Page 65 of Dark Embers

He chuckles, understanding.

We start walking through the mall, and Ivan's phone rings. When he steps aside to answer, my phone buzzes, and I’m surprised to see it's a message from Sam. I haven’t heard from him in weeks and was getting worried about him too.

Sabrina, what the fuck are you doing in Moscow? You're in danger.

While I’m reading the message, someone bumps into me, slipping something into my hand. Startled, I turn, but the person has vanished. I open my hand to find a small black flip phone with my name on a sticky note.

Go back to the bathroom and wait for my call.

Damn. I've just spent ten minutes in there; Ivan will think I'm incontinent.

“Ivan,” I whisper as he is still on his call. “I have to pee again. Sorry, it only trickled out last time.”

The big Russian isn't embarrassed; he nods and walks me to the door. I slip inside and wait.

The phone rings, and when I answer, I’m relieved to hear it’s Sam and I didn’t just accept some phone from a random stranger about to make me plant a bomb in a vending machine or something.

“What the fuck are you doing in Moscow?” he hisses. “Jesus, Sabrina, the first time you went to Russia, you were taking a huge chance, but that was in the ass end of the country. Now you're in Moscow!”

“I had no option. Where the fuck have you been?”

“I can't explain. But you and Elena are in danger; you have to get out of there.”

“I'll speak to Oleksi.”

“No, you can't,” Sam warns. “I have someone with him who will extract him, but you and Elena are the priority. Don't fight me on this, little missy, because staying there is putting Oleksi in danger too.”

I snort. “Yeah, right. Do you forget who he is? He's Bratva; no one's going to mess with him.”

“Sweetheart,” Sam says, “the people you're in danger from are the monsters that make monsters run and hide.”

A cold shiver creeps up my spine.

“Who are we in danger from?” I demand.

“We'll talk when you're safe,” Sam tells me. “Tomorrow, you'll ask Syd to go with you when you take Elena for her usual walk in the afternoon. Go to the end of Zaryadye Park near the entrance by Varvarka Street. You're about to be erased so those monsters think you and Elena are dead. Do you understand?”

“Why?” I ask again, alarm ripping through me.

“We'll talk when you're safe,” Sam repeats. “And Sabrina, you can't tell anyone about this. Now, do I have your word you'll be there?”

My heart pounds, nausea swirls, and all I can see are those two pink lines in my mind’s eye. I place a hand on my belly, realizing I now have two precious lives to protect.

“What about Oleksi?” I ask.

“I promise you, we'll get him out of Moscow as soon as you and Elena are safe. Your erasure can't look suspicious. Honey, you're putting him in terrible danger, not to mention Elena.”

I take a deep, shaky breath. “Okay. Tomorrow at three.”

“Hide this phone, and I'll see you soon,” he says, hanging up.

With shaky legs, I find Ivan.

I know I should’ve pretended to be tired or feigned sleep when Oleksi came to find me, but I couldn’t. I want… no need this last night with him.

I’m racked with guilt, my heart feels like it’s breaking, and my soul is clinging to the hope that I’d hallucinated Sam’s call today. I don’t want to leave him. I know it’s crazy and like my mother warned he’ll probably end up breaking my heart. But being with him feels like home—where I belong—with him—Oleksi. I know I’ll always belong to him and now I have a part of him growing inside me.

I knew on the second day in Moscow that he'd stolen my heart, and now I'm about to break the trust we've built to keep him, our unborn child, and Elena safe. I swallow and clear all thoughts from my mind.Don’t think about tomorrow, Sabrina, there is only here and now.

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