by Tillie Cole
I glanced to Talia and Ivan. “About … about Luka.”
Ivan paled and Talia’s eyes darted to her father. The pain flashed immediately across their faces. Talia then kneeled down and felt my head. “Kisa, does your head hurt? Are you confused? You’re worrying me.”
“No!” I snapped, but then I gripped Talia’s hand. My eyes filled with tears and my heart kept time with the quick stamping of the crowd’s feet below.
“Then what, Kisa?” Ivan said in a softer tone. “What of my boy?”
“He didn’t do it,” I blurted and immediately felt the atmosphere in the room change. I looked up at all three sets of eyes. All were looking at me like I’d gone insane.
Closing my eyes, I pictured Luka’s face and said, “I need to say something. Please don’t interrupt me. I need to get this out.”
Ivan, Talia, and my papa nodded their heads.
“Luka didn’t kill Rodion all those years ago. Alik set him up. They were at the falls. Something happened and Alik stabbed Rodion and then stabbed himself to make it look like Luka was guilty.”
I caught Talia sucking in a sharp breath, but I kept my eyes shut.
“Abram had told Alik he had to kill Rodion so he would be next in line, that Rodion wasn’t strong enough to lead when they were older. And Alik placed the blame on Luka because…” I cleared my throat and felt the pit of guilt that lay within me expand. “Because he wanted me to himself … and believed I would never choose him with Luka still around. He was right. I never would have given up Luka for anything. You all know that.
“Abram didn’t plan for Alik to harm Luka. Why would he? Alik would be next in line because of where Abram stood in the Bratva, but he had to protect his son. He couldn’t let you find out what Alik had done. It would jeopardize everything he’d planned … planned under your noses.”
The room was still silent, so I continued. “When Papa sent Luka away, Abram ordered for the Georgian Mafia to intercept the transport. They burned the bus, put bodies in place of the boys en route to Russia, and took them to Alaska instead.”
“What … what was in Alaska?” Talia’s tiny voice asked.
Trying to stop my bottom lip from quivering, I said, “An underground prison, nicknamed the Gulag, ran by the Georgians. A gambling ring just like this, where their prisoners are forced to fight to the death. They torture them, force them to take drugs, build them up to a frightening size. They make them into killers, drug them and torture them so badly that they block out their past and any memories they had before the Gulag. Any memories. All memories.”
Tears flooded my cheeks and my chest grew tight.
“And what happened to my boy?” Ivan asked, and I finally opened my eyes. “Did he die? Did he die in the Gulag ring? Did my boy die?” Ivan’s voice cracked, and when I cast a glance at Talia, she appeared numb with shock, her hand cool on mine.
“No,” I whispered. “He became a champion, unrivaled … He survived, Ivan. There was an escape, and he fled, having no other memories but that of New York … He knew he had to come back to Brooklyn.” I inhaled, watching as Luka and Alik circled one another around the cage, praying Luka would be victorious. “And his need for revenge on Alik.”
My papa moved my hair back from my face. “How do you know all this, Kisa? Who told you? How can you be sure it’s all true? This accusation against Abram is serious. You know it means death for his betrayal if you are correct, Kisa.”
I nodded my head. “I know it’s true … because…” I steeled my nerves, took a deep breath, and confessed, “Because Luka found me again. We found each other again, and he told me so himself.”
Talia stood abruptly. “He’s … he’s here? In New York? My brother is back?”
I nodded.
“I don’t … I don’t believe it … Why didn’t he come to us? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” she cried.
Another tear fell. “He doesn’t remember you, Tal. He barely remembers me, just fragments of his past. He only remembered all that Alik did to him when he was with me last night. But then I dropped Luka off at the gym. Alik had followed us.” I looked to my papa. “That’s why he attacked me, Papa.” I dipped my eyes. “I was unfaithful to Alik with Luka, and Alik found out. He punished me. He said I betrayed him, but he has no idea it was with Luka. He doesn’t even know Luka is alive, that he’s back. Abram didn’t tell him he never died.”
