Chapter Six: Marianna
Icouldn’t calm the rush of thoughts that were flooding into my mind as I got into the taxicab, making my way down to the Andreyev Residence to fight to see my best friend again. I had no idea what I was going to find when I got close enough, nor did I know if I was even going to see my home again. I thought about all the articles I’d read about the Andreyev Family, hearing the stories and rumors that circulate about just how dangerous they were, but I had no idea that my birth parents would’ve gone to such lengths to keep me from contacting them.If I would’ve known that they were going to do this to you, I never would’ve gone looking, Larissa. I’m so sorry.I thought, glancing out the window at the torrential downpour, knowing I was going to step right out in front of their very gates, to beg for the return of my friend. I was running purely on adrenaline, and I didn’t care that they told me to stay away. Something told me that if I would’ve listened, I never would’ve gotten the chance to see Larissa alive again, and I was going to trust my gut before I ever even thought about trusting these people.
The traffic was heavy this evening in the middle of the storm, and the weather only continued to get worse, with the cars piled up for what appeared to be miles, and I knew I was never going to reach her sitting in the back of the car willing it to move. I paid the cab driver, getting out into the rain, hoping to make the rest on foot. I didn’t care how ridiculous of a plan it seemed, I just wanted to know that Larissa was safe, that nothing bad was going to happen to her because of me, and I knew that the longer I sat around waiting, the more likely that they were going to kill her. The rain was far too heavy for me to even see a few feet in front of me, so I headed into the nearest building that I saw, which was a small candle store that smelled heavenly upon entrance, and I felt quite terrible that I trailed water on their polished wooden floors.
“My apologies, it’s just so crazy out there,” I said to the shop assistant, who didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. I was shivering, wondering how I was going to reach Larissa now that the cars weren’t moving outside, and the rain was too much to handle on foot.
“You seemed like you were in a hurry. I’m afraid no one’s getting anywhere in this weather,” said a voice behind me, and I turned around to see that I was staring back at one of the most attractive men I’d ever seen. He smiled warmly at me, with a box of matches in his hands, while he lit the nearest candles to me with the shop assistant’s permission, and I felt a small semblance of warmth begin to cut through the chill.
“It isn’t much, but it’s the best we can do right now, right?” he asked, and I smiled at him politely, trying not to let him in on the fact that I was scrambling to rescue my best friend.
“Thank you. It doesn’t seem like you work here though,” I replied, chuckling.
“I don’t. I’m here for the same reason you are,” he said, and I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy at that statement, even though I knew he was just a kind gentleman who was trying to help give me a bit of warmth while we waited out the storm. I didn’t know what to do, because I couldn’t help but think of all the terrible things Larissa must be going through at this very moment, while she must be trying to understand how she could’ve even gotten in that position in the first place. I worried that she was going to resent me for this, for trying to find out who my birth parents really were, and paying the consequences for getting far too close.
“My apologies, I realize I didn’t even introduce myself. My name is Rurik, Rurik Volkov,” he said, and I tried not to let his beautiful eyes distract me while I tried to figure out how I was going to get to a mansion that was still miles away.
“My name is Marianna,” I said, my eyes flitting around the room, wondering if anyone had an umbrella or something I could borrow to brace the storm yet again.
“You’re not thinking of heading back out there, are you?” he asked, and it was quite obvious that he was good at reading people. I was sure he could’ve sensed my duress the minute I walked through the door.
“I don’t have much of a choice. I truly have to be somewhere,” I replied, and he shooked his head.
“No, can do. You’re not going to make it very far. Trust me, I’ve been debating it myself,” he said, leading me towards the back where there were two small armchairs, and one of the shop assistants brought out a blanket for me to wrap around my shoulders, while I thanked them for being so kind.
“This is the last place I thought I’d be right now,” I said to him, realizing that I had to calm down, because there truly wasn’t anything I could do in that moment apart from hoping that Larissa was doing alright.
“Where were you headed?” he asked, searching my expression for answers, the look in his eyes just as uneasy as my own.
“I was meeting a friend,” I replied, waiting to see what witty remark he had next.
“She’s going to be alright. There’s someone watching over her,” he said, and the words alone coming from his mouth made my heart drop. I never thought that I would be in the company of someone who knew where Larissa was so soon, especially because I’d been feeling like I’d been watched for the last few days. It was all starting to make sense, and I found myself backing away from Rurik, the kind stranger who made sure that I was okay, because if he had any connection to the Andreyev Family, I knew that I wasn’t going to reach Larissa any time soon.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to play dumb, but he could see right through me. The look in his eyes was one of pity, and I could tell that he wasn’t too happy to be here with me either. It was clear then that he wasn’t the one orchestrating this whole ordeal, but it wasn’t enough for me to sit still. I leaped out of the chair, rushing for the door, but he grabbed ahold of my arm before I could get away, stopping me in my tracks. My heart started to pound, and it drowned out the sounds of chit-chat around me, as well as the rain that continued to fall heavily outside. For the first time in my entire life, I was scared that something bad was about to happen to me, and I truly didn’t know how to talk myself out of this one.
