Chapter 53 Anya
Everything happened so fast.
One moment, Alexei was pointing a gun at Nikolai's head. The next, complete darkness.
And Nikolai started gasping, dying right in front of me.
"Nikolai!" I grabbed his face. "Look at me! Focus on my voice!"
But he could not see me. He was lost in his own nightmare.
"Someone get a light!" Dmitri shouted from somewhere in the darkness.
"The power is out," Alexei said. He sounded amused. "Backup generator should kick in any second now."
But Nikolai was dying. I could feel it. His body was convulsing. His breathing was wrong.
"Nikolai, please!" I begged. Tears streamed down my face. "Stay with me!"
Then the lights came back.
Nikolai gasped. His eyes focused on me.
"Nikolai," I sobbed. "You are okay. You are okay."
He stared at me like I was the only thing keeping him alive.
"Anya," he croaked.
"I am here. I am here."
He tried to sit up. His body was broken and beaten. But he tried.
Alexei started talking, explaining how he had tricked him. How clever he was.
But I did not care. I only cared about Nikolai.
Then Alexei raised his gun again, pointed it at Nikolai.
And I threw myself in front of him.
"You promised!" I screamed. "I gave you what you wanted!"
"I lied," Alexei said simply.
The lights went out again.
And this time, I was ready.
I grabbed Nikolai's hand in the darkness. Squeezed tight.
"Hold my hand, Nikolai. Focus on me. Just me."
He squeezed back. Still panicking. But holding on.
Gunshots rang out. Chaos erupted.
"Can you move?" I whispered to Nikolai.
"I can try."
I helped him stand, guided him through the darkness.
We found a door. I picked the lock with a pin from my hair.
We escaped. Found Viktor and the other guards and ran for our lives.
I asked to go get my brother, but Nikolai promised to get him back for me.
We ran. Bullets flew over our heads.
We made it to the cars and drove away into the night.
I was safe with Nikolai.
But Dmitri was still there.
And it was my fault.
"We made it," I whispered to Nikolai. "We actually made it."
"Yes." He kissed my forehead. "We made it."
But the relief was short-lived.
Viktor's phone rang. He answered. His face went pale.
He handed the phone to Nikolai.
I watched Nikolai's expression change from relief to rage to despair.
"If you hurt Dmitri..." he said into the phone.
He listened. Then the call ended.
He looked at me. And I knew. I just knew.
"He has Dmitri," Nikolai said quietly.
"And he is not letting him go."
My heart shattered.
"No," I whispered. "No, no, no."
"Alexei says if we stay away, Dmitri lives. But if we go back..."
"He will kill him." I finished. My voice was hollow.
Nikolai pulled me close. "I am sorry. I am so sorry."
"This is my fault." Tears streamed down my face. "I left him. I chose you. And now he is going to die."
"He is not going to die. I will get him back. Somehow. I promise."
"How?" I pulled away and looked at him. "How, Nikolai? Alexei has all the power. All the control. We have nothing."
"We have each other. That has to be enough."
But was it? Was love enough to save Dmitri?
I did not know.
We drove in silence back to Nikolai's estate, back to the place I had left.
When we arrived, guards stared. Maids whispered. Everyone looked shocked to see me.
Nikolai helped me inside, took me to his room.
"Rest," he said. "You need to rest."
"I cannot rest. Not while Dmitri is there. Not while he is in danger."
"Anya..."
"Do not." I shook my head. "Do not tell me it will be okay. Do not lie to me."
He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You are right. I cannot promise it will be okay. But I can promise I will do everything in my power to bring him home."
"Why?" I asked. "Why would you risk everything for him? For my brother?"
"Because you love him. And I love you." Nikolai cupped my face. "And I would burn the world down to keep you happy."
Fresh tears fell. "I do not deserve you."
"Yes, you do. You deserve everything good in this world. And I am going to give it to you."
He kissed me softly.
And for a moment, I let myself believe him.
But then reality crashed back.
A guard knocked on the door. "Pakhan, we have a problem."
Nikolai pulled away. "What is it?"
"A message. From Alexei. He says if you do not respond in one hour, he will start hurting the boy."
My blood went cold. "What does he want?"
The guard handed Nikolai a paper.
He read it and his face darkened.
"What?" I asked. "What does it say?"
Nikolai looked at me. And I saw something in his eyes I had never seen before.
Fear.
He hesitated for a while. Shit his eyes and opened them.
"He wants you," he said quietly. "He says you should come back voluntarily. Or Dmitri dies."
The room spun. "No."
"I will not let him have you. I just got you back." His voice broke.
"But Dmitri..."
"We will find another way. We will..."
"There is no other way!" I grabbed his arms. "You know that. I know that. Alexei has all the power."
"Anya, please. Do not do this."
"I have to." I stepped back. "Dmitri is my brother. The only family I have left. I cannot let him die."
"And what about us?"
"I love you." The words came out broken. "I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. But I can never choose you over my brother."
Nikolai's face crumpled. "Do not leave me. Please. I cannot survive without you."
"You can. You will." I touched his face one last time. "And maybe someday, when this is over, we will find each other again."
"Anya..."
"Tell Alexei I am coming." I turned to the guard. "I will go back voluntarily."
The guard nodded and left.
I turned back to Nikolai. He looked broken.
"I am sorry," I whispered. "I am so sorry."
I don't know what I was doing. I.had just escaped with him, now I am going back?
He pulled me into his arms, held me so tight I could barely breathe.
"I will get you back," he said fiercely. "Both of you. I do not care what it takes. I will get you back."
"I know you will try."
"Not try. I will. That is a promise."
We held each other until the guard returned.
"The car is ready," he said. "Alexei is waiting."
I pulled away from Nikolai and walked to the door.
At the threshold, I looked back one more time.
Nikolai was standing there, watching me leave.
Then I walked out into the car, back to Alexei.
The car drove through the night.
When we arrived, he was waiting at the entrance, smiling.
"Welcome home, Anya," he said. "I knew you would come back."
I did not answer. I just walked past him into the house.
"Your brother is safe," Alexei said. "I kept my word."
"I want to see him."
"Of course. But first, we need to discuss terms."
I stopped and turned to face him. "What terms?"
"You are mine now. Completely. Body and soul. You will not try to escape. You will not contact Nikolai. You will be mine."
"And if I agree?"
"Then Dmitri stays safe. Free to do whatever he wants within these walls."
"And if I refuse?"
Alexei's smile faded. "Then he suffers. And it will be your fault."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"I agree," I said. "I am yours."
"Good." Alexei stepped closer. "Then let us seal it properly."
He grabbed my chin, tilted my face up and leaned down to kiss me.
I felt disgusted, but I couldn't pull away.
His lips crashed down on mine desperately.
But I felt nothing.
Dmitri stood at the top of the stairs, watching his sister become a whore.