by AK Leigh
Just as blackness swallowed her up, she heard someone shout, ‘I need help here!’
* * *
Nina’s eyes flickered open and she became aware that she was lying down. She was on her bunk bed. How had she gotten there? Her last memory was of being told … about Radha. She choked back tears as a vague recollection of two women helping her to her dorm and getting her into bed came. One of them had given her a sympathetic smile and whispered, ‘Get some sleep. It’ll be good for you.’
She sighed and rubbed at her eyes. As much as she wanted this to be a nightmare, she knew it was all too real. Conflicting emotions waged a war inside her head. Grief at the friends that had been lost and hurt; relief at the ones that had survived.
Then there was Andrei. Probably the most unsettling thing of all was that he had been the first concern she’d had when she’d heard the news.
She frowned, because that was confirmation of what she’d been trying to deny: she was still in love with him.
The conclusion was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. She rose up on her elbows as she waited for whomever it was to enter. Relief washed over her when she saw Willa, ambling inside on some crutches.
Her roommate and friend gave her a faint, compassionate smile upon seeing her. ‘Hey, you’re awake.’
‘How long have I been asleep?’
‘A couple of hours. I brought this up from the cafeteria for you. Thought you might be hungry.’
Nina glanced at the brown paper bag wedged under Willa’s arm and reached out to take it. When she bumped the crutches, it simmered the guilt inside her.
She nodded at them. ‘So I’m guessing you can’t compete?’
Willa frowned and took a seat on her own bunk opposite, ‘Unfortunately, no.’
‘I’m so sorry, Wil.’
‘It’s not your fault.’
Nina looked down, ‘I just feel so guilty.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you were all here, and I was at the Wall.’
Willa scoffed, ‘That’s not your fault. You didn’t set off the bomb, Nina.’
Nina nodded, but the guilt remained anyway.
‘Hey, enough of that. Eat up. You’ll need your strength for that medal you’re going to win.’
Nina forced a smile, knowing that’s what Willa wanted, and opened the bag. Inside was a hamburger and chips. She grimaced at the burger and took the chips, explaining as she did, ‘Thank you so much, but I’m vegetarian.’
Willa smacked her forehead. ‘Sorry. I completely forgot.’
Nina waved her hand in a dismissive action. ‘It’s the thought that counts.’
Willa held out her hand, ‘I’ll have the burger. Might as well get fat if I’m not competing.’
Nina passed the burger over and muttered, ‘I’m sorry about your leg.’
Willa took the burger and shrugged, ‘It is what it is. Could have been a lot worse.’
‘You’ve heard about Radha?’
Willa grimaced and looked away, ‘I have.’ In a gesture showing she wasn’t in the mood for talking about it further, she took a bite from the hamburger.
They sat eating in silence for a few moments, before Willa announced, ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you, that weasel, Andrei, came by to check on you earlier.’
Nina felt her eyes bulge and almost choked on the chip she’d just popped inside her mouth. ‘He did?’
Willa nodded. ‘When I told him you were asleep and he couldn’t come in, he said he’d stay outside until you woke up.’
‘So you let him in to see me?’
‘I did. I’m sorry. I know that’s creepy, but I thought it would be creepier, having him outside when you woke up.’
Nina nodded, ‘Thanks, Wil. You did the right thing.’
A gentle knock on their dorm door pulled Nina’s attention from the chips she was pretending to eat.
She glanced at Willa. ‘You expecting someone?’
‘No … I’ll get it.’
Willa stood, strolled to the door, and opened it. The next second, Nina heard Willa grunt, ‘Go away. She doesn’t want to see you.’
Andrei’s voice answered back, ‘I just want to see that she’s okay.’
‘You already did that.’
‘I’m not—’
She couldn’t help herself, when she cut in, ‘Wil, you can let him in.’
Because I need to see that he’s okay too.
Willa hobbled out of the way as Andrei peered his head around the door. When his eyes locked to hers, she saw visible relief wash through them. ‘Can we talk?’ He glanced at Willa then back to her, ‘In private?’
Nina focused on her roommate, ‘Is that okay?’
She sighed, ‘Sure. I’ll go check on the others.’
They waited in silence as Willa hobbled from the room. She looked over at Nina, and said goodbye. She didn’t bother acknowledging Andrei when she passed over the threshold.
Andrei closed the door behind Willa then took the spot on the bed that Willa had been on moments before.
He caught her gaze. ‘Are you okay?’
Tears were rolling down her cheeks before she could stop them.
* * *
Like before, he couldn’t stop himself. He ran to Nina’s side and wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t resist, so he pulled her tighter and whispered, ‘Sh, sh. It will be okay, my darling.’
He’d said the term of endearment in Russian. The way he had before. In private. It had been his secret nickname for her. Though she didn’t say, he knew she’d understood the meaning and remembered the significance because she snuggled closer to him. He could feel her tears staining his shirt and didn’t care. For the first time in eight years, everything seemed as it should be: Nina in his arms.
He lifted a hand to her hair and whispered more Russian into her ear. He knew she didn’t know what he was saying, but she’d told him once that she thought his language sounded soothing and sweet.
