by Ivy Clyde
My heart squeezed in my chest as I realized that Andrei could have been the one who cut himself that night. He’d been alone and out of his mind when I found him.
“A month after that, the Romanoff family was attacked,” Christian continued. “His father and all the people in the house were killed. His elder brother who was named as the next heir was tortured to such an extent he lost his mind. He can’t even talk anymore and is reduced to a pathetic state that’s worse than death.”
“Was Andrei okay?” I asked as a cold wave spread through my chest. Just imagining that kind of violence was enough to scare me.
“He wasn’t there when it happened and believes it was the Volkovs who did that to his family.”
“Why would he think that? You just said he was best friends with Dimitri.”
Christian nodded. “Everything changed after Maria’s death. Andrei blames Dimitri for it completely. He claims there were witnesses but he’s never brought them forward. Hence, we can’t really trust their word. That’s the reason my uncle wants a deeper, more thorough investigation before taking any steps.”
“Is Andrei okay now? Last time I saw him I think he was trying to kill himself.”
A cold glint came into Christian’s green eyes. “You haven’t even started your assignment and yet, your worried-acting face looks so real.”
“I am not acting,” I said, frowning. “I genuinely want to know if he’s okay.”
Something shifted in his stance. He grew colder in his words as he said, “Yeah, he’s absolutely fine now. From what I heard, he’s sure Maria’s spirit came down to save him. He’s manned up and is taking control of his family’s assets as well as the people who worked under his father. He is gearing up to go against the Volkovs. We can’t allow someone as weak as him doing what he likes.”
“He was emotionally unstable after everyone he loves was murdered. It does not make him weak.”
Christian’s hands balled into tight fists as he fixed me with a piercing gaze. “Why do you care about him? You found him dying. He did that to himself. There’s no one to blame but himself. I would have hated someone as pathetic as him.”
“He’s not pathetic!” I shouted.
He scoffed. “Did you know he was going to be a dancer before all this shit happened? He hated touching guns and can’t shoot to save his life.”
“What’s so bad about that?” I demanded, climbing off the window sill and walking toward him.
Christian laughed mockingly before saying, “Anyway, it’s good you seem to like him. It will make your job easier.”
“Do I have to spy on him? Will I have to get to his laptop to find that file?”
“You may have to do all that and probably more,” said Christian, becoming serious once more. “The file has all the details of the underhanded transactions run by the mafia syndicate of this city. It will ruin us all if it falls in the wrong hands? Do you understand?”
“I think so, but why would you guys be so lax with it?”
“We weren’t. The file was handed to the Romanoffs from our family to fill in their part of the transaction details. Once a year, we go through it and make sure the figures are right. It got lost during the attack on their family. Andrei might have it and is waiting for a time to use it against the Volkovs. On the other hand, the Volkovs or someone else may have stolen it during the chaos. We don’t know but we’re sure it is still with someone close to us.”
I rubbed my head, sinking into the couch beside Christian. “It all sounds so complicated. On top of that, I have to get close to these people. I suck at small talk. I haven’t had a friend over the past couple of years,” I ranted, thinking of every reason why I was so wrong for the job. “How the hell am I supposed to get close enough to two guys to find out that file? Are you sure you want to use me for the job?”
“You have the advantage that no one else in the world has.” He leaned close to me, fixing me with his piercing green eyes. Reaching toward me, he caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. “This face is the greatest weapon to use against both Dimitri and Andrei.”
“They’ll know it’s me and not her,” I whispered as my pulse quickened at his touch.
“Yes, it won’t take long for them to know you’re nothing but an awkward little virgin.” His lips curved in a sneer as he pulled away.
I scowled, hating the way he just mockingly said the truth about me.
“Not to worry,” he said, getting to his feet. “I will show you a few tricks before sending you to them.”
I rose to my feet as sudden rage pulsed through me. “I am not sleeping with them. Nikolai never said I’d have to do something like that,” I shouted.
“I was talking about me.”
“Get out!”
He grinned that mocking smile of his that I hated so much. “With that kind of attitude, you’ll be a virgin forever.” He laughed again, sauntering toward the door. “Guess I’ll see you around later, darling.”
As he walked out of the door, I realized I’d have to play fiancé-fiancée with him every time I visited Mom. Thankfully there was no object near my hand because the urge to throw something at his retreating back was overwhelming.
10
Skye
A month passed by in my new home.
New features were added to my room that made living there a breeze compared to my old apartment. A large flatscreen, connected to all major streaming services, took up space on one of the walls. My phone was back in my hands and a computer station was set up in the corner. Everything was brand new and shiny.
The meals came on time and were always generous and delicious.
I visited Mom every day in the garden house. She looked stronger and in a much better mood than before.
All in all, living in the Ivanov mansion was not bad at all. In fact, it would have been heaven if I wasn’t involved in a job involving the heirs of two powerful mafia families.
My senior year at Knightswood Academy was also just a month away.
