Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Alyona
Steam fills the bathroom around me. I swipe a hand through the condensation misting the mirror and wince.
I look like shit.
Dark circles beneath my eyes, bruising springing black and blue patches all over my skin. Two sets of strangulation handprints around my damn neck. But none of it has a scratch on the internal damage. An overpowering ache is squeezing my organs, and I can barely draw a breath.
I never thought I’d actually be able to tell the twins about Roza one day, no matter how much I yearned to do so, the risk was too high.
I’d only been here three weeks when the test came back positive.
It felt cruel at first. A wicked way to punish and taunt me, but when she moved for the first time, I knew she was a blessing.
A gift from them to hold us tethered no matter what.
And there was nothing I wasn’t willing to do to make sure she would be safe.
They could never know about her because then Yuri would know.
I couldn’t let my old life taint her new one.
Yuri is a hateful, evil bastard, and I’d rather die than let him take his revenge on her.
The heartbreak of not being with the twins was the price, and even though I often felt like I was drowning in an endless ocean without them, I always managed to swim to the surface because of her.
Getting dressed into a pantsuit, to cover as many of my injuries as possible, is necessary today, since I’m covered in them. I certainly don’t need people like Adam or their mom to ask questions. I twist my hair into an updo, so I don’t have to take the time to style it.
I do feel bad that Rosetta, Jeremiah and Adam’s mom, has lost her son and doesn’t even know it yet. She’s innocent in all this, and I feel like this will crush her. Unfortunately, I can’t worry about her. Roza is my priority. Always.
Taking another quick look around the bathroom, I suck in a couple of quick breaths, and try to relax.
You’d never know two murders happened here last night.
My madmen are that good at what they do.
It’s a little unsettling how skilled the twins are at making crimes disappear.
I don’t know what I would have done without them.
They haven’t spoken to me since Roza’s room and my confession, apart from agreeing on what would happen next, but that’s okay.
They went about putting the plan in motion, and Jeremiah is now ash.
My phone buzzes, bunny hopping along the dresser with the vibration.
Viktor’s alter ego name, Tanner, flashes on the screen.
“Hello?”
“You called last night. And I’m looking at you on my security video at the backdoor of the club looking, well, hot. But blood is my kink, not yours. Tell me you’re okay.”
“I am.” I nearly choke on that lie. Nothing about me is okay but there’s no point telling him that.
“Liar, liar tongue on fire.” He clicks his tongue in admonition.
“The twins came,” I blurt out. “It’s being handled.”
“Is that a good thing?” he queries, and I don’t blame him after the meltdown I had in his office about them.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“Understood. I’m deleting this recording, and in the future, just come to my apartment if I’m not at the club.”
“Thank you. I will.”
The line goes dead, and I rub a hand over my forehead to ease the pounding drumming there. My hand shakes as I bring up Adam’s name and hit call.
“Ally?” He sounds confused, and it’s because I’ve never called him before now.
“Hey, can you put Jeremiah on the phone? He’s not answering my calls,” I say, pacing the bedroom floor.
Silence.
“Adam?” I add, slipping a little bit of urgency into my tone. “Your mom will be here soon with Roza.”
“Why the fuck would my brother be here and not there with you?”
Sighing, I dig my nails into the palm of my hand to steady my nerves. “We had an argument last night. He stormed off and took his car. He was drinking, so I assumed he went to your house.”
Please buy my lies…
“He was high last night, Ally. Why the fuck would you let him drive?”
“I didn’t let him do anything,” I hiss, my temper rising genuinely. “You know what he gets like when he’s in one of his moods. He got violent, Adam. I wasn’t going to go after him.”
“Well, what the hell were you arguing over?” I can hear him moving around down the line and telling someone to get the fuck out. It’s probably another unsatisfied woman.
Lowering my voice into a guilty whisper, I say, “We were arguing about you.”
Silence.
“He was jealous because he caught me watching you at the club,” I say sheepishly as if I’m admitting a scandalous secret. “He thinks I want you.”
Puke.
Silence.
“I’m coming over.”
Of course you are. Stroke his ego. Too easy.
“Okay.”
The plan is to keep Adam busy in here with me while the twins dump the nun’s body in Adam’s car. They went and picked up their rental car and left it a few blocks away so they could leave afterwards.
I texted Rosetta and asked if she could bring Roza back a bit later, and she happily agreed.
Rosetta has always been good to my little girl.
She loves her because she believes Roza is her granddaughter.
Jeremiah never questioned it when I told him I was pregnant.
If he ever had doubts about whether she was his or not, he never voiced them.
Her beautiful, warm skin tone is almost a perfect match to Jeremiah’s and her blue eyes, he assumed came from me, are a replica of Z’s.
Opening my phone, I send Rodion the pre-agreed thumbs up to signal that the call with Adam went as planned and to be ready.
Twenty minutes later, Adam pulls up the driveway, followed by his number two, Levi.
Fuck.
Levi works for Adam and acts as a security guard whenever Adam deals with unsavory people. The man is well over six feet tall and built like a linebacker.
Grabbing my phone, I quickly text the twins.
He’s not alone. His car is the sporty one. The SUV is not his.
A reply comes back straight away.
Keep him busy.
Adam lets himself in with the spare key Jeremiah insisted he needed and barks at Levi to wait by the door.
“Ally?”
“In here,” I call out, pacing the living room and chewing on my nail. My feet are bandaged well, but it still feels like the wounds on the soles tear open with every movement. However, in a fucked-up way, it grounds me.
