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Talia smirks. “I’m not talking about Emma.” Her gaze travels down to my belly, and my hands protectively cover it.
My voice is low and threatening as I stare directly into her eyes. “I warned you about threatening my baby, you bitch.”
“What am I going to do with your brat? I don’t want it. I’m surprised Andrei does. He didn’t marry you to have a family. He married you for money.”
“Stay away from us,” I hiss as I look past her.
A tall man with tattoos covering his neck above his shirt collar slowly strides toward us. He doesn’t acknowledge me as he tilts his chin and unbuttons his suit jacket in a threatening gesture. Suddenly, my courage deflates as I realize I’m isolated. Talia can do whatever she wants to me, and before anyone could help me, it would be too late. Inhaling deeply, I disguise my fear and stand strong, blocking their path.
Talia glances back without turning her head. “Go away, and make sure we’re not disturbed by anyone, including the groom.”
The man gives me a filthy look, and I want to spit in anger. Was he the one that tried to hurt Emma? I want to hurt them all, but I remain motionless.
“Now, back to us,” says Talia calmly. “It’s simple. If you want to stay alive, divorce Andrei and you will never see the Bratva again. You and your sister can return to your penniless anonymity, and no one will care. No one will hurt or harass you. The Bratva will disappear from your life like a bad dream. I promise.”
My chest tightens as if Talia has struck me in the heart. “I won’t leave him. He won’t let me go.”
“Take your time and reconsider,” she suggests smoothly. “I can help you …”
I shake my head vigorously. “I said no.”
I sound pathetic and realize it as my voice falters. I might be giving away a chance to save my baby and my sister from a man who refuses to change. I’m not asking him for something ridiculous. I’m asking to live a life that won’t end at the end of a smoking gun.
But then again, Talia can’t be trusted.
A glint appears in her eyes, and I’ve revealed too much. She knows how I really feel. I’m not trying to make her jealous. I’m deeply in love. She knows losing Andrei is what matters most to me. Talia’s gaze passes over me, and her expression displays her disgust at my soft emotions.
“Then I guess I’ll have to get rid of you the old-fashioned way. I promised Andrei that the truce would last until after the wedding. So I’ll see you later, Paige.” Talia spins on her heels and walks away.
Chapter 38
Andrei
The inside of the coatroom is dimly lit, and the air is still, almost suffocating. The untidy space is claustrophobic as I take a look around. Sonya chooses to hide rather than face me.
“Sonya, I’m not here to hurt you,” I call out as I search for her.
I see an old desk in the corner with makeup and hairbrushes scattered across the laminated surface. On the floor is a dark green duffel bag with a bulletproof vest slipping out. Then I understand why her dress is too big for her petite frame. They kept a tight hold on her.
I hear rustling off to the left, where racks of thick wool coats hang. Instead of a proper dressing room, they kept her stuffed in here close to the altar.
“Sonya, please.”
I stand still and listen to the silence. Soon, I can hear her breathing, deep and low, as she tries to calm it, but she can’t. I follow the sound until I see the toes of two ballet flats sticking out from under a bulky coat hung on a rack. Slowly, I pull it aside, taking a chance that she doesn’t have a gun.
Sonya stares at me as I pull the coat aside. She trembles, her eyes wide as she stares at me. A single tear runs down her cheek, and suddenly, we’re children again. Taking a deep breath, she stays seated on the dusty floor and hugs her knees. It’s the perfect hiding place for us, and I sit on the floor beside her.
“No.” Sonya tries to move away in the small boundaries of the empty coatroom. “Don’t hurt me.”
I don’t touch her as she crawls away, putting a few feet between us. “I don’t have a gun,” I reassure her.
“You don’t need one,” she says.
“Sonichka, I wake up every day hoping it isn’t true,” I stare into her eyes. “I wish that it is a mistake. But when I get out of bed, I know I will never see Mother again. I would take it back, even if it meant letting Igor live. It wasn’t what I meant to happen. It hurts even more because of you. What I’ve done to you.”
Sonya lowers her head into her lap, covering her face with her hands, and her shoulders start to shake. I don’t touch her, but I scoot nearer so we are side by side. I wait as she lets go of her feelings in loud sobs. I listen patiently to my sister cry as if it’s my punishment.
Her head lifts slowly, and she catches her breath. “They told me that you wanted to kill me.”
