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The second and third girls come down, and my eyes stay riveted on the stage. Something doesn’t feel right. I already inspected the area, and we managed to get in and out without anything going wrong. But I can’t shake this feeling that raises the hair on the back of my neck.
The men move efficiently onto the fourth girl, the one with the note tied to her toe, and my muscles tense as Vova climbs the ladder to cut her down. Alek steps close to the girl, gripping her bare legs to help catch her weight and lower her respectfully.
Without thinking, I take a step forward, shifting my body to stand directly between Pyotr and the girl, and the soft clink of a pin falling rings in my ears. Then the oxygen vanishes from the room as her body explodes. Blood and gore splatter everywhere as the force of the bomb launches Vova from the ladder and blasts Alek onto the ground.
The men near them hit the stage from the sheer force of the explosion. I only have a second to react, and I turn, my arms wrapping around Pyotr’s shoulders as I carry him to the ground.
Covering him with my body, I put my hands up to guard my neck and head as best I can. Red mist sprinkles down on us, though the explosion wasn’t nearly powerful enough to reach this far and cause damage.
The room falls silent as the last of the debris clatters to the ground, and I roll away from Pyotr to help him sit up.
“The fuck just happened?” Val growls.
He’s on the ground as well, Gleb not far from him, and the captain helps Val to his feet as Pyotr and I rise. Turning my attention to the stage, it looks like the rest of the men didn’t fare so well. Several appear to be unconscious, though from the amount of blood covering them, they could be dead for all I know.
Vova most definitely is. He’s nearly twelve feet from where the ladder stood, his head turned at an odd angle, his eyes staring unseeingly into the distance. And Alek, the other person nearest the blast, Is missing enough of his head that I’m sure he’s gone.
“Yebat,” Gleb breathes, his eyes round as he takes in the bloody scene.
I’m stunned to think that the scene before us very easily could have been Pyotr, Gleb, and me if I hadn’t insisted on removing the letter in the first place. When my eyes meet Pyotr’s, I see the same thought reflected in his silver gaze.
10
DANI
“I thought we might start with some action and candid shots today, get everyone comfortable with the camera and see how people feel,” I suggest, standing before Silvia and three of the five girls who she took under her wing months ago now.
They’re all back on their feet to some degree with steady jobs as they figure out what direction they want to take with their lives. They even found an apartment they rent together so they don’t continue to rely on the Veles family’s charity. Though I’m sure, Silvia and Pyotr would be more than willing to help for as long as they need.
“That sounds great,” Silvia agrees, swaying slightly with Isla in her arms.
She agreed to pose for me as well, and Isla would not be left out. I can’t wait for today. This project isn’t just one of my most significant final projects for the semester; it’s also one that sounds like it will be a blast to put together.
I don’t just have to have a theme for today. This is about creating a cohesive fashion concept, capturing multiple subjects in various apparel and poses that would capture my theme, and showcasing not just my ability to capture moments but also demonstrating the girls’ assets and talents to the best of my ability.
Then it will all go into my portfolio for Professor Blythe.
“Thanks again for agreeing to help me with this. I know you all could be doing plenty of other things with your time,” I say sincerely, looking each of them in the eye.
“It sounded like fun,” Melody says, shrugging a shoulder as she glances toward Tori.
“Anything to help a friend of Mrs. Veles,” Leah adds.
It’s a good group of girls, all naturally beautiful and between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three.
“Where do you want to start?” Silvia asks, rocking slowly from foot to foot.
“First things first, I need you each to change into the outfits for my theme. We can pin up and adjust any clothes that don’t fit just right, but I thought harvest could be a fun concept.” I hand out the outfits, each bordering on costume-like, but that will still, hopefully, be flattering to the girls.
They each take one without argument and leave the room to change.
Silvia accepts hers and Isla’s last and gives my arm a squeeze. “Thanks for including us today.”
“Are you kidding? I’m just grateful you’re willing to endure sitting for me again.” I smile. The last time they did, Efrem came with us to protect them.
He ended up chasing off an overbearing paparazzi man and walking me home after, and that had started us down our relationship path. I smile, thinking about that as I wait for the girls to return. It’s strange to consider all that’s happened in just a few short months. Kissing Efrem for the first time, going on a date with him, losing my virginity. Falling in love.
And then the hard stuff—opening my eyes to the dangerous path Ben’s walking, my parents rejecting me because of the man I love, Mikhail, and all the horrible things he’s done to impact me and my family.
