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Blyat. That doesn’t bode well.
“I have a few guys I want you to vet later tomorrow,” Pyotr states.
Val and I exchange a glance, surprised that anyone would be willing to sign up for security detail after everything that’s gone down in the last few weeks. It doesn’t bode well for their motivation—or their sanity. But if Pyotr wants to take the chance, I’ll vet them because we’re running low on support. And I sense we’re not out of the woods just yet.
8
DANI
Rejuvenated after the long weekend in Upstate New York, I throw a load of laundry into the washing machine in Efrem’s apartment and get to work on the homework I didn’t bring with me. The first day on the Veles estate without Pyotr or any of his men had been almost hauntingly quiet—especially with the tension after overhearing his conversation with Efrem before we left.
But as the days unfolded, I found it shockingly peaceful to get away. To not have to think about Ben and Bratva rivalries and what that might mean for my family.
So when my phone rings, I’m not at all prepared for my mom’s ID to pop up on the screen.
Shocked that she would be calling me when we left things on such a bad note. My parents cut me off financially because I refused to stop seeing Efrem. They made it perfectly clear that it was him or them. So I’m amazed that they would reach out just weeks after their ultimatum got put in place.
“Mom?” I ask, pressing the phone to my ear.
I half-expect some strange voice-disguised person to answer for her, like some crazed villain out of a suspense movie. But it’s her voice that carries across the line, clear as day.
“Dani, you picked up.”
“Well… yeah. Is everything alright?” I frown, confused by my mom’s surprise. If she didn’t think I would talk to her, why did she call? Then my stomach twists as my mind skips immediately to Ben. Oh god. He’s part of the Zhivoder clan now. And Pyotr just did something risky to retaliate for the night Mikhail sent men to kill him.
“Will you please come home? Your father and I really need to speak with you.”
The urgency in her tone turns my blood to ice. “Now?”
“If possible.”
“Mom, you’re scaring me. Are you alright?”
“We’re fine. It’s Ben…”
My heart stops, and my palms sweat as she confirms my worst fears. This is just like the night I ran to Mikhail’s club because Ben was in danger—only this time, it’s my parents. And I trust them. Especially when it comes to something as serious as life or death.
“Can we just please talk about it when you get here?”
“I’m on my way.”
Hanging up, I snatch my coat from the closet and slip into my white tennies. I’m out the door a moment later and flagging a cab even though I’m running low on cash. It takes longer to manage than usual, and my heart pounds as I start to walk, keeping my eye over my shoulder for the next yellow car that approaches.
Finally, one pulls over, and I slip into the back seat.
“Where to, miss?”
I spout my parents’ address, then my stomach drops. “How much will that cost?” I ask before he pulls away from the curb. Fishing into my wallet, I pull out what I have, praying it will be enough. Normally, I don’t have to think about it. The fare just goes straight onto my parents’ credit card when I’m not taking the subway.
“Between fifteen and twenty dollars, typically,” he says, his eyes shifting toward suspicious as they meet mine in the rearview mirror.
I nod and hold up my last twenty with a shaking hand, sure he’ll want proof I can pay now that I’ve asked about it. I’ll need to get a job soon. But that’s a problem for another time. Right now, all that matters is my brother.
The cabbie gives a curt nod and takes his time pulling out into the exhaustive traffic. Knee bouncing with agitation, I watch out the window as the cars crawl along. Though I’m sure this is the fastest way to get to my parents’ house, it feels agonizingly slow today.
Please, just let Ben be alright, I plead silently.
Going to them now doesn’t change anything. I’m confident in my decision to be with Efrem, and I highly doubt they’ve changed their minds about letting me see him. But as angry as I am with Ben, I would do anything for my brother. Even traverse the fissure that’s opened between me and my parents.