Adam’s eyes scan my face and linger on my throat. I’d put cover up over the bruises, not wanting their mom to question me about them.
“Have you heard anything?” he eventually asks, coming too close, and swiping a strand of hair from my face.
“Nothing.” There’s a tremor in my voice that’s not put on.
“It’ll be okay. He probably just needed to cool off.”
“Where would he go?” I ask him, pretending to wipe away a tear. “Is there someone he would go to?”
Narrowing his eyes on me, he looks around the room. “Like a side piece?” He laughs without humor. “That man could barely handle you. He didn’t need to go elsewhere, according to him.”
“A friend then?” I throw my hands up as I walk over to the kitchen and plant my ass on a stool in hopes he’ll follow. I need him away from the windows.
“Did he say anything when he left?” he asks, still looking around, as if the room is going to speak to him to solve this mystery.
“Adam,” I say his name like a plea and cover my face, whimpering into my hands. I hear his footfalls, and then his hands remove mine from my face.
Cupping my cheeks, he tilts my face up to his. “Tell me exactly what he said.”
Sniffling, I shrug my shoulders. “I told him I wasn’t in the mood for sex and wanted to shower because it was hot, and he freaked out. Said it’s because I’d rather be fucking you than him.”
His eyes flare with pleasure at my words, and his tongue sweeps out to moisten his bottom lip.
“Why would he think that?” he implores, fishing for the words he wants to hear. Fucking men and always needing their ego stroked.
Taking a deep breath that lifts my chest and brings his attention to my tits, I say, “He told me he’s not stupid and can see there’s tension between us.
” I bring my hands up to cover his that’re still holding my face.
“When I didn’t deny that, he got mad and told me he would kill us all before he’d let you fuck me. ”
Adam loves his brother but doesn’t like being told he can’t have something he wants. Jeremiah threatening to kill us all rather than let Adam have a taste will irritate his ego.
“Then he left.” I suck my bottom lip into my mouth and watch Adam’s pupils dilate.
Too fucking easy.
“Levi,” he barks.
“Boss?” Levi clears his throat as he enters the kitchen.
“Get some men together. Drive around the local motels and sites where someone would park their car to sleep off a comedown.”
My stomach knots when Levi nods and walks back toward the front door. “On it, Boss.”
“Levi,” I call out, halting him.
“Yeah?”
I fidget for a second, trying to think of something to stall him and then say, “Don’t let him drive if you find him. He was pretty wasted when he left.”
“I’ll take care of it,” he assures me. “Don’t worry.”
“Thanks.” I can’t think of anything else to say without being suspicious.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Turning his attention back on me, Adam asks, “What time is Roza coming home?”
I’m focused on the front door when Levi leaves through it, and Adam has to repeat himself to get my attention.
“Ally, what time is my niece coming home?”
“An hour,” I rush out, jumping off the stool and turning the coffee machine on. “In an hour.”
I’m being too jittery and obvious. Calm down, Alyona.
“My brother’s never killed anyone,” he states, coming up behind me so close I feel his breath on the back of my neck.
“What?”
“Jeremiah,” he says, matter of fact. “He wouldn’t know how to kill us. He’s never had to do anything for himself because he’s always had me.”
“He had a gun,” I whisper, pressing the buttons to make an espresso. Exhaustion is finally washing over me.
Adam presses his body into mine from behind, crowding me in. “It’s for show. I gave it to him so he would feel important. Dangerous. But he doesn’t even know how to use it.” Cool air breezes up my spine when he moves away. “I’ll go meet back up with Levi and help look around for Jeremiah.”
“Wait,” I gasp, panic driving my actions. Grasping onto his shirt, I tug him toward me. “What if he’s right?”
“About what?” he probes, his gaze darkening as he studies me.
Flicking my eyes up to his, peering through my lashes, I bite my lip. “I’ve denied that there’s an attraction here. Been defensive about it, but what if…”
“Shhhh.” He smiles, swiping his thumb over my bottom lip. “Let’s just find him first. The rest we can sort out after.”
My phone pings, and Adam’s attention darts to my pocket.
“That could be him,” he says, gesturing at it.
When I don’t pull it out of my pocket, he frowns and reaches to do it. I shake my head and step back. “Sorry, it’s distracting when you’re so close.” I offer a timid smile, but he’s still frowning.
Slipping my phone out, I glance at the screen and shake my head. “It’s just Amelia.”
“What does she want?”
Ignoring him I change the subject, “Do you think we should call the police?” I ask, stealing his focus from my phone.
“No. Not yet. Let me try and find him before we involve the cops.”
“Are you sure? Maybe…”
“Ally,” he snaps, grabbing my chin with his thumb and forefinger spitefully.
The prick I know so well stands in place of the lust driven man from moments before.
“I’ll find my brother. You do your job and wait for Roza to come home.
Don’t mention anything to our mother and wait for me to return. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.” He pats my cheek before turning on his heel and leaving.
A shudder rocks my body. I have to stop myself from taking another shower to wash his ick off me.
Swiping to the message on my phone, that was, in fact, not Amelia, I sigh in relief when I read the message.
Done.
“Ally!” Adam’s voice blares from outside, and I freeze.
Shit. He’s found the nun girl’s body in his vehicle…
“Ally.” He pushes through the front door, eyes wild and wide, phone in hand. “Levi says the police found a wreck about three miles from here.”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“Get in the car.”
“What, why?” I stumble over my words.
He marches toward me and grabs me by my underarm. “It could be Jeremiah.”
“But…”
“Just get in the damn car, Ally.”
Crap. This was not part of the plan.