by Red Phoenix
Rytsar attempted to leave the room, but Thane caught the movement and looked up at him.
The instant their eyes met, Rytsar felt a flood of relief. He knew without a doubt that Thane recognized him.
“Moy droog.”
Before Thane could open his mouth to speak, Rytsar put his hand up. “There is no need to say anything. You are back among the living.” He hit his fist against his chest. “Your brother is deeply grateful.”
Thane nodded slightly.
Rytsar did not wipe away the tears that escaped and rolled down his face. This was a miraculous moment, and he was not ashamed to cry.
Thane’s gaze rested on him for several moments. Rytsar was certain he saw concern in those eyes. There would be time to talk later. Right now, Thane needed time alone with his woman.
Rytsar gave him a curt bow. “I am stepping out for a moment, but do not slip back into a coma, moy droog. If you do, I will beat the shit out of you.”
Thane gave him the barest of smiles. It was obvious that everything was an effort for him. It would be a tough fight ahead.
Rytsar grinned down at Brie and announced with bravado, “Did I not tell you he would be fine?”
Brie melted his heart, that inner joy he knew and loved bursting out in her smile.
“He’s back!”
While Rytsar gave the lovebirds time alone, he made a point to hunt down Nurse Abby to get a better idea of what lay ahead in Thane’s recovery.
Rytsar didn’t return for several hours, wanting to give his friends time to get reacquainted after such a long separation.
He used that extended time to speak to Titov about beginning preparations for Thane to return home. Rytsar shook his head after he got off the phone, still not quite believing his brother had really come out of the coma. There was a part of him that feared this moment of hope would be stolen away from them in the blink of an eye.
When he walked back into Thane’s room hours later and was confronted with an empty bed, his very first thought was that Thane had passed.
Fortunately, a nurse walked in with new bedsheets and saw the devastation on his face. “Oh no, don’t worry, Mr. Durov. Your brother was moved to another floor. We have a patient in need of this one.”
Rytsar regained his composure—barely. “In the name of all that is Holy, what is the room number?”
She smiled compassionately. “Come with me, and I will look that up for you.”
Rytsar followed her out and nodded to the other nurses as he waited. Abby came up and put her hand on his shoulder. “Although I will miss your face, I am happy for the reason.”
“As am I, Nurse Abby.”
She blushed when he flashed her a rare, totally heartfelt smile.
“Would you like me to show you to his room?”
“Could you?”
“Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Nurse Abby looked to the other nurses and asked, “Do you mind covering for me?”
The others readily agreed, showering Rytsar with well-wishes and good-byes as he headed out the ICU doors. As they were walking down the hall, Rytsar asked her, “Is alcohol permitted as a gift to the hospital staff?”
She glanced up at him and laughed. “Well, I’m sure no one would turn it down.”
“Good. You have taken exemplary care of my brother.”
“There’s no need to thank us with gifts, Mr. Durov,” she assured him. “It’s our job and passion.”
“Ah, but those who do their jobs well should be compensated, don’t you agree?”
Abby’s laughter echoed down the hallway. “You know, Mr. Durov, when you first came to our hospital, I didn’t like you.”
“Really? Because I’m Russian?”
“No, it’s not that at all. The fact you hit Mr. Nosaka, a complete gentleman, didn’t sit right with me. We all assumed you were a total jerk.”
“What changed your poor opinion of me?” he asked with an amused smirk.
“I’ll admit it took a while, but I noticed your attentiveness with Mrs. Davis, and on several occasions Mr. Davis reacted when you entered the room. It made it easier to give you a chance.”
“Although you thought ill of me, you still qualify for a gift.”
Abby giggled as the elevator doors opened on the new floor and she guided him through the maze of hallways.
“May I ask something personal, Mr. Durov?”
“Perhaps.”
She paused for a moment before continuing. “Are you the man who rescued that girl in Russia? Because you seem awfully familiar to me.”
“Perhaps.”
Abby grinned. “I think I have my answer. To be honest, I feel honored to meet you in person.”
Rytsar waved away her admiration. “I only did what was right.”
“Not many people choose to step in to help someone. We see it all the time here. It takes a rare individual to risk themselves for someone else.”
“To do nothing is a coward’s response.”
Abby shrugged. “Still, not many people do. So let me say thank you on behalf of young girls everywhere. May what you did inspire others to open their eyes and take a stand when they see human trafficking.”
“May many find the courage to stand up for the innocent,” he agreed somberly.
Abby suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway and gestured to room 250. “Here’s Mr. Davis’s new room.”
Rytsar paused for a moment before entering. Putting a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up to look deep into her eyes. “If you do not hear it enough, you are the real hero. Working every day to protect the lives under your care, without recognition—day after day, year after year. That is the real mark of a hero.”
Abby stared into his eyes with gratitude and the unmistakable look of desire. “I won’t forget you, Mr. Durov.”
He answered with mock arrogance, “I am hard to forget.”
She laughed lightly as she turned and started back up to the ICU. He didn’t miss the extra sway in her hips as she walked away.
