Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Katya
My body is sore the next day. A strange combination of guilt and happiness courses through me as I wander around the house.
Nina and Susanna are still stuck inside the guest bedroom.
Alek decided they weren’t docile enough and didn’t let them out.
He told me he called their mom and said they were spending the night.
With Alek at work, I have the house to myself which means I can hear Susanna and Nina calling out for Alek to release them. I’m not sure what compels me to go over to the door but I do.
“He would let you out if you showed remorse for your actions,” I say through the door.
They both go silent before Nina answers. “We do feel bad for what happened. I am sorry, Katya. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
“What about Susanna?” Nina has always had more sincerity inside of her but Susanna? She’s the one who’s tough to crack.
“Just let us out,” Susanna says.
“Not until you apologize for pushing me into the pool.”
“How was I supposed to know that you can’t swim?”
“It’s still not a nice thing to push someone into a pool. I’m leaving. Alek is the one who can let you out. Not me.”
“So where’s Alek?”
“At work. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”
I start to walk away when Susanna calls out to me. “Katya. Wait.” I think it’s the first time she’s ever used my actual name.
“What?” I ask, not bothering to hide the exasperation in my voice.
“If I apologize, will you actually let us out?”
“Only if you mean it.”
Susanna goes quiet for a moment before she sighs. “Fine. I am sorry for pushing you into the pool. I honestly didn’t know you couldn’t swim. I am sorry for that.”
I can’t tell if she’s being honest with me or just telling me what I want to hear. But I know what it’s like to be locked up and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
“Thank you,” I say. “For apologizing. Maybe we could start again.”
“If you let us out first.”
“Alek should really be the one to do it.”
“Does he own you? No? Because you can make your own decisions.”
“Please let us out,” Nina adds. “Please. It’s been a whole day. We’re getting tired. Alek only let us out to use the bathroom and gave us food before putting us right back in here.”
“I don’t want you to be prisoners.”
“So let us out,” Susanna says. Desperation is in her voice.
It makes me hesitate, unsure if I can trust her.
But I know if I don’t let them out, they’ll hate me even more and maybe this is a chance for us to build a bridge between us.
I gave Alek my body which was a sign that I plan on staying with him.
I need to try with Nina and Susanna.
“All right,” I say. “I’ll let you out.” I unlock the door and Susanna rips it open. Both she and her sister surge through the door, clearly desperate to get out of the room. They’re the opposite of me: they didn’t find any comfort being stuck in that room all day.
“Thank you,” Nina says, sounding like she means it.
But it’s Susanna who turns her head to the side, ignoring me. Nina nudges her but Susanna still doesn’t do anything.
“You’re welcome,” I say. “You can leave now. I won’t stop you.”
“Thank god,” Susanna mutters. They head for the foyer when they stop. Looking past them, I see that Alek has returned from work. Work that includes taking my brother down, which is still something I can’t contemplate.
“What are you two doing out?” Alek asks in a low voice.
“Katya let us out,” Nina explains.
Alek shoots me a look and I duck my chin. I thought I was doing the right thing. “I didn’t give you two the right to leave.”
“They apologized,” I say, trying to intervene before things get out of hand. “They apologized. So we’re on better terms now.”
“Is this true?” Alek asks them. Both of the girls nod. “You promise to never hurt Katya again?”
“Yes,” Nina says right away while Susanna hesitates.
“Susanna,” Alek says in a hard tone.
Her shoulders slump. “Fine. Yes. I promise not to hurt her. But that doesn’t mean I have to like her. Now, I want to go home. I’m tired of being here.” She brushes past Alek without so much as a thank you in my direction. Susanna is going to be a tough nut to crack but I hope I can do it one day.
Once Nina and Susanna are gone, Alek turns to me. “You shouldn’t have let them out. It wasn’t your job.”
“I thought I could make friends with them if I did.”
He sighs. “I understand. I want you to make a home here.”
“I’m starting to,” I say with a blush, thinking of what we did yesterday.
Alek’s eyes darken, telling me he remembers everything just as well as I do. But instead of pulling me into his arms, he straightens up and pulls away from me. “There’s something I want to do.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s an event happening. A charity event. I want you to go with me.”
“As a real couple? Out in public?”
“Yes. We are married now, are we not?”
“Well, yes but…”
“But what?”
I don’t want to have to say but I know I need to. “But my brother. Won’t parading our relationship around in public be a slap to his face?”
“Yes. That’s why I want to do it. I claimed you, Katya. You gave your body to me. It’s about time your brother finds out you’re mine. So we’re going to this event. I know your brother will be there. He goes every year.”
