Page 61 of Cruel Bet

“Don’t be sorry, you didn’t know,” she assures me before looking over at Nikolai, “Thank you for rescuing her.”

Nikolai nods in acknowledgment but doesn’t speak. I feel grateful for this, that he’s allowing me to ask the questions I need to ask. That he’s letting my sister tell her story in her own time rather than peppering her with questions the way I imagine he’s dying to do.

“How did you escape?” I ask her.

She looks forlornly at me, as though she’s worried about what I might think of her. “I killed him,” she whispers her eyes clouding as she recalls what happened. “He let his guard down and… I killed him. I managed to escape before anyone realized what had happened.”

“Di Stefano?”

She nods. “It was so awful, I hated him, I thought it would be easy to kill him after everything he’s done to me, but there was so much blood.”

She winces at the memory, her face haunted. I can tell she’s thinking back over it, her face changing from horrified to angry and back again. She covers her face with her hands, and I see her look at me between her fingers, gauging my reaction. I decide not to push her for further details. I’m sure she will tell me what she went through all these years in time. But if she never wants to, I won’t push her. I won’t let him hurt her now by making her relive it. I can only imagine how she was treated. Kept as a prisoner by that sadistic monster. The physical scars she bears are just the tip of the emotional ones he must have inflicted.

“It’s okay, you’re safe now,” I soothe as she cries on my shoulder.

There’s so much we need to catch up on, but I can tell she’s exhausted. It’s late and she’s been through god knows what to get here.

“Perhaps you’d like a shower and to go to bed? Or would you like something to eat first?” I ask her.

“All of the above, please. There’s so much I want to ask you, it’s been so long, but this is all so…” she trails off.

“Exhausting? Overwhelming?” I ask and she gives a small wan smile.

“Yes.”

Dimitri wordlessly leaves the room, no doubt to fetch Adelina some food.

“You can sleep in my room tonight, and you can stay here for as long as you need to. Can’t she?” I direct this last part to Nikolai, and he nods.

Dimitri returns a few moments later with a sandwich and a cup of tea.

“I put extra sugar in there, it’s good for shock,” he says with a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Adelina says gratefully, tucking into the food like she’s not eaten in days.

“I’m sorry to ask, I know this is a lot for you to process, but I need to know we’re safe here. How did you find us?” Nikolai asks gently.

I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for his tact, it’s so unlike Nikolai to question anyone like this.

“Di Stefano knew. He found out somehow that you’re in Vermont, I don’t know how exactly but he has spies everywhere. It’s part of what gave me the confidence to escape. He didn’t know the exact house, I figured it would be remote and secure so there weren’t too many places to try. That I’d find you eventually.”

Nikolai nods, and he and Endo share a wordless exchange. “That means it’s likely they will come for us soon. I think we’ll be safe tonight if I call in some reinforcements, but we might want to consider moving tomorrow. Though with Di Stefano dead, that could buy us some time and weaken De Luca’s position.”

“Thank you,” I state, grateful that Nikolai isn’t making us rush off in the middle of the night so that Adelina can rest. “Come on, I’ll show you to my room,” I say to Adelina now that she’s finished her food.

She obediently follows me upstairs. The men stay where they are, no doubt planning to discuss everything that’s transpired and come up with a plan. I leave Adelina in my ensuite to take a shower, handing her some pajamas and a fresh towel. I sit on the bed, listening to the running water and trying to process everything that’s happened. I have my sister back. It’s a miracle.

There’s a gentle knock at the door and Nikolai pokes his head in.

“I’ve checked on Mads, she’s still fast asleep. How are you doing?” he asks, his eyes full of concern.

“Thank you. I’m good, better than good. I can hardly believe it,” I state truthfully.

“I’m happy for you,” he says genuinely, though there’s a sadness in his eyes and I wonder if he’s thinking of his dead family that he knows will never return. “Will you sleep in my room tonight?”

“If she wants to be alone, yes,” I reply.

He nods. “Okay, I’ll be downstairs for a while, shout if you need anything.”

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