Confessions
Rytsar entered the hospital room and was relieved to see Brie sitting beside Sir’s bed, still smiling.
“I take it the peasant is doing well enough to change locations on me.”
Brie’s eyes sparkled. “He is, Rytsar! Although Sir can’t really speak and his muscles are weak, he is doing well.”
Rytsar shot Thane a quick glance. “Would you agree, comrade?”
Thane nodded, but Rytsar could read the distress in his eyes.
“Moy droog, there are things I must tell you.”
Thane nodded again, clearly interested in hearing what he had to say.
“Radost moya, would you mind giving me a few moments alone with my brother?”
As much as Brie wanted to honor his wish, he could tell she was reluctant to leave Thane’s side. It was quite possible that she also feared that this was only temporary and that she might come back to find him unresponsive again.
“I will get you as soon as I am done berating my brother for scaring the crap out of me.” Rytsar winked at her to assure Brie everything would be okay.
Brie pursed her lips, forcing herself to accept her exile, and leaned over to kiss Thane. “I miss you already.”
Thane lifted his arm weakly, his hand trembling from the effort as he went to touch her cheek. Brie grabbed it and pressed it against her. With a will of iron, she forced herself to break away and leave the room.
Rytsar took the chair she had been using and turned it around before sitting down. “We have much to talk about but first…before anything else, you must know I would have been here the instant I heard about your crash. But that’s the catch. I was not informed of the accident until a few weeks ago. Whether it was a legitimate mistake or by design, I am still not convinced, but know that my absence was not of my own doing, moy droog.”
Thane shook his head, his eyes communicating that he was troubled by Rytsar’s words.
“Hah!” he said di
smissively, not wanting to add to Thane’s distress. “In the end, it is not important because I am here now, radost moya is safe, and you are wide awake.”
Thane’s eyes drifted to the door.
“Yes, it is serious, moy droog. Your creature of a half-sister planned to do Brie and the babe great harm, and hurt you in the process.” Rytsar shook his head, finding it hard to voice the truth aloud but knowing his friend needed to know.
“Before I say any more, know that she is being held in a secure facility. I have kept my word to your woman not to harm the child she carries, but that does not mean I have held back my wrath. This woman deserves to die, and we both know she will continue to be a threat to you both until she draws her last breath.”
He leaned in close and growled. “A snake whose life has been spared has no concept of gratitude. Its only instinct is to strike its prey dead.”
Thane closed his eyes, a pained expression playing across his face.
“I have placed a fear so deep inside her that she will think twice about harming my family, but I cannot guarantee it will last. Her hatred for Brie and her obsession with you are of equal and dangerous degrees.”
Thane opened his eyes, staring intently at Rytsar.
“With forceful persuasion, I have gotten her to confess several important things. Are you interested in hearing them now or would you rather wait until you have had a few days to recover?”
Thane’s harsh stare answered his question.
“Very well, but I warn you. Such knowledge may prove a hindrance to your recovery, for to know such things and not be able to take action is detrimental to the soul.”
With difficulty, Thane croaked out the words, “Tell me.”
“All right, moy droog. But you have been warned.” He leaned even closer, speaking to Thane in low tones, not wanting to be overheard if anyone should happen to walk in.
“From what I’ve learned, your half-sister became obsessed with you when you met the first time in person. Her interest in you was not just because of the money, although that was a deciding factor. This creature… She’s truly depraved, comrade. When she found you extremely attractive, she completely dismissed the fact you both share a mother.”
Thane gave Rytsar a look of disgust.
“I know, but it gets worse. When she left to go back to New York, she started fantasizing about you. Her infatuation became a sick obsession when she happened across a new employee at her office, who resembled you. She doggedly pursued the man and convinced him to cheat on his wife—but that wasn’t enough for her. She eventually coaxed him into renting a studio apartment for their clandestine encounters.
“Determined to make this man into the image of you, she insisted he take on the Dominant role, but what she had failed to realize is that some men are violent at heart and, given the opportunity to unleash it freely, such power inspires only cruelty and abuse.
“The harsh intercourse finally became too much for her but instead of breaking it off, she sought vengeance by going to his wife and confronting her in person about the affair. Needless to say, her actions resulted in an equally devastating reaction. Thinking herself so clever, she convinced the man to meet her at the studio apartment with plans to blackmail him for money by threatening his job.
“But she misjudged what would happen that night when he finally showed up. Before she could defend herself, he attacked, releasing his rage by violently fucking her. He left her on the floor crying, warning her that if she ever contacted him or his family again, he would end her.
“Taking his threat seriously, she chose not to contact him when she discovered she was pregnant with his child. Instead of going to the police, she crafted a plan to ensnare you—her true obsession.
“When the creature joined you in China, she’d already set into place the elements by which she would blackmail you, but her inexperience with the herbs she drugged you with almost cost your life. Her liberal use of them in your drinks that night caused you to overdose, and she immediately abandoned the plan…until Brie showed up.
