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She and Konstantin seem awfully friendly, but… That makes no sense either. Isn’t he the one who ordered the hit on her husband, on Mikhail’s father? Konstantin is the reason they had to leave Russia with their lives. Everything she’s done so far has been in favor of him. Could it be that Catherina is trying to earn his trust for some reason? What game is she playing? If she keeps pushing Mikhail like this, he might snap.
Maybe that’s what she wants.
Beside me, Charlotte whimpers. She hasn’t stopped trembling. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her but settle for gently resting my head against her shoulder. It’s the only affection and reassurance I can give her at the moment.
“You didn’t have to bring Cee,” I grumble. “She literally has nothing to do with this.”
Konstantin shrugs, wearing an easy smile. Fuck him and his friendly airs. I know by now it’s all for show. There’s nothing friendly or trustworthy about him.
“I thought you could use the company,” he says with a light chuckle. God, he’s not even taking me seriously. “We’re going to be in Moscow for a while. Now, I could lock you up in a basement somewhere, but I’m a gentleman. Besides, if I’m going to earn my nephew’s trust, I can't harm his favorite plaything, now can I?”
I grit my teeth. “He’s never going to trust you.”
Konstantin smiles even wider. The man is certifiably unhinged. Sometimes I wonder if there’s any sense in speaking to him since logic clearly isn’t something he has a fundamental grasp of. “He will,kisa. He will. We are family, after all. He can’t stay mad at me forever. Not once he sees all the things I have to offer.”
I shudder. These Bratva thugs are on a whole other level of deranged. I can hardly keep up, too delirious and sick with worry. There’s no telling what they’re going to do to us. Regardless of what Konstantin says, I don’t trust him to take care of Charlotte and me.
Once we get to Russia, Charlotte and I need to figure out a way to escape. We have no money, we don’t speak the language. Konstantin’s men have already confiscated my phone, so there’s no hope in hell of calling for help—not that my service plan will work halfway across the world anyway. We also have nothing more than the clothes on our backs. If we can find our way to a police station maybe…
My stomach twists painfully, a sudden wave of nausea hitting me like a brick wall. I don’t feel well. I chalk it up to the stress of the situation.
Unfortunately, my condition doesn’t get any better the longer we stay in the air. We’re well over the Atlantic Ocean by now, hidden away in the back of what I can only assume is a chartered cargo plane. It’s freezing in here, designed for the transportation of goods, not humans. There’s limited seating, all the free chairs taken up by Konstantin’s men, Konstantin himself, and Catherina. Charlotte and I have been relegated to the floor.
Over the course of the next hour, my skin starts to burn. I’m overheating despite how cold it is this high up in the air. My joints are achy, my muscles are seizing. Sweat beads across my forehead despite the cool air of the plane’s hull. I dry heave, so dizzy and sick I’m not at all surprised when I lose my lunch.
One of Konstantin’s henchmen clicks his tongue in disapproval, his lip curling up in disgust. He grumbles something in Russian but makes no move to check on me. Catherina approaches, one hand on my shoulder. She’s oddly gentle with me. The woman looks me over with a strange look in her eyes. I’m so used to her hard exterior and even harsher words that it takes me aback. How is she so easily able to slip in and out of a caring persona? Is this yet another performance?
Catherina hisses something to Konstantin’s thugs. One of them produces a tissue. She takes it and wipes my mouth clean.
“Are you sure?” Konstantin asks from his seat. He makes no effort to even lift a finger. “Has she taken a test?”
“She does not need to take a test,” Catherina replies. “Iknow.”
He huffs. “I want empirical facts.”
I yank my head away from Catherina. I can’t stand her being so close. “The hell are you two talking about?”
They ignore me outright, continuing their conversation like I’m not even there.
“She has been showing symptoms all week,” Catherina assures. “But I can tell well before your doctors can.”
“Your old wives’ tales are of no use to me.”
“You can have one of your doctors make a house call if you’re so unconvinced.”
“What are you talking about?” I stress, only to heave again. Nothing comes up, but I don’t know if that’s for better or for worse.
Catherina’s eyes go cold again. This snake really does have two heads, and I can’t tell what either are thinking. “Stupid girl, don’t you know already? Can’t you feel it?”
“Oh my fucking God,what?” I grumble.
“Aurora, you’re pregnant.”
My mouth drops open. “No. No, absolutely not. There’s no way. I’m on birth control. Ialwaystake my pill on time.” I shake my head, adamant. “You’re wrong.”
Catherina snorts, returning to her seat. “I suppose once we get to Russia, we shall see.”
My mind reels. I don’t believe it. Not for a second. I’ve been careful. I take my birth control religiously, every morning at exactly seven-thirty on the dot with my breakfast. It’s built into my daily routine.
