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Dominik laughed before he took my hand and walked me towards the small fountain in the middle of the garden.
“You mean the one you tossed aside as soon as you saw me coming?” he asked, ruffling my hair.
“Yes,” I admitted. “Please don’t leave for so long again—please.”
At nineteen, Dominik was already much taller than me. Although all four of the Kalashnik children were tall, it took me and my twin brother Viktor a while to grow. Dominik crouched on one knee and took my hands in his, noticing the tear that had slipped from my eye. Tenderly, his thumb brushed it away, and a sad smile took over his face. “Princess, I’ll have to go again soon.”
“For how long?” I mumbled, terrified at being left alone all over again.
Dominik sighed. “Another three years. I need to get my degree, but after that, I’ll take you with me. How does that sound?”
“But that’s a long time, Dom.” I blinked, and uncontrollable tears left my eyes. Dominik had been the only trustworthy person in my life.
Aleksei was twenty-one, studying abroad whilst taking over the American market from our father, and Viktor was never interested in me. He’d told me, on multiple occasions, how much easier his life would’ve been had I died at birth.
“I know, my princess.” Dom tried to calm me down as I continued to weep. “I promise it will go by quickly.”
My father made his presence known by clearing his throat. He had two of his men with him; they stood either side of him, a few steps behind. The moment we made eye contact, I felt in my gut that something was about to happen, and that it was something very bad.
His dark eyes held so much hatred for me, his lips thin. It looked like he was about to kill me, and I began to shake. I didn’t look at Dominik—I couldn’t. The mere thought of looking away from Father when he was this angry petrified me.
“What was that, Ekaterina?” Father asked and took a step forward.
I gulped, unable to respond, tears still streaming down my face. But now it wasn’t because Dominik was leaving me, but because I knew I was about to face the wrath of my father, something I never wanted to experience.
“N-Nothing,” I stuttered, and that was my biggest mistake.
Shock consumed me before the pain on my left cheek paralyzed me. He’d slapped me so hard it had forced my head to the other side. I knew pain and embarrassment were written all over my face as the sting from his slap only intensified.
“What the hell are you doing?” Dom’s eyes widened in disgust. His position meant there was little he could do, but he stepped in front of me, shielding me from the second blow my father was about to deliver.
“Step aside, Dominik,” Father ordered, his voice full of venom and menace, the worst combination. “I will not tell you again.”
But Dominik didn’t move. It took me years to understand, but Dominik, no matter how fearless he might’ve seemed, was terrified of our father too. However, he was willing to suffer the consequences if it meant protecting me. That was why he was my favorite brother.
Father chuckled viciously. “I see how it is.”
He nodded at his men, and they sprang into action.
One of them hit Dominik in the gut, and he doubled over in pain, taken by surprise. The other grabbed him by the hands as the first one hit him again and again until they were able to use a Taser to prevent him from interfering further.
I took a small step back, watching with wide eyes as Father pulled a big syringe from his pocket. He pushed the plunger, testing it, and as we made eye contact, the most vile smile I’d ever seen spread over his face.
“I told you, Ekaterina,” he reminded me. “Never show any emotions, because they always come with a price, and this is yours.”
I stood frozen in place as he approached me. I was crying, calling for Mom, calling for anyone to come and rescue me. But no one did. There wasn’t a single person brave enough to oppose Bogdan Kalashnik.
“Please, Father,” I begged. “Please.”
He let out a loud laugh that chilled me to the bone. “What a pathetic child you are, Ekaterina.”
I screamed as he plunged the needle into my neck, pushing harshly on the plunger. For a moment, everything seemed fine—until it wasn’t. My vision blurred, and a feeling of nausea overwhelmed me.
I closed my eyes, embracing the darkness, and my father made no attempt to catch me when I fell.
There was no way to know how long I slept. It took me a while to open my eyes—my entire body was aching, like I’d been run over by a truck, twice, and then glued back together with everything in the wrong place.
Most importantly, I couldn’t see a damn thing.
