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“Sorry about that.” Aleksandr looks a little embarrassed. “If I’d known, I would’ve delayed at least a half an hour.”

“Half an hour?” Mirdza asks. “Five minutes would have been more than enough. In half an hour, I’d have wound up with a niece or nephew on the way.”

I’m going to sink into the ground beneath our feet. “What you saw was just a lapse in judgment.” But my tone isn’t nearly as commanding as it usually is. Being embarrassed sucks.

Alexei takes my hand, sliding his fingers between mine. “No, it wasn’t.”

Mirdza’s eyebrows rise.

I ought to rip him a new one. I should shout and yank my hand away, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it.

“So this Lithuanian,” Grigoriy asks. “He’s dying, no?”

“What is with you men, always jumping straight to that?” Mirdza asks.

“It’s the women who suffer when you stomp around killing people,” Kristiana says.

“We do it for the women,” Grigoriy says.

“Once he dies, then another guy just like him pops up to take his place.” Mirdza’s voice is small. “Elimination like that isn’t a solution.”

“That’s true—this guy is the last guy’s brother,” I say.

“What would be better?” Alexei asks.

I shrug. “I just want to get through the race.”

“That’s a little ostrich of you,” Kris says. “And then what? When he still won’t let you go, what will you do?”

I puff out my chest. “I could marry Gavriil and run away to Russia.”

Alexei drags me closer and releases my hand. . .so he can wrap his arm around my shoulders. “I thought you didn’t want me to kill anyone.”

That makes me laugh.

“You’re mine.” He stares at me, daring me to challenge him.

“I don’t belong to anyone,” I say firmly, meeting his eyes to make sure he’s getting it. “But I will admit that I have considered dating you.”

The goofy grin that spreads across his face is nothing to the shouts and hoots from the other four idiots.

“Stop,” Alexei says. “Or you dummies will change her mind.”

Mirdza’s grinning bigger than any of the others. “I’m proud of you.”

I roll my eyes, expecting another joke. “At what?”

“When you weren’t dating, that meant Martinš was winning. Now you’re finally beating him.”

That floors me. “Why?”

“If you don’t do things you want to do because of him, that’s letting him control your life. Now that you’re finally doing what you want, without regard for him, you’ve beaten him.”

I hate when she’s so clearly right. Being the dumb one really sucks.

Alexei’s brushing the hair back off my face when Gavriil comes jogging around the corner. He stops dead, his eyes wide.

Then his shoulders droop.