My father jumped to his feet and threw his head back in anger.
Ivan stepped forward with urgency. “Kisa? Where’s my boy? Where’s Luka now? I need to see him!”
I got to my feet as fast as I could and pressed my non-injured hand against the glass. “He’s in the cage.” Ivan’s eyes lit with confusion, and everybody moved to the glass. “Ivan, Luka is Raze, our newest fighter … and he’s finally getting his revenge.”
“No!” Talia cried.
My papa moved quickly, and I heard him order Max, “The minute the fight is done, no matter the outcome, you seize Abram.”
“He doesn’t look anything like I always pictured he would,” Ivan said, and I could see water glistening in his eyes. “He’s too big, scarred … all those tattoos. He … He looks like an animal in that cage, a killer.”
“They hurt him, Ivan, for years in that Gulag. They hurt him. But Luka’s still in there. He’s still there underneath. We just have to bring him back.”
Talia’s sobs came thick and fast. “What if he doesn’t win? What if Alik kills him for real this time?”
Ivan put his arm around Talia’s shoulders. “He has to, Talia. God wouldn’t be so cruel to make us lose him twice.”
22
RAZE
I was sliced. I was stabbed. I was bleeding.
But so was Durov. He was sliced more. Stabbed more. Bleeding more.
Every part of my body ached with exhaustion, but Alik was lagging too. His body worse than mine, and the slash across the gut from my first strike was leaking so much blood that he wasn’t going to last much longer.
“Come on!” Alik hissed at me. “Let’s finish this shit.” Alik’s words were slurred. I stared at his face and just felt numb.
“Alik, get it the fuck together!” I glanced to the side of the cage to the man who was shouting and instantly had a flashback.
Alik’s papa; Abram Durov.
My lip curled in anger and I looked across the crowd, the men chanting at me to kill Durov. They all knew I had the upper hand. They wanted me to spill blood.
And then movement from higher up caught my attention, and my gaze immediately slammed on a woman stood behind a huge glass window. She was badly beaten. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, something making me stare … and then my heart fell.
Kisa.
Whipping my head to look at Alik, he had followed my gaze and his eyes bugged when he saw Kisa stood at the glass.
Without pause, I ran at Alik and swept his legs with my feet. He fell to the ground, but used the movement to stab his dagger straight into my thigh.
Roaring out in pain, I turned, flipping his body, twisted my leg around his and locked him a chokehold, his arms unable to strike.
“You did that to her?” I growled and I saw Alik smirk as I looked down. I tightened my hold, his face growing red.
“I’m going to make her pay,” he threatened. “When I kill you, she’ll be sorry. I’m going to break her.” And that was enough to break me. He’d threatened my Kisa.
I was done.
Done with it all.
Using my legs to roll Alik, I straddled his waist and let the pent up aggression I’d been holding for years fill my muscles. Alik lifted his dagger and sunk the blade into my calf, but I clenched my fists and began punching at his face, the spikes from my knuckledusters slicing at his skin, mangling his features.
Screaming out in rage, I couldn’t stop, fueled even further by the volume of the bloodthirsty crowd. Hands were shaking the wire of the cage, testing its strength. Abram was screaming for the fight to be st
opped, but I was caught in the bloodlust. Alik’s breathing slowed, his body jerked, and my fists froze in the air as I started to see him dying underneath me.
I expected relief. I expected to feel whole again … but seeing him breathing his last made me feel nothing … absolutely nothing …
“Do it,” Alik whispered, his eyes, although losing life, still taunting, still as fucking crazed as they had always been.
Glancing up to Kisa at the window, I could see tears streaming down her cheeks and I knew I had to save her. I had to protect her.
She was mine. I wanted to have her again.
I wanted to be me again …
Tightening my fists, I lifted them above my head, turned them inward and, on a final shout, ran my bladed fists right into his chest … and straight into his heart.
Alik gurgled on his own blood, his eyes blazing fire, until they stilled and glazed over …
Durov was dead.
Removing my fists, I slumped my shoulders, my heart racing too fast and my breath coming too hard.
