Page 37 of Lethal Alliance

“Bullshit.” Nikolai turns his head over his shoulder. “Inger, tell him the truth.”

Inger?

Mama is here?

I want to call out to her, but my voice feels strangled in my throat. Everything is strange, and none of it makes sense. If Mama and Nikolai helped kidnap us, why is Nikolai bleeding?

Then Inger stumbles into view.

She, too, is still wearing her ballgown. And just like mine, it’s ripped and dirty. Her hair is a mess, and there’s dirt on her face. She’s looking around in confusion, and she’s clearly not here willingly.

Just like that, all my suspicions about her disappear.

She’s my mother, after all.

“My babies!” She lunges toward us, bursting into tears. A guard wrenches her brutally back, and she cries out in pain. He covers her mouth with his hand.

“Mama!” I jump to my feet, reaching for her. In an instant Alexei is on me, his hands binding me like steel clasps.

“No!” Masha clings to me, staring up at Alexei. “Let hergo!”

Alexei looks down at her, his back to Orlov.

Pretend, he mouths.

Masha’s eyes widen. Then, to my surprise, she stops struggling.

Uncle Nicky turns to Vilnus. “You’re making a big mistake, Orlov. Roman is going to kill you when he comes for us.” But he sounds more desperate than strong, and Vilnus just laughs.

I hate Vilnus’s laugh as much as I hate his smile. Both are fake, and his mean eyes never change.

“Oh,” he sneers, “you’ll see Roman long before he comes for me. You’re going to send him a little message for me, Nikolai. But first, let’s get the truth out there, shall we? It’s about time these girls learned who they belong to.” He turns to Inger. “My guard is going to take his hand off your mouth. If you scream, if you say a single word except to answer my questions, I’ll tell Alexei here to use his knife on you, like he has on your daughter.” Mama’s eyes widen in horror. She nods mutely, and the guard takes his hand off her mouth.

“Now,” Vilnus says conversationally. “Why don’t you tell Nikolai here who Masha’s daddy is? The truth, now, Inger. It’s too late for lies.”

Her eyes dart left and right, as if she’s searching for an escape. All of a sudden, I’m back in the summer when I was ten years old, on Deda Yuri’s yacht, listening to her and Uncle Nikolai fight.

“Why are therepaparazzi photos of Vilnus Orlov with his hands all over your body?”

“It’s none of your business who I go out with! You don’t own me, Nikolai!” Inger’s voice is shrill.

“Oh, so you can just fuck who you want now, Inger? What do you think my brother will say about that?”

“Don’t pretend you care about Mikhail!” Something smashes against the deck. “Or me! You only ever wanted me to spite your brother—”

“That’s not true! I love you, Inger. I’ve always loved you.”

“Well, I don’t love you!” Her shrieking makes me shudder. I want to put my hands over my ears, but I can’t seem to stop listening. Even Mickey is sitting up in bed, his face pale. “Vilnus Orlov has known me since I met your father. He’s an old family friend. He’s like a father to me.”

“Oh, sure.” Nikolai’s tone is scathing. “An old family friend who just happens to have his hands on your ass. You can go to hell, Inger. And you better believe I’ll be telling Mikhail about this—”

“No, please, don’t do that.” She begins to sob loudly. “I never should have left Mikhail. I love him. I’m going to ask him to take me back.”

“You’re unbelievable.” Uncle Nicky’s voice is fading. I look out the small window in my room and see him standing in the small tender we use to get to shore. He looks angrier than I’ve ever seen him. “Fuck you, Inger. Screw Vilnus Orlov as much as you want. I don’t care anymore.”

“You’re Masha’s father.”I stare at Vilnus Orlov, mentally matching his face to the paparazzi shots I poured over on the yacht. “You and Mama had an affair, the summer we were on Deda Yuri’s yacht. I remember your face from the paparazzi photos.”

He smiles, that horrible, oily smile that makes me feel sick. “See, Nikolai? Even the Borovsky bitch is smarter than you.”

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