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Through the thin slit between door and wall, my vision is limited to fragments of the unfolding scene. I watch as a tall, imposing figure steps forward, his face obscured by a dark mask. He radiates authority, his cold, menacing tone sending shivers down my spine.
“Enough games, woman,” he growls, every word dripping with venom. “Tell us where Dmitri Volkov is hiding.”
My mother’s eyes flash with defiance, her fear masked by unyielding loyalty. “I told you,” she spits, “I don’t know where he is. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell the likes of you.”
“Insolent wench!” the intruder snarls, taking a threatening step toward Irina. “You will regret your stubbornness.”
“Go on then,” Irina challenges, her chin raised in defiance. “Do your worst. You’ll never break me, and you won’t find Dmitri.”
Where is Dad? Why isn’t he helping her?
The room seems to close in on me as I watch the intruder’s anger reach its boiling point. My mother’s defiance only fuels his rage, and time slows to a crawl as he raises his gun.
“Your loyalty will be your downfall,” he sneers, and my heart races, pleading with every fiber of my being for this not to happen. But reality is merciless—the deafening blast of the gunshot echoes through the room, shattering the fragile hope I’d clung to.
“NO!” I scream in my head, powerless in my hiding place. The closet door muffles the sounds of my mother’s body crumpling to the floor, but it does nothing to dull the pain that tears through me. Hot, unyielding grief floods my senses, and I choke back a sob, willing myself to stay quiet for her sake.
“Search every inch of this house,” the lead intruder barks, his voice cold and devoid of remorse. “Find Dmitri!”
From my cramped hiding spot, I can hear the intruders tearing through our home once again.
“Nothing here!” one intruder growls, frustration seething in his voice.
“Keep looking!” the lead intruder spits out, ice-cold fury lacing his words.
“Mom…I have to help her,” I murmur to myself, the strength of my resolve overwhelming my terror. With trembling hands, I push against the closet door, its creaking hinges betraying my movements.
Thankfully, nobody seems to realize.
“Please be okay,” I whisper under my breath as I slip out of my hiding place, every nerve in my body screaming at me to run, to save myself. But the sight of my mother’s lifeless body splayed on the floor anchors me in place.
“Mom!” I cry out, anguish clawing at my throat. “No, no, no…this can’t be happening.”
My hands shake uncontrollably as I drop to my knees beside her, desperately trying to wake her up. Her once-vibrant eyes are now dull and unseeing, the light within them extinguished by a single gunshot. Hot tears blur my vision as I cradle her head in my lap, my heart shattering into a million pieces.
“Please, Mom, you can’t leave me,” I beg, the weight of my grief threatening to crush me. “I need you.”
But she remains silent. As the intruders continue their search, I cling to her lifeless form, my entire world unraveling before my eyes.
The sound of footsteps grows louder, causing my heart to race in terror. Time is running out, and I know that I must make a choice—to mourn or to fight. But how can I choose when all I want is for this nightmare to end?
Mom would want me safe.
“Mom, I love you,” I sob, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. “I will make them pay for this.”
With a heavy heart, I carefully lay her down, my hands lingering on her. “Rest now, Mom,” I murmur, my voice heavy with grief. “I won’t let your sacrifice be in vain.”
As I turn away from her lifeless form, the devastation within me begins to shift, giving way to a cold, unyielding fury. This is not the end—it’s the beginning of a war, one that I will fight until every last one of those bastards pays for what they’ve done.
Dad wasn’t here, and I made myself a promise. If I ever had children, they would never witness something like this. I’d protect them with my life.
This is where she lives?
It doesn’t shock me that not everyone lives in a mansion; not everyone can be us, nor do they want to be. But, this is where she was choosing to raise two little girls instead of the luxuries they could have with us.
Dangers come with our lives too, given my and my brothers’ occupation. But the girls would face that danger whether or not they live with us. I’m just happy that I was able to connect the dots before someone else, with less desirable intentions, did the same.
There are always people trying to destroy our bratva, and what better way than to use our family against us?
