Chapter 39 #2
“Ma’am, this is quite dangerous. I don’t think you should be here,” Sasha says, her grip firm on my arm. “Why don’t we watch from the other side? You’re getting a little too close.”
“Sasha, I’ll be fine,” I murmur. “It’s just boys fighting. And besides, there’s a barrier separating them and me. I can’t get hurt unless they have some magical powers that’s going to blow up this entire place. So relax and take a chill pill.”
I tug at my arm, trying to free myself from her grip.
And I would say she is one strong motherfucker.
She lets me go eventually, and I walk down to see the fight.
But when I get there, I realize I don’t even know them.
It feels like two strangers in a street fight.
It’s getting a little bit messy and bloody, but I have to stay for the details.
“Hey, do you know why these guys are fighting?” I ask somebody beside me.
“No, I don’t,” the person answers. “But I’m pretty sure it’s about a girl. That’s the team captain right there.” She points at the blondie on top, landing the most blows. The same guy I saw our school’s most popular girl stare at.
Oh. So this is about a woman. I was wondering why they were so intent on killing each other. In the past, women have started wars. They’ve ended empires. And I’m not even surprised that somebody as beautiful as her would start a fight between two guys on a hockey rink.
Well, whatever. I figured out what I wanted to figure out. What’s the point of staying here? It’s not like they’re fighting for world peace.
I begin to turn, but I freeze the second I hear someone say my name.
“Zo? Is that you?”
I halt in my movement, angling my head a fraction to check who it is.
I sigh and turn around to meet his eyes. “It’s Zoya. Don’t use nicknames with me, we aren’t that close. Do you need something Stanislav?”
There’s hesitation in his voice when he responds. “I didn’t see you in school for a few weeks, and I got really worried. I asked around your class, and they said you were in an accident. I tried to contact you, but all your calls were being monitored, so mine couldn’t go through. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine, as you can see.
Hale and healthy. Your brother didn’t manage to do…
” I barely manage to stop myself, looking around.
I can’t tell how many people are out here, listening in on our conversation.
“Let’s try not to get in each other’s way, okay?
I just want to go to school, graduate, and take care of my child. ”
His lips move, like he is about to say something in response.
But I don’t bother waiting. I feel him boring a hole at the back of my head with his eyes, as I walk down the path leading outside the hockey arena.
I’m almost out when I hear footsteps running towards me.
I turn around instantly, finding him panting heavily, now way too close to me.
“Zoya,” he breathes, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. “Come on. I don’t know why you want to make an enemy of me. I’m not my brother. You know that. And I’m really sorry that he caused this accident again.”
“And you think you being here, trying to be friendly with me, is gonna put my mind at ease? Look around you. We’re at war.
Even if you’re not part of it, I am. I’m being dragged in, even if I don’t want to be.
Your brother needs to stay in his lane. If not, it’s gonna get even uglier.
And with the way Alexei is going, he’s gonna get himself killed. Just like your eldest brother.”
I don’t mean to sound so venomous, but I’m tired of watching Stanislav trying to play the good cop. It is depressing. I don’t want to be attached to anybody that Dato is connected to. Plus, I have an escape plan already. I don’t need him ruining it all.
But maybe I can use him. I know! I know! It’s wrong to use people. I get it. But I didn’t tell him to bring himself to me on a silver platter. He’s here now. He wants me to believe he isn’t his brother. What better way is there to prove himself to me?
I must have zoned out because Stanislav leans closer to me, uncertainty and slight panic in his tone. “Zoya, are you good? Is it the baby? Should I….”
I blink once, shaking my head and taking a deep sigh.
“I’m fine. I was just….” I sigh for the umpteenth time, taking a slow, indecipherable step away from him.
Unnoticeable. “You’re right. I’m sorry for the way I talked to you.
It’s just…there’s been so many things on my mind.
You’re not to blame for that, of course. ”
Relief washed through his features. I can literally see the weight on his shoulders lighten up.
“Do you mind if I see you later today?” I ask, putting on my brightest smile.
“Of course not,” he replies quickly, like he’s scared I’ll change my mind. “How does coffee sound? We can talk about this and get everything sorted.”
“That sounds lovely.” I move over to him, giving him a hug. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Yeah,” he responds. “Thank you, Zoya.”
Nodding, I turn around for real this time, moving nonstop till I’m outside the rink. Sasha walks briskly over to me, her eyes serious. “Ma’am, are you okay? Did you know that man was Dato’s younger brother?”
“Of course, I know he’s his younger brother. I’m not stupid. He wanted to chat. And plus, he’s not like his brother. Don’t lump him in with that waste of space.”
There’s more of that venom for Dato in me, but as I’m about to get them out, suddenly, my stomach decides to choose this moment to cramp.
I lean forward very consciously, trapping my bottom lip between my teeth as I try hard not to cry out.
Or rather, pretend to cry out. My muffled wince is hard to hide as the pain gets a little more fictionally intense.
“Shit!” I whisper, planting my hand atop the bump. “Ouch!”
“Ma’am!” Now this is real panic. “Are you okay?”
“My stomach,” I groan, still clutching onto my bump.
Sasha looks around frantically. “Let’s get you seated.”
She doesn’t wait for a response, hooking her hand around my arm and leading me to the row of benches. From the corner of my eye, I see some of the men beginning to gather. They’re probably panicked, not knowing what’s going on.
I keep up my ruse. “Ouch. Ouch. It hurts, Sasha. Can you please get me water?”
I looked around here before I came, and I noted that there were no vending machines close by.
She’d have to leave this area and walk for a good ten minutes before she’d find a one or a vendor, even.
Sasha looks around worriedly, afraid to leave me.
But I have a plan, and it’s going to happen one way or another.
She’s going to get out of here, and I’m going to get my freedom.
She nods. “Alright, I’m gonna go get it. Please stay here.”
Immediately she leaves, I count ten seconds before I rise as well, holding my stomach and heading into the bathroom I saw earlier, taking everything I arrived with.
The bathroom is empty when I get in. Good.
I don’t need people wondering why I came in here in a dress and then leaving in a different outfit.
This is not a fucking spy movie, but it could as well be one with how I’m acting right now.
Shaking my head to clear those thoughts, I move into one of the stalls and slide the bolt in.
I put the toilet seat down in another second and place my bag on top.
Opening the zipper, I rummage through it, pulling out my outfit.
I change into the hoodie first, and then shrug on the jeans and a baseball cap.
When I come out of the stall, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I could pass for a little teenage boy going through puberty, without the acne, of course. I have a perfect face. My self-absorbed being locates the window in the bathroom. It’s a big window; I can climb out without jumping.
I look around to see if I can find any of the familiar faces Alexei put on to tail me.
Coming up empty, I do a little victory dance and open the window.
And then, placing one foot in front of the other, I step out.
With everything clear around me, I power walk without thinking twice, blending into the crowd.
With the testosterone and fan girls breathing down my neck, I take out my phone, shooting a text to Sergei.
Hey, I’ll be there in about 10 minutes. Okay?
Delivered
As soon as the message goes through, I wipe it from my screen. I have no clue if Alexei is monitoring me, but I wouldn't put it past him.
I have a total of twenty minutes to finish my meeting with Sergei and then find a way to come back.