“This looks deep,” I muttered. “Did the blade stay in for long?”
“Nah,” he said breathlessly, clearly in pain. “It was a quick stab. I think the man who hit me took it out almost at once, but it was quick and sharp and very painful.”
“That is clearly not ideal.”
“Getting stabbed by strangers is never ideal,” he joked weakly. “But if I get to be treated and taken care of by someone as beautiful as you, it might be just fine.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the antiseptic. “You are unbelievable to be thinking of jokes right now when you are so much in pain.”
Avgust’s voice cut in. “Yes, Avgust, just shut up and let Ilana deal with your recklessness.”
Timofey smirked. “Are you jealous, brother?”
“Of your lack of brain cells?” Avgust shot back. “Never.”
I ignored them both, determined to clean the wound properly. I pressed the soaked gauze to the gash along Timofey’s ribs. He tensed hard but didn’t push me away.
“You’re good at this,” he said through clenched teeth. “Much better than Avgust would have been for sure. I am actually glad you are here.”
“I’ve grown up with brothers,” I said. “Someone had to patch them up whenever they did something stupid, so I have had my fair share of practice.”
Timofey laughed, but quickly winced at the pain it caused. “I am sure Zhenya, our younger sister, will be able to relate to that. You two might even be around the same age. I bet you will get along with her.”
Avgust made a low sound that might’ve been an annoyance. Or warning. Or both.
“I would love to meet her,” I smiled, continuing to disinfect his wound. I glanced at Avgust, “If Avgust finally decides to introduce me to his family at some point in time.”
I waited for Avgust to say something, but he remained silent, a neutral expression on his face.
“Oh, he will. Eventually.” Timofey replied, waving him away. “And if he doesn’t, I will make sure to do that on his behalf. After all, what are brothers-in-law for?”
I smiled, my focus entirely on the wound once again.
Timofey eyed the two of us, then leaned closer to me conspiratorially. “So. Wanna tell me what happened? Not every day someone gets snatched into an auction the likes of the one that night, or any for that matter.”
I swallowed. The antiseptic stung both my fingers and his wound, but his question brought back memories that stung a lot more.
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it, Ilana,” Avgust chimed in, and I shook my head softly.
“It’s alright. I don’t know who took me,” I said carefully. “I was at an art gallery. One moment, I was looking at the paintings and sketching, and then someone barged in and tookme with them. The entire route was dark, and when I finally opened my eyes again, I was inside a cell.”
“Timofey’s expression darkened. “Fucking animals.”
I nodded, throat tightening.
“Seen a lot of shitty things in the underworld,” he continued. “But those auctions? That’s the lowest of the low. We don’t touch that kind of business. Right, Avgust?”
“Yeah,” Avgust said, “The Chernykhs don’t get involved in this dirt.”
“So the Chernykhs, you guys, I mean, are… a Bratva family, right?”
Timofey and Avgust glanced at one another before both their gazes darted back to me. “Yes. Bratva. Born and raised.”
“What does that even mean?”
“You know nothing about the Bratva world?” Timofey asked, clearly surprised. “Avgust keeping you in the dark about things?”
“I never really thought about asking him,” I shrugged, still focused on the found.
