by Raven Scott
I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up bleeding out of every hole in my face if the throbbing was any indication.
14
Sascha
“So… this is a private jet, huh? It’s just a fancy plane…” My stupid joke earned me a forced laugh, but I took my win for what it was.
Ophelia acknowledged me for the first time in hours. Her brown eyes flickered across the aisle as the plane shook from its descent, clouded over from all the intense thinking she’d been doing. “That plot wasn’t the only thing I found on my dad’s computer. My brother got a girl pregnant.”
My brows rose in surprise.
Ophelia sighed heavily. Bags hung dark and heavy under her eyes, their spark dull when they captured mine. “According to my dad’s fuming emails, Martin was going to run away with her to Germany, where she’s from. I kept looking around after getting a little tipsy.”
“If he was going to do that, why’d he plot to kill Vyachaslav? That’s a risk I wouldn’t take.”
It seemed Ophelia already thought of that question, but she shrugged a slender shoulder tiredly.
Worry replaced the blood in my veins, dragging down the corners of my mouth. “Why didn’t you bring this up before?”
“Because I was stupid enough to think I’d have some quality time with you, and I didn’t want to spoil it.”
My brows drew tightly at the rasp in her tone. Ophelia certainly knew she wasn’t a genius or anything, but she’d never called herself ‘stupid’. This had always been a title she’d reserved for her family.
“I don’t know what’s going on— I hate it. I always react and now, I can’t get ahead of anything that’s happening.”
“Who was your dad emailing? People make mistakes sometimes. Maybe he sent the email to someone by accident.”
“That’s the thing…he was emailing Avernisk. My dad hated Avernisk because they’re a rung above us. Above them was Aleksander, and then Vyachaslav. Now… The families aren’t the only ones with vacancies. Knowing Aleksander was torturing Erik, and Erik was holding out, makes me think he’s got a reason not to break. I wouldn’t put it past my dad to be fooled by some pictures off Google.”
Not exactlym the first thought that comes to mind, but… At least, Ophelia seemed more stable, even though I had a nagging feeling she was just psyching herself up. Rising, I shuffled into the seat next to her. This time, she didn’t pull away when I took her hand and laced our fingers together.
She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry you had to cancel your lectures tomorrow. I can’t do this by myself, and I hate it. Aleksander is the only one with a big picture and to react effectively, I need to know more.”
“Is that what you want? To react?” I asked. “You want to spend the rest of your life reacting to Erik Avernisk, instead of being the one to not need a cleaner in the first place?” The notion that she’d never allowed herself to think settled thickly between us. “Is that what you want, and you’re afraid of it?”
“I try not to think about that answer, Sascha. The thing with the families is that we only have power because Aleksander allows it. Cherinivsky… Roknevi… Suvensk… they’re just names… flimsy names. Allowing Makovich more control for more freedom is asinine. So, either I sell my soul to the devil, or he kills me. This isn’t fair to you, Sascha… but there’s not much room between being a slave and being dead for a relationship. My name is a collar and not those convenient ones that split in the middle and get longer or shorter.”
“Oppie… are you trying to break up with me on a private jet in a city I’ve never been to, over a man who’s ruining your life for fun? Or worse…are you expecting me to break up with you over that?”
The nastiest expression crossed her face. Her nose scrunched, lips twisting between the saddest of frowns and a horrible sneer.
Squeezing her hand gently, I took a second to really choose my next words carefully. “If you want to break up, you’re going to have to say it. All five words.”
“You’re not gonna tell me it’ll get better and to just hold out?” She tilted her head away from me, but her hand didn’t leave mine.
Despite the conversation, a tingly worm of satisfaction and relief slithered through my veins. Inhaling deeply, I rolled my jaw with a slight shake of my head. “I’m not going to invalidate your feelings by lying. You have a realistic expectation of the world, Ophelia. You’re a fixer. So, all I can do is support you while you fix the incredibly fucked up situation your parents put on you…again.” Licking my dry lips, I turned to her a little more even as she craned her neck to hide from me. “You realize that, right? That’s all this is, your parents fucked up, and you’re left to clean it up. You’ve done it before. This time is only different because Aleksander is involved.”
Ophelia’s jaw ticked.
I didn’t want to keep talking and screw up what I’d barely managed. Twisting back to stare at the tips of my shoes, I drummed my fingertips on my thigh absently. This kind of dilemma… we’d never had to deal before. Her parents hated me…fine. Whatever. I could handle it, but more importantly, Ophelia knew it was inconsequential.
When faced with a brick all, all she could do was slam her head against it and hope the mortar chipped a little. “What do you want, Sascha?” Ophelia asked as she watched the ground come closer and closer.
My cheek twitched at this question…Wasn’t that just the question of the day, though. Behind my eyes, my mind churned out too many answers. The only similarity between them—she was somehow still in my life.
Four years.
After four years, I couldn’t not have Ophelia with me. She was young, but I was the immature one in this relationship, I thought. I had to coax her to have a little fun when she was stressed. I had to get her hyped to try something new. In some ways, Ophelia was like a crotchety, old lady to set in her views and her ways.
