53. Briar
53
brIAR
T here's a blindfold over my eyes.
I can't see a thing.
I keep hoping this is some nightmare that I'll wake up from any second now.But then I hear Chloe's whimpers, and all of it comes back.
Dimitri went to the balcony to take the call. His back was to me when the hotel room door opened.
And just like that, everything flipped upside down.
My mother stood at the threshold holding a gun to Chloe’s head. I wanted to scream, but I knew Chloe would pay the price for it. So I did as I was told.
With one last glance at Dimitri, I followed her like a robot.
And then there were the bodies. They were everywhere. She killed dozens of men to get to me.
I was blindfolded, gagged, and bound before being stuffed into a car trunk with my sister.
I wasn’t worried about my safety. I knew that Dimitri would burn down the entire country before he let anything happen to me.
But I was worried about Chloe. There was this hollowness in her eyes. She’s medicated, but there was something else too. It was the look of someone who accepted defeat.
I’ve never seen that look on her face, and it scared me.
Before I can even wrap my head around what’s happening, the trunk is opened. I’m dragged out of the car. I feel warm sunlight against my skin, but I still can’t see a thing. I hear the sound of loud birds in the distance.
“Mother, please,” I say. There’s a gag in my mouth so the words come out muffled.
I’m made to walk a few feet. I know by the sound of quiet sniffles that my sister is still with me.
“Stairs,” someone says to me.
I climb the stairs before me. The sunlight is replaced by chilly air-conditioning. I try not to trip over my feet as I walk.
“Leave them here,” Mother says.
Someone pushes at my chest until I stumble back against a wall. My blindfold is yanked off. I have to blink a few times to get used to the bright fluorescent lights.
We’re in the rear cargo hold of a private jet.
I sit up against the wall, but Chloe curls into a ball against the floor.
My wrists are bound behind my back. My mother and her men peer down at us like we’re zoo animals.
“Please,” I say. But the words come out garbled.
The gag in my mouth has sucked all the moisture out of my mouth. My tongue feels like a cotton ball.
Tears roll down my cheeks as I glance up at my mother.
“Please,” I say again.
“I didn’t want it to come to this either,” she says. “But this is all your fault. If only you listened and did what you were told.”
“Please let Chloe go,” I say.
I can’t even bear to look at my older sister. She got into trouble because of me. My mother used her as a pawn to get to me.
“You made your bed,” Mother says. “Now lie in it.”
I keep begging her, but I know she can’t understand a word I’m saying. Chloe starts hyperventilating, struggling for air.
Mother nods at her men. One of them reaches down toward us and yanks the gags off.
“I was abducted,” I tell Mother. “I was taken against my will. Chloe doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Are you telling me that he meant nothing to you?” Mother asks, holding up a compact mirror and reapplying her YSL lipstick.
She's dressed in a shimmering silver-white gown. Diamonds deck her neck and ears, a perfect contrast to her blonde waves. I’ve never seen her more beautiful. She looks like a macabre bride.
“Answer my question, Briar,” Mother says.
I want to lie to her. I want to tell her that he meant nothing. But a part of me already knows that no matter what I say, she won’t let Chloe go. She won’t go easy on us just because I asked nicely.
"Mother, all I did was love the man," I say, trying to keep my voice even. She always hated it when I cried.
"Love," she says. "Do you think that he loved you more than I did?"
I remain quiet.
"He left you pregnant and stranded," she says. “Does that sound like something a man in love would do?”
I glance at Chloe. Her face is swollen from crying.
It scares me to see her like this.
She’s always been my rock. She’s always been the one person I knew I can count on when things got hard.
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you," Mother says. Her voice is soft, but her eyes are murderous.
Chloe sniffles again.
Seeing her in this state is breaking my heart.
Only our mother has the power to do this. She knows just what to say and do to reduce us to the smallest versions of ourselves.
"Mother, please let Chloe go," I say. "She has nothing to do with this. I'm the one you're angry with."
"I always knew she was worthless scum, but I thought you would know better," Mother says. "But you're an ungrateful whore just like your sister."
