Page 180 of Deceitful Vows

While he pushes aside a box leaking a weird watered-down red liquid, I pretend to fluff my hair in the rearview mirror. The instant his back turns to me, I snatch the keys out of the steering column, throw them into an overflowing dumpster at the side of the van, and then hightail it down the street.

“Zoya?” I hear Boris shout when I’m half a block down. “Are you coming back? My mom would really like to meet you.”

I increase my speed, my footing stumbling when a loud bang reverberates down the isolated alleyway.

As my eyes pop open, Andrik’s threat from weeks ago rings through my ears.

Don’t test me on six because I can guarantee neither you nor him will survive the outcome.

He couldn’t have found me already.

Surely not.

When I recall how unhinged Andrik has been of late, I push off my feet.

I barely make it two steps before my wrist is grabbed and I’m pulled into a side alley.

“Whoa. Hold on, Sunshine,” a familiar voice murmurs when my hand shoots for the letter opener I took with me for my safety, and I stab it wildly through the air.

After stepping out of the shadows enough to display his eyes, Mikhail says, “If you think I’m here to hurt you, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“I’m not worried about me.”

His eyes shoot down to my stomach before they return to my face. “I’m not going to hurt your baby, either. I’m not a complete fucking psycho.”

“After the way you reacted to our kiss, I’m going to hold my verdict until I’ve done somethoroughresearch.” When he looks ill, bewilderment overtakes my fear that he followed me here to force me back to Andrik’s chop-shop doctor. “Seriously! It was the equivalent of a kindergarten schoolyard peck. I’ve gotten more action from Grampies. If I had a father, it would have been like kissing him.”

“What about a brother?” Mikhail says, his cheeks suddenly full of color again. “Would it have been like kissing your brother?”

“Yes! It was the equivalent of kissing my nonexistent brother. Happy?”

“Very,” he murmurs, winking. “Though I’d rather in the future if we keep our greetings to cheek kisses. I’m still a little traumatized.”

I stare at him, mute and confused.What the hell is he on about?

“I’d love to horrify you like all big bros should, but we don’t have time.” My heart gains an extra beat when he murmurs, “Zakhar is getting a new heart.” He checks his watch for the time. “From the last update I got, it’s probably pattering in his chest right now.” He moves for a blacked-out SUV parked a few spots up before spinning to face me. “Are you coming?”

I almost nod.

Almost.

Mikhail balks when I shake my head. “Why the fuck not?”

“Because your brother doesn’t have any issues killing babies.”

He appears lost—for half a second.

“Send it to me.” After nodding to whoever has him talking to himself like a mental patient, he heads my way while removing his phone from his pocket. “Take this as a lesson on snooping. If you don’t stay to get the whole story, you may as well not snoop.”

He plays a video that makes my blood boil… until it reaches the end.

“Is that something you’re considering?”

“No,” Andrik answers, loosening the valve in my chest. “I was just curious.”

Mikhail stops the video before it officially ends and then demands another. “Now play the one from earlier you told me about.” I can’t hear what his imaginary friend replies, but it pisses him off. The veins in his hand bulge as he works his jaw side to side. “I’ll deal with Andrik. Just play it.”

This one is from the same camera used to spy on Andrik and Dr. Leverington, but it only shows Andrik’s bedroom door.

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