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I'm laying in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about a conversation with Viktor a few nights ago.
"I'm glad you made it home safe,” I tell him.
"So this is our home now?" he teases.
"You know what I meant," I giggle. "Are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."
"I'm ok. I actually want to talk to you about something." The seriousness of his voice stops me.
"What is it?" He takes my hand and leads me to the elevator. "Where are we going?"
"Somewhere no one can hear us.” I don't ask any more questions. Something is different with him right now. We ride the elevator in silence. The elevator opens in the lobby.
"We can't just leave the kids unattended." I look at him.
"We aren't going far, and they have more than enough people with them." His tone is stern but loving, if that makes any sense.
We get in his SUV and drive in silence. From time to time, he looks at me. He takes my hand, reassuring me. I guess everything is fine; otherwise, he would not have left the kids behind. But I don't understand where we are going. I'm surprised when he pulls into Gotham.
"Why are we here?"
"I'll tell you inside."
There are men everywhere. It feels and looks like an army gearing up for war. Something has changed. He takes my hand and leads us inside. Everyone moves to the side as we walk in. I'm thinking he is going to take us to his office, but he walks past it. He stops at an unmarked door I've never noticed before. There is a keypad. He keys some numbers and opens the door. There are stairs leading down somewhere. At the bottom of the stairs, there is another door with a keypad. Once again, he keys something and opens the door.
"Where are we?" I finally ask. He lets me walk in first then closes the door behind me. I hear the sounds of bolts locking.
"This is one of my safe rooms. We call it the box. I come here whenever a sensitive conversation needs to be had, and I can’t risk anyone overhearing. There are only three people who can open the door to the box." He leads us deeper into the room. At first glance, it's some sort of office.
"Why are we here?"
"Before I tell you, I want to show you some things." He walks even deeper into the room. It's bigger than I realized. "This place is self-sufficient. You can hold up here for a month if you need to. Through that door, there is a bedroom with a shower. The other door is a kitchen stocked and some weapons. You can see the entire property on the CCTV. The only way in this room is through where we came, and you need a code. To leave from the inside, you need a palm screened and a code."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"In the event something, anything happens, and you can't leave for one reason or another, come here. Like I said earlier, there are only three people who can get in. Oliver, me, and you after this conversation."
"You are making me nervous, Viktor," I say, taking a step away from him.
"Let's sit." I don't want to, but the way he says it, he isn't exactly asking. So I sit. I don't have any other choice. "I don't want history to repeat itself. I didn't trust you enough in the past to handle anything that we could face. I want to do things differently. To do better." I want to say something but don’t. At this moment, he needs me to listen.“My father has declared war by dividing the clan out in the open. He has sided with the Irish." He looks at me as he sits. "This will test loyalties, and it will lead to many deaths."
"What does that mean exactly?" I hold my breath, not knowing what he is going to say.
"It means either my father dies or I do." He is cold as the words come out of his mouth, making me shiver. This was not the answer I was expecting. "I know it is not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. I brought you here because there is a contingency plan in place. In the event something goes wrong, there is a plan for you and the kids. A plan that will take you to safety. There are new identities, money, and a place to live away from everything."
"I'm not going anywhere without you." Surprising myself, a tear escapes.
"You might not have a choice. I need to know you will do what needs to be done to get the kids and yourself to safety." I don't say anything letting his words sink in. "Ava, I need your word."
"You have my word. I will do whatever it takes to keep our kids safe," I say, wiping my tears.
"Are you feeling ok?" Viktor asks, opening the bedroom door.
"Yes, why?" I sit up.
"Marco mentioned you haven't gone downstairs all morning."
"Just a little tired. I'm fine."