That’s something I didn’t even know about. Alek knows my brother better than I do sometimes. That’s what happens when I stay closed off in my room all day.
“What do you think is going to happen?” I ask.
“I suspect he’ll get angry but since we’ll be in a public space, there isn’t much he can do. He’ll have to know that you belong to me and it will drive him insane. I will have officially beaten him at his own game.”
I shiver. This is the side of Alek that scares me. The side I feel ashamed about giving my body to.
But I made that decision and now I have to lie in it.
The event is hosted at a small museum in the city. People are wearing all kinds of elegant evening gowns or suits. I’m in a simple blue dress that hugs my body but isn’t too revealing. I chose this one because it made me feel the most like a grown woman.
My heart is pounding as we walk inside the museum. Being out in public like this is still a lot for me to take in but it’s becoming easier. And I know it has a lot to do with Alek at my side.
I don’t see my brother when we enter but there’s so many people inside the small space that it’s hard to breathe. Alek keeps his hand on my low back, steadying me. Reminding me that I’m ok. That I don’t need my old room anymore to be safe.
That I can find safety with him.
Alek mingles with a few people who approach him. I try to smile but I can’t seem to get myself to look into anyone’s eyes. It’s all still so new for me – doing small talk. I’ve never had to do it at all in my life before. Thankfully, Alek takes control of the situation and speaks for the two of us.
It’s then that I notice Dimitri enters with Sofiya on his arm. He looks tense, like he doesn’t want to be here tonight and I know why: he’s still worried about me. I’m sure my brother has not been a treat to be with since I was taken. I hope Sofiya is doing ok.
That’s when Sofiya and I make eye contact. She stops dead in her tracks and points to me. Dimitri follows her gaze. The second he sees me, he storms over to my side.
“Katya.”
Alek turns to Dimitri and places himself slightly in front of me. “Ah, Dimitri. How have you been?”
Dimitri stares at Alek blankly before he scowls. “I’ve been better. You did kidnap my sister after all.”
“She’s just your sister. I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“You fucking asshole,” Dimitri snarls. “You knew I raised my sister. You knew she was like a daughter to me and yet you stole her from me to win a war. A pathetic war that you’re not going to win. I am going to get my sister back, one way or another.”
“But you can’t start a fight in a room full of people, now can you? And you know it.” Alek’s smile is too much for the situation. I can tell it’s only pissing Dimitri off more.
“No. But I can wait until this event is over and kill you.”
I gasp. The thought of Alek dying is one I’m not happy with.
Dimitri sets his eyes onto me. “Katya. Please tell me you’re ok, at least?”
“She is,” Alek says, pulling me in closer to him. “Especially when she begged me to take her virginity.”
“You fucking asshole,” Dimitri hisses. “You raped my sister?”
“It’s not rape when it’s consensual.”
“It’s not consensual. You kidnapped her.”
“I’m fine,” I interject. “Dimitri, I’m fine.”
He looks me over, surprise flicking across his features. “You seem… not as scared as I thought you would be.”
“Turns out, Katya is thriving being outside her old room,” Alek taunts. “And it’s all thanks to me.”
“You fucking asshole.” Dimitri can’t control his anger and he lands a punch to Alek’s face. Alek rightens himself before he throws his body at Dimitri and they end up in an actual fight.
Sofiya turns to me. “Katya,” she whispers. “Let’s go. While Alek is distracted. Let’s go.” She grabs my arm and tugs me away. I find my legs moving of their own accord. My brain isn’t deciding this.
“I’m not sure…” I trail off as Sofiya shoots me an incredulous look.
“Not sure about what? This is the chance we’ve been looking for. Come on.”
I don’t have it in me to break Sofiya’s heart so I follow after her and out of the museum. She runs over to a valet.
“I need my car. Now.”
“But we just parked it,” he explains.
“I don’t care. Get me my car. Now.” She turns back to me and grabs my arms. “Katya, this is it. I’m going to get you back home. Dimitri is going to be so happy.”
“But him and Alek –,”
“They’ll be find. They won’t kill each other in public. You can be safe again.”
Sofiya’s car pulls up and she dives inside the driver’s seat, motioning at me to get into the passenger seat.
There’s so much I want to say from my feelings for Alek to how I don’t want to go back to my old room but none of it seems right in this moment so I get into the car.
“Let’s go,” Sofiya says the second I shut the door behind me. She doesn’t even give me the chance to buckle my seatbelt before gunning the car away from the museum.
“Should we wait for Dimitri?” I ask.
“Dimitri will catch up. I’ll call him. He’ll be happy that I got you back. I’m happy I got you back.”
I can’t appreciate Sofiya’s words right now because all I can think about is how I’m getting farther and farther away from Alek.