Chapter 47
“Liliya! Liliya!”
At first, I think I’m dreaming of hearing Dasha’s voice.
Until it grows louder, almost a scream right in my face.
I blink, waking up from my nap. I dozed off while reading.
My book falls onto the ground, and I glance around the library.
When I hear my name again, I jump to my feet and sprint out of the room.
Dasha and Emilio stand in the foyer. My heart kicks up a beat when I notice Dasha covered in blood. Her breathing is ragged, and her body is trembling as she keeps yelling my name.
She doesn’t even notice that I’m right here.
“Dasha,” I say around a harsh breath.
She turns and stumbles in my direction. “Liliya!” Nearly falling into me, she throws her arms around my body.
I pull back, holding her at arm’s length to give her a once-over.
Is the blood hers?
Is she hurt?
I need to know these things.
I scan her, looking for any injuries.
The blood isn’t fresh, just dried and caked on her skin and clothes.
“Aleksy killed Dedushka and David!” she yells.
I tighten my hands on her shoulders. “What?”
I glance at Emilio, unsure if she’s telling the truth.
“He came here from Russia to find me!” she adds.
“They kept us in a fucking warehouse, hungry and freezing, before taking us to Aleksy this morning. Dedushka told Aleksy to kill me for running off. He said if Aleksy didn’t, then Aleksy wouldn’t be Bratva boss here any longer. He’d be in the ground.”
My stomach twists, and I gulp.
“Aleksy just pulled out his gun and shot him!” she screams. Her words come out so fast that she doesn’t even take a breath between them. “Then Lev came in and killed Aleksy!” Her voice rises. “Aleksy is dead, Liliya! He’s gone.”
I drop my arms, falling back a step, and glance at Emilio again for confirmation.
He slowly nods.
I whimper but stop myself from breaking down.
I need to be strong for Dasha.
Emilio comes toward me, and I notice the blood on him.
“Let’s get her upstairs and cleaned up,” he tells me, towering over Dasha to place a kiss on the top of my head. “I’ll explain everything later. First, I need to make some calls.” Surprisingly, he gently cups Dasha’s shoulder. “You’re safe here.”
Emilio carries Dasha up the stairs, and I follow them into our bathroom. “I’ll be downstairs.” He shuts the door behind us.
Dasha stares straight ahead in a daze.
She moves like a zombie as I help her out of her clothes.
I turn on the shower, test the water, and guide her inside. I join her, fully dressed.
She cries.
Says everything is her fault and she wishes she had never been born.
I finally snap my fingers in front of her face and scream her name.
She flinches, her anguished eyes meeting mine, but is pulled back into reality.
“Nothing is your fault. Aleksy and dedushka are dead because of their bullshit. Not yours.”
“But … but David,” she says, her lip shaking as tears meet with the water running down her face.
“David died trying to protect you,” I say, softening my tone. “I’m so sorry.”
She chokes on a sob. “I loved him.”
I pet her hair. “I know you did. And he loved you. I know it.”
I lather a washcloth in soap and hand it to her.
She scrubs her skin harshly, as if trying to take off a layer.
The more she scrubs, the more she calms.
When she’s finished, I step out of the shower, soaked, and change into sweats and a tee. She dries off as I throw my wet hair into a bun, ignoring the water dripping on my back.
She wraps a towel around herself. I pull her into a tight hug. She cries in my arms, her body shaking, and I rub her back while telling her everything will be okay.
But I don’t know that.
I don’t know what the fuck is going on.
An hour later, I walk downstairs.
I calmed Dasha down, gave her a melatonin gummy, and made her comfortable in Aurora’s bedroom. It didn’t take her long to doze off.
Emilio and Antonio are sitting in the dining room.
Their conversation stops when they notice me.
Worry lines their faces, though I see hints of happiness on them both.
There’s no sadness from them that my brother is dead.
I stop in my tracks, that reality finally hitting me.
My brother and Dedushka are gone.
Emilio stands and helps me into the chair beside his.
Neither man says a word until I’ve made myself comfortable and Emilio sits back down.
Antonio clasps his fingers together, sitting across from me, and leans closer. “First, I want to say I’m sorry for your loss.”
I bow my head and whisper, “Thank you.” I glance from him to Emilio and back at him. “Are you guys going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Your brother fucked up,” Antonio says.
I can’t stop the snort that leaves my mouth.
“Aleksy had asked you to kill Emilio,” he states, and I heavily nod.
“That request came directly from your grandfather in Russia. He wanted Emilio dead in revenge for Yaroslav’s murder.
Which is bullshit because we had nothing to do with that.
We only killed Dima.” He scratches his cheek.
“When your grandfather learned Emilio was still alive, he came here to punish Aleksy for it.”
“The night of the party, when we were run off the street, was that Aleksy or my dedushka?” I ask.
“We think it was both,” Antonio answers. “Lev said it was only Aleksy’s call, but I don’t believe him.”
“Wait.” I raise a brow. “Lev? My brother’s Lev?”
Antonio rubs his chin. “Lev was playing all sides. He was betraying your brother. Your grandfather wanted Aleksy dead, but knew he couldn’t do it himself.
So, he and Lev were trying everything they could to convince us to kill him.
The hit on Emilio that Aleksy ordered from you?
Lev told us about it, hoping we’d kill Aleksy.
The car chase? Lev blamed it on Aleksy. They wanted Aleksy gone, but knew it’d look bad if they did it themselves. ”
“And Dasha?” I stutter out. “How’d they find her?”
“Your grandfather did,” Emilio says. “He brought her to Aleksy to prove that Aleksy was a fuckup. What he didn’t expect was for Aleksy to kill him.”
A pang forms around my heart.
My poor brother.
Another soul taken by violence.
“Has anyone spoken to my mother?” I ask.
They both shake their heads, showing no interest that they care to either.
“What happens now?” I whisper, and my shoulders fall with a long sigh.
“Someone will eventually arrive at your brother’s,” Emilio directs. “They’ll find the dead bodies and call the police. You’ll get a call. You and your sister will grieve over the loss and tell the police nothing.”
I nod, completely okay with that plan. “And what about Dasha?”
“Your sister is free to decide her own future,” Emilio says, his eyes focusing on me with deep intention. “You both are.”
Is he giving me an out from this marriage?