9. The Robbery
The shrill wailof sirens slices through my sleep, jolting me awake. Disoriented, I blink against the flashing red and blue lights that paint my bedroom walls through the thin curtains. My heart hammers against my ribs, a frantic drum against the silence of the night. Memories of last night come flooding back. The empty apartment, Alexander gone, the exhaustion that pulled me into a restless sleep. I push myself up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and a single question echoes in my mind: What’s going on?
A frantic pounding on my door startles me even more. I stumble out of bed, my bare feet sinking into the carpet, and rush towards the noise, adrenaline coursing through me. Peering through the peephole, I see Tyler, his face flushed and damp with sweat, his chest heaving as if he’d run a marathon.
We broke up,the thought echoes in my mind. What is he doing here?
“Tyler?” I fling the door open. “It’s—it’s late.”
“Ava,”he pants, his eyes searching mine with a mixture of worry and something else I can’t decipher. Is he just concerned as a friend?
“There’s been a robbery at the store down the street. My dad—he’s on the scene—I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I step back, allowing him to enter. “A robbery? Here?”My voice trembles. The thought of the Veles Network striking so close to home makes me tense.
Tyler nods, his eyes flickering to the open laptop on my desk, the screen illuminating the article about the Veles Network I’d been obsessively researching. I quickly close the lid, hoping he hasn’t noticed.
I’ve forgotten it was on from last night.
“Look, Ava,”he says, his voice serious, “I know you’re curious, but it’s not safe for you to dig into this. The Veles Network—they’re dangerous. You need to stay out of it.”My gaze falls to my fidgeting hands. He’s right. I’m playing with fire.
“I-I just—”I stammer. “I had a hard time sleeping yesterday, and I want to help out.”
Tyler steps closer, his eyes softening as he gazes at me. He pulls me into a gentle embrace. For a moment, I allow myself to lean into him, to find solace in his presence, even as a part of me wonders if it’s just the comfort of friendship or something more.
“I understand,”he murmurs. “But please, for your own sake, stay away from it. Let my father and the police handle this.”
He lingers for a while longer, his concern evident in his every gesture. Finally, with a promise to call if anything happens, he leaves, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the nagging feeling that I’m standing on the precipice of something, something that threatens to shatter the fragile peace I’m trying to hold onto.
Sinking back into the familiar comfort of my bed, I pull the cotton covers up to my chin. Even though exhaustion weighs down my limbs, sleep refuses to claim me. My mind replays the events of the evening, a chaotic montage of flashing lights, blaring sirens, and Tyler’s concerned face. And beneath it all, like a persistent undercurrent, are thoughts of Alexander.
My chest tightens with a familiar ache as I imagine him out there, in the darkness, entangled with the Veles Network and their sinister dealings. What if he was involved in the robbery? What if he was hurt? The questions stare at me, each one a shard of ice against my heart.
My hand reaches for my phone, desperate for any sign of life from him, a message, a missed call, anything to reassure me that he’s okay. But the screen remains blank, mocking me with its emptiness.
You can’t be with a criminal, Ava, the voice of reason whispers in my head, echoing the sentiments of my parents, their faces etched with disappointment. He’s involved with the mafia, for God’s sake, mafia.
But logic and reason are no match for the maelstrom of emotions swirling within me. I care for him deeply and irrevocably, and the thought of him being in trouble, alone and hurting, is unbearable.
I toss and turn, the sheets twisting around my restless body. Sleep remains elusive, replaced by a torrent of what-ifs. Eventually, I give up and slip out of bed, my bare feet padding across the cold floor to my desk.
With trembling fingers, I open my laptop, the screen cast a pale glow on my face as I search for any trace of him online. But there’s nothing, no sign of activity, no indication of his whereabouts.
Exhaustion finally claims me, dragging me into a restless slumber filled with fragmented dreams of dark alleys, shadowy figures, and the cold, steel bars of a prison cell.