“Seeing your woman pushed her into a jealous rage. She became crazed with the idea of making you hers and made her accusation against you in front of Brie, convinced it would be enough to tear the two of you apart.
“In her perverted mind, she believed that by claiming the child was yours, it made it so. She expected Brie to renounce you and leave the picture. Being that you are a gentleman, she’d convinced herself that you would insist on taking care of her out of guilt and raise the child as your own. But with time, you would fall madly in love.”
Thane’s eyes narrowed.
“I agree, the creature is warped in the head, and I could have a level of sympathy for her, but for what came after.”
Rytsar got up and started pacing, trying to discharge the seething rage building inside him.
“Livid when Brie stuck beside you and you cut off all contact from her, she became convinced Brie was the reason you were not responding favorably to her plight. That’s when she decided to blackmail you and sent the letter to force your hand.”
Rytsar growled, thinking back to that moment when Lilly had spilled out the darkest part of her soul to him…
“You won’t like my answer.” Lilly looked up at him, a drunken smile on her lips caused by the relaxant flowing in her veins.
“That is irrelevant,” he told her.
“Would…would you untie me first?”
“Only the arms.” His tone was curt and emotionless as he undid the other binding. It allowed the spineless creature to sit up, but kept her restrained and under his control.
“So you want to know why I came to LA?” Lilly grinned and then huffed in frustration. “I thought it would be easier to manipulate with my brother dying in the hospital.”
Rytsar corrected, “You are only allowed to address him as Mr. Davis. You are unworthy to call him brother.”
She looked up at Rytsar with a hint of defiance.
He had only to look at her arm with a raised eyebrow for her to squelch it. Looking down at her lap, she continued. What came out of her mouth raised the hairs on his neck.
“When it proved more stupid than I anticipated, I was forced to take action.”
“Go on,” he told her, now realizing that when she referred to “it” she was speaking of Brie.
“So the minute I realized it had no plans to hand over the money, I called in an old associate to help remove the problem.”
“The problem being Mrs. Davis?” he stated, narrowing his eyes.
Lilly looked up at Rytsar and answered cryptically, “In a manner of speaking…” giggling as she said it.
“Clarify,” he demanded, fighting the urge to backhand her.
Lilly held on to her belly in a gesture of protection. “Promise you won’t hurt me if I tell you.”
Rytsar had no patience for her weak dramatics and warned her, “Speak or we end this now.”
She blurted, “I separated it from the others so Reese could slip the drugs into her drink.” She then muttered to herself, “Should have known that fucker would screw it up…”
“What were you planning to do to Mrs. Davis?”
She stared up at him blankly, her words devoid of all emotion. “I was going to eliminate the fetus.”
Kill moye solntse? The she-devil has to die!
It took everything in Rytsar not to go into berserker mode right then and there. He would have snapped the suka’s neck if there hadn’t been a child.
Although he was raging under the stoic exterior he presented, he held himself in check. It was imperative to learn everything before he unleashed his wrath.
“I warned you that you wouldn’t like it,” she said, eyeing him warily. “I knew you’d be upset, seeing how careful you are with my own precious baby.” She looked down at her belly and cooed, rubbing her stomach—forcing him to acknowledge that violence against her would result in the innocent’s death.
Pushing forward with the inter
rogation, he demanded, “What were your plans for Mrs. Davis?”
Lilly let out a smug little laugh that set his nerves on edge. “I was going to make all its dreams come true.”
“How?”
“Reese was going to fly it to a new owner in the Middle-East so it could bask in the life of a true slave.”
“You were going to sell her?” he asked, every muscle in his body tensing.
“I see it more as a simple change of ownership,” she said with a laugh. “This would give it the opportunity to whore itself to its heart’s content, while Than—Mr. Davis,” she quickly amended, “put his energy where it belongs—on his son.”
“That is not his child,” Rytsar stated harshly, looking at her bulging stomach.
“But with time it would have been,” she insisted. “You see, the genetic test I have proves it, and with the baby’s daddy looking so similar to him, as well as what happened in China… Well, with time he would come to believe it and claim the child as his own.”
“Mr. Davis is not stupid, pizda. He would have insisted on a test by a qualified doctor and your lie would have been exposed for the insanity it is.”
“But I would have happily gone to any doctor or hospital he wanted. All I’d have to do is switch the results. Nothing is impossible if you have the right connections,” she added with a wicked smile.
Although Rytsar agreed with her last statement, her perverse fantasy was repulsive. “Mr. Davis is your half-brother. This dream you have of being his pseudo-wife is not only demented but revolting in every way.”
Lilly looked wounded and answered defensively, “Being half-siblings means nothing when you’re talking about the affairs of the heart.”
“Of which you have none. Have you forgotten the child you planned to murder and the woman you were going to enslave? The only justice I see is you suffering the very things you planned for her.”
Lilly grabbed at her stomach. “But you promised you wouldn’t hurt me!”
Rytsar grabbed Lilly’s arms roughly to tie her back up. He forced himself not to wrap his hands around her throat in the process. The need to strangle her was so strong that he had to back away once he was finished.