Chapter 25 Ember
EMBER
It’s not enough. That’s probably the most hurtful thing he’s ever said… and Roman can weave a web of words that should have broken me in half. I find it interesting that in the end, it’s just those three words that do the job.
I guess he’s right in that I don’t truly understand the Bratva lifestyle. For all this, I should have told Rastelli everything… No, on second thought, at least I got to hear him tell me that he loves me. At least I got to feel his touch one last time.
I walk up to the second floor to get my unpacked bag. Not sure how I’m getting out of here. Probably will have to call an Uber. He didn’t call any of his men back…
I pass by Sasha’s bedroom and hear movement on the other side of the closed door. Isn’t she supposed to be in school?
I shouldn’t bother her. I mean, we were really just getting to know one another. I probably don’t owe her a thing in terms of a goodbye. However, I was just starting to like her and I think she was starting to like me too.
In another universe, I might’ve made her a great stepmother. I should say goodbye before I leave. It’s the decent thing to do.
I walk up to her door and knock. “Hey, Sasha? Are you in there?”
It takes a few seconds, but the doorknob turns and she opens it. She pokes her head out tentatively. “Hey,” she says, a worried look on her face.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”
She sighs, then leans out the door toward the stairs. “He’s not downstairs, is he? Or any of his people?”
I shake my head. “Your father is busy in his study right now.”
She gives me a silent ‘oh’ as she nods. “Must be having a bad day today. That’s great. I sure picked a rotten day to skip class. He’ll kill me when he finds me up here.”
I shrug a little. “It’s still early. I’m sure you can get a ride.” It occurs to me that Ares was the one who was supposed to take her. Shit. Did I mess that up, too? “Oh… oh, that was your uncle’s job, wasn’t it?”
She shrugs and says, “He had to run, so he told one of the other guys to do it. And I told him that I didn’t have class today.” I’m speechless and it must show on my face because she adds, “They don’t know anything about me. My Dad barely knows when I have classes lately.”
“I’ll bet he wouldn’t let it slide, though. You should probably just go to school, Sasha. You don’t want to get anybody in trouble, right?”
“I guess,” she says. “I’d rather just stay home until whatever this is blows over, though. I mean, as opposed to having somebody following me around all day. Trust me. It’s way more disruptive than you’d think.”
I guess she’s got a point. “Well, just stay out of trouble. Your dad has enough on his plate.”
She smiles, then gives me an inquisitive tilt of her head. “That’s a funny way to say that. You going somewhere?”
“I am. Your father asked me to leave. I think this is the last time we’ll be hanging out.”
Her smile drops. “What? Why? Did he say something to you?”
“Sash—”
“Because he didn’t mean it. He never means it. He just has to look tough sometimes, that’s all. Really, he’s one of the greatest guys in the world once you get a chance to get to know him.”
“It’s nothing like that. He, I mean, we just decided that it’s time to call it quits. That’s all. It happens in relationships.”
She almost looks like she’s going to cry. Then she opens the door and steps out, a determined look on her face. “Let me talk to him. He’ll listen to me.”
“No.” I take her hands and say, “There’s nothing you can do about this, okay? It’s already done. Just do me a favor and be good to your dad. Okay? From here on out. No more sneaking into strip clubs and skipping school.”
Her big brown eyes get all watery. “This isn’t fair. My dad… he hasn’t been with somebody in so long and he really needs somebody. I know he has the whole big Russian tough guy act, but he’s really a lot lonelier than you think. You can’t break up.”
She’s so sweet. I rest a hand on her shoulder and say, “It’s fine, Sasha. It really is. You just… just do what I said, okay? Be good for your father.”
I pull her into a hug and she starts to sob. It’s only been a short time that we’ve even had a chance to get to know one another. How can we have bonded so much, so quickly?
A thump and a yell come from downstairs. We both break the hug to look toward the second floor landing. “What was that?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” A bigger sound of commotion follows. Grunts and scuffling. The sound of punches landing. “Stay here.”
I walk toward the landing and I’m stopped as soon as I look down the stairs. Two men stand in the living room, one with his arm around the other’s neck, squeezing as he flails. The man being subdued, I recognize. It’s one of Roman’s men.
I also quickly realize that I know the other man as well.
His face is contorted as he struggles with the man.
The long blond hair on top of the shaved sides has fallen into his face.
Most of his tattoos are covered with the T-shirt he’s wearing, but he’s heavily tatted up.
He looks like he’s got healing bruises over one side of his face, but even from here, I can see the scar over one of his eyes.
The guy from the coffee shop. The one I was going to call in for an interview. Sergei Durov. What the hell… ?
He grunts loudly and twists his body. The air is split with the loud sound of the man’s neck as Sergei’s arm twists under his chin. Suddenly, he goes limp, his eyes rolling up. Sergei holds him for a few seconds before letting the lifeless body fall from his arms.
Oh… no.
He looks up and his eyes lock with mine. A slow, menacing smile crosses his face.
I turn and run. Sasha’s standing in the hallway, her eyes wide.
“What’s happening?” she asks.
I take her by the hands. From the sound of his bounding footsteps, he’ll be up here any second. I grab Sasha and pull her into her bedroom, closing the door. “We need to hide.”
“Ember? What’s going on?”
I look around the clutter of the girl’s room. Under the bed? In the bathroom? I see her crowded closet door with clothes spilling out onto the floor. I grab her by the wrist and dart for it.
“Come on,” I say. We get into the closet and hide behind the wall of clothes hanging before us. I barely have enough time to get the door closed before I hear Sasha’s bedroom door crash open.
In the fractured lighting coming from the slits in her closet doors, I look to Sasha and put my finger to my lips. With shaky eyes, she nods in understanding.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t come in for an interview, Ember,” I hear him say. My name on his voice sends a chill up my spine. “It was unavoidable. I would have preferred all this to be more civilized.”
I can hear him moving around the room, looking for us. Shit. Maybe we should have jumped out the window.
“You’re not making this any easier on yourself,” I hear him say. “When I find you…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence. The door slides open violently and he pushes the clothing to one side, revealing us. “There you are.”
I push him, but it’s like pushing against a wall. He grabs me by my shoulders and throws me out of the closet. I hit the floor hard, nearly banging my head against the carpet. I turn just in time to see him dragging Sasha out of the closet. Sasha screams and struggles as he holds her by the wrists.
“Let me go!” She brings her leg up, but he dodges the attempt to knee him in the balls. In a swift move of his arms, he turns her around and wraps her up, lifting her off the ground. She screeches, kicking her legs.
Another man appears at the door and freezes as all this is happening, then he sees me on the floor. “Which one?”
“Doesn’t matter,” says Sergei. “We’re taking them both.”
The other man goes for me and I scramble to get away. He grabs me from behind and lifts me up off the ground. Screaming, biting, kicking, we’re both dragged out of her bedroom and toward the back stairs on the other side of this hallway.
“ROMAN!” I scream right before a hand covers my mouth. I scream against it, but they’re holding me fast.
Oh, God. I hope he heard me. I hope he stops this…