Page 57 of Enemy of My Enemy

“Hello, Ethan. Glad you are here as well.”

“Mr. President.” Ethan sat back, still not used to chatting casually with other world leaders, and one whom he had considered a threat the year before.

Sergey sighed. “I like your proposal, Jack. I think it is very good. My advisors are split, but I know it will happen. So thank you.”

“Sure thing. We just want the economy moving again.”

“Your people will not like this.”

“I’ll deal with my people. They’ll be even less happy if the economy tanks further.”

Sergey murmured his agreement and then went quiet.

“What else can I do, Sergey?” Sergey had saved American lives when the cables were released, stood by his side on the world stage, and risked everything on a massive gamble to clean up his country. And he’d taken a stand for equality, supporting Jack when others had vanished. Made changes in Russia for his people. Helping him was the least he could do.

“You have already done much, Jack. This offer… It is very generous. I thought…” Sergey began and hesitated. “I would be doing this alone. Your predecessor was not a man I wanted anything to do with. After you were elected, I did not know if you were a man to be trusted.” He cleared his throat. “I tested you, in Prague. Pushed you. But you pushed back. You held your line. And you have been always an honorable man, Jack.”

“You called me a Russian faggot once, Sergey.”

Sergey cleared his throat again, discomfort and regret leaching over the phone line. “That wasn’t about you. Or Ethan. I thought, before, that we could end up here. Where we are now. Political partners, working together. Equals. When you came out about your relationship…” He sighed. “I thought your country would not be able to handle it. I thought you were on your way out. That I would be on my own when I had hoped for more with you.”

“Jury is still out on America ‘handling it.’”

“I was wrong. I was angry, and I was wrong,” Sergey rumbled. “And I am glad I was wrong. Our partnership is important to me.”

His words touched Jack, and he shared a warm look with Ethan. “To me as well, Sergey. More than I can say.” Jack frowned. “You sound exhausted. I know what this job it like. Are you taking care of yourself?”

“Dodging assassins is exhausting work.”

Jack sat up, his spine straightening, as Ethan’s eyes went wide. “Sergey. They’re trying to kill you?”

“Do not act so surprised, Jack. I knew this would come. Three attempts in the past week. Going after the money and trying to clean up decades of corruption is asking for trouble.” Sergey chuckled. “We have a saying here. You are only as strong as yourkrysha. Your roof. Your protection. Political, personal, financial, or military. What someone can do is defined by yourkrysha. I just obliteratedkryshasthroughout Russia. What should I expect after, hmm? Well, I am the president! I am supposed to have the bestkryshaof all!” He sighed, rueful, over the line. “I have good Security Service agents and my FSB training. Once an FSB agent, always an FSB agent. But I am finding out I do not have much else.”

“Well, you have us.”

Sergey snorted.

“I’m serious.” What else could he do? What could he give to his friend that could possibly help? “Look, how about a little breather? Come to the White House. I can promise an assassin-free environment. We’ll hammer out the details of this business lease and announce it to the world together.”

Sergey laughed. “People already say we are too close, Jack. That would only make them more eager for scandal.” A pause. “But… I will think about it.”

“Please do. I haven’t had a state dinner yet. I’d love to host you, Sergey.”

Ethan stared wide-eyed at Jack.

“I will think about it. I will call you when my advisors are done arguing about your proposal. Until then, Jack!Do svidaniya.” Sergey cut the line.

Jack shared a long look with Ethan before sitting back in his chair. He crossed his arms behind his head and his ankles beneath the Resolute desk. “I don’t envy him right now.”

“I don’t envy his security.”

Jack snorted. Ethan looked away. One of his feet bounced up and down, over and over, and he gnawed on the corner of his lip.

Frowning, Jack tried to catch Ethan’s gaze again. His lover had been distracted all day, ever since they’d left the White House medical suite after getting tested early that morning. He was fidgeting.

Jack could count on one hand the times Ethan had fidgeted.

“When does your team land?” Maybe it was Cooper’s return.