Page 110 of Vulnerate

He doesn’t stop moving as his uncle lifts him through the window into Valentin’s arm. Who doesn’t look at me. Out of everything that’s what hurts. Tali has a lump in his throat and tries to climb down as soon as Vlad lifts me off the ground. There’s no sarcastic comment as he walks to the window and evenly says, “You might have a concussion, stay awake.”

Is that why my head is so heavy? It hurts and I can only blink one eye at a time.

Vlad lifts me through the window and Tali pulls me through. I nearly laugh again until I see Val, still not looking at me. I’m swaying on my feet, trying to draw in air when Tali sucks in a breath and sounds more violent than ever.

“Arms around my neck, I’ve got you.”

Lifting me up he’s careful not to touch my back and my tears flow as the muted sounds of gunshots ring out making me flinch.Tali kisses my temple as Val argues with his son over going back inside. His voice is closer, allowing my ears to pick up the sound.

“You’re going to be okay, stay awake for me, yeah?”

FORTY-FIVE

Valentin

Tali doesn’t let go of Dani as I do the same with a raging Viktor. I cup the back of my kid’s head as he keeps fighting me and twisting his body, so I let him go. I’m not going to do it, I’ll keep holding him until he’s seventy-five and I know that he’s safe. I can’t do the same to my Dani because there’s blood all over her back. Both of them are bloody and I can only see one of my son’s eyes. The first time I held him his eyes freaked me out and now it’s worse with blood trickling from the tail of his brow.

Dima is pissed but he doesn’t argue with Vlad’s order for us all to get home. Even Katya and Ana are full of anger but manage to keep quiet as they share one seat at the front.A little hand pushes at my chin and Viktor keeps arguing in the silent car.

“We can’t leave him, let me go. I’ll help.”

I force the fear out of my tone, and he looks up at his name before I continue, “Viktor. You know the rules, what the Vor says is what we do.”

It’s a crock of fucking shit but Vlad will survive. He’s too controlling not to.

Dani’s cries are fucking gutting me. If I look at the blood soaking through her clothes I’ll breakdown in front of these fucks. I can feel Viktor’s soaking through my fucking shirt. Kissing the top of his head, I rub circles on his back feeling his heartbeat against my palm. He’s too fucking young to be holding a knife, both of them are too innocent to be bloody and bruised. Too good and better than every fucker on this planet.My eyes close as I hug him tighter, and my chin drops to my chest. His voice is low as he apologizes for something that’s not his fault.

“I tried to stop it, but I wasn’t strong enough.”

I kiss his head and swallow around the lump in my throat.

“You were,” I softly agree. “You done good little man, you’re strong and brave, okay?”

He doesn’t nod.

I hate this life. I hate the words strong and weak. We’ve all been careful not to use the word weak in front of him after a childhood of our dickhead father spitting it out every chance he got, but strong has the same connotations.

Everyone moves as one as we pull up outside the house. Slow and sluggish at the same time. Holding Viktor with one hand, I stretch my arm out blindly reaching for Dani and cupping the back of her head. Tali doesn’t act like a prick for once and stays in step with me, so I don’t have to let either of them go.

The place is fucked, I don’t remember doing it but there’s not a single surface free from damage. My stomach drops seeing the smudged bloody footprints. Inessa. Fuck, she was alone. Ana notices at the same time as me and nods her head doing a full check. All the floors are alarmed, and nothing went off, but I don’t trust anyone.

Sitting Viktor and Dani in the kitchen I turn without looking at them. I’m a selfish cunt, they were only with those fuckers for 6 hours but the violence they saw is more than I can stomach. Grabbing all of the first aid shit, I dump it on the table as the front door bursts open. Inessa runs through unharmed with a burner in her hand, stopping in the foyer she holds it to her ear and visibly relaxes.

My entire family has gone to shit in one night. One fucking night and it gets worse when she repeats Vlad’s words.

“He said he’ll be home in the morning.”

The bastard has code words for everything, and I move forward demanding, “What were his exact words?” Holding her shoulder, I drop down, so we’re eye to eye like I’ll be able to find the answer on her face. “Inessa, tell meexactlyword for fucking word what he said.”

Proof of how fucked everything is in the fact she doesn’t slap the shit out of me.She speaks slowly, her brows coming closer together with each word of his death.

“He said go to sleep, I’ll be there when you wake up.”

Turning to look at Tali, he pauses with his hand outstretched towards the gauze and Dima comes in, guiding the doctors through. Seeing our expressions, Dima’s fill with confusion, and I repeat the bullshit, “Vlad said go to sleep.”

His features harden and he nods once, leaving to do as he was instructed.

The selfish fucking prick can’t just fucking die and leave this shit on my fucking shoulders when my woman and son need me. Leaving Tali to watch the doctors and make sure they’re doing what the fuck they should, I delay the calls and pull Dima into the office.

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