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We push the office door open, only to find that it’s been ransacked.
Piles of heavy law books are dumped on the floor, office chairs are overturned, and papers cover the floor like autumn leaves on the ground. My heartbeat quickens as I take a hesitant step in. Something’s not right. I can feel it. The sound of something shuffling comes from a room in the back.
Common sense screams at me to walk out and never return. But curiosity goads my feet forward.
Rounding the corner, my breath catches in my throat when my eyes catch sight of Andrei.Did he come to stop me? Who told him?
But Andrei doesn’t notice me. He’s hunched over and staring intently at something on the ground. As quietly as possible, I shift to see what he’s looking at. Andrei still doesn’t turn his gaze towards me.
Slowly, a pair of legs—splayed at odd angles—come into view. They’re not moving, and I know with terrifying certainty that their owner is dead. I continue to side-step until I see a hand holding something—my Nokia phone.
Another step closer, and a face—blank eyes staring back without seeing, mouth slightly parted, and a thin trail of blood rolling from the corner of his blue-grey lips—greets me.
I see him. I recognize him. And I cover my face with my hands to muffle my screams.
It’s Kenney.
Chapter 20
Paige
“You killed him,” I say to Andrei in disbelief.
Andrei finally rises to his feet. He stares at me for a moment before he approaches, hand rising in a vain attempt to assure me. But I back away quickly, knocking against the wall. He reaches for me again, and I slap his hands away.
“Paige,” he whispers hoarsely. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“You killed him.”
Viktor places his hands on my shoulders. “Should I call for clean-up, Andrei Vasilyevich?” he asks Andrei solemnly.
I back away from them both toward the door. “You killed my cousin.”
Andrei stays motionless. “Paige, I swear to you. I didn’t do this.”
“It doesn’t look like anything else,” I reply coldly. “Did you make him beg first?”
“Paige, we have to leave,” he replies coldly. “We can talk at home.”
I can’t believe how uncaring he is as my cousin lies dead on the floor. He doesn’t explain anything and expects me to obediently get in the car as another person lies dead at his feet. I rush past Andrei and kneel beside Kenney, hoping that maybe there’s a tiny spark of life still left in him. But it’s then that I see the bullet wound in his chest.
I cry until it turns into a wail. And Andrei comes up behind me and places his hand over my mouth. I wiggle in his grasp, trying to get away as my fear turns into hysteria. He holds me tight while Viktor grabs my legs. I can’t move as they rush out the back, leaving the cars parked out on the street. Another Rover appears, and I’m tossed into the back seat by myself. I can barely see out the tinted windows as I slam my fist against the unbreakable glass. My hands turn bright red as I hiss in pain. I turn to look at the driver, but there is a partition between us. I’m imprisoned in a dark glass box, and there’s nothing I can do as my sanity caves in on me.
I didn’t like Kenney, but he was still family. And he didn’t deserve to die like that, and neither did Eva nor my mother. I think about all the people now dead, and I slide to the floor of the Rover.
I don’t want Emma to be next.
I’d rather die than stand beside another grave.
The Rover pulls up to the house, but I’m too weak to walk to the door. Vanya comes down the steps to fetch me. He doesn’t ask what’s wrong as he lifts me up in his arms. He heads toward the stairwell, but I stop him when we reach the second floor.
“No, take me to Eva’s room.”
“Paige Geraldovna …” He stops when I clutch his shirt collar.
“Please, I’ll go mad if I have to speak to my husband tonight.”
Vanya respects my wishes, and the door to Eva’s room is unlocked.
