AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They’re all dead?”
I nodded.
His gaze dropped, a frown pulling at his lips.
My heart sank. He didn’t look happy. Why did I keep failing him? Couldn’t protect him, couldn’t give him what he wanted. What fucking good was I? “What’s wrong, Solnyshko?”
“I thought I would feel… something.” He grimaced, his fingers twisting in my t-shirt. “Better? Relieved? I don’t know…”
Not knowing what to say, I kissed his forehead and wrapped him in another hug. I tried not to think about how much time had passed, how much deliberation was taking place on the other side of the door. I just held onto Roan and breathed in the summery scent that was sohim.
When the door opened again, I pushed Roan behind me and turned to face Sergei and Dimitri, making myself as big and tall as I could, like I was facing off against a bear in the woods.
“I’ve reached a decision,” Sergei said, stepping closer to me. “Sasha, come here.” When I didn’t move, Sergei frowned. “I said come here. Come kneel before me and ask forgiveness.”
“I kneel for no one,” I replied tersely. The eight-point stars tattooed on my kneecaps practically burned at the command, rejecting it.
“You won’t kneel to save your life?” Sergei asked, his gray brows lifted.
“Please just kneel,” Roan hissed behind me, his fingers tightening on my shirt.
Turning to Roan, my molars clenched. He didn’t understand. How could he? He didn’t know what kneeling meant, what the stars represented, what I would be telling the men in the room by kneeling before Sergei. I was already subhuman because I was queer. Kneeling would only make it a thousand times worse. I’d truly be an animal in their eyes, debased and humiliated.
I had another decision to make, and quickly. I found the answer in Roan’s wide blue eyes. Keeping my gaze locked on his, I dropped to one knee and then the other, facing him and him alone. The ultimate position of submission, the sacrifice of my pride, and the loudest declaration of my feelings for the boy in front of me. If I was going to die, at least it would be on my terms.
“I kneel for no one,” I repeated, gazing up at Roan, “except the one I love.”
Roan gasped, his breathing fast and shallow. Eyes wide, his gaze darted to something behind me, swallowing hard.
A gun cocked.
I was on my feet in a flash, shielding Roan as the first shot rang out. Clutching him to me, I held him tightly as two more rounds erupted behind us. He jerked against me with each one, but I didn’t feel the shock of metal ripping through me. I had too much adrenaline coursing through me to feel anything.
The room was silent.
Roan was trembling when I pushed him out to arm’s length, looking him over. He didn’t have any blood on him. His gaze, however, was glued to something over my shoulder.
I spun slowly, careful to keep him behind me, and locked eyes with Sergei. He had a gun pointed at Viktor’s body, sprawled on the concrete, the blood trickling down the slanted floor to the drain in the center.
“Lying sack of shit. Thought you could get rid ofme? Inmytown?” Sergei snarled, spitting on Viktor’s dead body. “Get rid of this,” he said to Misha.
Misha nodded and started texting.
Dimitri looked at me from across the room, his mouth pressed into a hard line. His gaze traveled over me in apparent disgust before he turned and disappeared with his driver.
“Now thatthatis done. Let me tell you how it’s going to be,” Sergei said, stepping toward me, gesturing with the gun.
I pressed back into Roan, backing him up into the padded wall so I could cover more of him. Meeting Sergei’s gaze head on, I lifted my chin, very much aware of the gun in his hand.
“None of this gay shit in public,” Sergei said waving the gun between Roan and I. “Yes? If I see it, I’ll cut your dick off. If I hear about it, I’ll cut your dick off. What you do in private isyourbusiness. But queers are bad formybusiness. Understand?” No, I absolutely did not, but I nodded anyway, too stunned to say anything. “From now on, you work for Misha,” Sergei continued, throwing a glance at the man behind him.
As soon as Sergei turned around again, Misha gave me a small smile and went back to texting.
“Yes? Am I clear?” Sergei extended his hand to me. I didn’t move. When he realized the gun was still in it, he chuckled and switched it to his other hand as if he’d simply forgotten to take his glove off and wasn’t waving a weapon around.
“Yes. Thank you, sir,” I replied, shaking his hand as firmly as I could. I was still in utter disbelief but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Misha will take you home. And you...” Sergei peered around me to Roan. I tried to block him, but Roan, pain in the ass as always, slid to the side, making himself more visible. “Don’t forget.”
