by S F Draven
This is going to be another memory that will survive the ages, because with him by my side, I know we’re going to paint the town red tonight.
Chapter Eight: Katerina
My life is flashing before my eyes and there is simply nothing I can do about it. I’m waiting around just so Dominik can use me however he pleases, and I have no other choice but to abide by his rules. The only way I can see myself getting out of this mess is if I suck it up and do as he says until the opportunity presents itself for me to disappear. I hate lying in wait just so he can figure out how to make the world believe that I gave up my old life for one of adventure and riches. I can’t believe that everyone from my old life will see the “choices” I’ve made, blindly unaware of the fact that I didn’t have any “choice” in the matter. It’s infuriating that I’m no longer in charge of my own life, but I know that the time will come for me to get the fuck out of here.
I fell asleep on the couch, waking up to a completely empty house. Alexei was nowhere to be found, and Dominik appeared to not have come home as yet. I looked over at the front door to see that it was unlocked, and once I glanced out the window, it was clear that there weren’t any eyes on me. How stupid does he think I am? He did this on purpose to see if I’d take the bait, but I know him better than to try to run now, I thought, getting up and folding the blanket that covered me, placing it comfortably on the arm of the couch before making my way up to my room. The mansion had a cold air about it that gave me the impression that very terrible things happened here, and I knew that if I was going to begin snooping, I’d have to do it at a time that no one would expect.
I made my way down the hallway to my bedroom, passing Alexei’s room to see that he was doing a good job at pretending to be asleep. I had trouble resting as it was, and I knew that once my head hit that pillow, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Dominik made sure to cut off my connection with the outside world until he could decide how best to go about this, and the only thing I had to occupy myself was the old typewriter sitting on the desk at the far end of the room. There’s a story here, I’m just not sure how it begins, or how it’s going to end, I thought, pulling the chair out and taking a seat. It’d been such a long time since I’d gone quite so old-school, but it felt good to have time with my uninterrupted thoughts for a little while.
I let the words flow through me like I had them laying in wait all the while. For the first time, I was beginning to really connect the dots of how I ended up here in the first place. Dominik was an interesting man, and a careful one at that, but even the careful ones messed up eventually. I’d been paying close attention to all of his mannerisms as of late, and I could tell that there was something playing on his mind. He still hasn’t decided how much information he can share with me, and if I want him to start talking, I’m going to have to appear as though I’m willing to cooperate. I wondered where he was out so late, and it was then that I realized I really didn’t know anything about how men like Dominik conducted their daily lives.
He made it increasingly clear that I was going to have the opportunity to learn everything I could about his life, and I took it upon myself to collect all of that information, so I could find a way to get it out to the world. I started searching around the room, looking for anywhere that would be big enough to hide a manuscript. I noticed that there was a notch between the wardrobe and the wall, right under the sconce, and I decided that once I wrote all that had to be said, I would alert someone to come and find it. I had a feeling that the minute Dominik realized I’d be of no service to him anymore, he’d take it upon to himself to kill me, no matter how much I may beg him to spare me. He didn’t seem like the type to be affected by weakness, and the only way I was going to beat him at his own game would be if I showed him just how strong I truly was.
I glanced around the room again, noticing how heavy the air felt. At first, I believed that it was just because the place probably hadn’t been inhabited in a while, seeing as the women Dominik brought home always spent the night in his bed. The energy in the room was certainly off, and the more time I spent there, the more uneasy I began to feel. I decided that the only thing I could do to soothe my mind would be to run a bath. Alexei would be on standby the entire night waiting for me to try to sneak out, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. If I were to pull something like that right now, Dominik would have all the information he needed to decide that it was time to take me out for good. I had to prove to him that it was worth keeping me around for a while. That was the only way I could ensure that I’d remain safe.
The water was searingly hot, filling the bathroom with steam and bubbles from the bubble bath I found hiding under the sink collecting dust. The room now smelled of lavender and vanilla, as I stripped out of my clothes and slipped beneath the surface. It felt good to get out of my head for a little while, taking every opportunity to remember what it felt like to be myself. I began to wonder whether there would come a day where I’d finally start to see that I’d lost myself. I wasn’t one to ever back down from a fight, but I was worried it was going to result in me wanting to stay put. The only thing that was keeping me going was the thought that I still had a job to do, and if I played my cards right, there was still a chance that I’d get to share Dominik’s story with the world. He may be keeping a close eye on me for now, but even men like him let their guard down every once in a while, I thought, running my fingers along the surface of the water, letting the heat soothe my muscles.
The water irritated all of my wounds from the shackles in Dominik’s basement, and every time I looked down at my wrists and feet, the memories of what it was like down there began to flood back. It was unbearable to think that if I hadn’t chosen wisely, I’d be rotting away in there until I literally disintegrated into nothingness. I was more relaxed now than I had been in a very long time, and I began to feel rather sleepy. Strange visions swam around my head. I was picturing a woman who looked a lot like me, sitting at the far corner of the bathroom by the window, getting ready to jump. The ends of her nightgown were blustering in the wind as she opened up the glass, questioning every decision that led her to that point. I could feel myself begging her to step down, to come away from there, but my lips were unable to move at all. She looked back at me with pleading eyes, as though all she wanted was for someone to save her from this nightmare, but it wasn’t long before she finally took the leap that was going to seal her fate.
