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I didn’t knohat he’d just said in Russian, but I could assurateful bitch”

I exhaled and finished my danish and coffee, rinsed out my cup, and set it in the sink I wanted to ask hime I just wanted to take his face in my hands and… kiss him

Instead I picked up the bag he’d gestured toward on the ground by the breakfast bar and walked away,up how much I’d owe Arlo after this was all said and done

And as I walked back to the guest roo me the whole time

14

Galina

This felt like it was a really bad idea as I stood across fro ring

We’d left alo from his apart the glittering skyscrapers that seemed to touch the heavens, where people walked up and down the streets without the fear of getting pulled into a dark alley

I’d stared out theof his car and saw the affluence slowly turned into that ugliness Desolation was so known for

I didn’t need to ask if this gym was Russian That had been clear e stepped inside and I saw the , coupled with the fact that all I heard was e

At first, I’d had in this weirdloosely froh all the noise sounded like there were a hundred men crammed inside, there was probably only a handful, all of the But as soon as they noticed Arlo, the conversation stopped, all eyes on us

He said soh the small interior And then I watched in confusion and a little bit ym

I glanced around The place appeared run-down, decades old The boxing ring itself was battered, with dark tape holding soether that surrounded us, the white beneath my feet stained in brown, rusty shades