“Are we good?”
“Good? You’re seriously asking me that after you ran your mouth to my brother about everything I did? How long have you been his spy? All along?”
“You know that you’ve always been my friend, Dominik. But he’s myPakhan. When he told me to report back to him, I didn’t really have a choice.”
“You could’ve trusted me enough to tell me the fucking truth.”
“You’re right. And I’m sorry that I didn’t. Honestly, there wasn’t even much to tell him until Alina came along. I never thought you two would fall out the way you did.”
I consider his words for a minute, trying to put myself in his shoes. Would Gavriil have let him live if the roles had been reversed? Probably not. But I don’t want to be as cold as my brother. Besides, we both swore oaths to be loyal to Gavriil.
“Fine,” I huff. “We’re good, as long as you help me keep Alina safe.”
“I’ll protect her with my life,” he says, holding out his hand to me to shake. I take it, because if I can forgive Alina, then I can forgive an old friend.
Forgiving her for wanting Gavriil, for willingly choosing him, didn’t mean it stopped hurting. It meant I was choosing pain over losing her entirely.
Alina deserves love more than anyone I’ve ever met before. Especially if she found my brother worthy of herself despite all he’s put her through. I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised since she spent her life forgiving Archer, a man who hurt her and constantly made mistakes.
I think she’s finally starting to come to terms with his death, and the role Gavriil and I both played in it. Archer dug his own grave and loaded the gun. Someone was eventually going to pull the trigger, I just hate that it was me who did it, who broke Alina’s heart.
Speaking of my benevolent wildcat, Alina returns from the garage a few minutes later, and I have to do a double take. There’s a faint smile on her face. It’s small, fragile, but real despite the dire circumstances.
“Got everything?” I ask her.
“I think so. There isn’t much I can’t afford to leave behind,” she replies. “My clothes are all easily replaceable, but I did grab my key collection.”
So that’s why she looks like she’s in a better mood. The reminder of her brother, of better days maybe.
“There were two new ones added to it,” she remarks.
“Oh?”
“Gavriil gave me the keys to the cage.”
My jaw tightens before I can stop it.
Look at my brother being sentimental after giving me so much shit. It’s less effort than I expected to say, “I guess that was…sweet of him. In his own way.”
Alina lets out a faint laugh. “It was.” Then a moment later, “I’m worried about him, Dom. He’s taking on too much. It’s going to get him killed, isn’t it?”
I go over to her and place a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t know,dikaya koshka. But I need to get you someplace safe before I can worry about him. That’s what he would want too,” I tell her, adding, “I did find a radio. We may be able to hear what’s going on if I can find a station where everyone speaks in Russian.”
We join the guys in the kitchen, everyone carrying what they can on their backs. “Ready?” I ask them all.
With their nods of agreement, we start out the back door of the house, Alina’s hand in mine.
“Wait,” she whispers making all of us freeze.
I start to ask her what’s wrong, then I hear it.
Distant gunfire.
Alina’s eyes dart in the direction of the estate as more gunfire goes off. The noise is unmistakable.
They’re attacking tonight. Only hours after we left.
And I doubt that Gavriil was prepared for it to happen so soon.
