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“She was crying at the airport, but she’s been wanting to do this for months. She isn’t going to miss me.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
She whips her dark hair over her shoulder and I notice for the first time that she has purple and red highlights underneath. “I’m not being stupid. She doesn’t want me around. I can tell. Mom has never been any fun. It only got worse after everything with Dad.”
“She was trying to keep you safe.”
“Then she made a great choice in sending me here,” she says. “No place on Earth is safer than this house. Daddy made sure of it.”
I grind my molars together and stand up. “There’s a lot you don’t know. A lot has changed.”
“Like what?”
“It’s safer for you if you don’t know.” How many times have I said that in the last two weeks? “It’s also safer for you if you aren’t here. It’s good to see you, but I’m putting you on the first plane back to Moscow tomorrow morning.”
Mariya slams the fridge closed and spins to me. “No.”
“It’s not a discussion.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I’m not going back. I just got here.”
“You shouldn’t have come in the first place,” I snap.
“Believe me, I know all about how much you don’t want me here, Yakov. But not everything is about you!”
“Nothing is about me,” I snarl impatiently as my hands tighten into fists. “It’s all about the Bratva. It’s always been about the Bratva.”
“Is that why I haven’t seen you in three years? Because you’ve been too busy with the Bratva?” She crosses her arms and turns away, trying to hide the fact that her chin is wobbling. “You never talked to me on the phone. You’d talk to Mom and hang up before I could say anything. I should have taken it as a sign that you don’t want me around.”
“This has nothing to do with you, Mariya. It’s about keeping you all safe.”
“Maybe I’d rather be in danger and with my family? Have you ever thought about that? Probably not. I’m sure you don’t relate.”
An emotion I’m not used to slices through me.
Guilt.
When our mother left with Mariya, I let them go. It was easier that way. I was picking up my father’s mantle, figuring out how to lead the men, and navigating his death. I had enough to deal with. Having the women of my family on another continent made things easier…
For me.
It clearly didn’t make things easier for my sister.
Exhaustion rests heavily on my shoulders. I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Let’s go to sleep and talk about this in the morning.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Yakov. I’m staying.”
“We’ll talk in the morning,” I grit out.
Mariya crosses her arms. “I’ll run away before I go back to Moscow.”
“Mariya! Bed! Now!”
She flinches, but recovers quickly. Her eyes narrow. “Yes, Father.”
She’s mouthing off, but it stings. I don’t need yet another reminder that he isn’t here. My life is filled with them right now.
The moment Mariya stomps down the hall to her room, I pull out my phone and call my mother. “I tried to warn you,” she blurts before I can get a word in.