The crowd exploded, the volume almost deafening. The cage began to rock and I saw the Byki pushing through the crowd, making a pathway, butting men with their guns and firing warning shots into the air.
The place was lifting, the atmosphere charged with the excitement of the crowd. I’d killed the reining champion.
A lot of money had just been lost.
And I felt none of it, just stayed staring at his corpse. The sure win had just been slaughtered.
Durov’s still-warm body was bleeding out as memories flooded my mind like a torrent. Me as a child, Rodion … and Kisa … my Kisa. Always with me, stroking my hair, kissing me, reading to me …
Suddenly, the cage door flew open and Abram pounded in, dropping to his knees to look at his son dead on the floor, shock and pain etched all over his face. A path suddenly appeared through the crowd, another man leading the way.
Jumping off Alik’s body, I got to my feet, legs apart and fists clenched bracing for the punishment for killing their number one fighter … the Bratva heir. I’d fight my way out of here if I had to, slaughter them all. And I’d be taking Kisa with me.
A man with long gray hair entered the cage, two Byki following behind, who ran straight to Abram and wrenched him up off the floor. Abram was too numb to fight, still staring at his slain son on the cage floor.
As he looked at his son, he appeared dead too.
The man with gray hair approached me, his eyes assessing. Every muscle tensed to strike, my head lowered and I clicked my fingers, reforming them back into fists.
The man held out his hands, placating, and confusion trembled through my body. My head tilted to the side and my eyes narrowed.
The man studied me. I was dripping in blood and fucking ready to fight anyone who got between Kisa and me, when he suddenly dropped to his knees, water spilling from his eyes.
I reared back in confusion.
“Papa!” another female cried and, unable to take her hand from her mouth, tears flooding her face, she dropped beside the man and they both looked up and stared at me.
My body grew hot and I felt sweat bead on my forehead. I couldn’t stop staring at the blond girl and gray man, my chest heaving and pain building at the back of my head.
Looking around The Dungeon, I could see the Byki clearing the crowd, pushing them into the hallway, deserting the dank basement. A man standing at the back pulled my attention: Viktor. I cast him a curt nod in thanks, and with a lift of his hat, he disappeared into the crowd.
For once the man looked … happy?
Two people began to slowly approach the cage, and my heart fell when I saw one of them was Kisa.
“Kisa,” I whispered, as her father, the Pakhan, helped her up the stairs to the cage. Kisa staggered in, her face black and blue, the sight making me shake with rage.
Tears were streaming down her face, but her eyes never left mine.
“Kisa!” I bellowed and went to move toward her, when the man on his knees pushed out his hand.
“Wait!” he called, catching my arm in his grip.
Snarling, I ripped my arm back and raised my spiked fists to strike.
“No!” Kisa cried and staggered over to me, pushing at my chest. “Stop! Please, Luka, stop!”
Pausing, I looked into Kisa’s swollen eyes and she shook her head. Something inside told me to trust her and lower my fist. Ripping off my knuckledusters and casting them to the floor, I ran my finger down her cheek.
“He … he hurt you,” I stated, my voice broken.
Kisa nuzzled into my palm, so lightly that her skin almost didn’t touch my flesh. She was in pain. This caused me to feel more rage.
“It’s over now, Luka,” Kisa whispered and pulled me closer with one hand, her other hand clutched over her waist, her wrist seeming limp.
“He broke your wrist?”
Kisa nodded, tears streaming, but repeated. “It’s over now. He’s gone. I’m free … you’re free…” Her voice broke and I knew it was all too much for her. But she tried to smile at me. “You did it, baby. You got your revenge.”
I exhaled and instantly felt drained, but when movement from the floor caught my eyes, I wrapped my arm around Kisa and pulled her back against me in protection. My body crouched and braced for any danger.
The gray man got to his feet along with the other woman, holding out their palms and Kisa gripped my arm. “Luka. Listen to me.”
