Leo shook his head. "No. I brought you here because I thought… I thought maybe Aleksandr would let you go. Or maybe you would kill them all. I didn't know anymore. I just knew I didn't want to die alone."
Then he added, "I'm a coward. But I'm a very polite one."
Sofia stepped forward. "Then stand with us now."
Leo laughed softly. "They would shoot me before I blink."
Dmitry looked at the men in the shadows. "Maybe I want them to."
Leo turned to him.
For a moment, the room felt still.
"I was your friend," Leo said again. "That's why this hurts more than it should."
Then he added, "You saved my life twice, Dmitry. Once when you gave me that job at the estate. And once when you didn't kill me after I crashed your car into a police horse."
Dmitry didn't move. "You think this is funny?"
Leo wiped his face. "The horse lived. I gave it a name. His name was Rasputin."
Sofia almost laughed. She didn't.
Leo looked at them again. His voice was quiet.