There's so much venom in her words.
She never needed any poisons to hurt us. All she had to do was feed us her words.
“That Russian man never loved you, Briar,” Mother says. “You’re forgetting what I taught you. Every person is selfish. Some are just better at hiding it.The only person who has your best interests at heart is me.”
A river of tears runs down Chloe’s cheeks now. It’s really not like her to break down like this.
"I'm the only person in the world who loves you, Briar," Mother says.
I look up at her. A few months ago, I would have believed her. I would have convinced myself that my mother's toxic love was all I deserved in this world. I would have told myself that I was too broken to be loved by anyone else.
"That's not true."
"Excuse me?"
"It's not true," I repeat. "You never loved me. I don't think you're even capable of it. You see me as some sort of pet that exists solely for your amusement."
"How dare you speak to your own mother like this?” Her lips pull back in a snarl.
Chloe shifts against the floor.
Our eyes lock. Her eyes widen by a fraction of an inch. She’s trying to tell me not to provoke our mother.
“You spoiled fucking brat,” Mother says.
I glance up at her.
All of my rage is on the tip of my tongue. Everything I want to say to her is forming in my throat. But like always, I don't say a thing. I keep it all inside me.
I lower my head, and I close my eyes.
"That man has brainwashed you," Mother says. “He deserves every bit of the punishment I’m about to give him.”
Pain bubbles inside my heart. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to Dimitri because of me.
Mother storms off with her men behind her. Before they leave, they zip-tie our feet together as well.
They lock the door behind them.
It’s just Chloe and me in the back of the jet.
I take deep breaths and glance around at our surroundings. The rear cargo hold is a small area with built-in compartments and shelves for storage. There’s a large door that opens from the outside, but there’s also a small door that connects it to the passenger area. There’s also a small camera toward the back door recording our movements.
Chloe is sobbing again.
“Chloe, you can’t lose hope,” I say, scooting closer toward her.
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. She tries to speak, but she’s too overcome with emotion.
“There’s no hope left,” she says. “Not for me.”
"It's not over until it's over, Chloe," I say.
My sister purses her lips. There's rage and pain in her eyes. She's silently going through something. My sister has a tendency to take the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.
"Chloe, what is it?" I ask. "You're scaring me."
"I wish it didn't have to be like this," she says. "But you're going to find out eventually, so I might as well tell you."
"Tell me what?" I ask her.
"She gave me a lethal dose of poison,” my sister says. "I'm going to die here."
My heart starts slamming against my breastbone.
"What?" The word barely leaves my lips.
"I'm so scared, Briar," she says. "Max and Aiden...they need me. My family needs me. I'm so sad that this is how it has to end."
“It’s not going to end like this,” I say, trying to keep calm.
"The only reason she's keeping me alive is because she wants you to see me die," Chloe says. "She wants to get in your head. But promise me that you won't let her win."
“I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you,” I say.
Chloe rests her head against the wall. Her gaze is unfocused, like she’s thinking of a million things at once.
"And the auction...it must have started by now," Chloe says. "If someone takes Grace, promise me that you'll find her and keep her safe."
I want to scream at her to stop talking like this. But if I do that, I’ll only make my sister feel worse.
I look around me, trying to find a way out.
First things first, I need to free my hands.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” I tell my sister.
"There’s no getting out of this now,” Chloe says, watching me. “You should have seen the rage in her eyes when she came for me. I tried to kill her, Bri. She's never going to forgive me for it.”
"It's not going to end like this," I say, shaking my head. I'm filled with more determination than ever before. “Not after everything we’ve been through.”
I hear the low hum of the private jet’s engine. We’re about to take off soon.
I’m filled with a sense of urgency. I try to stand, but it’s hard to do since my ankles are tied together.
Chloe closes her eyes. I notice that her face is a few shades paler than before. She has poison circulating through her system. And the sight of her so weak and helpless makes my blood boil.
Nobody gets to mess with my sister and get away with it.
