance of surviving this unscathed.According to one recent study, only one-point-seven percent of patients undergoing awake craniotomy had any sort of permanent side effects.”
Alexei glares at him, but I just laugh.Because that’s Konstantin for you—logical, factual, and lacking in anything resembling social niceties.He says what he thinks.In that, he’s the polar opposite of Valery, whom one can never take at face value.
“I’ll be okay, you guys,” I say when I stop laughing.“See you in a few.”
They nod, stepping back, and Alexei leads me through the reception doors into the hallway and to the room where the surgical team is already waiting for us.
As soon as we enter,the nurses have me change into a hospital gown, and then Fasseau informs me that they’ll need to shave off a portion of my hair in order to perform the craniotomy.
“It won’t be as much as usual,” he says in a reassuring tone.“Our team tries to spare most of the hair by removing just a few strands around the incision and thoroughly washing the scalp to prevent infection.We understand that for women with long hair like yours, it can be?—”
“Won’t I lose it anyway with chemo?”
