I haven’t been able to sleep.
Every time I try to, thoughts about Adrian’s state flood my mind. Is he safe? Is he hurt?
And those thoughts kept me up all night, even after my father called and said he spoke with Sergei. Adrian still hasn’t shown up and Yan can’t reach Kolya or Fedor.
All night long, either I hugged Jeremy or I paced his room. I couldn’t go back to the master bedroom, not when Adrian isn’t there. Besides, my insides have been twisting with a weird feeling.
As if something is sitting wrong and I should fix it.
But what?
It must be about Adrian’s predicament, though aside from my meeting with Lazlo, I have no clue what else I can do. Yan and Boris—and even Ogla—are forbidding me from visiting Sergei, saying that it will do more harm than good.
If Adrian doesn’t come home today, I’m going to the Pakhan’s house. I have to do something aside from sitting around waiting for a bomb to drop.
It can’t be as terrifying as meeting my father, the Don himself, after thirty years of never knowing him. But even if it is scary, I’m ready to face whatever life throws my way.
I’m ready to fight.
To kick.
To claw.
A potent rush of energy has been whirling inside me since the moment I realized I have no choice but to step up in order to save our family.
It might not have started in the most conventional way and we’re not perfect by any means, but it’s still our family.
Mine and Adrian’s.
I cover a sleeping Jeremy to his chin and stand up. It’s early morning already and surely Yan has heard something about Adrian.
After putting on my coat, I head outside and make my way to the guest house. My feet come to a halt when I spot a shadow at the window up ahead.
At first, I think I’m imagining things again. That my mind is playing a sick game on me after leaving me alone for weeks. Is it the stress? Is that why I’m seeing people who shouldn’t be there?
The shadow, Winter, disappears from the window. I grab my wrist and dig my nails into the skin, and my lips part when pain explodes on the assaulted spot.
You know what? I’m done thinking I’m crazy. My mind does it just fine without me contributing to it, too.
I release my wrist and march to the guest house. One of the guards greets me at the entrance and I nod back as I breeze past him.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I struggle to keep my breath under control. When I reach Winter’s room, my heart is beating so loud, I can hear it in my ears.
I barge inside, and unlike what I witnessed less than a minute ago, Winter is in bed, the machines beeping in a moderate rhythm as she sleeps. The erratic sound of my harsh breathing spooks the shit out of me as I sense invisible hands closing around my throat.
Keeping my voice calm, I say, “Open your eyes. I saw you.”
No movement.
It’s as if she’s a statue. But I know what I saw and it wasn’t my imagination. I’m better now, I don’t hallucinate or let my mind take complete control of my life.
“Winter…I don’t know why you’re pretending to be comatose, but it’s better if you wake up and tell me.”
Nothing.
I yank the sheet off her body, but she remains the same, almost like the dead.
If I want to get to her, I need to use something that will provoke her.
“We’re throwing you out, Winter. We’re done giving you a roof over your head and injecting nourishment into your bloodstream when you mean nothing to us. Either a charity organization will take care of you or they’ll just leave you to die.”
The heartbeat on the monitor escalates. Yes, it’s affecting her. Now, all I have to do is continue until she cracks, even if I mean none of the words.
“If you don’t open your eyes and tell me why you’re pretending to be comatose, I’ll make sure this is the last day you’re alive—”
A loud shriek echoes in the air as she springs forward, pulling a syringe from under her pillow. I flinch back, but she jumps on me, causing the IV tube to be yanked from her arm.
We both crash to the ground and she straddles me, placing the syringe to my neck. Her chest rises and falls so hard, it’s almost unnatural. Her eyes, the same color as mine, are shifty, wide, practically crazed.
“You couldn’t just leave me alone, you bitch?” she snarls.
The needle of the syringe brushes against my neck and I swallow thickly before I smooth out my voice. “Why…why did you pretend to be comatose?”
“Because your damn husband said he’d torture me for answers as soon as I opened my eyes.” She breathes harshly. “And this whole fucking house is filled with guards and people, so I couldn’t simply leave. If he’d found out I woke up, he would’ve killed me.”
Oh.
She must’ve been anxious all along, biding her time and pretending that she was asleep. But on the bright side, I wasn’t imagining things when I saw her through the window the other time or when she looked at me the other day.
I’m not crazy.
“It’s okay, Winter. I’ll help you out.”
“You just said you’d kill me.”
“That was only so you would drop the act.”
“How do I know you won’t hand me over to your mobster husband?”
“I’d never do that. I brought you into this mess and I’ll get you out. I promise.”
“I don’t believe you…” Her lips quiver. “Everyone here wants me dead.”
“That’s not true, Winter. I mean you no harm.”
“Is that why you sent me, knowing that your husband would recognize me right away and try to shoot me?”
“I didn’t know that…though, I should’ve. I was so desperate that I wanted to believe he would be fooled, even if that was logically impossible. I’m so sorry.”
“He’ll kill me.” Her hands shake on the needle.
“I won’t let him. You have my word. In fact, I’ll let you walk out of the door right now.”
“You…will?”
I nod. “So please drop the syringe.”
She stares at me as if she wants to believe me, but at the same time, she doesn’t trust me.
I remain still, coaxing her with my gaze, hoping she’ll let go. Winter isn’t a bad person, but she’s homeless, so she doesn’t trust easily and she has every right not to, considering how life kicked her while she was already down.
It takes her long moments before she pulls the needle away from my neck and slowly stands up. I do the same so that we’re facing one another.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Get me out of here.”
I open my mouth to agree when the door opens.
My lips part when none other than Adrian comes inside.
He pulls out his gun and Winter jumps back. I run in front of her as the shot goes off.
