Chapter 19

And then the Russian fell asleep on his back, leaving Hayden to his own devices. Like the old man in the living room downstairs, Pavlov snored. He smelled of semen, Chinese food, and heated sweat, which somewhat turned Hayden’s stomach. Hayden ignored the retired spy and walked out of the room in the buff, turned right in the hallway, and discovered a dwarf-sized bathroom next to the room.

It was not common for Hayden to shower in a stranger’s bathroom, but blood and semen had collected on his skin, which he wanted to wash away. Tucked under the shower’s warm spray, he used a bar of soap, a bottle of shampoo, and someone’s washcloth, which belonged to either Pavlov or the geriatric downstairs. The shower was long and needed. He stood under the falling water for quite some time, and enjoyed the soothing liquid against his wounds from rough play.