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“What is it?” Mariya gasps.
“Nik’s phone,” I manage. “You have Nik’s phone. How do you have this?”
I didn’t grab it from his… body. It’s hard to even think the word. But that’s what he is now. A body.
I wasn’t thinking clearly in the minutes after he was shot. I left him there on the sidewalk, phone in his pocket, gun in his hand.
So how is his phone here?
“I told Nik it was cringe to have a picture of yourself as your home screen, but I guess it all worked out. A nurse from the operating room recognized him from when he was down there with me,” she says. “She brought it to me.”
“How did a nurse have his phone?”
“I guess it was in his pocket,” she says with a shrug.
A million questions burn through my head, but all I can think is… “You know.”
“Know what?” she asks, frowning.
“You know Nik was… That he was shot.”
She nods solemnly. “Yeah. Bad luck for the Kulikov family tonight.”
“‘Bad luck’?” I snap. “Our brother just died and you think it’s ‘bad luck’?”
Mariya’s face goes pale. “He what?”
“Fuck me.” I drag a hand through my hair. “This isn’t how I wanted to tell you. I thought—Fuck, I don’t know what I thought. I don’t know what is going on. But I was with Nik when it happened. The only reason I left him on the street is because I had to go after Luna. He told me to go. But he didn’t suffer. You should know that. It was quick.”
“Wait. I don’t understand. How did he—You’re saying he died on the street?” she asks.
“The guy got one lucky shot off. He was aiming for me, but Nik took a stray. I’m sorry, Mariya.”
She doesn’t look sad; she looks confused. “You think he’s dead?”
“He is dead. I saw him get shot.”
“But did you see him die?”
I sigh. “I told you, I had to leave him to find Luna. I didn’t have a choice. He wanted me to leave.”
“Yakov, answer the question,” she says, eyes burning into mine. “Did you see him die?”
I’ll never forgive myself for Nik dying alone. Not as long as I live.
“No,” I admit. “No, I didn’t.”
“Then I have some really good news for you.” Mariya squeezes my hand. “An ambulance brought Nik in a few hours ago. He is in surgery. The nurse updated me when she brought me his phone.”
“Nik is…”
“Alive,” Mariya finishes with a soft smile. “He’s still alive.”
5
YAKOV
Nik is alive. I roll the words around in my mind, but they don’t sink in.