She relaxed further into his arms, warming his heart.
After she seemed to have calmed, she gently pulled away from his grip, enough to see his face. She wiped at the tears still on her cheeks then gave a weak smile, ‘Thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘Being here for me.’
‘Where else would I be? I was so worried about you.’
She gave him that same look, the discerning one, she’d given him on the plane. ‘You mean that, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do.’
‘I was so scared. I thought you …’
Tears twinkled in her eyes. She was going to cry again.
He tugged her back into his arms. ‘I know, I thought …’ He couldn’t bring himself to finish the words she couldn’t complete either, I thought you were dead. Instead, he said, ‘All that matters is you’re safe. I couldn’t live if anything happened to you.’
There it was.
The first completely honest thing he’d said to her since Russia.
He knew she’d understood that when she shifted until she was gazing up into his eyes. The gesture seemed to draw her closer to him; to his mouth. The next thing he knew, her lips were pressed against his. Blood pumped through his veins in double time.
All the things he’d been denied for so long—love, a future free of his mistakes, a real life, the chance to be a good man—released in a rush. He could have all of that with Nina.
He gave in to the rush, flicking his tongue against hers. She responded by nipping at his bottom lip the way he liked. He felt his lower region heat up as images of their previous lovemaking sessions returned to his mind.
A zap of electricity surged through him, stoking his desire.
His hands tangled in her hair as her hands slithered up his biceps to his back. He pressed more urgent kisses to her lips while she lifted the bottom of his t-shirt. As she slipped the shirt upwards, she ran her hands along the contours of his belly and chest. He parted from her lips so she could tug it off him. Free of it, s
he threw it to the floor.
He locked his eyes to hers. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
She nodded, ‘I am.’
‘Because—’
‘Andrei, I want you.’
He stopped objecting and lowered his lips to hers again.
She slipped her tongue inside his mouth. Little electrical tingles shot up his spine each time their tongues met. The sensation was both familiar and new. It had been like this with Nina back then too, but experiencing it again felt different somehow. Good different. He wasn’t sure why, but didn’t stop to analyse it.
In a slow action, he removed her top and bra, tossing both on the floor next to his own shirt.
She reached down and removed his jeans and briefs in one movement. When she took a second to appreciate his naked body with her eyes, a surge of desire overwhelmed him. He’d never wanted to make love to a woman more.
She ran her hands all over his body.
He removed her winter leggings then slid a hand into her underwear. His fingers easily found her sensitive spot. She released a soft, pleasure-filled moan. He kissed her lips, matching the slow movements his fingers were making.
Her moans grew louder.
At the same time as he flicked his tongue inside her mouth, he pushed a finger inside her. She sucked in a breath as he began to slide his finger in and out, teasing her with what was to come.
She tugged him close and whispered in his ear, ‘I want you inside me.’
He caught her gaze, and said, ‘I can make you cum like this. We don’t have to make love if you’re not ready.’
She shook her head, ‘I want you to make love to me, Andrei.’
He slid his finger out and nodded towards the wall. ‘I’ll get a condom.’
* * *
He was back before she had a chance to rethink what she was about to do.
His smile, when he knelt on the bed in front of her, made her heart warm to him even more. When he’d said all those things: how he’d been worried about her and couldn’t live if anything had happened to her, she’d seen the truth of it shining in his eyes. Her heart had ached with joy at knowing it.
He reached around her back and lowered her to the bed. She lifted her pelvis upward, and helped him enter her in a slow movement. She couldn’t help releasing a tiny groan of pleasure once his full length was in. He paused, letting her enjoy the feeling of him merging with her for a moment, then kissed her on the lips.
She started to rock her hips. He copied her pace. Slow, deep. Each thrust pushed her closer to the edge.
He placed his mouth against her neck and sucked, then used his tongue to work a line down to her collarbone and chest. He slipped her nipple into his mouth and used his tongue to make circles over it.
She slid her hands up over his back and into his hair.
He looked up and came back to her mouth.
Her hands lowered down to his chest. She used her fingers to knead his chest. Then gave him a gentle nudge so she could lick from his chest to his neck.
He increased his pace; she copied him and placed a rough kiss to his lips. He ploughed his tongue inside of her, copying what was going on below.
The pressure against her groin deepened; the heat pulsing over her was deliciously unbearable. She heard him groan, ‘I’m going to cum,’ as she felt him fill her.
She lifted her pelvis and helped him keep up the pace as waves of pleasure rushed from her groin up to her head.
He watched her orgasm. A slow, proud smile crept over his face when she was done. ‘We’ve still got it.’
She laughed, ‘We do.’
He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
After he pulled out, he caught her eye and muttered something in Russian. Panic roiled through her when she caught the meaning of one particular word: love. Had he just said he loved her?
A memory rushed back, hardening her heart.
He’d done this before. Told her he loved her after they’d made love, then broken her heart in shreds when he’d admitted it was all a lie. Anger replaced the pleasure-filled bubble she’d been floating on.
‘No!’ She pushed him away, ‘I’m not doing this again.’
‘Doing what?’
‘I know what you just said.’
There was clear caution in his tone when he replied, ‘What did I say?’
