22. Titus
TITUS
Last night, I dreamed about Sofia.
Weirdly enough, it wasn’t a sex dream. She was standing in a field of flowers, holding Luka’s hand, tears streaked down her face.
She wasn’t talking. The wind was whipping around her, lifting up the white dress she was wearing and taking her long, dark hair with it as it blew to the east.
I heard her voice, though. She said, Save us.
Now, I’m sitting in the middle of my bed, ice cold sweat dripping down my face. This is just what I need now…
It’s been two days since I met with my men, and Cyrus and Cyril have been silent. No word from any of our allies about them. It doesn’t mean anything, though. It only means that they’re plotting. Probably something big since they haven’t just decided to try and kick in my door.
Cyril alone might try that, but not his brother. It makes me worried that there is something big coming. Something I won’t be expecting.
I get out of bed and walk to my bathroom. As I wash my face over the sink, I notice how tired I look. Dark circles are starting to form under my eyes, and my hair, usually brilliant and silver as it hangs at my shoulders, looks a little dulled.
I put my hair in a ponytail and get dressed. This day isn’t going to stop moving because I had a bad dream.
It’s early, still. Well before dawn, but I decide to check on Luka anyway. I go to his room and gently unlock it, only to find him fast asleep in his bed. My little pauchok. When this is all over, I’m going to find a way to do better by him. Keeping him caged has been my greatest sin.
I close and lock the door and look down the hallway leading to Sofia’s door. It’s open.
I go to check on her and find that her bed is empty. A icy sliver of panic splits through my chest. Has she decided she’s better off on her own? I turn and walk away, hoping that she’s in the kitchen or in one of the other rooms.
Our last conversation, she was pretty insistent on wanting to help with this problem I’m having with the brotherhood. I don’t know what possessed her to ask me to let her step up to fight. It’s been in the back of my mind since it happened.
Is she committing herself to me? To this Bratva?
Or was that display just about self-preservation?
She has to know that if anything happens to me as a result of all this, then Cyrus, Cyril, and the brothers who are following their lead will kill her or do much worse. At least I’m the devil she knows.
As I pass by the window in the middle of the hallway between hers and Luka’s rooms, I hear splashing. I pause and look out into the night.
The pool sits on the side of the house, enclosed by high fences on all sides, the rest of the acre of land spreading out behind it. In the darkness, I don’t see much of the land, but the pool glows with amber light from the lamps placed around it.
I see her swimming in the pool, the pale skin of her naked body glowing under the lights as she glides through the blue water.
She moves gracefully, swimming as though she’d been born a mermaid in the waves.
Her long, dark hair flares out behind her, trailing her lithe form as she swims back and forth in the waves.
I lean against the cool glass, my hand pressing against it as I watch her. After a few turns around the pool, she stops and floats, her face turned up to the sky as her legs and arms move in tandem to keep her above the water.
She’s troubled. Of course she is. These are troubling times.
I step away from the window and continue on to my office. Whatever she has to do to be all right with this, I’m not going to stop or interrupt her. All I know for certain is that we have to survive whatever is coming.
Maybe we’ll actually manage to do it together somehow.
Ignat is meeting me for breakfast this morning, so I’m having some coffee outside on my patio until he arrives. My staff should be done with breakfast soon, and I’ve asked them to send food up to Sofia in the hopes that it will dissuade her from coming down while I meet with Ignat.
Somewhere along the way, Sofia came in from the pool, wrapped in a towel, her long, wet hair sticking to her face as she darted back up to her room. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since I saw her brush past me. I also haven’t been able to get her off my mind since I saw her in the pool earlier.
It’s a beautiful day today. The sun is bright and it’s already getting warm. It makes me wish that I could allow Sofia to take Luka out today. Hell. It makes me wish I could take them both out today.
Ignat comes out around the same time as a member of my staff brings out my plate. He stands politely near the door as my plate of eggs, bacon, and toast are brought to me and my coffee is refilled. I offer to have them fix him a plate as well, but he declines and takes a seat once they’ve left.
“Tell me you’ve got some news for me,” I say.
“I do,” he says. “The brothers have moved out of their respective apartments. I think they might be at one of the safehouses.”
“You think? You don’t know?”
“I should know soon,” he says. “I’ve put several men on surveillance at the nearest ones to their apartments and I’ll be placing watches on the others by the end of the day today.”
“Good,” I tell him.
“If I can suggest something?” he says, a touch of caution in his tone. “Just a plan of action that I think you should consider.”
