Page 118 of Vulnerate

I think she’s going to get Ana to do it, they keep whispering to each other. Is she a good shot? I’ve only ever seen her with a knife

I kiss his head and lay him down beside Dani. “Pick a movie little man, I need to help Tali with something.”

He sits and slowly opens his eye. When he sees Dani, he smiles and ignores me. “You want to watch a movie with me Dani?”

She nods and speaks gently, “Yeah, maybe something that isn’t loud though.”

Fuck, my heart grows ten sizes watching them together like they should be. My family is complete, and I know my son. He’s the only person both intelligent and manipulative enough to get Dani to admit the truth.

FORTY-NINE

Daniela

Father and son are on a mission to ruin me as Val leaves the room. Viktor closes his eyes again and lays back down. I wait until the elevator beeps to find out what’s happened. He seemed happy earlier but he’s wincing and won’t open his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

He doesn’t open his eyes as he answers, “I tried to go to my riding lesson, I know my dad said I wasn’t allowed, but I wanted to. It felt like I was going throw up and my eye hurts.”

The lights from the screen will hurt him more so I don’t play anything and turn all the lights off on the central control panel by the bed. It seems to help him, and he takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes once it’s fully dark with only the muted light coming from the hallway. The blinds stop any light getting through the window and he manages to scrutinize my features with one eye.

“Do you love my dad?”

I swear to God, Val is low. I remove the frustration from my voice as I ask, “Did he tell you to ask me?”

Viktor doesn’t blink and his eyelid droops.

“No, it’s just that he doesn’t talk to any girls or have them around him. Well, apart from Nessa and Katya, but they’re his sisters. I wish I had a sister.”

The train of thought of a kid is a wild journey and I ignore the information about his dad. “Don’t you want a brother like your dad?”

He shakes his head and slowly says, “No, I’d have to be like Vlad and look after them. If I had a sister that would be cool. Sometimes I think my dad is lonely.”

Jesus, he can’t stay on one topic and he just gives random pieces of information. He also doesn’t know his dad very well because Val has never been lonely in his life, he’s social and knows everyone.

“I’m sure he’s fine, he always smiles.”

Viktor yawns and it lowers his admission. “Only because you’re here. Before he used to hug me all the time, it was annoying, but I knew he was sad. And he nearly cried when I started school. When you came he was happier, and he stopped needing as many hugs.”

He opens his eye fully and speaks with authority he should not have. “I think my dad loves you so you should tell him that you do too because he’ll be happy then. Even if you don’t, you should say it.”

He’s got his own son to guilt trip me into admitting my feelings. I deflect though. “I thought you weren’t feeling well?”

Viktor smirks and looks at me like he knows I’m full of shit.

“Yeah, my eye hurts not my mouth.”

He’s exactly like his dad and I stroke his hair back hoping it lulls him to sleep. “You’re going to be a mini Valentin aren’t you?”

I understand what Val meant about a fist around his lungs now. It hurts to breathe imagining a moment in time when Viktor is going to be older or outside of the house with no protection.

Despite how much intellect and maturity he has, the world is a horrible place and I want to save him from it. His next words add Val into the bubble I’m going to create.

“No, my dad said I’m not allowed. I said I wanted to be him when I’m older, but he said that I’m better than him.”

Does he actually think of himself that lowly? All the little pieces he’s given me as an adult point to yes and I soften my voice at the sadness on Viktor’s face.

“Well, I think you’re like your dad and it’s not a bad thing.”

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