Chapter 8 - Angelika
“I can go home?” I ask in excited disbelief.
“Yes, we’ll leave here in the next half hour. I’m just going to pack up a few things and make arrangements for the reset crew to come in and clean up,” Diomid says, gesturing around the safe house.
I can’t help wiggling with excitement. The smile on my face spreads from ear to ear, and Diomid narrows his eyes at me. “You really are happy to be getting rid of me, aren’t you?” he teases.
Laughing, I shake my head. “I told you last night, it’s the whole freedom thing.
I’m excited to have my freedom back, that’s all,” I explain, not wanting him to think it’s him.
I started enjoying my time with him. In fact, I would even go so far as to say I really had fun last night, making pizza and having our first genuine conversation.
I wasn’t even that sad about being stuck here for a little longer, but now that I’ve got the news about being allowed to leave, I’m over the moon.
I can see Stefania and my brothers, and I can go shopping, walk around a mall, and get out and about a bit. I can see people and places and stretch my legs. It’s going to be amazing.
Diomid drives me to my family home and insists on walking in with me. “Imagine something happened to you between the car and the door,” he laughs.
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I huff, rolling my eyes at his dramatics.
“Still, it’s polite of me to walk you in and say hi to your brother.”
I nod, letting him lead the way toward the front door.
Jaroslav opens it before we have a chance to knock, and I jump at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He laughs as he lifts me off my feet and hugs me. “Welcome home, kiddo. It’s good to have you back.”
He ushers us both inside.
Everyone is there, ready to welcome me back.
Stefania literally bowls into me, almost knocking me off my feet with her excitement. “Angelika, don’t you ever do that again. You have no idea how much I missed you!” she complains.
I go around the room, hugging everyone. Zakhar is his usual stoic self, smiling and whispering, “I’m glad you’re ok, A,” as he hugs me. Evengil and Georgy are a lot louder in their greetings, teasing me a little, laughing.
The house is happy and welcoming, and my heart is full and relaxed.
I turn to Diomid to say goodbye to him, my chest suddenly feeling heavy and tight with the thought of not seeing him again, but Jaroslav interrupts me.
“Hey Dio, can you recommend a good personal bodyguard service?” he asks.
My eyes flare as I spin toward Jaroslav. “For who?” I snap.
“For you, Angelika. Who else? You are home now, so we’re assigning you a 24/7 bodyguard.”
“No, that’s far too extreme. I don’t need a guard 24/7.
Maybe I could take just one of the security guards with me when I go out.
Seriously, Jaroslav, this is too much!” I’m shouting, angry, already feeling suffocated before I even get the guy assigned to me.
It’s the idea of being followed everywhere.
Watched like a hawk, never having a moment to myself. I can’t bear it.
Jaroslav glares at me. “This wasn’t up for negotiation, Angelika. You were kidnapped and almost auctioned off. You can’t be so naive that you’re still blind to the dangers you’re in when you go out alone?” he snarls.
“But Jaro…”
“I’ll do it.”
My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. No. He did not just say that.
I turn to face Diomid, glaring at him, demanding that he take the offer back with the heat of my eyes.
“You’ll do it?” Jaroslav asks.
“Yes, I can be her guard,” he shrugs.
“Seriously, I mean it makes perfect sense. You’ve proven yourself more than capable. And it would make me feel a lot better to have you watching her instead of a stranger. But are you sure?”
I stand in disbelief, watching the two men discuss my life and my freedom as though Diomid and I didn’t just have this whole conversation last night.
How dare he do this to me? I told him my struggles, my challenges, how I hate losing my freedom—and now he’s literally volunteering to take it away from me.
“You have sisters too, so you get it,” Jaroslav says.
Diomid nods. “Exactly. Besides, if you wanted to hire a new guy now, he would have to be so vetted that it would be a lengthy, painful process. We can’t trust that Bardil doesn’t have people everywhere. It’s better if I do it.”
My brother and Diomid finish making plans while I listen, numb inside, horrified.
When their conversation ends, Diomid turns to me and smiles. “I’ll see you in the morning,” he says.
I huff, refusing to answer him.
He chuckles and leaves my brother’s home.
As soon as he’s out the door, I spin to argue with Jaroslav.
“Why? I feel like you’ve granted me one last night of freedom here before you smother my life out completely!” I shout.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Angelika. For crying out loud.
It’s a bodyguard, not a life sentence.” He rolls his eyes at me, making me angrier.
