Page 8 of Darkest Desire
Gritting my teeth so I can’t make any noise, I force my arms to work and pull myself upright. I get my whole body on thebranch right before one of the guards comes back into the yard. He stands still for a moment, like he can sense something is off.
I stick as close to the tree as I can. He looks all around the backyard but fortunately, he doesn’t think to look up.
Now I have to wait for the guards to rotate again.
My back starts to hurt being stuck in the tree, crouched like I am. The guard lights a cigarette. The smoke fills my nostrils, making me gag. I clamp my hand over my mouth so he can’t hear me. I’m just going to have to get used to the smell while I wait.
The guard plays on his phone. So much for being on guard. I guess there’s really nothing else to do while he stands in the empty backyard. Most people wouldn’t dare to attack this place with how many guards there are. It’s why Mikhail hasn’t tried. I think he could easily kill the guards if he wanted to but he doesn’t want to put me and my sisters into danger.
That comes from Natalya, I’m sure. She would sacrifice herself to save our lives. But so would I.
That day, when I saw Nico kill Cillian Kennedy, my sister was being forced to marry him, thinking Mikhail was dead. But after Nico killed him and him and Mikhail turned their guns on Denis, my uncle forced me and my sisters to stand in front of him. All except Natalya.
Nico was going to shoot. He was going to easily kill us all if it meant killing Denis.
Until Natalya threw herself in front of us, getting him to stop. Mikahil would never endanger his wife so he told Nico not to shoot.
That was when I made the decision to leave with Denis. Return home with him. I knew it was the only way to keep myself safe. To keep my entire family safe.
I saw the pain on Natalya’s eyes as her entire family were forced to leave with the man who ruined us. Who put us in these situations in the first place.
That was the last time I saw my big sister. I’m sure she’s fighting to get us back but it’s been a little less than a year since that day and nothing. I’m starting to lose faith in her.
The guard finally leaves after about an hour. That’s my small window of chance.
I lower my body over the branch, clinging to it before I drop to the ground. My feet smack into the earth, making me fall over. It makes a loud thud sound. I want to hold still but if a guard heard that, I’m screwed.
My eyes are locked onto the back gate and I run to it with all of my might. Since Denis has a ton of guards around the place, he probably never figured me or my sisters would get out of here so it’s easy to unlock the back gate. I hurry out of it right as a guard comes around the house.
I close the gate as quietly as I can. It’s unlocked from the inside. Someone will eventually notice. But I plan on being long gone by then.
With no money or phone on me, I have no way to get to my sister. No way to pay for a cab or pay for a ticket for the subway.
It’s dangerous being outside at night, especially in New York.
I run with everything I have in case any of the guards have realized something is amiss.
I see a bodega in the distance – still on – even this late at night. The sign on their door says they’re open all day and night. Bursting inside, I startle the cashier.
“I need to use your phone,” I gasp out, trying to catch my breath. He stares at me, not amused. “Your phone.”
“Why can’t you use your own phone?”
“Please. Someone took it from me. I’m in danger. I need to use your phone to call for help. Please.”
He seems to realize this is a serious situation and slowly hands over his phone. But before he puts it in my hand, he rips it away. “How do I know you’re not trying to steal it?”
“Do I look like I’m trying to steal it?” Damn New Yorkers. They never trust anybody. “Please. I need help. You have my camera. You can easily call the police on me if I steal your phone. But I’m not going to do that. I just need help.”
He sighs. “Fine.”
The moment the phone is in my hands, I call Natalya’s number. My mom always made us remember each other’s numbers in case of an emergency. You never know when you’ll be without your cell phone, she would say. Ana would look horrified at the thought. She used to be obsessed with her phone but ever since Denis took them from us, she’s had to find different ways to pass the time. It was a struggle for her at first but she’s really come around to drawing.
I hear Natalya’s phone ring and ring. “Please pick up,” I mutter, bouncing on my feet. The cashier continues to look at me.
I walk over to the side, putting some space between us.
After four rings, Natalya finally picks up. “Hello?”