“Don’t be afraid, Marianna. I can help you,” he said, and his words sounded so sincere, I almost believed them, but I continued trying to get him to let me go, and I was about to call the shop assistants when he told me something that made me sit down and shut up.
“If you run out of here now to try to get to her, they’re going to kill you on the spot before you even have the chance to see Larissa again, and then they will kill her. Is that really what you want, Marianna? Listen, I know that you’re scared, but I can help you. If there’s anyone that knows the Andreyev Family and the way they operate, it is me. You may think that you were just on a simple mission trying to find your birth parents, but you have no idea what these people are capable of, and they will stop at nothing until they get what they want,” he said, and I took my seat, throwing the blanket back over my shoulders, while I listened to the rest of his story.
“They sent me here to track you down and kill you, Marianna. That is the kind of people they are. They’re so afraid that you’re going to waltz right back into their life trying to take things away from them that you truly have the rights to as their only child, but they aren’t going to let that happen. I need to tell you just how capable they are of torturing the people around them, of making everyone shudder with fear in their presence, all so they can continue to reign over their precious illegal empire. The Andreyev Family want to be the biggest mafia family in all of Russia, but I’m sure you can already see the lengths they go to to get what they want,” he explained, and I shuddered at the thought of what they must do to the people that double-cross them.
“Why are you telling me all of this? If they sent you here to kill me, why aren’t you getting on with it already?” I asked, fumbling over my words, trying to figure out if this man was someone that wanted to help me, or prolong my inevitable suffering.
“I’m telling you all of this because I’m not going to hurt you, Marianna. The Andreyev Family has quite the track record with taking in men who have borrowed money from them to do their dirty work when they can’t afford to pay their dues, and some they threaten to kill if they don’t abide by the rules. I was one of those men, and I was looking for a way out. You, Marianna, are my way out,” said Rurik, but I stared back at him bewildered, absolutely confused at the possibility that all of this was genuinely real.
“You can’t expect me to trust you, Rurik. I don’t even know who you are. I just want to get my friend back, and I want to put all of this behind me. If I get the chance to see Larissa again, I know I’ll never come looking for the Andreyev Family again. I want nothing to do with them, I just want Larissa back,” I said, feeling my eyes burn with tears as I tried to fight them back.
“You and I both know that isn’t true. You’ve probably come a long way trying to figure out who your birth parents really are, and I know that this isn’t exactly the truth you were hoping for. The only way that you’re going to see Larissa again is if we somehow manage to take down the Andreyev Family once and for all. I’ve been trying to figure out how to do that myself for a long time, but it wasn’t until Mr. Andreyev sent me out here to kill you that I realized I had the opportunity I was looking for. Up until this very moment, every move I’ve ever made has been monitored. Mr. Andreyev gave me strict instructions to get to know you before I killed you, giving me time to figure out how to make my escape before he realizes that I double-crossed him. Your friend, Larissa was seeing a man who also works for Mr. Andreyev, one that I thought was too far gone, until I saw the look on his face the moment he realized she’d been locked up in their basement. He’s going to fight for her hopefully long enough for us to get the help we need, so we can beat them at their own game,” he said, and what he was proposing was the most preposterous thing I’d ever heard.
“This is all too much. I don’t know what you think I can help you with, but the answer is no. I’m not getting involved with any of this. I’m going to call the police and we’re going to deal with this the right way,” I said, glancing over at the shop assistants who couldn’t hear us, but could sense that we were arguing. I made eye contact with one of them, watching her go into the back room, but something about the way she was looking at me made me uncomfortable.
“You’re already involved with this, Marianna. If you don’t come with me willingly, I will just have to take you by force,” he said, firmly. I looked back at him, and I could see the true frustration behind his eyes, while I tried to process the fact that I honestly didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“Fine, do whatever you have to do, but I’m going to see Larissa again and make sure she’s safe, and that is the top priority,” I said, making demands of my own even though I knew he was the one in charge for now, whether I liked it or not.
“I promise you, we will do everything we can to get her back, but right now we need to figure out how we’re going to stay out of sight of all Mr. Andreyev’s minions, and get in contact with the right people who will give us what we need to fight back. They’re a powerful family, and it’s going to take a lot more than two handguns to take them out for good. We’re going to have to hit them where it hurts, and make sure that they won’t ever have the chance to rebuild,” he said, and I truly couldn’t understand what he was trying to get at. I didn’t know the first thing about being involved in any of this, and I was truly nothing more than a bargaining chip, but I had no choice but to pay attention.
“Where the hell did the shop assistants go?” I asked, and he sighed.