I love experiencing it though. I love watching her face light up when she eats something she thought she wouldn’t like. Listening to her blab about a movie she expected to be boring. Trying on a new outfit and asking my opinion…
“I want to experience you, Ophelia. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that there’s so much left of you that I haven’t experienced, and I want to.”
Finally, she glanced over at me—obviously involuntarily.
I managed a small smile at the redness around her eyes. “Don’t be afraid of me or what I might think. I’ve scratched that surface. You won’t be an entirely different person by comparison.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Sascha… I’m afraid for you. There’s a difference.” Flopping her head back, Ophelia sighed heavily through parted lips. “This— this reorganization… it’s not going to be quick or seamless. Aleksander took everyone but me, why? Why make you come? Does he know his sister met with you and if so, what are her intentions? Does this summons only have to do with the assassination attempt, or is there more? Most importantly… what are the odds I walk into that mansion and never walk out?”
“He has more information than you, so that’s what’s been bothering you this whole flight.”
It wasn’t a question, but Ophelia nodded curtly anyway.
Rubbing the back of her palm with my hand, I couldn’t help my smile growing wider. The tension didn’t leave her face, as her cheeks didn’t tinge pink, but her fingers flexed in mine.
“You’re smart, perceptive, and intuitive. You don’t need to be fed information to figure out what’s going on. I have the utmost faith that you’ll have an almost complete picture by the end of your meeting with him, Ophelia. You’ve worked better with less, after all. Your father was a bumbling idiot, but you expected Aleksander to call on you when you handed over that report.”
“I’m sorry about earlier. Did I hurt you?” she asked in concern.
The tip of my nose tingled wildly at her apology, even as I shook my head.
Ophelia sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, shame coloring her cheeks as she slumped deep into the
seat. “I don’t know why I did that.”
“I have a feeling you were going to ask me why I couldn’t just fight with you.” Tender amusement flooded my chest as some of her misery and uncertainty panned out. “Why am I so supportive? Why don’t I ever disagree with you? Why am I such a pushover? Why can’t I just give you a reason to take it out on me?”
“Mmm, Probably…”
For a fraction of a second, the world around us calmed as her grumble caressed my ears. This was a first, for sure.
“We don’t really argue… that makes me madder sometimes,” she admitted.
“Cool. I’m going to paint your apartment neon green when we get back.”
Ophelia started to nod, my calm, assured tone lulling her until her eyes widened. In a fraction of a second, all the color returned to her face; if she wasn’t so stressed, she’d be bright red. Taking her hand from mine with a faint gasp, her brows furrowed sharply.
I had to physically stop myself from smiling as I watched her.
“Are you serious? Why?”
Pursing my lips thinly, I shook my head in denial. The answer to this was obvious, but she was in too much strain to realize it.
In a sane world, I wouldn’t want to deliberately make Ophelia angry or upset. I wouldn’t intentionally push her. Clearly, though… I couldn’t just hold her hand and listen when she needed me to. This is going to be an insane few hours.
15
Sascha
Aleksander Makovich’s mansion was proper stately, but to me, it looked like one of those creepy places in horror movies. Everything looked perfect despite the mustiness in the air. Thick clouds hung overhead sending a chill through the atmosphere. Running my free hand through my beard thoughtfully, I glanced over at Ophelia.
The hardness in her features was devastating; it took mere minutes to put in place, but the effects lasted forever. This hard, cautious creature wasn’t who Ophelia was and my heart ached for her. Squeezing her hand lightly, I cracked a reassuring smile when her guarded eyes flickered to mine.
“You can handle this, Oppie.”
My murmur softened her eyes just a smidge and she nodded curtly.
If all I could ever do was to calm her roiling mind, it would be enough for me. Turning back to the wide staircase that led to the door, I pursed my lips thinly to stop them from grimacing. Someone I didn’t know burst through the door, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Beside me, Ophelia tensed before relaxing slightly— so, this wasn’t Aleksander.
“I told you days ago, you were making a fucking mistake and you ignored me like you always do, Aleksander. Jesus— fuck— are you serious right now?” He sounded angry.
Ophelia nudged my arm gently to whisper his name in my ear. Levrenti ‒ the kid directly below Aleksander ‒ was positively fuming, whipping around on the step as his elder brother came sauntering out of the house. Even subconsciously, these people were hierarchal and Levrenti raked both his hands through his hair roughly. “You never let anyone have a say in anything, but you expect me to clean up after you because you don’t want to feel like you were wrong!”
“Levrenti—“ Aleksander might’ve been on top, but Levrenti was upset.
The younger of the two shook his head roughly, continuing to take the stairs backwards. “No, Aleksander. Kill me if you don’t like it. You can replace me in a heartbeat, right? Well, good luck getting someone to replace me. You said that you had this under control, but you don’t. Shoot me right on these steps if you don’t like it.” Levrenti glared up at his brother so fiercely that his shoulders shook. The tension in the air snapped after a hot second before he turned to me. True darkness and stress showed from his eyes and around his mouth. Stalking down the last few steps, Levrenti walked briskly past Ophelia and I without so much as I grunt in acknowledgment.
