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“Alright girl, talk.”
I place the duffel bag on the bar chair in front of him. He looks down at it but doesn’t take it.
“This is everything I owe you plus interest. I want to settle this debt once and for all and be done with it. We can go our separate ways and never have to deal with each other again.”
He chuckles. A laugh full of malice.
I glance from him to the duffel bag. “Take it. Then we’re even,” I say.
“Listen, girl, the truth is that it’s too late. My boss belongs to a strong family. That family was just looking for a reason to go after the Dubrovs, and you, sweet little thing—you’ve given us an opening. A reason. They aren’t going to back off. It’s hardly even about the money anymore.”
I bite my lip in frustration. “So you won’t accept the payment? I don’t understand.”
“Go home. Tell them it’s not over. Tell Yefim his little wife better watch her back.” He laughs at me, threatening me via a message to my husband. It’s so sinister.
He turns his back on me and the duffel bag. I don’t want to give up that easily, but I can’t force the man to deal with me.
I pick up the bag, slinging it over my shoulder again, and walk out the bar.
Climbing back into the car, Leon and Oleg are silent. They heard everything.
“It’s not your fault, Tia,” Oleg says after a long while.
“It is my fault. He said it. I gave them an opening—a reason to come after your family.”
“They would have found one with or without you.”
I stare out the window as we head back to the safe house.
Now I’m in danger, and Yefim and his family are in danger, too. I hate this. I don’t know what to do to fix it.
***
Over the next few days, I try to focus all of my energy on helping Yefim. He’s started to move around a little, and we are in the kitchen while I cook some dinner.
He’s sitting on the bar chair at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables for a stew I’m making.
“What’s wrong, Tia?”
“Mm?” I look up from the pot I’ve been stirring absentmindedly for ages.
“Where are your thoughts?”
I giggle, trying to pretend I’m okay. “Gosh, I think I was daydreaming just now.”
Yefim’s not having any of it. “It’s not just today, baby girl, it’s the last few days. You’ve been distant. Very sweet, very caring, taking excellent care of me—I couldn’t ask for any more than what you do for me—but I can see something is bothering you. We promised no more secrets. No more keeping things from each other.”
I sigh, biting my lip. I need to tell him. I’ve been wanting to tell him since it happened, I just didn’t want to burden him when he was starting to feel better.
I look up at him, guilt and sadness in my eyes. I can feel it.
“I went to see the debt collector again,” I confess.
“When?” he stiffens in his seat, putting the knife down and staring straight at me.
“I didn’t go alone, okay. I took Leon and Oleg with me. But I spoke to him alone to try and resolve it all.”
He takes a heavy breath, trying to control his anger.
