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Can I be stuck with Sergey for as long as he wants me?
If I go with him, I’ll have to do everything in my power to be what he wants and make sure he never gets bored. I have to be the woman of his dreams, even though I have no clue what she looks like.
I’m up against an impossible task, but there is no way I’m going to let Dad die. Not when I can do something to prevent it.
Maybe in time, I would be able to get Sergey to let me go. I could ask him how long it would take to pay off a debt with my life.
It’s probably a lifetime.
My heart sinks to my feet, the last shred of hope I was holding onto is gone.
There is no way out of this. Not now and not ever.
Dad is never going to let me go.
He’ll make the same argument that he’s made for the last four days.
I’m dying anyway, Anna, just run away and live the rest of your life in peace.
Tears burn the corners of my eyes as I grab my other pillow and hold it to my chest. My breaths come in sharp bursts. The room around me shrinks until a thud draws me out of the panic.
I jump up from the bed. “Dad?”
There is no coughing or reply.
My heart hammers in my chest as I run down the hall and shove open the door to his room.
The entire world comes to a screeching halt as I find Dad sprawled out on the ground.
I drop to my knees beside him, shaking his shoulder with one hand while searching for a pulse with the other. “Dad, come on. This isn’t funny. Are you okay?”
He’s so frail it’s easy to roll him onto his back. I check for his pulse again. It’s there but it’s weak and erratic.
He coughs, blood splattering across the front of my shirt. “Can’t. Breathe.”
I nod, the tears in my eyes finally spilling over and rushing down my cheeks as I pull my phone out to call 911. I take a deep breath, my thumb shaking as I key in the number.
The phone rings as Dad takes shallow breaths. He gasps, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
“911. What is your emergency?”
I clear my throat, trying to dislodge the lump stuck there. “My father can’t breathe.”
“Alright, miss, what’s your address?”
Dad’s coughing cuts off my answer. His entire body jerks off the floor with each cough before they become weaker. A whistling noise comes from him as I give the operator the address with two fingers still pressed to his pulse.
“An ambulance is on the way.”
Dad’s eyes shut, his breathing slowing down. His hand shakes like a leaf in the wind as he takes mine from the side of his throat. He gives my hand the tightest squeeze he can manage.
“Run. Promise. Me.”
I sniffle, wiping some of the tears. “Dad, I can’t do that. You know he’s going to hunt me down.”
“Still... Leave. Run faster.”
I shake my head as he blurs in front of me. “I can’t do that.”
