AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The warm colors of fall hit me like a hammer over the head, it smelled like pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies, and honest to God, a roaring fire was set.
His wife was knitting next to it.
Knitting. KNITTING!
Was I the only one seeing this? Had I walked into a parallel universe?
“She likes making sweaters,” Andrei said under his breath. “Says it keeps her mind off all the killing and torture.”
“That’s absolutely lovely,” I muttered. “I guess everyone needs a hobby outside of killing.”
He elbowed me. “You should try it. We all need a release.” He looked from me to the girl—to his sister. “What happened to your brother?”
She frowned at him, opened her mouth then closed it. Her lower lip trembled so hard that her chin started to shake. I wanted to wrap an arm around her, but it wasn’t my place.
She was a delivery.
A job.
Just a job.
A thing.
She literally had no worth to me other than a way out. That’s how I had to see it before the look in her eyes made me want to actually acknowledge that a heart still miraculously beat inside my chest.
“She’s still in shock,” I answered for her, not sure why I was helping her, getting more involved than I should. We weren’t friends. I wasn’t her hero. And this wasn’t a fairy tale, even if there was a roaring fire and what looked like a plate of cookies on the coffee table. The very least I could do was be her mouthpiece. Hey, maybe I could cuss at Andrei for her. That would be nice, he did say everyone needs a hobby… That could be mine, right?
“You.” She finally found her voice, and then she reached for me, of all people, gripping my arm as she repeated the same thing three more times, then “I feel like I know you.”
For being injured, she sure hung onto me for dear life so hard that I was surprised she was even able to. I didn’t reciprocate, I didn’t move a muscle, I just allowed her to squeeze me like one of those plushy toys toddlers liked.
Ah, plushy toys… I distinctly remember my dad burning mine.“Memories are meant to burn just like that toy.”
I stood still.
Andrei was frozen in place. His smile was sad. “Welcome home, Katya.”
“H-home?”
He nodded slowly but didn’t get any closer. “We sent someone as soon as we found out you’d been taken. Unfortunately, news traveled a bit faster than we realized, and someone had beaten us to the punch. Or someones.”
“Multiple someones,” I had to add.
“I don’t think I understand what’s going on.” She swayed into me a bit. She was probably exhausted, afraid to sleep, and afraid of getting raped. My grip tightened at the thought of someone touching her small frame. They’d break her in half. Jonny would have literally killed her within minutes.
I shoved the thoughts away. She was safe. Delivered. Fine. It was none of my business. I made it there in time, I did a good job, and I was alive—for now, and although the other twin was dead, I at least kept my promise. I saved what I could. I delivered. I was fine.
Andrei’s wife Alice put down her knitting and stood. Wearing a leather dress with short black boots, she looked ready to go clubbing, while Andrei looked like he was a retired school teacher or youth pastor.
Alice tucked her hair behind her ears; it was slicked back and styled to perfection, her makeup was flawless, and she looked every inch the mob boss wife you would expect.
Expensive. Classy. Strong.
“Be gentle with her, guys.” Alice reached out her hands toward Katya. I hated that it was such a pretty name. “What my husband is trying to say is that you’re safe here. Nobody can hurt you anymore, not with the protection of—”
Andrei cleared his throat.
“Us,” she said smoothly. “And Santino, of course.”