My eyes darted all around the cage, assessing, taking note of who was here: Kisa’s papa, Abram, the Byki, the gray man, and the woman … and they were all looking at me like they’d seen a ghost. Staring into my eyes. I immediately lowered my head.
Kisa moved around me and I tried to push her back.
“No, Luka. Baby, please look at me.”
I hesitated, but eventually flickered my attention to her and her eyes which were glistening. She ran her hand through my hair and I instantly relaxed some. “No one here is going to hurt you.” She ran a fingertip underneath my left eye. “You can look at them. They can see you. They can see the real you. You’re safe.”
I searched the faces of everyone in the cage again, and my eyes kept fixing on the man with gray hair and the woman with brown eyes. A pain throbbed in my temple when I looked at them. But I fought it. I took Viktor’s advice and tried to let everything come to me.
“Luka, I need you to remember something,” Kisa said softly. Her tone was strange, like she was preparing me for something big.
I frowned and stared into Kisa’s blue eyes, my stomach tensing. “I can’t,” I replied. “I can’t remember anything else. I’ve tried.”
Kisa nodded in understanding, her eyes wincing at the movement. “You’re hurt.”
“It doesn’t matter about me right now. Lyubov moya, I need you to remember.”
“What? What do I need to remember?” I asked, feeling agitated, my eyes blinking as the pain in my temples grew stronger.
“You. Where you came from. Who your parents are … your family…” Kisa clutched her hand in mine and squeezed.
The gray man cleared his throat and he was staring at me again. I closed my eyes trying to break through the empty block in my mind, but all it caused was more pain.
I was done with the fucking pain!
“I don’t … I don’t remember, solnyshko!” I shouted out, when the gray man stepped forward, the blond woman openly sobbing.
“Do you … do you remember me, son?”
I looked to Kisa whose grip had tightened on my hand and she nodded at me in encouragement. I held onto Kisa like a lifeline and my pulse began to race.
The gray man never took his eyes from mine. And images danced in front of my eyes. My eyes widened and I searched the man’s face more. It was him … it was him.
I was older, a teen, and I was in a car with a man. We were driving to a meeting. It was my first meeting with the Bratva—
“I was a part of the Bratva,” I whispered and look
ed to Kisa. She nodded and pressed her broken lips to my cut up hand. Her touch calmed me down.
“Keep going, Luka. Keep going.” I nodded and squeezed my eyes back shut.
I was a child. It was Christmas. There was a tree, presents. I was sitting on a couch, and a man gave me a gift. A man with brown eyes and light hair … a man with the gray man’s face …
“Merry Christmas, son,” the man had said.
“Thank you, papa,” I had replied.
I gasped for breath and stumbled back, my back hitting the side of the cage. I stared at the gray haired man and couldn’t seem to breathe.
The man stepped forward again. “Luka? Do you … Do you remem—”
“You’re … my papa?” I questioned and relief spread on the man’s face. He nodded his head unable to speak. “You’re my papa. Ivan Tolstoi,” I said again and tensed as he lifted a hand and put it on my shoulder.
“My son,” he rasped out and tears fell down his face. “My Luka … you have returned to us.”
My heart was beating erratically, and I found myself stepping forward as my papa took me into his arms. I froze at first, refusing to let go of Kisa, but then as more and more memories returned to me, I found myself sagging in his arms.
I was huge compared to him, but I felt like a child again, in his arms.
A sobbing over his shoulder made me look up and the blond woman was watching me and my father, an expression of happiness on her face. A picture of a young girl sat beside me at a dinner table annoyingly stabbing me with her fork in my leg played in my head. Then that Christmas scene from before deepened and I saw her sitting next to me at the tree, her arm around my waist.
My papa must have felt me freeze, for he moved back and saw me staring at the woman. Kisa’s hand slipped from mine. And I walked forward and saw the woman was shivering.
“You’re my sister,” I stated and the woman tentatively nodded her head. “Tal … Tal…” I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to remember her name. A hand wrapped around mine and the woman said, “Talia. I’m your sister Talia.”
“Talia,” I said, the name sounding familiar, right, “My … sister.”