Chapter 97
Nina’s POV
I stepped out of the bathroom with my skin still tingling from the hot water. The towel felt rough against my burns, but I dried off quick and slipped into my clothes. First the jeans. They hugged my hips tight, a little stiff from all the running and hiding lately. Then the big blue shirt. It swallowed me up, soft and worn, hanging loose over my chest. Finally, I grabbed Nikolai’s jacket from the chair. It smelled like him — gun oil, smoke, and that deep cologne he always wore. I pulled it on and hugged it closer. For a second, I felt safe. Then I remembered I wasn’t.
The room was quiet. Too quiet. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the window. Night hadn’t fully come yet. The sky outside still held that gray-blue color, like it was taking its time to get
