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“Watch your language.”
“Oh, you’re choosingnowto police me on my language?” She laughs. “The ship already sailed on that one, big brother. Kinda like you and Alyssa.”
Before I can remind myself that this conversation should’ve ended a long time ago, I ask, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Polina looks quietly pleased that I’m so easily getting suckered into playing along with her. “It’s obvious that she has feelings for you, too. But she’s never going to be able to be open about them until you start being honest first.”
I can only shake my head. How the fuck did I end up here? Being advised on love by my fourteen-year-old sister?
She takes her coffee mug and lifts it into the air like a farewell salute. “I love you, Uri. You deserve to be happy.”
Then she walks out of the kitchen.
Sighing, I drink my coffee. It’s not nearly as strong as I need it to be, but I resist the temptation to add in as much whiskey as Polina added sugar. I need to get my day started and I can’t afford the distractions.
My first order of business—back Sobakin into a cold fucking corner.
I call Stepan, who’s been chasing a lead, one of Sobakin’s less cautiousvors,for the past twenty-four hours. “He’s in a bar right now, boss. He passed out on the counter a couple of hours ago. Once he leaves, I can try to corner him.”
“He seems plenty cornered right now.”
There’s a second of silence. “Sir… if I go in now, it’d be public.”
“Good. I want Sobakin to get the message loud and clear. Send me your location and wait for me. I’ll be there soon.”
I’m on my way out of the house, relieved to be fuckingdoing somethingfor a change, when I notice Lev skulking in the hallway just in front of the basement stairs.
“Lev.” He flinches, wringing his hands together so tight that the knuckles go white. “Are you going down to see Alyssa?”
He starts rocking back and forth. “Video games,” he mumbles. “Video games.”
Sighing, I put my hand on his shoulder and he jerks away violently. “It’s okay. Just go down.”
“You won’t be mad?”
Would it matter? Would it change anything? My anger hasn’t stopped a goddamn thing in this house from happening up to this point, so I don’t see why it would start working now.
“No. Go ahead.”
He gives me a big, goofy grin and lopes down to the basement. I watch him go with a weight on my chest that feels suspiciously like jealousy. Then I force myself out of the house and head to the location Stepan has sent me.
My motivations for taking down Sobakin are as strong as they ever were. Revenge for my parents. Closure for me and my siblings. Safety for Alyssa.
But now, there’s a question in the back of my head that keeps distracting me from the task at hand. It cuts sideways, like a splinter that just won’t let me pull it free.
What happens when it’s over?
When I arrive at the location, Stepan is waiting for me outside. “He’s not one of Sobakin’s seniorvorsbut he’s on the fringes of the inner circle.”
“He’s good enough for our purposes. His head on a spike will send the right message.”
Stepan looks excited as he follows me into the bar. I should be, too. This is the kind of thing that I’m used to. This is the kind of thing that I’m good at. I’m inching closer and closer towards my goal and soon, Sobakin will be dust underneath my boot. I can avenge my parents and protect my siblings in the same breath.
So why do I feel so dissatisfied? Why do I feel like, in gaining victory, I’d be losing something else?
The answer is obvious. Once Sobakin is gone and Alyssa is safe…
There won’t be anything to stop her from leaving.
