AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I tighten my hold on Jeremy’s hand, afraid they’ll somehow hurt him, but he seems oblivious to them. He must’ve gotten used to their presence over the years. How sad is it for a small kid to grow up in the midst of dangerous people and weapons like this?
He leads me into a built-in wooden gazebo beneath a large tree. There’s a table in the middle and two long benches on either side. Endless soldiers and toys are already waiting for him there.
I drop the iPad Ogla shoved into my hand this morning to learn about the Bratva and blah blah onto the table. I’ll throw a look at it later, because I sure as hell don’t want to give Adrian one more reason to punish me.
As soon as we settle in, a guard gets into position close behind us. Please tell me he won’t be watching over us with a rifle dangling from his shoulder.
I lift my head and instantly feel a sense of familiarity. Crooked Nose—Yan—stands at the entrance of the gazebo, and although he’s dressed in black fatigues like the rest of them, he’s not showcasing his rifle. I’m sure he has a weapon somewhere, but I’m thankful he’s not shoving it in my face.
“Morning, Yan,” Jeremy says absentmindedly, as he gathers some of his toy soldiers. He’s sitting so close to me that his thigh touches mine and his feet are dangling off the bench.
“Morning,” Yan replies, nodding his head in my direction.
“Morning,” I blurt out, not sure how I should talk to him.
Now that he’s not being overshadowed by Kolya and Adrian and I can watch him up close, I see how beautiful Yan actually is. His build is leaner than both Adrian’s and Kolya’s, his features are softer, less guarded, and he has thick eyelashes that are almost girly. That and his long hair make him somehow more approachable than the other two.
He also doesn’t have a permanent scowl like the rest of them. His expression isn’t welcoming either, just neutral. All those combined make Yan the one person I think I could get the closest to here. For some reason, I feel like I need allies aside from the angel sitting beside me.
“Do you watch over Jeremy all the time?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Yan plays with me sometimes,” Jeremy informs me. “It’s okay, Yan. I have Mommy now.”
I smile at that, and even though Yan doesn’t return it, his expression softens.
“Have you been here long?” I ask Yan.
“Since I was three.” I notice that as he speaks, Yan doesn’t make eye contact with me, choosing to focus on Jeremy, so I do the same while picking up a couple of his toys, no clue why.
“That’s a long time.”
“You could say that.”
“Did you…know Lia?” I murmur, not wanting Jeremy to hear. “I mean,mebefore I…you know…”
“Kolya and I got you from that parking garage, Mrs. Volkov. We know.”
Right. They did. So along with Adrian, Kolya and Yan also know I’m an imposter. That makes me feel closer and more at ease with Yan. “Please don’t call me Mrs. Volkov.”
“You are.”
“You know I’m not.”
He widens his stance but says nothing, so I repeat, “So did you know her?”
“Yes.” His answer is short but not clipped, which means he’s not opposed to other questions.
“How old was she?”
“It hasn’t been long since she turned thirty.”
“How long was she married to Adrian?”
“Since she was twenty-four.”
That’s six years—a long time to spend in the devil’s company. I’ve been here for just two days and they feel like an eternity.
