Page 19 of Drop Pass

I gave her a quick hug before stepping away. “I wasn’t going to let Elena fall.”

Her eyes twinkled. “I noticed. I’m sure she appreciated that.”

I narrowed my eyes before walking away. I didn’t like what she was implying. It’s what I would have done for my sisters.

The thought stopped me in my tracks. It’s what I would have done for them. Not a stranger. I would only risk my life and career for my family.

That’s how I’d always lived my life. They came first. Their best interests were all I cared about.

So why hadn’t I thought about them before moving to catch Elena?

I simply did what anyone else would have. If any of the guys had been closer, they would have tried to save her too. It was just instinct. That’s all.

7

Elena

The realization that I’d been within inches of falling and seriously injuring myself sank in once I was back in the safety of my own home. I was going down. The only reason I was lazily sprawled out on my bed without a cast or at least some serious bruises was Nikolay.

He’d literally sacrificed himself to keep me safe. He’d come swooping in and took the fall for me. The sound of the ice cracking is still replying in my mind. The splintering sound was so foreign to me. I hadn’t known what was happening until after. He pushed me off him so fast and with so much force, I thought he was disgusted by my proximity. I was mildly offended for about three seconds until I saw him go through the ice.

Who did something like that?

Not him. He barely made eye contact with me. I was fairly certain he disliked me, but today he’d risked it all. For me.

I blew out a breath and decided I had to repay him. I couldn’t live with something like this hanging over my head. I was in his debt and that was not a status I wanted to hold for long.

My kitchen was pretty empty, so I did the next best thing. I called Lucy.

“Hello?”

“Hey I need advice. What’s a good restaurant around me?”

There was a pause. “Really? That’s what you’re going to say? I’ve been waiting for you to call and tell me about what happened today. You nearly died and all you’ve got for me is where you should eat?”

I sighed and dropped my head against a pillow. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know word had spread.”

“Even if it hadn’t, I would want you to tell me! Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine thanks to Nikolay.”

She giggled. “I heard he saved the day.”

“He really did. When he fell through the ice, I stopped breathing. I don’t remember the last time I was that scared. I really thought he was going to go under or we’d have to call for a fire truck to come and use the ladder to get to him. He just calmly got out like he’d done it a hundred times.”

“Well, he is Russian.”

I scoffed. “He mentioned it had happened before but come on. No one reacts like that. He didn’t even scream or yell. If I didn’t know the water was below thirty degrees, I would have thought it was warm by the way he acted.”

“He’s tough. How’s he doing?”

“He was fine when I left. Not that he would tell anyone if he wasn’t. I learned he’s the strong and silent type today.”

She laughed. “Yeah, that’s Nikolay. He’s been here for months and I don’t think I’ve heard him say more than ten words. At first, I thought maybe he didn’t know English very well, but he’s fluent. I think he’s just an introvert.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

“So are you looking for a good restaurant to go by yourself or…”