The school’s website had dozens of photographs boasting about their state-of-the-art labs and facilities. The grounds were picturesque. Photographs featuring the varsity teams and their cheerleaders could have been stills from some glamorous Hollywood movie. They were all beautiful with dazzling smiles and shining eyes like they’d never been touched by disease or poverty.
How the hell was I supposed to fit in with them all?
I spent sleepless nights thinking about both Dimitri and Andrei. Even without having spoken to them, I had a crazy notion that I knew them. They were both passionate but in different ways.
Andrei was soft-hearted but strong in his own way, caring for people who were close to him with a fiery love. Dimitri seemed more subtle in the ways he showed his love but that didn’t mean he lacked warmth.
It was harder to form a more concrete outlook on Dimitri as Christian hadn’t told me much about him. Every night, I thought of Andrei and the pain he was going through after losing everyone close to him. He’d been alone in his grief. That had to be the reason he’d pushed himself to take his own life.
And while my mind always toggled between thoughts of Andrei and Dimitri, I could never stop thinking about Christian.
He hadn’t come around since the last time we met about a month ago. Only Olga, the irritated maid, came to my room these days to deliver meals and clean up. Armed guards patrolled the corridor outside my room day and night but they didn’t stop me from walking in the garden or visiting Mom. Their presence made me uncomfortable but my new distractions were keeping my mind off them.
The ring of my phone diverted my attention away from the movie playing on the TV. Picking it up, I saw it was a call from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“What are you wearing?” It was a low, seductive voice but I recognized it immediately.
“Christian.”
“How much did you miss me to recognize my voice so quickly?”
“Huh! I haven’
t missed you at all,” I lied. The fact was I missed his company terribly. He was the only person closer to my age in the mansion and the only person who had answers to the questions keeping me up at night. “Anyway, when are you coming back?”
His soft chuckle reached me through the phone as well as the door.
Rushing forward, I opened the door and found him standing there. He wore black sweatpants and a hoodie, looking like a regular guy from my side of town. His ash-blond hair fell into his dark green eyes, giving him a savage look.
“What’s up, Skye?” he asked, cutting the call and putting his phone back inside the pockets of his sweatpants.
I shrugged. “There’s nothing much to do here. At least, they allow me to go out into the garden,” I said, gesturing toward the four men stationed in the corridor.
Christian grinned, stepping inside the room and closing the door behind him.
“You look so much better since I last you,” he said, caressing my cheek with the back of his hand. Heat bloomed under my skin, searing me with his touch. His eyes lit up at my reaction. Laughing in my face, he said, “God, you’re so transparent.” Some of his mockery died away next moment as his gaze turned grim. “Don’t get yourself killed. It’s not something any of us wants.”
My heart thudded in my chest as fear snaked its way around it.
“If something happens to me, you guys will look after my mother until the end?”
“Of course. You have our word.”
He walked further inside the room and sprawled on the couch. His long legs draped over the end as he stared at the movie playing on the TV screen.
“There’s something I needed to talk about,” I said, taking a seat beside him and switching off the TV.
“What is it?”
“I need to make a trip to my apartment. The landlord will probably give it away if I don’t pay rent this month. I need to get there before that happens.”
“It won’t be safe for you to go there,” he said, eyeing the low collar of the summer dress I wore.
“But I have to go. There’s some important stuff I left behind.”
“Just tell me what you want. I will buy them for you.”
I shook my head. “You can’t buy that kind of stuff. There are photographs of my family, stuff from my childhood, things left behind by my dad. They’re precious to me.”
“Uncle will never agree.”
Tears gathered in my eyes at the complete rejection. Losing those keepsakes felt worse than losing a large sum of money.
Maybe, I shouldn’t even care because no one thinks I’d make it out alive, I told myself. Perhaps, it was the universe telling me I won’t survive long enough to look at old photographs where my family was whole and we all had reasons to smile.
“Are you crying?” he asked, bringing his face close to mine.
“No.” Turning away, I began to move away from the couch but he caught hold of my wrist and pulled me back. My body crashed against his. “What are you doing?” I gasped, struggling as his arms came around to hold me tight against his chest.
“Uncle won’t agree to let you go but I could.”
I stopped fighting him. “What?” I stared up into his emerald-green eyes that were watching me closely. “So, I can go?”
He didn’t reply but leaned into me to nuzzle his nose against the side of my neck. His lips pressed on that exact spot where he’d bitten me on our first meeting. The mark had disappeared but I remembered exactly where it had been. A moan escaped me as a shiver wracked through me.
“Your reactions give you away so easily,” he murmured, his lips moving against my skin. I bit my bottom lip in a struggle to keep the embarrassing sounds escaping me while my body throbbed with desire at his closeness. “Protecting you would be so damn hard.” Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he loosened his hold, allowing me to stand up. “We’re going. Come on.”
“Now?”
He was already on his feet, moving toward the door while I hurried to put on my sneakers. They clashed horribly with the classy sundress I was wearing but I didn’t care at the moment. Excitement raced through me at the prospect of getting out of my prison and being back in my familiar old neighborhood.
