Chapter 30
Alina
It’s a crisp, cloudy night. The moon is full, allegedly anyway. The Uber driver steers along the empty Brighton Beach streets and stops at the curb outside a closed strip mall. He seems unhappy about dropping me at such a random spot, but I don’t give him time to question it.
And I don’t give myself time to change my mind.
It wasn’t hard to find the address. Seamus kept the note in his office. After he went to sleep, I snuck out, got dressed, rifled through his papers, and ordered a car. Right up to this point, my plan has been going perfectly.
As I walk across the parking lot, ignoring the single random van in the far corner, I’m wondering if maybe this was a terrible idea.
Seamus is probably right. It’s not smart to put myself at the mercy of some psychopath killer who thinks severed heads are a peace offering or whatever.
But what other choice is there? Sit around and hope things work out?
To hell with that.
I approach the old sporting goods store. It looks like there’s no way in, but when I tug at the entrance, the lock clicks and it swings wide. An ugly, unnerved feeling jitters in my stomach as a blast of moldy, stale air hits me in the face.
I should go back home, crawl into bed, and wrap my arms around my husband.
But I’m a Morozov. I’m a bratva princess. I wasn’t raised to be a coward.
I stride into the store and the door closes behind me.
It’s really dark. I wait for my eyes to adjust. In the gloom, empty shelving units cohere, most of them lurking at the back of the building where it’s darkest.
Each step is like an atom bomb. I can’t see very well. “This was a bad idea,” I mutter to myself, looking around. There’s no way anyone’s staying here. I don’t know why I thought I’d find anyone. “Very stupid.”
I pass through a spiderweb and let out an aborted shriek. I flail my hands in the air, batting the stuff away. My heart goes crazy and I’m dizzy for half a second. I have to breathe hard to get myself under control.
Since when did I jump at stupid bugs?
“You’re right. It was rather stupid to come here.”
The voice echoes from the far end of the room, back toward the shelves. I stare, going completely still. The darkness is hard to pierce, but I can make out a shape, just barely, leaning back against the wall.
She’s impossible to make out. Just a vague shape in the gloom.
But her voice…
“Are you Molchanie?” I call out, not getting any closer.
“Who else would be in this place?” The shape gestures at me. “I didn’t think you’d ever show up, Alina.”
Something tugs at the back of my head. Something in the way she’s talking. I don’t know what it is and force myself to focus.
“I came to talk to you.”
“You liked my present?” I can hear the smile. It sends a chill straight into my bones. “He deserved it, you know. You have bad taste in men.”
“He was an asshole, but he didn’t deserve to die.”
“Ah, I see. You are softhearted. I wasn’t sure. Perhaps the head was too much?” She clucks her tongue. “Pity. What a pity.”
“What do you want from me? Why are you doing all of this?”
Molchanie’s shape moves. She comes closer, drifting toward the shelves. She stops there and I can just make out the edges of her. Long hair. Around my height, maybe a little shorter. Wearing all black. Her face remains a blur, nothing more than a nose and a vague shape.
“I learned a long time ago that people have trouble accepting what is best for them. You can go into a doctor’s office and tell the patients there, you will die without this medicine. But if the medicine tastes bad, what do they do? They turn it down and rot. Can you imagine that?”
I shake my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Another example then. You go to a dentist. The dentist says, I must drill your tooth, but you are allergic to anesthesia. It will hurt, but you’ll have a tooth afterward. What would you do?”
“I’d find a different dentist.”
She laughs. It’s low and throaty. “Everyone says that. But none of them say, I’d let the dentist drill. Because what’s hard is sometimes what’s needed. Pain is not always bad, Alinochka.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“You know pain. You’ve been hurting. This man you married—”
“He’s decent,” I say over her. I watch her shape tense, like she doesn’t enjoy being interrupted. “Seamus isn’t a bad man.”
“Your husband is like all husbands.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“He is one of them. A criminal. A killer. A thief. They are all alike. From the start, it’s smiles, flirting, maybe some fun. Sex is nice too, right? But that will change. It always changes.”
I shake my head. I want to get closer, but I’m too afraid. It’s taking all my strength to stay where I am. “You’re wrong. I want to be married to him. I want the chance to find out for myself where our relationship is going.”
“Sorry, but no. I am the dentist. This is my drill.” She pats something at her hip. It must be her gun. “You must suffer, but in the long run, you will thank me. I will save you from these men. I will not let you make the mistakes that I made.”
“What are you talking about? Who are you?”
She steps closer. In that moment, two things happen.
The door slams open behind me. And the clouds move back from the moon.
Light streams in through the opening. She’s close enough now that her face is visible. I stare at her, catching a glimpse, my eyes going wide and my heart going wild, as my mouth drops open.
Pointy nose. Narrow eyes. Blonde hair. Pretty, but older. Probably in her fifties.
Seamus’s voice slams into the back of my head like a hammer. “Alina! Get down!” He comes storming over to me right as Molchanie turns away, her blonde braid flying across her back. Seamus reaches my side and pushes me behind him as he kneels and aims his gun.
“Wait!” I scream but he’s already shooting. Molchanie disappears into the back of the building.
“Stay here,” Seamus says and runs after her. But he only makes it to the entrance of the storage area. Instead of following, I watch him visibly struggle with the decision. But he pulls himself away, cursing as he hurries back to my side. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Seamus, how did you know?”
“I followed you. I was too fucking slow though. Forgot the damn address and drove around in circles.” He grips my arm tightly. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I had to talk to her. I had to do it.”
“She could’ve killed you.”
“But she didn’t. She doesn’t want to kill me. She just wants…” I trail off, shaking my head. What does she want? I don’t even know at this point. Something about keeping me away from crime family men like Seamus. Something about avoiding her mistakes.
But that’s not bothering me.
“Come on. I’m taking you home. We can talk about it there.”
No, that isn’t bothering me at all.
Seamus pulls me along. I stagger after him. My head’s reeling as I think back on that glimpse of Molchanie’s face.
Her voice… those eyes, that nose, her chin…
“I need to go home,” I say out on the sidewalk.
“That’s where we’re headed.”
“No, not to my place. I need to go to my father’s place.”
He shakes his head. “Not tonight.”
“Seamus.” I tug back against him. “Listen to me. Please. Take me to my father’s place. It’s important. I’ll explain after, but right now, please do it.”
He stares at me. I can tell he doesn’t like this. I already went against him by coming here.
But I see something else in his face. Something I didn’t expect.
It’s trust. Real trust. Even though it hurts him.
“I’ll take you, but I’m staying nearby.”
“Good.” I touch his face. “Thank you.” I kiss him.
My life is about to change.
Because if I’m right, I know exactly who Molchanie is.