Page 54 of Essence of Fear

“Boris Antipov.”

All that shaking stopped.

Like her breaths.

And maybe her heartbeat, too.

Pav swore he couldn’t feel Viktoria’s heartbeat for a split second as his fingers tightened around her wrist. “Hey—”

“He’s supposed to be dead,” she mumbled. “Daddy said … you said … Kolya said it. You all said it, Konstantin. He was dead.”

“Vik—”

“He’s supposed to be dead!”

Konstantin’s gaze flicked to Pav, but quickly went back to his sister. He wasn’t the same calm, cool man that handled any oncoming storm like it was nothing more than a breeze. He was hurting, he felt guilt, and he was showing it.

“The decision to tell you he was dead was made because he would be dead eventually. After we were all satisfied that he’d been punished for what he’d done. Death was too quick—it would have been a gift for him.”

“You said he was dead.”

Her voice ached.

The pain coloring her words hurt him.

Pav had never experienced that before.

It was shocking.

“Why would you tell me he was dead when he wasn’t? Why would you lie to me, Konstantin?”

Konstantin shook his head. “The sins of the father … the guilt of a man,” her brother replied, sighing. “Vadim made the choice, and you act like the rest of us ever had any kind of say when he made a decision, Viktoria. You’re asking the wrong man if you want answers. I know why, but it’s not my place to say. Ask Vadim.”

Viktoria went silent again.

Seconds ticked by.

Then, she exploded.

The rage was back.

The soft beauty was gone.

The tears started to fall, too.

“Get the fuck out of my house!” She stood fast from the table, toppling over the chair at the same time. “Every single one of you—get the fuck out of here!”

“Vik,” Kolya started to say, “you have to understand—”

“Get out! All of you! Get the hell away from me!”

Pav was the first to move.

He was also the first to leave.

• • •

Pav followed behind Konstantin and Kolya as they entered the front of the Compound. As they turned to go right, quietly discussing their plans in Russian, Pav turned to the left. That would lead him to a hallway, and then another, before taking him to a set of doors that would lead him to stairs for the downstairs.