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It’s only twenty minutes. But it feels like forever since he walked out.
I kneel down, hands clasped.
“God, I don’t know if you’re listening, but please hear me now,” I choke out. “Keep Luka safe, the father of my unborn child. Protect Nilo, my brother, and Wren, my best friend. I don’t know how to live without them. Please, bring them home to me, safe and sound. I trust you, but I’m so scared. Amen.”
Sinking onto the floor, I rest my head on my arms.
Suddenly, a loud sound, like a gunshot, rings out. Screams follow. My heart leaps into my throat. Panic sets in. I rush to the door and yank it open. The world outside my room has turned into a nightmare.
The entire floor is on fire. Flames are everywhere. A man’s scream reaches my ears, filled with pain. He’s walking toward me, on fire. It’s Luka. My world stops.
“Luka!” I scream, unable to believe what I’m seeing. “No, no, NO!” I want to run to him, to save him, but my legs refuse to move.
“Ms. Williams!” I hear a voice calling my name, and my eyes peel open to see a face looming close. I almost punch the person in front of me. “Svet…Svetlana?” I stammer, disoriented and confused.
A dream! Thank God it was a dream!
That nightmare’s got my heart racing like crazy. Dammit.
“Shhh,” Svetlana whispers, her voice as stern as I remember. “You need to get to the safehouse. Immediately.”
“Safe-Safehouse?” I echo, confusion evident in my voice. “What’s happening?”
“You need to leave. Now,” she urges. “Go with Grisha.”
Oh God, please, please. Tell me Luka is okay.
The night is a blur. I find myself ushered into a car. The clock on the dashboard reads two a.m. Damn! Five hours have passed.
Grisha, in his usual silent manner, navigates through the city. He takes turn after turn, and with each one, the roads become less familiar, more discreet. Eventually, we pull up to a nondescript building, looking as ordinary as any dry cleaning and laundry service.
Grisha steps out and assists me, guiding me toward what seems like an electrical box on the wall. But when he opens it, it’s a keypad. After punching in a code, a hidden door to the side creaks open. My pulse quickens.
I freeze at the door.
No, I can’t go with him.
My legs won’t move. Please, God…
What-what if Luka… Is he…dead?
“Ms. Williams,” Grisha’s voice breaks through my spiraling thoughts. “We need to keep moving. Mr. Ivankov will explain.”
The name seizes my heart. “Luka,” I whisper, my voice breaking, “is he…?”
Grisha’s face remains impassive. “I can’t tell you more. But now, you must follow me.”
I’m led through the safehouse, a maze of hidden passages, reinforced rooms, and surveillance monitors. Grisha finally stops outside a room. “Mr. Ivankov is waiting.”
The door creaks open, and I step inside, my eyes widening at the sight before me.
I glance at Luka, relief washing over me as I see he’s okay. Then I see two familiar faces – Nilo lying on a bed, pale and drawn, while Wren’s sitting beside him, her dark hair wild and eyes glittering with relief when she sees me at the door.
“Soph?”
“Nilo!” I rush over, my heart pounding. Tears blur my vision as I grab his hands, needing to feel that he’s real. “Wren! Are you both alright?” I look at her.
“Soph!” Nilo’s voice trembles, his eyes filled with relief and regret. “I-I am so sorry.” His voice breaking. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
