Page 50 of Embracing the Dark Side

“Adrik.”

Adrik paused in the doorway. He wanted an apology, a joke, a stupid goddamn hug, but if Alexei tried to blamehim further for the shit happening, he wasn’t going to stick around and listen to it.

“They are charging you with assault.”

Adrik snapped his head around.

Alexei sat on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head. “The guy you beat up was liked here. They’re saying it was a motivated attack because he was gay.”

“I don’t give a fuck—”

“It doesn’t matter.” Alexei met his gaze, the heavy weight of stress in his eyes. “I talked to Gil, and he’s trying to find the Warden’s family to get the guards off our backs. But don’t be alone. Ever. We lost a few people on our side. They’re gonna come for you.”

Adrik nodded, numb, his mind blank in a moment of loss. His back fell back against the doorway, staring at the floor. Why were things constantly falling apart?

“Sometimes I think,” Alexei murmured, “I’m as big of a fuckup as Papa always thought I was. What if—” He paused and swallowed. “What if I did need him?”

There was no reassurance in Adrik’s silence. He didn’t know what to say, because Adrik had thought the same damn thing. All the times he wished Yakov would go away or get murdered or have a heart attack, now he was stuck with what if Yakov had done more good than he realized? What if Adrik couldn’t hold onto this family without him?

There had been no time to grieve his father. Their mother was waiting for them to get out to have a funeral, but now it seemed it would be too long to wait. Deep in the pits of his mind, the grief waited to be acknowledged, like a knife that needed to be extracted.

Adrik dug into his pocket for his phone, hoping for a voicemail or text telling him the rescue mission had succeeded. He needed something positive to happen.

“You had a call an hour ago.” Alexei answered his silent question. “They weren’t able to get Helina and Jolie out.”

Adrik’s legs weakened, and he slid to the floor with his knees bent. He was riding on that hope. He had put all his sanity into believing that his daughter and girlfriend would finally be safe. But instead, there was a chance he had only made it worse. Was Vincent hurting his daughter? Was he abusing Jolie? He clenched the phone, tapping it hard against his forehead, wanting pain to suppress the overwhelming loss. But he wasn’t the kind to sit and wallow. Something had to be done. This jail was nothing but a distraction. There were things he hadn’t thought of yet. The risks would be significant, but if it succeeded, the award would be even better.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear this,” Alexei tentatively began. “Uncle Yefim offered to help.”

“In exchange for my inheritance.” Adrik was no fool to the rumors. Uncle Yefim always believed he deserved the family because he was the eldest son. But Adrik’s grandfather saw his weakness as easily as Adrik did. He was gluttonous, never satisfied with anything, which was why he was on his fifth wife.

The phone beeped in his hand. The noise was odd, and Adrik wasn't sure he heard correctly. He flicked it open.

Underneath his text asking Joie if she was working for the FBI was now a new message from her.

‘Call me.’

“What is it?” Alexei asked from the bed.

Adrik stretched his legs out on the floor and stared at it. It didn’t feel like her. She wouldn’t have ignored hisquestion. She would have said so much more. But maybe she wanted to say it all in person. Adrik clicked on her number and pressed send.

It rang only once before she answered.

But it wasn’t Jolie.

“Hola, amigo, ¿Como estás?How was solitary confinement?”

It was Vincent.

Adrik put it on speaker before setting it on the concrete, face up. “What do you want?”

A small chuckle was his reply. “It’s funny. Jolie passionately claims you two were nothing, and yet, here you are, calling her of all people. Worried about Helina’s schooling, no doubt.” Alexei got up, staring down at the phone. “I think we are both aware of Jolie’s talent as a liar. One of her many skills,” he humorously added.

Alexei curled his fists at his side. “If you touched a single hair on her fucking head—”

“Who’s that?” Vincent cut the man off, laughing. “Is that your brother? I don’t know, Adrik, I’d be worried about that. Sounds like he’s got a little crush on your girlfriend.”

Adrik ground his teeth. “What do you want?”

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