Kira waited until she heard his breathing slow into the steady rhythm of sleep.
It took hours. Alexei had been sitting on the chair across from the couch, his grey eyes fixed on her in the darkness, watching her with an intensity that made it impossible to relax. She had pretended to sleep, keeping her breathing slow and even, her body still, her mind racing. Every time she thought he had finally closed his eyes, she would hear him shift in the chair, and she would know that he was still watching.
But at some point, exhaustion won. His breathing deepened, and when she opened her eyes a crack, she saw that his head had fallen back against the chair and his eyes were closed. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, and for the first time since she had met him, he looked almost peaceful.
This was her chance.
She slipped off the couch as quietly as she could, the folder clutched against her chest, her shoes in her hand. The floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and she froze, her heart pounding so loudly that she was sure it would wake him. But he did not move. He did not even stir.
She crept toward the door, her fingers trembling as she reached for the lock. The metal clicked softly, and she held her breath, waiting for him to wake, waiting for his voice to stop her. Nothing. She pulled the door open and slipped into the hallway, and then she was running.
The stairs were faster than the elevator. She flew down four flights, her bare feet slapping against the concrete, the folder pressed against her chest like a shield. She burst through the emergency exit and into the cold night air, and for a moment, she thought she had made it.
Then she heard his voice behind her.
"Kira."
She spun around.
Alexei was standing at the entrance of the alley, his black jacket gone, just a thin t-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders. The dragon tattoo curled up his neck, disappearing into his collar. His grey eyes were locked on her, and there was something in them that she had not seen before. Not anger. Not betrayal.
Fear.
"Don't," he said, his voice low and rough. "Don't do this."
"Don't do what? Don't try to save my father?" She shook her head, backing away from him. "You don't get to control me, Alexei. You don't get to tell me what to do."
"I'm not trying to control you. I'm trying to keep you alive."
"You keep saying that, but every time you say it, I feel less safe." She clutched the folder tighter. "I'm taking this to my father. I'm telling him everything. The gala, the sniper, Webb, all of it. He's a cop. He'll know what to do."
Alexei took a step toward her, and she took a step back. "If you take that folder to your father, you're not saving him. You're signing his death warrant."
"Then explain it to me." Her voice rose, echoing off the buildings. "Explain why I should trust a man who has spent fifteen years planning to kill my father. Explain why I should believe anything you say. Explain why I shouldn't walk away right now and never look back."
He was quiet for a long moment. The rain had started again, cold and sharp, soaking through her clothes. She was shivering, but she did not know if it was from the cold or from fear.
"Because I dream about you," he said finally.
Her breath caught.
"Every night since I saw you at that café," he continued, stepping closer. "I dream about your eyes, your voice, the way you looked at me like I wasn't a monster. I don't know why, and I don't know what you've done to me, but I can't stop thinking about you, Kira. And that terrifies me more than any enemy I've ever faced."
She wanted to push him away. She wanted to run. But her feet would not move.
"You barely know me," she whispered.
"I know enough."
"You know nothing."
"Then teach me." He stopped inches from her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body, close enough that she could see the flecks of silver in his grey eyes. "Stay. Help me stop Dimitri. And when this is over, if you still want to walk away, I won't stop you."
Kira looked into his eyes, searching for the lie, searching for the trap. She did not find one.
"If I stay," she said slowly, "you have to promise me something."
"Anything."
"No more secrets. No more lies. You tell me everything about Dimitri's plan, everything about the Bratva, everything. I'm not doing this blind."
He nodded. "I promise."
"And you let me call my father. Not to tell him about you, just to hear his voice. To make sure he's still safe."
"Fine."
She took a deep breath, then another. The folder was still pressed against her chest, but her grip on it had loosened.
"Okay," she said. "I'll stay."
Alexei did not smile. He did not celebrate. He just stood there in the rain, his grey eyes fixed on hers, and nodded once.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Kira did not answer. She just clutched the folder tighter and followed him back into the shadows.