Then again, what I did to her, killing her brother right the fuck in front of her, is probably worse than anything Gavriil could do to her. She may never forgive me. And my brother is making sure I don’t even have a chance to apologize.
I wish I could touch her, talk to her, try to comfort her through her grief.
“Sir?”
I step up to the bars and find the corridor empty. “Renat?” I ask.
“Yes, sir,” he says from the cell to my right, his voice low. Viktor is on the left side of me and rarely speaks. I assume that Petrov is further down that way, but he’s been completely silent.
I close my eyes and rest my forehead on the bars. I hate that my men are all stuck in here with me, suffering for my decisions. At least it may be easier to figure out a way to escape with their help.
“Guards all gone?” I ask.
“Just stepped out. I can see the stairs from my cell,” Viktor replies. “ThePakhandoesn’t think we’re a threat,” he adds. “There are rarely more than two guards.”
“What are we going to do? Burrow our way out with our fingernails? Even the floor is fucking concrete,” Renat mutters.
“We’ll figure something out. We have to,” I tell them as I open my eyes, taking in the dim corridor outside of the cells. Only faint, flickering fluorescent bars on the ceiling light up the cells and the exterior corridor, and there’s a constant musty smell floating through the air.
I knew that Gavriil’s underground prison existed, I just never expected to end up inside it.
My brother rarely mentions it since he doesn’t often take prisoners.
Immediate execution is more my brother’s style for his enemies.
“Start taking note of guard rotations. How often there are times like this when we’re alone because they’re dicking around somewhere else.” I tell them. “I’m sure none of us have anything of use in the cells, but if you can get creative with blankets or shampoo bottles, let me know.”
“We could blind them or strangle them,” Renat replies.
A grim almost-smile tugs at my mouth then dies.
All of the shoving and throwing us around is light work compared to what Gavriil could do to us.
“Take note of guard identities as well. Find the weakest link. There’s always one that can be taken advantage of,” I continue,trying to stitch a plan together out of nothing but scraps. I have to get to Alina somehow, someway.
“Maybe it’s for the best that Gavriil leaves us down here,” a voice says from farther down to my right.
“Petrov?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Why have you been so quiet?” I ask.
“Nothing to say,” he mutters glumly, like he’s already given up.
“I know things are bad right now, but don’t panic. Don’t lose yourselves in your anger or your fear,” I tell the men. “I need you all clear-headed if we’re going to get out of this mess together.”
“We’ve got your back, boss,” Viktor replies.
“Yeah, we’re right here,” Renat agrees.
“I know you are,” I say, my voice thick with gratitude. “Stay alert. Stay calm,” I say, fighting the surge of restlessness and uneasiness within me because there’s not a damn thing I can do now but wait.
I’m sitting on my fucking hands down here while Gavriil is upstairs with Alina. Has he touched her? Has he pushed her past the point my wildcat can come back from?
Women don’t leave my brother unchanged.
They leave wrecked, either terrified of him or twisted into wanting him.