‘That … you love me.’
She knew she was right when he looked away and frowned.
* * *
It had been so perfect. Why had he taught her Russian? How had she remembered after eight years?
She rose, taking the sheet to cover her as she did, then turned her back on him. ‘I think you should leave now.’
‘Nina—’
‘No, Andrei. Just … go.’
He opened his mouth to object, when there was a knock on the door.
A panicked look washed over Nina’s face. ‘Just a minute!’ She faced Andrei and whispered. ‘Quick, get dressed.’
She rushed over and grabbed her clothes. He tried to make eye contact, but she refused.
Instead, she ordered. ‘Turn around.’
He sighed as he turned his back to her and started to dress.
Muffled sounds behind him told him she was dressing faster than a biathlete could shoot. She really wants me gone.
Over her shoulder, she muttered, ‘You done yet?’
He pulled the shirt over his head. ‘Yes.’
‘Me too.’
He turned and noted her dishevelled state. Whoever was at the door would know what they had been doing.
The look on her face showed she knew it too. She exhaled and answered the door.
He immediately knew who was on the other side by the expression that appeared on Nina’s face. It had to be Elizabeth and Carrie.
Sure enough, she exclaimed, ‘Carrie! Lizzie! What are you doing here?’
The two women barged inside, flung their arms around her, and said together. ‘Thank God you’re okay.’
When they pulled from the hug, Nina repeated her former question. ‘What are you doing here?’
Lizzie grinned, ‘We wanted to surprise you, and I’m so glad we did. It would have been awful being back in Australia with all this going on.’
‘But how did you get past security?’
Carrie responded, ‘With great difficulty. First off, the traffic was atrocious and …’ She trailed off when she saw him then growled, ‘What’s he doing here?’
Nina shot a burning look at him, and not of the desire-fuelled variety. ‘He was just leaving.’
The way she said it, with coldness in her tone, brought back all the times she’d been that way with him before. The woman who’d kissed him, wanted him, made love to him—the old Nina—had gone into hiding again.
He walked toward the door then paused. Over his shoulder, he said, ‘What I said is true, Nina, and it will never change. If you ever need me—’
Carrie interrupted, ‘She won’t,’ then shoved him out the door.
* * *
After fielding the expected questions that had been fired at her, Lizzie mercifully changed the subject by asking, ‘Where’s Willa and Maggie?’
‘Checking on some friends who were injured. Anyway, you didn’t answer my previous question. How did you get past security?’
Lizzie and Carrie exchanged a looked, then Carrie said, ‘We may have done something a little naughty.’
‘Oh no. What did you do?’
Lizzie grinned, ‘We used the identical triplet thing to our advantage.’
Nina groaned, ‘Oh no. I’m not liking the sound of this …’
Carrie chuckled. ‘We may have pretended to be you to gain entry.’
‘What? Both of you!’
Carrie laughed harder, ‘Yep!’
Nina rubbed a hand over her head. ‘Lord. You two are going to get us kicked out of China. Or worse.’
Lizzie’s expression turned serious. ‘We were worried about you.�
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Carrie added, ‘We just needed to see that you were okay.’
Nina offered a conciliatory smile, ‘I know, and I appreciate it. Thank you.’
She pulled her sisters into an embrace.
After parting, she said, ‘Since you’re both here, how about you help me catch this psycho?’
Carrie frowned, ‘Everything’s still raw … we don’t have to do any work on the case if you’re not up for it yet.’
Nina shook her head, ‘No. We have to work this out before anyone else gets hurt. I should never have let the AFP convince me to leave. Now Radha’s dead and a bunch of my friends have been injured. Willa and Maggie can’t even compete now.’ Tears rolled down her cheeks, ‘This is all my fault.’
Lizzie said, ‘Hey. Stop that. This is not your fault. You couldn’t have stopped it.’
Carrie added, ‘Yeah. This has nothing to do with you being here or not.’
She wiped her tears. ‘It’s just so frustrating. I mean, I know most of these people. It’s so hard to believe it could be one of them. Or to think that one of them has killed a friend of mine as a result. I think it’s clouding my judgement. I think I might get some air. Take a walk and clear my head.’
‘Good idea. Let’s all get out.’
‘No. I think I need some alone time. I’d feel better if you two were as far away from here as possible anyway. Go back to … have you checked into a hotel?’
‘Not yet. We came straight here.’
‘Go. I’ll meet you there later. Text me the details.’
She hugged her sisters and they went their separate ways.
Her mind wandered to the day she’d had. She’d had no idea when she’d said goodbye to Radha yesterday that it would be the last time. She felt her chest heave with grief and wiped away another tear.
She had to figure this out.
Who was the most likely suspect?
Chinese.
Male or female?
No idea.
‘Ugh. This is so frustrating.’
There were so many unanswered questions.
She drew in a deep breath and calmed herself. This was not the most difficult case she’d ever worked on. You can do this, Nina. She and her sisters would do it, because one thing she knew for sure was there would be no more victims, no more wounded, and no more casualties. No more deaths would be on her head. She would figure this out before the opening ceremony. That gave her less than five days.