I never let myself want anything in life. But for once, I let myself dream. I want to get out of my mother's clutches once and for all. I want to stand up against her. I want to show courage in the midst of her chaos.
“Chloe, please hang in there,” I say. “Please try to keep your eyes open.”
“I’m trying to fight it, Bri,” she says. “But I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”
“Just focus on breathing and keeping your eyes open,” I say. “You don’t always have to be the strong one. I’ll always have your back, too.”
I crawl against the length of the wall, looking for something that can help me cut the zip tie around my wrists.
I glance back at Chloe.
This isn’t the first time I’m seeing her like this. We’ve been in this position before.
I know that the struggle is not just physical but also psychological. If you let yourself believe that you’re not strong enough, then that will be your reality.
She’s spiraling right now, and I need to lift her spirits.
“Chloe, think about everything you have to look forward to,” I say.
“There’s no point,” she replies. Even her voice sounds weak.
“You’re going to be there to watch your son grow,” I say. “You’re going to be a positive force in the world with your writing. You’re going to have your dream wedding and your dream life.”
"Tell Max and Aiden that I love them," she whispers.
There's no point in trying to reason with her. The only way I can give her hope right now is by doing something. I need to show her that there's a way out.
I crawl along the perimeter of the cargo space, looking for an escape.
I glance at Chloe and see that her eyes are closed. I know she’s trying her best, but I can’t have her fall asleep. I need to distract her with something.
"Did I tell you that Dimitri took me to a pirate island?" I say.
That gets her attention.
"What did you say?" she whispers, opening her eyes.
"It's an island that used to be a pirate haven," I say. "Technically, he didn't take me there on purpose. We crash-landed there in his helicopter. The island is called?—"
" L'isola della morte ," Chloe and I say at the same time.
"You know of it?" I ask her.
"It's said to bring bad luck," Chloe says, watching me curiously.
"Not you too." I laugh.
I’m about to ask her about her experience when I see something that makes me pause. There are some chairs affixed to the wall. And one of these chairs has a rusted piece of metal. I get up on my knees and saw the plastic zip tie against the sharp metal, careful not to slice my wrists open on it.
“You were telling me about the cursed island,” I say.
“Um, yeah, it’s said to bring death to those who step foot on it,” she replies, watching me work. “But not always in the way that one would think.”
“How many kinds of death are there?” I ask her.
"Many," she says. "We're born again every day. And sometimes, who we choose to become is so different from who we used to be that calling it a death is the only way to describe it."
I’m close to tears now. I don’t think the rusted metal is sharp enough.
"I never got the chance to tell you this, but I'm proud of the woman you've become, Bri," she says.
The binds snap free. I hold my freed hands. And for once, the gloom on Chloe's face shifts. It's replaced by warmth.
"I did it," I say.
I grab the sharp metal piece at the base and yank it from the chair. I use it to free my ankles before I walk over to Chloe.
I cut her binds as well. She rubs her raw wrists.
"You actually did it," Chloe says, smiling at me.
Even though she no longer looks miserable, her face still looks sickly. There are beads of sweat on her forehead. Her lips are cracked. Seeing her like this reminds me of all the times I watched over her while she was sick.
“Chloe, I think it's time we finish what we started the last time," I say. "It's time to kill our mother once and for all."
“It’s great that we’re free of the binds, but we’re still stuck in her private jet, Bri,” Chloe says. “And I didn’t want to tell you this before, but there’s a camera recording all of this.”
“I know,” I say.
One of the things about our mother is that she likes lording her power over us. I have no doubt that she’s watching all of this unfold. My desperation, Chloe’s hopelessness. It’s all one big game to her.
Another thing about our mother is that she has always underestimated us. She doesn’t know we’re so much stronger than we used to be.
I walk toward the camera without looking at it and stand right underneath it. I can tell by the make that it records video, but there’s no accompanying audio to it. And when I’m standing in the camera’s blind spot, it can’t see me either.
“Look bored,” I tell Chloe.
