Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“Warn who? About what?”
“Valentin. About my father. When he marched me out of that car, I knew what was going to happen. I knew my father would never give up anything to the Russians, even if it meant saving my life. I just fucking knew.”
The bitterness is stunning, but I can’t blame him for feeling that way. “From what I heard, your father nearly blew you up.”
“Valentin saved me. Then he let me escape. Seems ironic, doesn’t it? That my sworn enemy kept me alive when my father was very much willing to toss me away like trash.”
My heart’s racing as I look around, hoping to see Valentin striding through the door. I don’t know what I’m doing right now and I need his help. He’d say the right thing, tip Arsen in the right direction, except Arsen didn’t call him.
Arsen called me. And I bet he called for a reason.
I just have to figure out what it is.
For the first time in a few days, since Valentin came back from the failed hostage exchange, I feel a glimmer of hope.
“We can’t really control who our parents are,” I tell Arsen.
“That’s very true, cousin.” He chuckles softly but there’s no joy in his tone. “Your mother seems like a decent person. I wonder what my life would have been like if I had been born her son instead.”
My heart patters wildly and sweat dribbles down my back. “You spoke to her?”
“She’s awake,” he confirms. “And from what I can tell, she’s doing rather well. The doctor my father hired to watch over her is basically a quack, but he’s failing in the right direction.”
My guts clench. I feel sick, knowing my mother is a prisoner, and now she’s conscious for it. “Help me get her back. Please, Arsen.”
“Slow down,” he says carefully. “I never said I’d do something like that.”
I close my eyes and struggle to maintain my composure. Mama is awake, she’s awake, and she’s alive. That’s important right now. She’s alive, and that means I can still save her.
“You would’ve liked it,” I tell him quietly. “I bet you and Luka would’ve been good as brothers.”
“Couldn’t be worse than what I was born into. Though we’d have to bring Tigran along. He’s a pain in the ass, but still.”
“My parents would’ve been happy with four kids,” I tell him even though I’m pretty sure it isn’t true. Mama used to always complain about how much work two children were, let alone twice that amount. “You should meet Luka still. I bet you two would get along.”
“He’s training to become a doctor, right? Lucky him. I bet it’s nice, living a normal life.”
“Is that something you want?”
There’s a pause. Then he laughs. “Fuck no,” he says, still laughing. “God, I’d be fucking bored to death. But still, it’d be good to have parents that aren’t actively trying to get me killed. I realized something after that fucking van exploded and your husband saved my life. I realized that I won’t ever be safe unless I’m the one in control of the Brotherhood.”
There it is. All this talk of normalcy was just a prelude. He’s amusing himself and delaying the inevitable, but now he’s said it out loud. Now he put that out into the world, and he can’t take it back.
“What can we do to help?” I ask him.
“Nothing for now. But I want to pay your husband back for saving my life. I don’t like owing him anything, you know what I mean?”
“I understand. How can you do that?”
“Your mother is being held in a house in the suburbs. It’s a little bit south of the city, a nice place.”
“Are you there right now?”
“No, but I’m close. I can tell you the address.”
“Please,” I say, struggling not to beg.
“Meet me at Federal Hill Park. There’s a war memorial overlooking the harbor on the north side. I’ll be there at three tomorrow afternoon on a bench. It’ll be crowded with people, so don’t fucking do something stupid, like try to kidnap me again. We already know my father won’t do shit about it.”
“We’ll be there.”
“You’ll be there,” he says with emphasis. “Don’t let your husband leave you at home.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re my cousin. And because I don’t trust the Russian. See you tomorrow, Karine.”
He hangs up. I stare at my phone.
Then I scream at the top of my lungs.
Nikkita comes rushing into the room followed by two guards. The old woman’s got a gun out, aiming it all around the place with a stone-cold glare like she’s ready to take on an attacker.
Instead, she finds me grinning like a maniac.
Slowly, Nikkita lowers her weapon and sends the guards away. “You nearly gave me a heart attack,” she snaps at me. “What is going on?”
“Tell Valentin we have a special meeting tomorrow.”