Glancing back, I felt the window latch. It was stuck and wouldn’t budge. I wondered if he had ensured that they could not be opened. Looking at the other windows, I noticed one where the latch wasn’t completely closed. I dragged one of the heavy chairs closer to get up to it, as it was higher than the others.
Playing with the clasp caused it to nudge open. I opened the window and slid through. I landed hard but moved to the bush quickly. I waited a couple of seconds to see if anyone had heard or noticed me, but all was quiet.
I looked back as I headed to the short line of trees. I had barely taken two steps when I hit something hard, stopping me in my tracks. Turning, I shielded my eyes to see what I had hit. I had run into a man, but it wasn’t a guard. I scanned the tall stranger before me.
He shared some features with Iosif and could be his brother, I thought. But I could be wrong. “Excuse me,” I mumbled, stepping back uncomfortably. Not wanting to cause any problems, I decided to play our incident down. Yet, I was cursing myself for not seeing him.
Smiling, I spoke in a soft tone. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you. I was just going for my morning run. Are you related to Iosif?”
The man didn’t answer. He only stared at me for a moment as a deep frown developed on his brow. He took my armand pulled me with him to the front door. He was walking so fast that I was struggling to stay upright. “Let go of me,” I spat.
He ignored me. As we got to the front door, he keyed in some number and shoved the door open. “Iosif,” he yelled. “Where the fuck are you, brother?”
I heard Iosif speaking even before I could see him. “Calm down, Avgust. Let her go.”
Glancing at the man he called Avgust, I noticed he seemed pissed. He shoved me forward into Iosif’s arms. “Keep a leash on your pet,” he huffed.
I let out a soft groan as Iosif steadied me and placed his arm around my shoulders.
“What the fuck were you thinking bringing an Aslanov here?” Avgust asked. His tone was filled with anger. “She is the Aslanov, right? Word on the street is that she got kidnapped.”
Iosif glanced at me as he spoke. “I saved her from being kidnapped. I wanted to ensure she was safe while I looked into it. I will send her home once the coast is clear.” There was a calmness to his tone that gave me some comfort.
“Go to your room, we’ll talk in a bit,” he said, squeezing my arm softly. It sounded more like a command than a suggestion, but I knew I had no choice. As I stepped past his brother, two men joined me and walked with me. I could hear Iosif and his brother arguing as I went upstairs.
As I entered my room and the two guards closed the door, I cursed under my breath. I paced up and down, wondering why Iosif hadn’t told his brother who I was. Sitting down on the bed, I flopped back. Looking up at the ceiling, I mulled over the events that had taken place.
I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep until I heard the knock on the door. “Clara, Clara,” Iosif said. Sitting up, I saw him peeking around the door.
“Sorry, I must have fallen asleep,” I replied, rubbing my eyes.
“Dinner is ready,” he said softly. “We’re not going out. My family will be joining us.”
Nodding, I got up and went to the bathroom. Once I had washed, I headed downstairs. As I got closer, I heard a woman laughing. I smiled as her laugh was filled with pure joy. As I entered, the room fell silent. Everyone turned and looked at me.
There were more people than I had anticipated. I suddenly felt out of place. There were three men and two women seated at the long table beside Iosif. Iosif got up and pulled out the chair to his left. “Come, sit with us,” he said.
I moved closer and sat down. “This is my brothers, Avgust, Lukyan, and Timofey,” he said, waving his hand to the side. “And next to you are two of my sisters, Misha and Elisse.”
“Pleased to meet you all,” I said softly.
There was a mumbling under them as the staff started bringing out the food. The food smelled divine. It was some sort of spaghetti dish with cheese and bacon.
I sat quietly next to Iosif, trying my best not to interact with his family as I ate. The man he called Avgust kept glaring at me like I had done something wrong. Iosif must have also noticed. I could hear slight irritation in his tone as he spoke. “Avgust, stop making Clara uncomfortable.”
I shifted slightly, feeling more uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be in anyone’s sight; I wanted to disappear. “It’s fine,” I whispered. “Please don’t worry about me.”
Avgust turned his head slightly, still staring at me, before he turned his attention to his food.
“Any changes I need to know about?” Iosif suddenly asked, looking at his brothers.
“No, everything is going as planned,” One of the other two replied.
The food was so good, I wanted more. But I knew if I had more, I would be uncomfortable. Plus, I wasn’t sure how it would look to his family.
“You sure, Lukyan?” Avgust asked.
“Yes, I am. Why do you have something to add?” Lukyan replied, grinning.