I tried so hard to scream that once I did, I eventually woke up and slipped on the enamel beneath the surface of the water before I could catch myself. I quickly resurfaced, thinking long and hard about the woman I’d seen, noticing that her features were much different than mine, her hair a strawberry blonde unlike my vibrant red, and it was in that moment that I realized something bad must’ve happened here. I tried to convince myself that it was just a dream, a figment of my imagination brought about by the terrible circumstances I was facing, but I knew better than to think that was actually true. I was well aware of how I thought, how perceptive I could be if given the chance, and that was all the convincing I needed to face my determination head-on and finally figure out the truth.
I wrapped myself in a bathrobe, making my way back to the bedroom with my wet hair dripping on the marble floors beneath my feet. I crawled into bed without another thought, because the sheer idea of standing up any longer just made me shudder. I couldn’t believe that a dream like that could have such an effect on me, but it made me really begin to question who was staying in this room before me. I had every intention to begin snooping, but I was so exhausted by this point that I reluctantly drifted off to sleep yet again.
This time, there were no terrible nightmares that I needed to face, and for that I was incredibly grateful. I woke just after nine o’clock, rubbing my eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight that was streaming in from the window in the far corner of the room. I rose, noticing that I was still in the bathrobe from the night before, as I got up to put on something a little more appropr
iate. I was still dealing with my pounding heart and heavy breathing from the night prior, and I could only hope that I’d find something a little more concrete to distract me with today. I slipped on a pair of sweats, tying my hair up into a bun as I made my way down to the kitchen to find Alexei sitting at the island, surprised to see that I was still here.
“You know, Dominik and I bet that you were going to try to plan your little escape last night, so we left the door open for you,” he said, trying to fish for information.
“So, what? So you two can hunt me down to kill me? I heard Dominik loud and clear when he laid out the terms of this agreement, and I know the consequences I’m going to have to face if I overstep,” I said, and he shook his head, as though he was disappointed in me. It was either that or he was just upset that he had to wait up the entire night with no action in sight.
“Eat,” he instructed, and I took the seat next to him, ready to dig into the fantastic spread one of the housekeepers must’ve put together. I poured myself a glass of orange juice, digging into the food on my plate as Alexei turned to me looking rather concerned, and I wondered what could possibly be on his mind, or at least what he’d want to share with me.
“What is it?” I asked, as though he was waiting for me to start the conversation.
“Dominik hasn’t returned any of my phone calls. I don’t know what to do with you if I don’t have instructions to follow, and he told me he’d be back by now,” said Alexei, stabbing the eggs on his plate.
“Does he usually do this sort of thing?”
“On occasion...but never when he has a prisoner,” he replied, looking down on me as though I was somehow less than him.
He’s trying to get a reaction out of me, but the joke’s on him. I’m in no mood to play these games, but I can’t help but wonder where Dominik is. I had a strange feeling welling up inside of me, manifesting in almost worrying about whether he was okay or not. I had to remind myself that he was the one keeping me prisoner and I couldn’t bear to even consider his wellbeing. If something were to happen to him right now, I know that Alexei wouldn’t hesitate to take his place, and that’s when I can allow myself to worry, I thought, reminding myself that the only thing that was keeping Alexei from killing me was the fact that he wasn’t in charge.
I could feel his resentment for Dominik growing stronger every day and I was worried that something would come over him one day where he couldn’t stop himself snapping. I didn’t want to be around when that time came, but I knew there really wasn’t any other place I could go. My only choice was to lay in wait for Dominik to decide when he was ready to start spinning his perfect plan, and I could already tell that he had something big up his sleeve.
I sat in the living room for what felt like hours before Alexei went off into Dominik’s study, presumably tending to business that was going to keep him busy for a little while. I had every urge to impulsively search through every nook and cranny of this house looking for any evidence to support the Bratva connections. Dominik appeared to be the kind of man who cleaned up his crime scenes and expertly hid every piece of evidence imaginable, but that wasn’t going to stop me from trying. I had every intention of keeping an eye and an ear out in case Alexei began to catch on, but I supposed the easiest place to start would be Dominik’s bedroom.
The fear settled into me, reminding me that Dominik himself could very well come home at any second, but I couldn’t let that overshadow the opportunity at hand. I made my way down the hallway quietly, closing my bedroom door so Alexei would believe that I wasn’t going to try anything suspicious. He didn’t even bat an eyelid or bother to come out of the study to check on me, and I knew that was my cue to make my way to the end of the hallway into the master. The bedroom was rich with dark woods, dark sheets and expertly cleaned floors. Nothing seemed to be out of place, and at first I thought that this might very well be a waste of time, but I didn’t let that stop me from giving myself a real chance to find something substantial.
