Chapter 165 165
Chapter 165 165
The chaos of the Bratva seems a far-off problem, one that I’m becoming less and less inclined to care about.
This, right here… this is what matters now.
My fingers trace the swell of her breasts and then the curve of her stomach.
It feels like, if we stay here in the desert, we might have a chance at something. A future. Happiness. Fuck, I don’t know what to call it.
But something. Something real.
I have one last, hazy thought before my eyes close and I drift off into sleep: is something like that possible for a man like me?
58
Esme
Picacho Del Diablo, Mexico
“There it is!”
The porch of the lodge comes into view. Seconds later, the rest of the structure follows.
It’s a slope-roofed building with weathered wood siding. The chimney is leaning over at a precarious angle.
As we drive closer, I see how neglected it is. The structure looks sturdy, but it feels like there’s a layer of dust and mold that’s crept into the foundations.
When Artem parks, we get out of the car and look up at the lodge together.
“Doesn’t look very habitable, does it?” I say, biting my lip in dismay.
“Actually, I think it looks kinda perfect,” Artem tells me.
“Yeah?”
“You were right,” he nods. “This is the perfect place for us to lie low for a while. It’s off the beaten bath and there aren’t any major hiking trails that come this way.”
“There’s also poor cell phone reception,” I point out.
“We’ll manage. The village is only a thirty-minute walk down from here, and it’ll take half that time by car. We can get whatever food and supplies we need from there. And in the meantime, we can clean this place up a bit.”
I purse my lips and scan the surroundings.
The lodge has been built into a natural hill that overlooks the beautiful Baja California mountain range. Woods cluster almost right up to the front door, thick and lush.
It’s as picturesque as they come.
I feel a certain sense of peace overwhelm me. It feels good to get off the road and to know that we’ll be staying put.
For a while, at least.
“Come on,” Artem says. He takes my hand and leads me into the lodge.
He has to push the door hard, but it squeaks open eventually and we walk inside.
The space is large, with a kitchen built into one corner and a door leading to the bedroom on the opposite side. A couch has been covered over with plastic, behind which rests a table with three mismatched chairs.
I venture towards the bedroom while Artem checks out the fireplace. It’s only mildly cool at the moment, but I have a feeling the temperature will drop in the night, giving us an excuse to light it up.
The bedroom is small. A bed is pushed up against one wall and it even has a mattress, but it’s covered over with a thick film of dust.
Apart from that, it’s practically empty.
I walk further into the room and check out the brilliant view from the window just over the bed.
Snow-capped mountain range sprawling under an azure blue sky.
Breathtaking.
I look down at the scratchings on the windowpane. Wondering if Cesar had stood there at some point, admiring the view in the same way I’m doing now.
I turn to find Artem standing in the doorway. He seems to take up the entire space, making the lodge itself look small.
I go to him without thinking about it and wrap my arms around him. It’s strange how natural it feels to be in his arms now.
He kisses my head, another gesture that has become comforting and familiar to me.
“I need to scout the area,” he tells me. “And secure the perimeter of the property.”
I nod. “I’ll try and make this place livable while you’re out.”
He pulls away so he can look down at me. “I don’t want you doing too much,” he says. “You need to rest.”
I roll my eyes and walk back into the living room. “I’m perfectly capable of doing a little light spring cleaning, Artem.”
He sighs. “Is there ever gonna be a time when you just listen to me without arguing?”
I glare at him. “What do you think?”
He grins. “Fair enough. I’ll need to go into town to place a call to Cillian as well, but I shouldn’t be more than a few hours.”
“No worries. I have tons to do here to keep myself busy.”
He grimaces again. “Please don’t go overboard.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
He smiles and kisses me softly on the lips before heading back outside to the car. I follow along to help him unload all the supplies we’d bought on our way out of Joshua Tree.
Once the trunk is empty, Artem climbs into the driver’s seat and heads back down the rocky trail that leads back to civilization. I watch him go until the car turns to the left and disappears completely from view.
At the back of the lodge, I find a small shed with brooms and mops. They could use a clean themselves, so I hold them under running water from the tap out back until they look a little more presentable.
Artem and I had bought a bunch of cleaning supplies and detergents, so I get them all out and set to work inside the cabin first.
I fold a clean duster into a triangle and wrap it around my face like an old-timey bandit. Then I dust all the surfaces, which creates something of an indoor dust cloud that took several seconds to settle.
I swept the floor twice over to get out all the dirt and debris clinging to the crevices in the wooden floorboards.
And when that’s done, I go through the entire cabin with my mop.
By the time I finish, the place looks so much cleaner and brighter. My eyes dart around the space, now seeing all the possibilities to make it more personal and cozier.
I’ve just moved on to cleaning the stovetop when I hear the car pull up outside the cabin.
A few minutes later, Artem walks in with his arms full.
He stops short when he takes in the newly exorcised cabin and looks at me with raised eyebrows.
“So much for taking it easy, huh?”
“It looks better, doesn’t it?”
“It looks amazing,” he replies. “Have you rested at all since I left?”
“You’ve only been gone an hour,” I say with a shrug.
“I’ve been gone for three.”
It’s my turn to raise my eyebrows at him. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” he laughs. “How about we take a break for a bit and eat something?”
“Well… I’m almost done with the stovetop,” I tell him. “But we’ll need gas.”