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I grab the back of the chair in front of me, gripping it hard enough to make my knuckles turn white. “Did you tell him where she is?”
Roman throws a look toward where Mikhail and Sergei are sitting. “He’s currently on his way to your place, Pavel.”
I stare at him while fear worse than any I’ve ever experienced spreads from the pit of my stomach. He is going to take her away. I turn on my heel, ready to rush out of the office and head home, only to find Sergei blocking my exit.
“Move!” I snarl and lunge at him, but two arms grab me from behind.
“Pasha. Calm down,” Mikhail says, restraining me.
I thrust my head back, headbutting his forehead. Mikhail’s hold falters and I use the opportunity and lunge at Sergei. He gets my head with his fist, but I throw my elbow into his stomach. I dodge, avoiding his next punch, and take a swing at his face just as Mikhail rushes me from behind, pinning me against the wall beside the door.
“You can’t fucking keep a person from their family!” he roars next to my ear and bangs my head against the wall.
“He’ll take her away!”
“He can’t take her away if she doesn’t want to go,” Mikhail says. “But if she wants to, you don’t have the right to make her stay.”
“I know.” I close my eyes and slump against the wall, defeated.
“Let him go, Mikhail. You can leave,” Roman says from somewhere behind me. “You, too, Sergei.”
I hear the door opening and retreating steps, but I don’t move. My forehead rests on the cool surface. I’m slowly going numb.
“Pavel, look at me.”
I open my eyes and tilt my head to the side. Roman is standing next to me, leaning on his cane.
“You need to let her go. If you don’t, neither you nor her will know if she’s with you because she loves you. Or if it’s because she’s afraid to leave.”
“You don’t understand,” I say. “I’ve never had anyone, Roman. Until her. I can’t imagine my life without her anymore.”
“She needs to go see her sister. She needs her family. And her family needs her. But she will return.”
I look at the wall again. “She won’t. If she leaves, she won’t be back.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“Because she doesn’t need me now, Roman. She needed me before. Not anymore.”
“Do you want her to stay with you just because she needs you? You deserve better than that. Both of you do.”
“I know.” I bang my forehead on that goddamned wall as if it’ll help stifle the terror raging inside me.
“Go home. Talk to her. Talk to Arturo, he deserves an explanation.” Roman places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Take a few days off if you need to. And please stop banging your thick head against my wall. You’ll break the fucking thing.”
“My head?” I ask.
“The wall, Pavel. If your skull didn’t crack during all those years of fighting, it certainly won’t now.”
I snort and shake my head.
There is a knock on the door.
My fingers still on the piano keys. Pasha never knocks. He always rings the bell. It must be a neighbor wanting to ask me not to play so loud. I cross the living room and open the door. When my eyes land on the man standing on the other side, I quickly take a step back.
“Dear God,” my brother chokes out and pulls me into a bear hug, squeezing me so hard that it’s impossible to move a muscle.
I try to gulp a deep breath, but no air seems to enter my lungs. Another try. Arturo eases his hold and looks down at me with a slightly crazed look in his eyes. And then, he’s squishing me to his body again. My arms are shaking as I embrace him and press my cheek to his chest.
