“No. Nothing like that.”
Relief crosses his face. “Good. I was surprised to see him last night. Especially after our conversation a few days ago. I thought he’d hurt you or…”
I shake my head, surprising myself when I say, “No, no, he’s not like that.” Why am I trying to defend him? To show Sasha he’s not so bad? Because he is. He’s horrible, and I hate him.
“I don’t know what he wants with me, Sasha. Do you know anything? Have you tried to find out?”
“I have. But didn’t find much. I don’t think he’s told anyone about the extent of his plans. What Idoknow is that he’s planning a wedding for you. Any day now.”
Makes sense. “He wants to make it public. To humiliate us even more.”
“Yes. And I don’t know what comes after that. But Victoria…” he stops mid-sentence, and my brows draw together in worry. “Your father reached out to me the other day, and I didn’t like what he told me.”
“You should’ve seen it, Sasha… he got on his knees for her…”
“For Anya?”
I nod, pursing my lips as I look down and inhale.
“I’m sorry.” He sighs. “But you know better than to expect otherwise from him.”
“It still hurts.”
He places a hand on top of mine, and his warmth settles my nerves. “I know.”
“What did he tell you?” I ask, swiftly wiping my face with my other palm.
“He wants you to interfere with thePakhan’s plans. He still thinks he can come out on top.”
“God, I can’t believe him… Is he trying to get me killed? All of us? Wolfgang will crush him.”
“He still thinks the Italians will have his back if he can do something to show them he can fight against the Rykovs. They’re sworn enemies—always have been.”
“Are you saying I should help him?”
“No, Victoria. I’m saying if he reaches out some other way, I want you to ignore him. Don’t put yourself in danger for his ambitions.”
I listen to what Sasha tells me, the morning sun caressing my skin as it comes down from the sky with the warm breeze. I like it here. In this garden, time seems to have stopped.
It’s just me and my instructor, and it’s reminiscent of the breaks we used to take in between our riding lessons.
I can’t believe Wolfgang allowed me this happiness. But I’m not naïve enough to forget everything he has done. He can’t be trusted.
“What else did you find out?” I ask.
“ThePakhan’s wife, Ekaterina, is not Wolfgang’s real mother and his half-brother, Mikhail, wants to be boss. He resents Wolfgang for being so high up in the organization. The three of them are constantly at war.”
It finally makes some sense now.
Wolfgang’s non-Russian name, the monsters he alluded to when he told me to be careful in this house…
“Promise me you’ll be careful. Because once you’re back in there—” he jerks his head to the house “you’re all you’ve got. Do you understand me?”
He removes his hand from mine, running it through his gray hair.
I hold his stare, not ready to see him leave just yet. But Sasha’s eyes focus over my shoulder, letting me know Wolfgang is back. I inhale and square my shoulders, my mental shields slowly putting themselves back together.
“I promise.”