This could be good. Ophelia had such a lofty, almost godlike view of Aleksander so maybe, knowing he could be in over his head was a good thing. Glancing over as she inhaled deeply, I squeezed her hand again, and this time, she flexed her fingers back. It could be good unless this is a ploy to get Ophelia roped in worse somehow.
“Is that the real reason you called me here? You need a fixer?” All that crackling and uncertainty on the plane was gone, leaving her voice hollow. Ophelia took her hand from mine to take each step in two strides.
Following a few feet behind, I had to force myself not to stop her. This was her territory, her field of expertise. I wouldn’t let her come into my lecture hall and try to teach my students.
“I may have underestimated Erik Avernisk and Aleksi Suvensk.”
Grating my ears, Aleksander’s grumble sent dark shivers into the air that rattled my teeth. He clearly hated admitting he was in trouble; I guess, it should be expected.
“I would still like you to sit in on Erik’s interrogation, but yes, I need a fixer.”
“If you don’t give me accurate information,” Ophelia replied. “The only thing I’m going to do is make the situation worse. I can’t fix something if I don’t attack it right.”
Aleksander jerked his head in a curt nod, his soured expression darkening.
“What’s going on with Aleksi?”
“Come in.” Turning on his heel, Aleksander strode inside with a hard set to his shoulders.
Finally, Ophelia glanced back at me with relief flooding her eyes.
I pressed my palm to her lower back. For once since this began, things didn’t seem so dire. Here we were, in the snake pit, but they weren’t going to strike.
Aleksander’s foyer was the size of my whole apartment in Moscow. I glanced around in awe. Everything looked perfectly buffed and glistening, even the fresco on the ceiling seemed clean and didn’t appear faded in any way. Reaching to scratch the back of my neck in discomfort, I rolled my shoulders.
He spoke up to steal my attention, “I think we got off on the wrong foot, here.” He led us into a small sitting room.
I sat next to Ophelia on a lounge. I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but no maid came rushing over with coffee. In fact, there wasn’t a single sound to be heard beyond my own heartbeat. I grabbed Ophelia’s hand to tangle our fingers absently.
Aleksander perched on the sofa across from us to cross his knees. “I apologize for being an asshole, for lack of a better term, to you the last time we spoke. As you’ve probably already gleaned… I don’t have as good a handle on the situation as I would like. I want to put that to the side for now and focus on the issues concerning the families.”
“Fine. Where’s Rucca Roknevi?”
I think this might be the first time, ever, I actually saw Ophelia in her natural habitat. Honestly, the prospect exciting because I always heard about these clashes after the fact.
“Dead. She killed herself within an hour of the assassination attempt. According to what information you’ve provided me—“
Ophelia held up her hand gently, not wanting to cut Aleksander off harshly but also realizing that whatever he intended to say wasn’t important anymore. “Forget her. If she killed herself, she had something to do with it. Rucca not being mentioned in the plan I found on my dad’s PC, just means they weren’t real. What about Aleksi?”
Aleksander might be all knowing, but it was clear even to me that setbacks weren’t something he was accustomed to dealing with. His organizational skills might be topnotch, but even he overreached sometimes. With all the pieces involved, it wasn’t surprising to me how this situation had gotten out of control.
Even though it was very much infuriating, Ophelia had to go through all this stress for nothing.
“In the basement. I haven’t gotten to him, yet. Demitr is still working on Erik.”
I raised a brow…Increase the haunted house factor. Why was I even listening to any of this, anyway? Surely, Aleksander didn’t want me to be privy to knowledge I wasn’t supposed to know? Wasn’t that the whole point of all this drama? Does this mean Vyachaslav sending Malda after me is something Aleksander d
oesn’t know?
“Did you look through everyone else’s files?”
Ophelia’s question tore me from my troubling thoughts, drawing my gaze to her furrowed brows and puckered lips.
She looked troubled. “If everyone has different plans for the assassination attempt, which one was actually used? And if they’re all the same, who decided not to use it? Also… which one of them planned what ultimately happened?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “We haven’t been able to get into the computers yet.”
Ah… Okay. I got it now. The problem, here was Aleksander planned everything to a tee, so anything that went wrong, went wrong wildly. He was smart enough, perceptive enough, to figure most things out and maybe, the small percentage he couldn’t predict were easily dealt with. This overhaul was not a localized operation, though.
Ophelia cocked her head curiously, as she frowned deeper. “What? Why not? All their passwords are their favorite kids’ birthday followed by ‘abc123, exclamation point’…” Ophelia trailed off.
Aleksander went red in his face.
I clenched my jaw hard to hold back my chuckle. Amusement made my eyes sting as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, the ends of the strands tickling my shoulder and neck.
“Trust me, I get why you never wanted anything to do with the families, Aleksander, but you should at least know your enemy a little bit. They never crossed your mind until your dad was attacked, so even the simplest things aren’t things you’d consider. Do you have the machines here?”
Aleksander cleared his throat roughly. “How do you know their passwords? You’ve barely had any contact with your own family, let alone the others.”
I could see it in his face ‒ he hated that something so stupid had flew by him ‒ just because it was so stupid.
