Page 52 of Forever My Saint

“Okay. But eventually, you’ll have to.” I let it go—for now. “So what happens now?”

Saint runs a hand over his beard, nothing but exhaustion riddling him. “We leave. Being here puts too many people in danger.”

I always knew this place was temporary. And although leaving saddens me, he’s right. I can imagine no stone will remain unturned until we’re found.

“We’ll go to the mountains. Where Zoey was,” he reveals, catching me off guard.

“And Pavel is okay with this plan? Isn’t us going there putting his mom in danger?” Zoey told me she was healed thanks to the woman she affectionately referred to as grandmother.

“He knows what has to be done.”

“And what’s that?” I fearfully ask.

Saint’s nostrils flare. “We end this. Once and for all.”

“So that means you give Alek what he wants?” I can’t believe he’d be on board with this. “How can Pavel agree to this? After everything Alek has done to him, why is Pavel, why are you helping him?”

“Pavel knows the terms are different now. His mother will be well looked after and so will his children. This will ensure his family’s safety for generations to come.”

Children? This is news to me.

“This is wrong.” I run my fingers through my hair, tugging at the strands.

Saint watches me closely, but he places his clenched fist against his thigh, suppressing the need to comfort me. “I don’t care anymore. Zoey told me what she did. She shouldn’t have. She should have just let me take care of it.”

This robotic version of Saint confirms what I feared—he is broken beyond repair.

“There is only one person I want to kill, and he’ll be my last. I’m done with this life.” His entire demeanor transforms into something bleak, and it frightens me.

“So we’re back to the beginning? With Alek holding our future in the palm of his hands?”

Saint nods with regret. “We need him.”

“For what?” I can’t keep the disbelief from my voice. But what he says next rips the air from my lungs.

“To go back home.”

I open, then close my mouth because I was not expecting that response. Does he mean that we will go back to America together? The prospect is too overwhelming to process.

“For once, Alek is the one we can trust.”

“And if he doesn’t stick to his word?” I ask, unsure why the sudden faith in Alek.

“He will. And I believe him.”

And there it is in a nutshell. The truth staring us in the face since the beginning. We need Alek to go home.

“Russia will always be home to villains, but in this case, it’s better the devil you know. Pavel doesn’t want the job, so that leaves Alek. We will work together, learning all we can. Pavel has some connections, ones who will hopefully become Alek’s allies. This isn’t going to be easy, and it’s going to take time. We can’t go in with our guns blazing. We have to be smart.”

I understand what he means. Been there, done that, and look what that achieved.

“At the moment, Astra and”—he swallows deeply—“Oscar are the top dogs. We need them to believe that nothing is amiss. We have the element of surprise, thanks to you.”

I blink once, confused. “To me?”

Saint nods. “They’re unaware we know of their dealings with Serg, and that’s because you were smart enough to plant the bug where you did.”

I pale, unsure how he will respond. “You know about them?”