Page 66 of Embracing the Dark Side

Adrik’s brows knitted at the comment. “What did you do?”

There was a pause, and Adrik looked at the phone to make sure it was still on.

Gil whispered, “I know God won’t forgive me. I know it. I know you won’t either. But she said if I could kill you, she’d marry me. She’d be with me. But it was a fucking lie, wasn’t it? You told me, and I didn’t listen. Fucking pussy messing me up. I’m so fucking pathetic.”

Adrik leaned over the hood of the car and pounded a fist into it. He didn’t want to know Gil’s stupid-ass reason. He knew it wouldn’t make everything right, and it didn’t.

“She got in my head, Adrik. But you’re my brother, and I should have come to you. I should have gotten rid of her.”

“Stop,” Adrik begged through grinding teeth. “I don’t want to hear anymore. It’s all fucking bullshit.”

“I know, I know, don’t hang up. I don’t want to be alone.”

“You think Alexei’s not alone?”

Sobs broke through the phone. “I’m gonna find him. I’m gonna find him.”

It was more nonsense from some drugged-out, drunk mind.

“It’s starting to feel better. But I’m tired, man. I want to sleep.”

The words were similar; they triggered so many memories. “What did you take?” Adrik questioned. “What did you fucking take? You don’t get the right to take my revenge! You hear me, Gil?”

“I never wanted to hurt Mama. She was always so good to me.”

Adrik darted for the door of the car, yanking the driver out of his seat and slipping in. “Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“It’s too late.”

Adrik pressed hard on the gas and weaved around the plane, nearly forcing it to break. He found his way out of the small airport and onto the open road within seconds. “Where are you?”

“I want to go home,” he said tiredly. “I want to go back to Russia.”

Adrik turned left. Gil’s house across the bay was being watched, so he couldn’t be there.

“Why’d you take his stuff?”

Adrik was ten minutes from his old house downtown. He could only assume Gil was talking about Alexei’s room. Adrik had everything packed up and brought to the new house. There was no staying in the place where his father was brutally murdered.

His muffled voice whispered, “He has something of mine. I want it back.”

If Gil was overdosing, he’d be dead by the time he got there, but Adrik had to try. “Stay awake for me. You hear me? I won’t forgive you if you fucking die, Gil. I won’t forgive you.”

Silence was his response. Adrik clenched the phone against his ear. “Tell me about the cruise.”

As the seconds of silence continued, Adrik almost crumbled.

“The cruise?”

Gil’s voice was a little victory, and Adrik let out a breath. “You and Alexei went on a cruise a few years ago.”

“Oh, yeah. We had a great fucking time.” A smile was heard through the words. “I think that’s where I put it.” It was a nonsensical statement that Adrik ignored.

There was more silence, and Adrik gripped the steering wheel, running a red light. Horns honked behind him, but he didn’t care.

Gil finally said, “Everything’s fading.”

Adrik slammed on his brakes when he reached a stoplight. There were too many cars, too many people. He couldn’t get through. He saw a break of pedestrians on the sidewalk and spun the wheel, jumping the curb. Shouts and screams went unheard.

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