“Besides, you aren’t even out and about when they took you the last time.
The more you go out, the more reassurance I need that you’ll be ok.
And Diomid has offered to help with that.
Besides, we’ve been struggling with Diomid and his resistance against the alliance.
It’s still new and someone delicate in many ways.
While everything that happened with you is tragic and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, there is a silver lining to it—that Diomid is working with us for the first time. ”
So this is about business. Bratva business. Again, he doesn’t care about me, my life, or what I want. Anger spikes, and I want to argue with him.
But then guilt slaps at me, reminding me that I created this whole situation, that I even covered up the truth about it to stay out of trouble. I bite my tongue and take a slow breath.
“Fine,” I huff.
“Good,” Jaroslav smiles, and his expression lets me know it really doesn’t matter whether I agree or not—it’s happening either way.
With a heavy sigh, I storm up to my room.
Diomid will be back in the morning to start his 24/7 watch over me. Tonight is my last, brief flirt with freedom, my brothers being my guards for the moment, and I want to just enjoy this time alone, even if it’s just me, having my own space in my bedroom.
However, it’s almost impossible to relax when I’m so angry.
I can’t believe they’re taking my freedom away again.
It’s intrusive and controlling, and I’m miserable just thinking about how smothered I’m going to feel.
I may as well have stayed in the safe house.
At least one guy was being bossy over me.
Now it’s him and my brothers—everyone questioning every move I make.
By the time I fall asleep, my eyes are raw, burning, and red from the tears I’ve cried.
It’s time I accept that my life doesn’t belong to me. And maybe it’s time for me to stop fighting it. I’ll only end up making myself and everyone around me miserable with conflict.
***
In the morning, I wake up, and for a moment, I can’t figure out where I am. My own bedroom is unfamiliar to me until the fog of sleep fades away and I sigh, remembering what’s in store for me from today onward.
Reaching over, I stretch for my phone on the nightstand and check the time.
Seven. I wonder what time Diomid is arriving to stalk me around everywhere.
I suppose I should get up, have a shower, and grab a cup of coffee in preparation for the day.
The shower is hot, and I stand under it for longer than normal, letting the steady pressure of water massage against my neck and shoulders.
Dressed in a pair of jeans—it feels weird to be in jeans after wearing comfy sweatpants for almost two weeks—and a cropped long-sleeve white t-shirt, I wander into the kitchen, secretly hoping I won’t bump into any of my brothers because I’m not in the mood to deal with them now.
As I walk in, my heart jumps in surprise. “Diomid?” I stammer, confused. “You’re here already?”
He glances at me, smiling, then carries on making his coffee.
Which he then hands to me.
“Good morning. Two sugars and an extra splash of milk. I was just about to come up and wake you,” he says.
“Wake me? I don’t get it, even bodyguards don’t dictate what time I have to be up in the morning,” I say bitterly.
“No, but I didn’t want us to miss the flight I have planned.”
“Funny, but thanks for the coffee anyway. It’s really good,” I say, rolling my eyes.
The man does make an excellent cup of coffee, though. And really good tea. Pity he’s such a playboy, and I was just some random girl he picked because he happened to see me first.
“You need to get your passport and pack for a warm climate,” Diomid carries on, leaning against the counter, sipping the second cup of coffee he made.
“I can’t just leave, Diomid. My brother will lose his mind. Whatever you have planned, I can’t go.”
He grins, shaking his head. “I’ve already spoken to Jaroslav and your other brothers.
They are all aware of my plans and my reasoning.
So, please will you just come with me without being difficult about it?
” he’s smiling but frustrated. I realize that he’s frustrated with me because I always argue with him whenever he asks me to do anything.
Including getting on a plane and flying to an unknown destination.
Which, technically, is exactly the kind of spontaneous adventure that I always crave.
So, why am I being so suspicious and skeptical when the offer is right in front of me?
“Where are we going?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him, both hands wrapped around the coffee mug.
“Just pack your things. Warm weather. Something to swim in. Whatever you forget, we can get there. But you need to hurry. The pilot is already prepping the plane, and I want to get going.”
Fuck it.
Whatever.
If it turns out he’s up to something and Jaroslav hasn’t agreed to this, it’ll be on him, not me. I can blame it all on Diomid.
My heart somersaults excitedly.
I’m going on a spontaneous adventure. This is most certainly not how I expected today to start!