I stop in the hall bathroom to scrub the blood off my hands, turning the water as hot as possible and scrubbing until my skin feels raw. I can’t tell if Andrei’s intentionally being quiet, or if I'm just feeling numb after everything that’s happened, but the silence lurking in every shadow feels like it’s going to suffocate me.
I wander through the first floor, trying to find somewhere that isn’t haunted by my dread. I make it as far as the living room before I stop dead in my tracks. Daniil’s blood is drying between the floorboards.
I can’t leave it there. I just can’t.
I grab a bucket and sponge and turn on the lights, staring at the stain in the bright light for the first time.
With a grim sigh, I twist my hair into a loose braid, get on my knees and start scrubbing.
Daniil’s going to be fine.
He won’t leave me to deal with all this shit alone. If he cares about me at all, he’s going to fight with everything he has to make it out of this, and he’ll bejust fine.
Ineedhim to act as a buffer from the nightmare that Andrei turned my life into. When Daniil’s around, it’s all a little bit easier to stomach. Sure, my family doesn’t talk to me anymore, and, sure, I’m working so many hours that I’m slowly killing myself. But when Daniil’s there, Andrei doesn’t feel like a looming giantthat I’ll never be able to get away from. When Daniil’s with me, I’m not as worried about finding myself alone with that creep Pavel again.
A shiver works its way down my spine at just the thought of him. The last time I was face-to-face with him, his dark eyes reminded me of the obsidian display that I enjoy looking at in the museum.
They were the last thing I remember seeing before I woke up in a hospital with a dislocated jaw and three broken ribs.
Daniil’s stuck to me like glue since then, but it doesn’t erase the fear that I’ll run into Pavel again.
By the time I pour out the bloodied water, the first rays of sunlight are peeking through the scattered clouds, making my little kitchen look far cheerier than I feel. I’m emotionally wrung out, and all I want to do is to crawl into bed and pass out, but there’s no chance of that happening when I still don’t know if Daniil’s all right or what the hell happened to him.
I’m staring out the window above the sink when Andrei knocks on the wall, getting my attention and nearly making me jump out of my skin. He looks worn, and his dark hair looks like he just got out of a wind tunnel. I wonder if he was asleep when I called, or if he was just annoyed that he had to deal with us before sunrise.
I can’t say I blame him.
“Daniil’s fine. He’s awake and waiting for you.” He sounds as tired as he looks.
“He’s okay?” I cling to the counter, feeling like a puppet whose strings have been cut.
“Yeah, Blair. He’ll be fine. He only needed four stitches and a band aid.” He runs a hand through his hair, an aggravated sigh passing through his lips. “He’s a melodramatic asshole, but he could’ve handled this on his own.”
I nod, looking toward the stairs. “Thank you, Andrei.” The only acknowledgment he gives me is in the way the corners of his eyes tighten, but I know better than to expect anything more from him.
Andrei Voronov is a man of few words. When he says something, he means it, and if he’s silent, it’s because he’s busy listening and watching. Nothing escapes his notice, and half the time it feels like he knows exactly what I’m thinking, even if I’d never dare voice it.
“I’ll swing by later with some antibiotics.” He sighs, looking around like he can’t wait to get out of here. “Then I’ll fix your door.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looks upset, but I’m sure it’s just a lingering worry. Or maybe he’s still mad about being here. Either way, I don’t like seeing it.
I head toward the stairs, stopping long enough to squeeze his forearm.
“Are you okay?” I ask him.
He swallows, shaking my hand off and taking a single step toward the front door. “I’m fine. Go talk to Daniil.” He hesitates for a moment like he wants to say something else, then shakes his head. “Tell him that he needs to call Maksim later. I’m not cleaning this mess for him.” Without another word, he walks out the front door, taking care to close it gently even while it still sways on a broken hinge.
I wait until I hear the roar of his car from the street then dart up the stairs, knowing I won’t be able to relax until I see Daniil. He’s spread out across the bed, looking more annoyed than he does pained, but the white dressing on his shoulder has me blinking back tears.
“Are you okay?”
He smiles at me, and it’s enough to get me through the door and climbing into bed next to him.
“Yeah, babe. I’ll be okay.”
I tuck myself into his side, trying to hide the way my hands shake.
“Don’t show up bleeding in the middle of the night. You scared me.”