Page 65 of The Pakhan’s Heir

It feels like any other train station in the city, full of people with displays showing either advertisements or lists of arriving and departing trains. But in addition to the normal things, the ceilings are monstrously high and the brick walls are all shiny beige like they’ve been laminated to keep them preserved.

Kostya’s walking next to me, his eyes scanning the crowd with every move we make. The center island has a round, old-timey clock on top of it and inside the enclosed area are people sitting at little windows, talking to the tourists as they come up to them with their questions.

Now that I’m here, I have no idea why he would choose this station out of all the ones in the city. There have to be a thousand people here. Any one of them could be one of my father’s men. I don’t know how wise it is that we’re here instead of somewhere a little more low-key.

“Come on.” He nudges me toward the hallway arch marked “TICKET MACHINES” on one side and “TRACKS 31 TO 42” on the other. As we walk down the right side of the large hallway, the crowd around us seems to thicken, pushed in by all the people going to their destinations.

“So, what’s the plan once you manage to get out of New York?” he asks me. “I mean, you’ll have to take more than one train to get to JFK, you know.”

I go to answer, but I don’t have anything to say. He glances over at me.

“You know Slavik has people everywhere. At least a cell stationed in every coast. Do you really think you’ll be safe from him if you run?”

“I’m not thinking about him,” I confess. “I mean… I am, but he’s not the reason I have to leave.” I can feel his eyes on me, waiting for an explanation. I sigh and add, “Things have just become really complicated. Trust me when I tell you, it’s better if I leave.”

“Hmm,” he says. “Trust me when I tell you that whatever’s going through your mind, it’s probably not nearly as complicated as you think. Especially if you haven’t talked to your husband first.”

“Haven’t you heard? He’s only my husband on paper.” I hear my voice crack and I realize how much that hurts to say. “When he does find out I’ve left, he’ll probably be relieved.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

We walk along in silence until we reach a small row of gift stores. I slow my walk down as a window display catches my eye. A collection of colorful stuffed animals next to several baby items. A basket full of diapers tied together and fashioned into a wheel, silver baby rattles, tiny little dresses and suits with ribbons and bowties.

It’s like some kind of subliminal message to me, talking to the life growing inside me. I’ve heard that mothers have baby showers where their friends bring gifts just like these.

“Nona?”

I look up at Kostya who’s giving me a questioning glance. I turn away from the window and keep walking.

We get to the ticket machines and there’s a line, but we step into it, waiting behind a young couple holding hands. The line moves slowly and Kostya doesn’t say anything else to me, leaving me to my thoughts. Alexandr… Alex… I keep wondering if he’ll be hurt once he finds out I’ve gone. Will he care? Or will he understand that I’m safer if I’m away from him?

I won’t say this aloud. I’ll probably never admit this to anyone, but for a while, this strange relationship that I had with him was nice. Alex was a better man to me than anyone ever has been just by virtue of treating me like a person rather than a possession or a pawn to be played in some game of strategy.

I have no idea what it will be like with anyone else. As far as my experience goes, I can’t seem to imagine being with a man who knew how to treat me. In and outside of the bedroom, he always made me feel like I had some autonomy. It’s a new feeling and I hope that I’ll be able to hold onto it.

I mean… I’ll just have to hold onto the good parts I got out of all this.

I feel Kostya touch my shoulder gently. He leans in and says, “We’re being watched.” I go to look and he quickly adds, “Don’t look. Just keep staring straight forward. We don’t want them to know that we know about them.”

My entire body chills down to the bone as fear seizes me. I thought I’d get further than this before someone thought to track me down.

“Where?” I ask him.

“Saw a couple of them pass us by in the hallway. I think they’re circling us.”

I stiffen. I didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary. How is Kostya so sure?

“So, here’s what’s going to happen,” he says softly. “We’re going to get out of line and we’re going to calmly walk to the exit.”

“Wait. Why don’t we just buy the tickets and get to the trains? I don’t want to go⁠—”

“Do not argue with me,” he says, just as calmly. “Listen, before we left the house, I texted Alex.”

“What?” I hiss. “What the hell, Kostya?”

“I know. I gave you my word. You’ll just have to forgive me for that.”

I just stare soundlessly at his profile. He’s still glancing around, his mind more on defense than this conversation. “The bottom line,” he says, “is that Alex will be here at any time. We’re going to meet him outside, which is the preferred situation. Our chances are better outside than in here.”