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“Andrei,” I gasp. “You can’t!”
“See, this is what he really is,” says Sonya. “Heishis father. He will always be his father, and one day, he will beat you like he did our mother. If you’re lucky, he might shoot you too.”
“Talia will own you, Sonya,” replies Andrei. “You can walk away if you don’t oppose me.”
Sonya shakes her head. “You’re a monster.”
Suddenly, Emma runs down the hallway, heading for the front door. She stops short when Viktor appears in front of the screen door. Emma turns back toward our bedroom as soon as Viktor enters the house. She runs wildly, flailing her arms and searching for a way to escape. During the commotion, Sonya takes her chance and flees toward the back door through the basement. Andrei follows as I scream for him to stop.
“Andrei!” I scream. “Come back.”
Chapter 5
Paige
I race to the kitchen window, and Sonya runs out the back door, heading into the neighbor’s yard. Andrei’s gun is pointed at her back, but he won’t do it.Please don’t do it. I watch her run away until she’s out of sight.Andrei comes back into the house and refuses to look at me. He walks out into the living room.
“Viktor!” he shouts.
“No!” Emma yells as Viktor drags her off her bed.
Emma fights hard, trying to kick him in the stomach. Viktor blocks each blow, his face impassive to her abuse. She turns on him savagely. “You’re a bunch of murderers! A gang of shitty murderers!” She has to stop fighting when Viktor catches her wrists in his hands. Emma stares at me with pleading eyes. “Paige, help me.”
I look down at the floor. “We can’t stay here, Emma,” I whisper.
She wails as she’s led to the Rover by Viktor. He tries to help her into the back seat, but she knocks his hands away before getting in. Viktor broke her heart, but somehow, I think this is worse.
Andrei drives Emma and me in the Rover, and I listen to her cry as we take her back home. Our home is gone.
It doesn’t exist anymore.
I’m relieved that no one fired their gun. Maybe they have some humanity left.
But for how long?
“What were you thinking, Paige?” I hear the hostility in Andrei’s voice, which stings like acid. “Running off without a guard?”
“I wanted my sister back, Andrei, and I was going to do what I needed to do. With or without you.”
“It always seems to be without me,” he replies coldly. “Do you understand how your actions look? My wife constantly going against me.”
“How you look is the last thing you should be worrying over.”
“I know how you feel,” he replies sarcastically.
“How do I feel?” I ask.
“You no longerthinkI’m a monster. You know it.”
“Andrei, it wasn’t about us. It was for Emma. I’m sorry Eva is gone. But I can’t stand to lose Emma too.” I watch his hands tighten on the wheel and realize how it may sound. “I don’t mean that you don’t care. I know you care, and I know that the Bratva comes first always and forever to you.”
I fold my arms over my chest, very much aware of how I must sound after what happened. But I have a right to complain, especially when my sister’s life was at risk.
“The Bratva is our life, Paige. It’s the life I know, and you’re a part of it.”
The overcast sky makes the interior of the Rover dark as we turn onto the long drive toward home. Though he won’t notice, I try not to cry. I don’t want him to see it. But I remind myself that none of this can be easy for him.
“I’m sorry about Eva. I’m sorry if I caused you pain with my actions.”
