Just then, I remember what Lev said last night about Mrs. George. I know if we survive this, he will find her, and he will kill her.
If we survive this.
Shit.
It takes effort to eat my pancake at that thought, but when we finish, I tell Pasha I’ll wash the dishes while he goes out back to smoke and make a phone call.
When that’s done, I call out to Josh. “Let’s get you bathed and dressed, kiddo,” I tell him as a phone rings. The ringtone is foreign. I haven’t changed any of the factory settings like I had on my old one, so it takes me a moment to realize it’s my phone.
I go to it, see that there’s no caller ID, but I decide to answer anyway. It could be Lev. I’m not sure which numbers exactly he programmed into my contact list.
But when I answer, the caller hangs up.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t think anything of it, but with everything that’s going on, it worries me.
I put the phone down as Josh comes into the kitchen. “When will we see Emma?”
“Emma?”
He nods, and I remember that we’d made casual plans to ice skate over the weekend.
“Well, honey, they’re still in Colorado so I don’t think we’ll be able to do that just yet.”
His face falls, and he tilts his head to the side like he doesn’t quite follow.
“They’d have to take a plane to get here, or we’d have to take one back.”
“Oh.”
“But when you see her, you’ll have to tell her all about your plane ride!”
He smiles wide. “Yay!”
My phone dings. This time it’s a text and I swipe the screen.
Lev: Sleep well?
Me: With you beside me, I always sleep well.
Lev: Good because I’m going to keep you up tonight.
Me: I hope so.
The sliding back door opens, and Pasha lets in a gust of cold air and the faint smell of cigarette smoke.
“I have to pick up a few things at the hardware store. That door’s going to give us trouble if I don’t. Can you be ready to go in a few minutes?”
“We’ll stay here. I have to bathe Josh anyway.”
He seems hesitant.
I put a hand on his arm. “I’m not going anywhere if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He studies me, and I smile.
“You have my word, Pasha.”
He nods reluctantly. “I’ll be gone for twenty minutes. Do not let anyone in. I have the code, and I’ll use the back door to enter. If anyone comes to either door, you don’t let them in. You don’t even go to the window. You pretend no one’s home, understand?”
“Yes. We’ll barely be done with the bath by the time you’re back anyway.”
Pasha says goodbye to Josh, and I watch him leave out of the front door. I listen to the locks click back into place as soon as he’s gone and turn to Josh.
“Ready for that bath?”
“Wally doesn’t want a bath today,” he says.
I pat his head. “Well, that’s fine for Wally, but you, mister, need one.”
Josh pouts but turns to head to the stairs.
I follow but detour as we pass the kitchen. I walk quickly to that drawer where I’d found the charger because I’d found something else there too. A pocketknife.
Opening it, I test the blade. It’s sharp. Sharper than most of mine and a little heavier.
And I feel just a little better about being alone here when I slide it into my pocket as I follow Josh up the stairs.
25
Lev
“Levka.” Vasily gestures for me to sit down as I walk into the empty club. “Care for a drink?”
He’s being unusually gracious, and I’m not sure what to make of his shift in mood. Considering the last time we spoke he could only tell me how disappointed he was, I am wary of accepting anything he has to offer. But to do so would be rude, so I simply nod.
He slides the bottle of vodka across the table, and I pluck an empty glass from the bar. Delirium isn’t open yet, and the building seems to magnify every sound as I pull out a barstool and sit beside him.
“Is everything taken care of with the mess at Andrei’s?” he asks.
“Of course.”
“Very good.”
I can’t tell what he’s thinking as he studies me, and I don’t know why he called me here. It is out of character for him to take so long to deliver an order. Vasily has always favored using as little of his time as possible in all endeavors, so for him to call me here without an apparent reason triggers my apprehension. Regardless, I use the opportunity to ask him the question that’s been burning in my mind since I left Andrei’s garage.
“I know we have spoken about this often over the years,” I tell him. “But this time of year always makes me think about my mother. Perhaps today, we should toast to her.”
Vasily’s fingers tighten around his glass, but his face remains unchanged. “Yes, I understand what you mean. I often think of her too. My dear sister, it is such a shame that her life was cut so tragically short.”
He disregards my proposal for a toast, opting to empty his glass without any kind words for my mother.
“I know you told me you would never stop looking.” I meet his gaze. “But have you found any new leads since the last we spoke on this subject?”
He studies me, never wavering in his expression. But in his eyes, there is an undercurrent of irritation he can’t hide. And I wonder if I never chose to see it before, or if I simply contributed it to the fact that my relentless pursuit for the truth was merely an annoyance.
“I have no new leads,” he says finally. “But I do believe that perhaps it is time for you to let this go, Levka.”
My hand curls into a fist at my side as I shake my head in refusal. “The score must be settled. You said so yourself.”
“It’s an idealistic notion,” he says. “But sometimes, the best thing we can do is simply move forward.”
It occurs to me that he has never cared to settle the score. And now, I believe I understand why. After all these years of doing his bidding. After dedicating half of my life to being his loyal servant. Cleaning up his fucking messes and doing his dirty work. And this is what he has to say to me?
“Was there a reason you called me here this morning?” I force my voice to remain neutral.
“I’m just waiting for Andrei. Then I will explain.”
He glances at the clock on the wall, and then removes his phone to check something. It’s a small gesture, but it sets off something inside me. I can’t explain the feeling of dread that lingers deep in my gut, but I’m starting to piece it together.
“Wait here,” Vasily orders. “I need to make a phone call.”
He disappears around the corner, and I pick up my phone with the intention of calling Kat. Something tells me I need to check on her. But before I even get that far, I notice a text from Pasha. He explains that he ran to the store, but he’ll be back shortly. It was sent five minutes ago.
A firestorm of questions ignites my suspicions. Where the fuck is Andrei? He’s never this late. It isn’t like Vasily to be so patient with his time. And why the fuck did Pasha leave Kat alone? I’m not thinking clearly when I stumble out the door and into my car. But it feels like a trap. It’s a feeling I can’t ignore.