Page 153 of The Viper's Wife

Another thought, one almost too fragile to hold in my mind, comes unbidden, one about happiness and safety and a bright and tender future.

Nico helps me to a ladder, and we all crawl to the top where Yevgeniy opens a trap door. He goes first, heaving and cursing in Russian.

A single, plain car sits just outside the exit.

Yevgeniy rushes to the driver seat and throws his papers inside, the trunk popping open. “Get in.”

When Nico starts to pull me toward the backseats, Yevgeniy waves his hands and shouts, “No, in trunk!”

“We’re not getting in the trunk,” Nico says.

Yevgeniy taps his forehead. “You do if you do not want to get caught. Now get inside.”

“Nico, come on,” I say and tug at his arm. “He’s right.”

Yevgeniy smiles. “Smart girl.”

Muttering under his breath about crazy Russians, Nico follows me to the trunk. He helps me inside and gets in after, and Yevgeniy slams the trunk shut, plunging us into darkness.

Nico and I brace ourselves against the interior of the trunk, and at the first bump, I knock my head against the felt interior.

“Ow.”

Nico reaches for me in the dark. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I say, biting back a complaint at another bump.

“And the baby? Is she okay?”

I have no idea, but at the worry in his voice, I tell a white lie. “She’s okay, Nico. You kept us both safe.”

He’s silent for a long time as a car drives on. “Val, I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” I say fiercely and clutch at his hands. “You said you’d protect us and you did. You came for us. I’m so fucking scared about what happens next, but as long as it’s with you, I know we’re going to be okay. I love you.”

He fumbles for my face and manages to kiss me, awkward and clumsy in the dark.

“I love you too,” he whispers against my mouth.

The car rolls to a stop.

Boots stomp next to us, and the trunk pops open.

“They are going to meet you here,” Yevgeniy says.

I look around, blinking against the dim sunlight.

We’re in an underpass, worn concrete walls shielding us on two sides.

Nico gets out of the trunk first and helps me to my feet. He holds me against his side.

“I am going to leave now, for the cameras,” Yevgeniy says. He nods toward me with a small smile and shakes Nico’s hand. “Good luck.”

Nico drags Yevgeniy into a hug. “Thank you.”

Yevgeniy smiles, wriggles his keys in front of Nico’s face like an inside joke. “Nice try, but I keep my keys this time.”

Nico scrubs over his head. “Yeah, sorry about that.”