Page 21 of What He Keeps

I roll my eyes. “We are goin’ to the garden, not attemptin’ an international escape.”

He looks suspiciously close to smiling. “You make that sound unreasonable.”

“Because it is unreasonable.”

Heaven help me.

There’s something aggravatingly attractive about a man who takes protecting the people he loves this seriously.

Ivy lets out a tiny sigh. “Papa is always bossy.”

A laugh slips out of me.

One of Alexei's eyebrows lifts. “You were supposed to take my side.”

The smallest smile appears on Ivy's face. It's enough.

We spend the next few hours outside. Ivy picks flowers, Winston chases a butterfly he never catches, and Daisy follows Ivy from one garden bed to the next.

For a little while, Ivy seems lighter. By early afternoon, exhaustion catches up with her. We sit beneath a sprawling oak tree near the edge of the garden while she leans against my shoulder. The estate looks peaceful, but the security detail ruins the illusion. Guards linger near every path and doorway. They keep their distance, but they're always there.

I understand why, but that doesn't mean I like it.

“Are they gonna follow us everywhere?” I ask

“Yes,” Alexei says.

I turn and find Alexei standing a few feet away.

“That wasn't the answer I was hoping for.”

“It’s necessary,” he continues.

Beside me, Ivy lifts her head. “Papa?”

Alexei's eyes go straight to his daughter. “Yes, solnyshko?”

“I'm tired.”

“Then let's get you inside.”

Ivy groans.

I laugh.

Alexei gives me a look that suggests her stubbornness is somehow my fault.

“Your influence is questionable,” Alexei replies.

“Bless your heart.”

To my surprise, he smiles.

Then Ivy reaches for my hand, and we start back toward the house. We make it halfway across the lawn before the sound of engines breaks the afternoon stillness.

My steps slow as three black SUVs roll through the front gates in a tight formation. The effect is instantaneous. Conversations die off around us. Security personnel straighten. More than one man lifts a hand to an earpiece.

A chill works its way down my spine. These aren't like the vehicles already scattered around the estate. Even from a distance, they look different. Darker. Heavier. The sort of vehicles that seem to carry their own gravity.