Page 52 of Blood & Snow

"The hotel manager gave these to me," I explain.

"A guest left them behind, and they're giving staff the unclaimed items as early holiday bonuses."

Irina lifts the dress to examine the fabric and construction.

Her fingers trace the expensive silk while her expression grows increasingly skeptical.

"This dress costs a fortune," she says quietly.

"What guest leaves behind something this valuable?"

When her eyes rise to meet mine, I see the concern there hidden behind shock.

But she's fearful for me, as she rightly should be.

"Rich guests who have so many clothes they forget about individual pieces. Or women who sell themselves for a price and…"

I let the words trail off and let her imagine the rest.

The explanation sounds weak even to me.

"The hotel couldn't contact them all, so they distributed the items to staff."

She picks up the earrings next, holding them to the overhead light.

The diamonds catch the light and throw tiny rainbows across the wall.

She recognizes expensive jewelry when she sees it because she will never be able to afford it on her own.

"These are real diamonds, Nadya. Real, high-quality diamonds. No hotel gives away items worth thousands of rubles to housekeeping staff."

My heart pounds against my ribs.

I should've hidden them, not brought them out, but I need some way to explain why this job is important, why I have to keep working here.

If she thinks I'm being rewarded so well, maybe she'll back off on her lectures.

I have to make her believe this or I'm not sure what Xander and his men will do to her, because she's not going to stop questioning until she feels I'm safe.

"Maybe they're not real," I suggest weakly.

"Maybe they're costume jewelry that looks expensive but isn't."

"They're real." Her voice carries absolute certainty.

"I may be a nurse, but I know the difference between glass and diamonds. These are genuine stones in a platinum setting."

She sets the earrings down carefully and fixes me with a stare that penetrates my defenses.

I feel exposed under her scrutiny, caught in lies that multiply beyond my ability to manage them.

It's like I'm looking intoMamochka'seyes again from the grave.

"Tell me the truth, Nadya. Where did these really come from?"

My mind scrambles for an answer that won't destroy my family's safety or my relationship with Xander.

The truth would send Irina into panic and probably drive her to contact the police.