His amusement drifted away when she remained stoic in response. Eventually, his focus went back to the road, and he asked her, “Why don’t you worry about minding your own business, hmm?”
She had bad news for him.
“Hannah is my business.”
It would do Igor well to learn that fact, and fast. Not even the sting of his stare finding her in the mirror once more scared her. Maybe it would have if she were a weaker woman, but hell ... if even the beast didn’t scare her in the dark, then the king he promised to crown in his place certainly wouldn’t, either.
“Got it?” Vera asked.
*
“I swear to God,” Hannah said where she stood waiting behind Vera as her friend inspected the browning ends of a climbing vine plant. “I swear, Vera, I watered it just the way you said to. No more, no less. Five milliliters of blue food on Sundays. And I didn’t touch that one, or any of them, when they were watered. Just like you said.”
Touching wet plants was a great way to spread disease between different species, so it was one of the top rules Vera had written down for Hannah.
She smiled, not for one second doubting her friend. The climbing vine that had grabbed onto the exposed red brick focus wall in the sitting room of the villa had already covered a significant portion of the right side from bottom to top. With only a little bit of directional help from Vera where she had started the plant in a moderately-sized pot on a nearby stool. The vine would continue to climb over the brick across to the window where it sought the little light it needed to thrive.
As long as they put it in a bigger pot.
Vera straightened to her full height, and shrugged off the worry she’d first felt when Hannah had mentioned a dying plant after she arrived. “It just needs repotted. Basically, it’s as big as it’s going to grow unless we give the roots more room. The nice thing about these is that they’re hard to kill—they don’t even get rootbound, really. But you can see some browning like that at the ends if their potential gets stunted.”
Hannah nodded, surveying the brick section of wall again with new eyes. “Yeah, okay. I see what you’re doing.”
She winked. “Well, what you’re doing now.”
Vera earned herself a roll of Hannah’s pretty twinkling eyes for that comment. “Right,” her friend muttered. “Let’s be honest—we’re both surprised I haven’t already killed a damn plant.”
Well ...
Vera cackled out a laugh. “I still have faith in you.”
Hannah’s head bobbed dramatically in agreement, her frizzy curls bouncing wildly all the while. “Yes—still. Because who knows what’s gonna happen.”
She waved off Hannah’s sarcastic self-deprecation, and tossed the messenger bag that had been weighing down her shoulder onto the nearby suede loveseat. Next went her purse. Like her shoes, she hadn’t even bothered to drop her bags at the door like she usually would in her own home. The plants were serious business, but ...
“I’m not really that worried about you killing my plants,” Vera said, her thick parka breaking her fall into the recliner by the window. “You’re too Type-A. I knew it was fine once I made you a list of everything that needed what and how. You won’t hurt something seriously enough that it can’t be fixed.”
Hannah crossed her arms over her chest, hiding the block words that spelled out a sports logo on the front of her hoodie, and cocked an eyebrow. “Vera, that list was thirty pages long and detailed the plants by room.”
Vera grinned. “Yeah. And?”
“And?” Hannah asked back, scoffing. “And you say I’m the Type-A personality here.”
Actually ...
“I never denied that I was also Type-A,” Vera said, shrugging, “but I don’t see the problem. Did you deviate from the stuff I put in the list?”
Hannah stuck out her tongue, and Vera answered the gesture in kind. Birds of a feather truly did flock together.
Before long, Vera had kicked off her shoes to the light-colored hardwood floors below while Hannah made a seat of her own on the nearby couch. She flicked the flatscreen off pause to resume the medical drama before replacing the remote on the coffee table where she’d also tossed Vera’s bags.
“So,” Hannah started, not looking away from the television, “who’s the babysitter for the weekend?”
Vera’s lengthy pause was made more awkward when Hannah turned to glance her way, clearly noticing. Her friend’s brow jumped higher in a silent question.
“Oh, you thought I forgot about my annoying little roommate who’s been missing for weeks?” Hannah asked as seriously as could be.
“Not really,” Vera hedged.
Hannah flopped back on the arm of the couch with a sigh. “Igor told me the shite got arrested, anyway. Doesn’t matter. Somebody’s watching you,” her friend pointed out, oh, so sure. “So, who is it?”
Not all that interested in the medical drama on the TV, Vera indulged Hannah’s prodding. “I don’t really know,” she answered truthfully.
What would it hurt?
“How do you not kn—”
“I’m heading right back to Dubna tomorrow night, and we’re not doing very much today,” Vera clarified quickly. “It’s not like I really needed someone. Besides, my mother and father have a guy on call from Igor’s side of things if they need somebody, so he’s sure to be there tomorrow when we take Ma to the spa.”
Hannah didn’t even try to hide the playful scowl she leveled on Vera at the news. Nothing could ruin her day like a babysitter. For good reason, sure. By now, Vera bet Hannah was entirely over being constantly watched by bodyguards and needing to always consider security. Not everyone wanted to live that life. Even if the bodyguards weren’t for her now.
“It’s hard to believe Vaslav let you out of the house without a friend to tag along, that’s all,” Hannah said.
“He’s got other things on his mind,” Vera replied even if it was a lousy lie. Really, with her parents in the country and shifts in power happening amongst men at the top of Russia’s criminal underground, Vera didn’t care to ask if someone was watching her or who it would be. She simply assumed the choice had already been made, and taken care of—if it meant she was safe, and could return to Vas tomorrow night in one piece, then she didn’t mind. The illusion of privacy was a sacrifice she would make.
Her father would love to see her swallowing that slice of humble pie.
“Where I am for a night and day is a minor detail,” Vera added after a moment.
“Well,” Hannah drawled, like she didn’t believe what Vera said, “whoever the babysitter is, they won’t be allowed in Lele’s. No men in the spa. Just naked ladies. You know I was lucky to get us those spots last-minute, right?”
“But you did.”
Hannah grinned. “I have my ways.”
More like she had good connections, and Vera had the cash to make it worth the elite spa’s while. Claire would love it, too. They needed the treat.
“Our appointment time is closer to the afternoon, right?” Vera asked.
“Yeah, like you said. Why?”
Hannah peeked over her shoulder at Vera who only shrugged in response.