I searched through his drawers, moving through the mess of irrelevant papers and old cigars laying around, but there wasn’t anything quite questionable enough to tie him to any criminal activity. That was until I made my way into his walk-in closet, noticing that there was an entire section chock-full of perfectly-pressed women’s clothes. I wondered what he would be doing with all of this, and at first I thought that maybe they were all collected from the women he’s slept with recently, but I knew that couldn’t be the case. Unless all of the women he slept with had the exact same style, I have to think that all of these belong or belonged to the same woman. I searched through all of the designer labels, going through some of the drawers to see that there was an empty spot between the carefully-folded sweatsuits.
I looked down at the one I was wearing that was provided by Dominik himself, and that was when it hit me that I was wearing this woman’s clothes. I began to feel incredibly icky, wondering what kind of role this woman played in Dominik’s life and what that had to do with me. I knew that I didn’t have anything else to wear, and I wasn’t going to prance around his mansion naked, even though he might’ve taken very well to that approach. I continued looking through this woman’s jewelry, noticing a velvet box hiding in the corner which I opened up to reveal what appeared to be a six-carat diamond. I gasped in awe at the beautiful workmanship, just as I heard a sound coming from the hallway, so I put everything back in its place before heading back to my room.
I managed to slip out of Dominik’s room just fast enough to get into mine, right before closing the door, and that was when I saw him barreling down the hallway looking belligerently drunk. He must’ve had quite the night to come home so wasted still, but I had a feeling that he was going to hash it out with Alexei and I wouldn’t have to even ask any questions. I closed the door softly so he wouldn’t notice, waiting for the fight to ensue. I could hear Alexei approach him in the hallway, beginning to raise his voice as he started shouting something in Russian before switching back to English.
“Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been watching your bitch all night, and you owe me money because she didn’t even try to run. I thought you said that you were out on business,” asked Alexei, angrily.
“I don’t have to answer to you, Alexei. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but you work for me. I was out on business, and when that business concluded I decided to have a few drinks. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. She’s still here?” he asked, drunkenly jumping from one thought to the next.
“Yes, she is. She’s getting on my nerves, Dom. I don’t know why you don’t just save us all the trouble and take her out before she has the chance to double-cross you like the last one,” said Alexei.
Last one? I asked myself, starting to put the pieces together that the woman who came before me probably lived a much similar life to the one I was living right now. I wondered what her occupation was, what she was doing with a man like Dominik, and why they all seemed to resent her so much. I wondered if she was anything like me, and if she was no longer here anymore, that only solidified the idea that Dominik would eventually tire of me, deciding to kill me before things got to be more complicated.
I didn’t even bother to try to convince myself to stay inside, as I opened up the door to my bedroom and looked them both in the face. I scanned Dominik’s appearance, noticing that his white button-down shirt was soaked pink with blood, and I shuddered thinking about how it got to be that way. I didn’t let the fear settle into my eyes, because that would give the both of them the satisfaction they were looking for.
“It’s nice to see that you’ve returned,” I said, sarcastically.
“Look, Boss. I have a lot of other business to attend to for you. If it’s alright, may I go do that and return to my babysitting duties at a later time?” asked Alexei, and I could tell that he would do anything to get out of there right now.
“Of course, Alexei. I’m sure Katerina and I will get along just fine while you’re gone,” said
Dominik, but he didn’t seem too inclined to do that. I watched as Alexei took off in the opposite direction, leaving me standing in the hallway, watching as Dominik stumbled off into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. I suppose he isn’t in the mood to talk after all.
A few hours later I was diving into a book I found on the shelf in the living room, preoccupying myself as much as I possibly could, curled up on the couch alone. I heard rustling coming from the hallway, as an exhausted Dominik trailed into the kitchen, barely bothering to acknowledge me. I decided to go put on a pot of tea, and it was then that I realized how much the night prior had taken a toll on him. There were dark circles under his eyes, his stubble had grown in, and he was sporting a five o’clock shadow quite proudly. He was expertly working his espresso machine, pouring himself a double shot and nodding at me in question as to whether I wanted any.
“I’m not a coffee person,” I said.
“How could you possibly be on this side of the world and not be a coffee person?”
“I’ve been drinking tea all of my life. It’s kept me alert and clear-headed. I get a bit too jittery on coffee. It seems to not have much of an effect on you though,” I said.
“Rather observant, aren’t we?”
“It was my job to be.”
“As we discussed, I believe it’s still your job to be observant, it’s just no longer on your terms,” he said, and that was the truth. I was his own personal tabloid, splashing his praise all over the media while tainting my name in the process. I wondered if anyone would even trust my judgment anymore once they caught wind of me being on his arm. I knew that was exactly what he wanted, because he realized that I carried enough of a reputation to matter. My word mattered to those in mainstream media, and he was going to use me to further every ambition he had from here on out.