Page 148 of Dirty Grovel

“W-what do you mean ‘up until now’?”

“Caught that, did you?” He sighs, his anger softening. “I know it may not seem like it and I know it may not be fast enough for you, but heistrying to help, Sutton. He’s doing everything he can to protect you and your sister as well as deal with the Martineks and their campaign against him.”

I bite my lip but Artem doesn’t give me the chance to butt in. “To answer your question, though, Sydney’s no longer behind bars. Oleg’s lawyers managed to work their magic and cite that Sydney was suffering from severe post-traumatic stress as a result of her long-standing abusive relationship with Paul as well as Anton.”

My jaw drops. “So they released her?”

“It’s not as simple as that. The cops and the public want their pound of flesh. Sydney has been transferred to Alice Matlin Psychiatric Institute.”

My eyes go wide. “Apsych ward?!”

“It’s temporary,” he assures me. “It’s more of a rehab center for women with a history of PTSD. I was there yesterday checking the place out and it’s really beautiful.”

“Can I see her?” I ask immediately. “I want to see my sister.”

Artem nods. “That’s why I’m here. I’m to drive you there and back. Oleg’s orders.”

My breath leaves my body in one sharp burst. Blinking back tears, I nod. “Give me a second to get changed.”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

The moment I shut the door, my legs start to buckle. I’m vaguely aware that I might have overreacted in the last few days. Not in general, but at least as far as my behavior toward Oleg was concerned.

I’ve iced him out.

Given him the silent treatment.

Refused to engage in conversation or comfort.

But it seems that, as much of a bitch as I’ve been to him in the last few days, he hasn’t stopped trying to make good on his word to keep both me and my sister safe.

Once I’ve changed into maternity jeans and a billowy white blouse that does a great job of hiding my baby bump, I stare down at my phone, desperate to call Oleg, desperate to hear his voice.

My finger remains poised over the call button for several seconds.

But ultimately, I walk out of the room without ever pressing the button.

“I didn’t just do it for you,” Sydney says, clasping my hand so tight that she’s in danger of cutting off my circulation. “I did it for both of us.”

I shake my head, staring hard into my sister’s eyes, trying to determine, not for the first time, where her head’s at. “Why did you do it at all, Syd?”

“Because I’m the older sister. It’s my job to protect you and over the last few years, I failed at that.”

“That’s not true.”

“I’ve been a victim for so much of my life, Sut,” she continues, her eyes following the ducks in the little pond about ten feet from us. “I didn’t want to go on that way.”

“Surely, there were better ways to do it,” I whisper. “Murdering a man in broad daylight seems kind of counterproductive to your independence, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t thinking all that clearly when I followed you guys to that rest stop. I just knew that I didn’t want you putting yourself at risk like that. It was my mess you were cleaning up, anyway.”

I look back at the hulking white building behind us. “I know your heart was in the right place. I just… Fuck, Syd, it’s complicated.”

Sydney bites her bottom lip. “I suppose I created another mess for you and Oleg?”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. We can deal with it.”

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”

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