He led the way down to the hall that opened out into the garden. However, instead of going there, he walked in the opposite direction, taking me past several corridors that were heavily guarded by armed men.
Soon, we were walking into a vast hall, supported by tall marble columns. My gaze went in all directions, taking in the painted ceiling overhead as well as the ornate paintings that studded the walls. Porcelain vases, holding long-stalked collar lilies, dotted the area.
“Hurry up,” said Christian, catching hold of my wrist and tugging me along in his wake.
“Where exactly are we?” I asked.
“This is the front foyer of the house. I guess it’s the first time you’re about to cross it.”
Armed soldiers had their eyes trained on me. Their cold, unfeeling gazes terrified me, making me walk closer to Christian. He seemed to feel my anxiety because his hold on my hand tightened.
I was soon led out of the mansion.
An early afternoon sun shone down on us, illuminating the unkempt grounds. I’d expected things to be neat and fancy, befitting the luxurious mansion but it looked like Nikolai let nature take over it completely. Just as I was looking around, I caught sight of more armed men camouflaged behind thick tree trunks and among the wild bushes.
“Come on,” said Christian. “I want to be back early so Uncle doesn’t know what we’ve been up to.” He strode toward a plain white Toyota parked further down the path from the main doors.
He climbed in, gesturing for me to do the same.
“Will you get in trouble for taking me home?” I asked as he started the car.
He glanced at me. “You’re worrying about me?”
“Kind of. Your uncle’s scary.”
The car moved through the winding road of the vast grounds, heading toward a heavily guarded gate. There were security cameras as well as plenty more men standing there. They watched us pass through without making a move.
I released the breath I’d been holding just as the car passed through the gates of the estate.
“Why are you risking getting him angry?” I asked as he stepped on the gas, speeding along the highway. The warm breeze buffeting around my hair felt amazingly freeing as we sped toward the city.
“The memories of your family are precious,” he said in a grim tone. “Unlike me, your parents cared for you. It must be hard to be losing your mother too.”
“It is. I will be completely alone once she goes. Even though I hate being involved with people like…like you guys, at least it gave me a chance to be close to her every day.” Glancing at him, I added, “What about your parents? Are they strict?”
“Strict,” he scoffed. “My mother abandoned me in an amusement park when I was about four. It’s a miracle I didn’t end up dead or kidnapped. My father killed her for it and then died from drug overdose a year later. So yeah…bunch of losers who had no business bringing a child in this world.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, looking down at my knees.
“You don’t have to feel sad about it,” he said, poking a finger in my cheek. “Everything happened years ago. I don’t even remember their faces.”
“Thank you,” I said, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my voice. Even though he and his uncle were kind of holding me prisoner, at least they hadn’t hurt me in any way. They provided me with everything I’d need to be comfortable. They even had the best doctors and nurses looking after my mom. I guess I was paying a fair price in return for it all.
He raked his fingers through the waves of his ash-blond hair, keeping his gaze on the road ahead.
We both stayed quiet until we reached the city limits and I began giving him directions to reach my neighborhood. After spending more than a month in the mansion surrounded by woods and hills, the do
wntown areas of Philly felt especially congested. The air was rank with the odor of gas and the rubbish rotting in the overflowing bins as we got closer to my neighborhood.
“This is the closest you can park to my apartment without worrying about someone stealing or vandalizing your car,” I said.
“They’ll bother with this piece of trash I’m driving?”
“It’s running. That’s good enough for them to steal.”
He cursed under his breath, parking the car on the side of a road that was busy and had a line of shops along it. I wondered what he would think of the area I lived in.
“Can I borrow your jacket, please?” I asked as we climbed out of the car.
He raised his brows at me. “You’re cold?”
I shook my head. “It’s not safe to be walking around looking like a princess. I will attract the wrong crowd.”
He shrugged off the black hooded jacket and handed it to me. I donned it, breathing in his warm, citrusy scent. Pulling the hood over my face, I gestured for him to follow me.
“You look like a freak,” he said, walking beside me. “Do you normally skulk around the neighborhood like this?”
“Pretty much. I couldn’t afford to attract any trouble while living here by myself.” Turning into an alleyway that was a shortcut to my apartment building, I strode forward. It was almost surprising that Christian followed me quietly, not commenting on the rubbish and the horrible stench that filled the alley. I’d expected him to start complaining much sooner than this. He seemed as at ease here as the mansion he lived in.
I looked around the street in front of the building that housed my old home. A few stragglers walked past us, staring at me in particular. I decided it was because I was wearing a dress under the hoodie. Keeping the hood on, I entered the dark interiors of the apartment complex.
“Don’t touch the walls or the railings,” I said, leading the way up a dark staircase. “This place is never cleaned.”
“I can see,” he said in a low voice.
I kept going until we reached the fifth-floor landing. As always, my legs burned after the long climb. Breathing hard, I moved forward to open the door to my apartment.