Page 10 of Sacred Vow

That man thinks he can just tell me to leave town, and I’m going to run home and pack? Hell, no.

“Remember I told you my brother died when I was fifteen?” I sink into a chair at the table, cradling the half-eaten apple in my palm.

“Yeah?” She leans forward. “You said he was killed in some freak accident.”

“Right.” I nod. “He worked with Andrei at the time.”

“Wait.” She puts up a hand. “Your brother worked with the Petrov family?” Her cheeks blanch. “Like worked with or like delivered newspapers to their house?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure exactly what he did, but definitely more than delivered newspapers. Craig hung around with Andrei in high school. After the accident, Andrei convinced my mom that it wasn’t a good idea for her and me to stick around.”

“But why?”

“I never understood it. I don’t remember the accident, or a few days afterward.” I take a breath. “The doctors called it dissociative amnesia. Like the memory is too hard to deal with so my brain is blocking me from accessing it, or something.” I rub my temples. Just talking about it makes my head hurt.

“And that meant you had to leave Chicago?”

“Mom said someone might think I knew something about Craig, and it could be dangerous. Which never made sense to me, but I was only fifteen and I was grieving for my brother and trying to keep my mom from falling apart, too. She said we were going, and I didn’t fight her. She had enough going on, so we left. Andrei personally put us on a plane to be sure we did.” I bring the apple to the trash can, losing my appetite with this story.

“Do you know what sort of accident it was?” Marlena asks softly, treading lightly on a sore subject.

I try to remember, but as usual, things from then get fuzzy, and I have to go by what Mom told me.

“My mom said it was a car accident. He died on impact.” I repeat my mom’s words.

“I’m so sorry, Izzy.” She hops off the counter and hugs me.

I squeeze her, then retreat a step. “Thanks, but it’s okay. It was seven years ago. Considering the company he kept, I think something was bound to happen to him. A quick car accident was probably better than what might have happened to him.”

“Your mom didn’t have an issue with him hanging with the Petrov family?”

I shrug. “My mom’s brother did some work with Andrei’s dad when he was younger. Got him a great spot in a union. He said there were opportunities for Craig that he might not have otherwise.”

“And when you went to Nebraska, that was it? They just cut ties with you?” She looks at me suspiciously.

“As far as I know. I had nothing to do with them. Andrei was an overprotective jerk back then, more than Craig ever was. They were ten years older than me, and Andrei was always asking about what I was up to, who I was hanging with. It was annoying.”

She grins. “Uh-huh.”

“What?”

“You can’t deny how hot Andrei is.” Her jaw slacks.

“What does that have to do with how annoying he was?” I yawn. I really should have slept longer. “Anyway. We just can’t go to Kraze anymore. I’d rather keep away from him. How did you get us in anyway?”

Her eyes dart away. “I told you, a girl at the spa.” She points to the digital clock on the stove. “I need to get going if I’m gonna get there in time. Oh, I know you mentioned movie night tonight, but I have a date, so I can’t.” She winks as she hops off the counter.

“With who?”

“Just some guy I met on the train.” She grabs her purse from the table.

“A random guy?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be safe,” she answers. “You be safe, too. Andrei didn’t look happy that you were in his club. Stay away from him.”

“That’s my plan.” I yawn. “Text me tonight, so I know you didn’t go out with a serial killer.”

“Definitely will.” She slings her bag over her shoulder and slides her sunglasses on. “You know me. He’s not getting anywhere near my place, and I don’t do house calls.”

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