Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Katya
Dimitri doesn’t bring us to his house like I’m expecting. Instead, he brings us to an old warehouse where he ties both Nina and Susanna up to rotted, old chairs.
“Please,” Susanna sobs. “Don’t do this. Please!”
Nina cries, unable to speak.
I turn to my brother, who’s glaring at the two other girls. “Dimitri, what are you doing?”
“I am getting my revenge on Alek and you need to know the kind of man he is. You have, for some reason, feelings for him and I can’t stand that.”
“So kidnapping his surrogate daughters is going to help me not have feelings for him? Are you crazy?”
A flash of pure anger hits his eyes. “I am not crazy for wanting to save my sister. Alek needs to know what it feels like to have someone he loves taken from him. He will come here and you will see his evil side and you will snap out of whatever spell he has over you.”
“There is no spell!”
He scoffs.
“Dimitri.” I take his hand and for a moment, his eyes soften. “There is no spell. I have feelings for Alek because I was tired of being in my room.”
“But you were scared to leave your room. You never wanted to.”
“Because I was filled with pain from my past. Because of what Dad did to Mom. But Alek showed me I can have more out of life. I can be the woman I’ve always wanted to be. I don’t have to be so scared because I know he’ll protect me.”
“Protect you? He’s the one who fucking kidnapped you.”
“You’re not listening to me,” I hiss, tightening my hold on his hand. His eyes widen. Dimitri has never seen me talk to him like this before. “I was put into positions where I was almost hurt and Alek saved me time and time again. I trust him. Why can’t you?”
“Because he kidnapped my sister. I made him a deal a while back and he refused. There will never be peace between us.”
“Not even for me?”
Dimitri wavers, looking back and forth between me and the other girls, who won’t stop crying. Susanna’s wailing has gotten so loud, it hurts my ears.
“Dimitri,” I say softly. “I don’t want to be in my room any longer. You always wanted me to be happy.”
“No. I wanted you to be safe.”
“I am safe with Alek.”
“No.”
I grab his face and force him to look me in the eye.
“I am safe with Alek. I know it’s hard to believe and I don’t blame you.
Neither Alek or I ever saw this coming. But I am safe with him.
You have to believe me. It’s what I want.
I am not going back to spend the rest of my life in my old room.
I know that for a fact. I am done with that.
I am ready to live instead. If you take me back to your house, I will be miserable. Are you prepared to do that to me?”
“Katya… I just want to keep you safe.”
“I know. And I am safe with Alek. I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true. I want to be with him.”
“Do you love him?”
The question takes me aback. I’ve only known Alek for a couple of weeks. Can I really be in love with someone in such a short amount of time? I know in my gut: I can be because I am.
Dimitri must see it in my eyes because he pulls back. “I can’t trust you to my enemy.”
“So make peace with him. It’s simple. Let my marriage to Alek be an alliance. It can ensure peace. Keep you both in line. But you have to return Nina and Susanna to Alek. You can’t hurt him like he’s hurt you. It will only end in tragedy.”
“I could easily kill them both and then Alek would know how I have felt.”
“Are you really going to kill two innocent young woman just to hurt Alek?”
He hesitates before he sighs. “Fuck. Katya, why did you have to have feelings for him?”
“Why have I changed, you mean? I am not a little girl anymore that you have to protect. I am ready to live my life. I am ready to be outside of my room and I need you to respect that. And if you were smart, you’d make a deal with Alek. You can start by returning Nina and Susanna to him.”
Keeping my eyes on Dimitri, I head over to the girls and untie their binds. They both stare at me in shock.
“I am protecting you two,” I tell them. “I won’t let my brother hurt you. I promise.”
“Why?” Nina asks. “After everything we’ve done to you.”
“Because I’m not heartless. And I have no desire to have your deaths on my hands. I know you two hate me and that’s ok. But I will not stoop to your level.”
Nina stands up and grabs my hand. “Thank you.” I can tell she means it. When I turn to Susanna, she refuses to look me in the eye but at least she’s not being a bitch to me. There’s a shame on Susanna’s face.
“You’re young,” I say to her. “Only sixteen. You have so much life to live. That’s what I’m figuring out for myself. My brother will not hurt you. Right?” I ask him. Slowly, he nods. “So, we can start again. If you want.”
Susanna doesn’t give me a verbal reply but she does finally look at me and there’s an open vulnerableness to her face that I have never seen before. I believe things can change.
And that’s when Alek enters the warehouse, his gun pointed right at Dimitri. My brother sees it and points his gun in return.
And that’s when I move. I run between them right as they fire at each other and pain explodes over my body and darkness quickly invades my mind.