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CHAPTER 2

ALEXEI

I don’t know why she thinks she’s hiding from me, but I’m always glad when she comes back to town.

The video feed from the cabin isn’t as clear. Maybe I need to talk to Enzo about a better internet connection. But that would mean telling him I’m watching her.

He spies on everyone, what difference is there?

I don’t want him knowing.

She’s my responsibility.

“Can you go that way?” I yell at Mikhail in the cockpit.

Without turning around, he taps his headset, then raises his middle finger at me. It’s not like I could see his face, he always wears that black balaclava now.

Shit. I always forget.

I key the button to activate the mic on mine. “Cut to the left. I want to go over that hill face.”

Mikhail nods and his Cessna tilts as the wing dips into the turn.

This is always a good distraction when Lara hides.

A buzzer rings through the speakers. When I glance at him, Mikhail gives me a thumbs up.

Pulling the door open, the rush of hot Vegas wind pours into the tiny cabin of the plane.

I have to brace myself to keep from stumbling with the force of it.

It’s time.

I hang my headset on the heavy hook, and go through the last minute pattern of patting my straps and buckles.

Yep. Everything in place.

Without a word, I leap out into the sky.

The air is so loud as I fall that it’s almost quiet, drowning out every thought.

There’s a shadow from Mikhail that flickers over me. He’s circling like he always does to make sure I land safely.

He shouldn’t bother. We’ve done this a million times.

Well. At least a hundred.

I feel free. Guided only with the resistance of my arms and legs against the wind itself, I buck and roll. Spin and dive.

Completely untethered by anything except gravity.

Faster.

Streamlining my body, I rocket towards the earth.

I’m a missile, streaking through the dusk.

Does she know I can almost see her? That the roof of the cabin she’s in peeks through the dense trees like it’s waving at me?

The cameras never show enough.

Mikhail always thinks I like to jump here because of the craggy waterfall that works its way through the desert.

I tell him it’s my quiet place.

Really, it’s watching Lara to make sure she’s okay.

I’m supposed to. It isn’t only my job, it’s my purpose.

My entire being revolves around her.

Her spirals always make her want to disappear. So I gave her somewhere she can run to, where she is safe. I know she’s there trying to reset, to clear her mind, to get a fresh outlook.

Sometimes, they’re longer than others.

But knowing that Nikolai and I will be leaving for Russia soon, I just need to check on her.

She’ll come around.

Like always.