I reach underneath my dress. A small burner phone is strapped to my thigh, concealed by the stockings. It was one of Dimitri’s safety precautions. He insisted that I wear it on me the entire time I’m in Monaco. I quickly dial the only number that’s saved on it.
Chloe slumps against the floor, turning her face away from the camera.
“You had a phone this whole time?” she asks.
“Yes,” I say.
“Why didn’t you say so?” she says.
“I was going to,” I say.
Dimitri picks up the call, but he doesn’t say a word.
“Hello?” I say into the phone. He doesn’t answer, but I hear some noises coming from the other end. “Dimitri, it’s me.”
"Tell me something only you would know," he says.
"What?"
" Solnishko , I need to know that it's really you," he says.
I can't see him right now, but there's pain laced in his voice. He sounds so broken that all I want to do is wrap my arms around him.
"Hamburgers. Fireflies. Apple pie. Shadow and Aurora. Pirates. Paris," I say. "Should I go on?"
"Only you would start with hamburgers," he says, sounding relieved. “Where are you right now? I’m on the road.”
"I don't know the exact location, but I have Chloe with me," I say. "My mother is keeping us captive in the rear cargo hold of her private jet. We’re still on the ground.”
"Can you tell me anything about your surroundings?" he asks.
"We were blindfolded the entire time,” I tell him. “I didn’t see much.”
“Did any details stand out?” he asks.
His voice is soothing. It lets me slow down and think. That's when it comes to me.
“Birds,” I say. “I think I heard seagulls. We must be by the coast.”
“That’s good, princess,” he says. “Is there anything else that you recall?”
“No, but there’s something important I need to tell you," I say. "My mother gave Chloe a lethal dose of some poison. We don’t know what poison it is, but inform Max about it. And make sure that you come with the antidote.”
He’s quiet for a moment.
I know exactly what his hesitation means. He doesn’t want to reach out to Chloe’s fiancé. It’ll hurt his ego.
"My sister is dying, Dimitri," I say. "My mother won't ever hurt me, but she won't hesitate to hurt Chloe. Bring the antidote with you, or don't come at all."
My voice breaks at the end.
“Okay, I’ll call him,” he says.
“No, don’t just call him. Work with him. Put your resources together.”
“That’s just going to slow me down,” he says.
“Dimitri, she’s my sister ,” I say.
“I understand that, but it’ll be harder to stop the jet once it takes off,” he says.
“I’ll do what I can to delay it,” I say, glancing up at the camera. “I know this is outside your comfort zone, but please don’t try to do everything on your own.”
“Okay,” he says grudgingly. “And don’t worry about the poison. I have something that could help.”
“Bye, Dimitri,” I say. “Please come fast.”
“I’ll see you soon, princess,” he says.
We hang up.
I stare at the phone. For all I know, these were the last words I'll ever exchange with him.
But I don't want it to be the last time. I'm going to fight for us.
The jet starts moving. We’re about to take off in the next few minutes. I take deep breaths and force myself to focus on the things within my control.
“Chloe, I need you to stab me,” I say.
She raises her eyebrows.
"The sharp metal piece," I say. "I need you to stab me with it."
"I'm not going to stab you, Bri," Chloe says.
"It's the only way we can make it out of here," I say.“It’s the only way to get her attention.”
Comprehension dawns on her face. She understands why, but I don’t know if she’ll go through with it.
“I don’t know if I can stand,” she says. “My limbs feel heavy.”
I can see the fight in her eyes. The drugs are trying to take her under, but she's fighting it.
She's trying to stay awake.
“Chloe, Dimitri and Max are on their way,” I say. “We have to do something to delay the takeoff.”
I hold my breath as I wait for her to say something. Everything depends on her cooperation.
"Do it for all the times she told you that you weren't worth anything," I say. "And how she actually made you believe it. Do it for the way she stole our childhood and left us with tainted memories."
Chloe takes a deep breath and wraps her hand around the rusted metal.
I walk toward her, aware that my mother can now see me through the camera feed. My back is turned toward the camera, but I know my mother will be watching this.
"Go ahead," I whisper. "Attack me.”