“You think I should strike first,” I say as I sip my coffee. I’ve only taken a few bites of my food. Somehow, my appetite just isn’t active right now.
“Since I’ll be watching all the safehouses, I could have them both dispatched before tomorrow morning.”
It’s an idea, I’ll admit. Take them out before they are able to attack me. Still, there are others within the brotherhood who might question it at this point.
“I’ll think on it,” I tell him. “I’ll let you know before the day’s end.”
“That’s all I ask. Thank you.”
The sliding door opens and Sofia appears, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She’s wearing a long shirt, black yoga pants, and sneakers as if she plans on going for a run. She freezes the moment she sees Ignat.
“Sorry,” she says. “I didn’t know you were taking a meeting.”
“It’s all right,” I say to her. “What did you want?”
She closes the door behind her and steps all the way out onto the patio. “Well, I wanted to know if I could take Luka for a walk around the block this morning. Let him play some ball—”
“Absolutely not. We’re on lockdown.”
“We wouldn’t leave the neighborhood,” she says. She glances over at Ignat and adds, “You can have Ignat follow me to keep an eye on us.”
“No,” I say, looking at her sternly.
She crosses her arms defiantly. “So, that’s it? Just… no?”
My phone buzzes. I pull it out and say, “You heard me.”
She rolls her eyes angrily as I open my phone screen. Someone’s sent a text message. I open it…
It’s a photo of Sofia sitting on a park bench. She looks a lot like she does at this moment. Wearing a casual T-shirt that hangs loose on her body and tight yoga pants. Her hair is in a ponytail and she’s got a baseball cap on as she looks out past the camera, a faint smile on her face.
Slowly, I realize that she’s on one of her excursions with Luka in the park. Another photo pops up. It’s also of her on the bench, but the shot is wider, showing the jungle gym she’s sitting in front of.
Shit.
A third text message comes through.
“Your spoils of war. Our next target. Keep a better watch on your loved ones, Titus, or else what happened to her father might happen to you. — Cyrus”
A chill runs down my spine. This is a direct threat. It’s already beginning.
“Sofia, go inside.”
She stares at me. “Why?”
I ignore her and hand Ignat the phone. “They’re making threats. We need to make some moves.”
Ignat only needs a second to see the photos before his jaw sets and his eyes sharpen. “Yes, sir. What do you want done?”
“Hey, what’s going on?” Sofia asks.
I start to tell her again to leave, but the determination in her face is telling me that I’m headed for a fight if I try to make her.
And besides, this concerns her.
“Just got a threat. They’re going to try to come for you.”
“Or potentially, Luka,” said Ignat. “There is a photo of the playground. They might know about him.”
My stomach tightens with fear and rage. Ignat was right to suggest hitting them first. Now there’s no question that it needs to be done. But first, I need to keep my son safe.
I stand up. “All right. Ignat, take Luka away from here. Somewhere that only you know about. I want you to stay with him until I find the twins.”
“Yes, sir.” He starts to leave and Sofia speaks up.
“Wait, Titus, let me take him somewhere. I can protect him.”
“No,” I say.
“Titus—”
“I said no,” I growl at her. “You’ll stay here with me. You understand?”
Her mouth twists with anger. “You know he’d be safe with me, Titus. You know I’d do everything to keep him safe.”
“So will Ignat. This isn’t a democracy, Sofia.”
“Okay, so you still don’t trust me?” she says, her voice rising in anger. “Still? You let me walk all over your fucking house—”
I grab her by the arm and yank her to me, staring down into her face. “I said no, dammit. No. I don’t want you near any of this.”
She lifts her chin and says, “Then let me go with Ignat.”
“Absolutely the fuck not.”
“I want to help—”
“You barely listen to me as it is. I won’t have my best man running after two children.”
Her eyes widen slightly as if I’d slapped her and she gapes at me in momentary surprise. I push her away. “Go inside.”
She stumbles back as her mouth closes and her jaw sets. I’m half expecting a retort, but she doesn’t say a word. She just stalks inside.
The air is thick with tension around me as I seethe with anger. Damn her.
I take a breath in an effort to calm myself, then I turn to Ignat. “He has a go bag in his closet,” I tell him. “It’s a blue backpack. He knows where it is. Make sure you take it with you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Call me from an untraceable line when you get to wherever you’re going. Let me know you’ve made it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ignat leaves without a word and I start pacing.
Sofia’s pissed at me. Let her be. At least both she and Luka will be safe.