Page 33 of Embracing the Dark Side

Helina moaned, and grumbled,“Okay, alright. Relax.”

It took ten minutes, an activity to help pass the slowness of time. Jolie glanced at the clock, disappointed that it was only 10 a.m.“Eat?”Jolie asked. She was learning easy, one-word sentences in Russian, but her accent wasn’t perfect, and Helina questioned her with an odd face.

They sat on the bed with a tray of eggs and bacon, staring silently into space. The blank screen of the TV called to them, but it would be too easy to waste timejust watching movies. The first two days had been wasted already. She didn’t want to slip into that depression again. They had started a routine, and now they needed to stick with it.

Jolie jumped up as soon as they finished and instructed them to start their workout. Helina wasn’t nearly as dedicated as she was to keeping fit. The child didn’t know how easy it was to become lazy, weak, and miserable. They started with jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups. But like usual, Helina gave up at this point and played with her dolls while Jolie built up a sweat. Her abs burned, her thighs ached, but she continued pressing forward.

Seven days,she chanted. Seven days without Adrik, kidnapped and tucked in this room. She didn’t know what she was waiting for. No one was coming. No one could. She’d have to find a way out. But there were so many people in this house.

Jolie took a shower in her bedroom and dried her hair, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool. There were twenty-three men and seven women. Like a frat house, beer cans and liquor bottles decorated the property. The servants could barely keep up with the work, but one was out there now with a plastic garbage bag, trying to clean.

Their voices were unheard from up here. The windows didn’t open except for one. In Katia’s room, there was an emergency escape hatch, but from its appearance, once pulled, the glass wall would give way and shatter on the ground. The amount of noise it would make ruined any potential ideas of escape.

Jolie rejoined Helina in her room. The little girl sat on the bed, flipping pages of a children’s book, and Jolie slid in beside her. “Alexei.” She pointed. Jolie’s brows knittedas she stared at the cartoon image on the page. There was a resemblance; the cartoon had black hair and bright-blue eyes, but Jolie just thought Helina was using her imagination, missing her uncle. More people in Helina’s life were absent. Her heart ached for the little girl. Jolie prayed that her presence meant something, even if it was small.

Helina got up, gathered a few more books, and laid them on the bed. “Alexei.”

Jolie leaned over them. It was the same-looking character in all the books. They were in Russian, and Helina tried to explain the series. Flipping through the book, an image of the author was on the back page: a pink-haired woman.

Melissa.

An ache developed in Jolie’s chest. She wished she had talked to Alexei more instead of being afraid of his advances. She wanted his friendship and his sense of humor. She missed his laugh terribly. If given the chance, she would run to him now.

I have to get out of here.

Jolie paced. She walked into her room and noticed everyone still at the pool. What if she walked right out the front door? Would anyone notice? It ignited hope. She was going to try. Jolie took Helina’s hand and went out the bedroom door, looking both ways down the hall. No one stood there. Jolie eased Helina out even as the little girl protested, pulling at her hand, but Jolie gave a stern jolt, and Helina pressed into her side, defeated.

Jolie put her hand on the banister overlooking the living room. There was a ridiculous mess left behind, full of beer bottles and cigarette butts. Only servants lingered, attempting to clean. Esfir glanced up and narrowed her eyes. She flicked her hand, mouthing ‘shoo’ but thetemptation was too great. The pathway to the front door was clear.

“Going somewhere?”

Jolie spun on her foot to find Vincent leaning against the doorway in jeans and a tank top. He had taken over Alexei’s room. Behind him, she could see a woman passed out on a messy bed. Vincent lit a cigarette as he stared at her.

“We just wanted to get out of the room.”

Vincent shook his head, more impressed by her ability to make up lies on the spot. “Not a good idea.” He closed the door behind him and then gestured to follow him.

With her hands on Helina’s shoulders, Jolie pushed them back down the hall. She knew the attempt had been pitiable, but she was still disappointed.

Vincent opened their bedroom door and waited. Jolie pushed Helina through, but as she went to go in herself, Vincent put a gentle hand on her arm. He closed the door with his other hand, separating them from Helina. After scanning her up and down, Vincent said, “Don’t come out of your room looking like this. Too many assholes here.”

His on-again-off-again care was screwing her up mentally. Jolie wished he’d pick a freaking side.

Vincent blew smoke to the left of her before he asked, “What do you know about Katia?”

“She’s crazy.”

A dry laugh formed into a cough. Vincent ran his hand through his black hair. “Yeah, I’m figuring that out. When she came to me, suggesting I take out the head of the Morozov mafia, I thought she was fucking insane. But she had everything figured out, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ But Katia failed to understand that I didn’t need herhelp. I can run this town by my-fucking-self. If she wants to start a war, I can fucking meet her.”

“What did she do?”

“She hired the B2R. Crazy-ass fucking thugs. She’s trying to tear my empire apart.”

“Yourstolenempire.”

Vincent was quiet, staring off, ignoring her jibe. “You want to know what your man was into, Jolie? You ever question how he makes so much money?”

“No, because he isn’t my man.”

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