Page 26 of Inevitable Endings
Ada studies me for a moment, and I know she’s turning over my words in her head, trying to fit them into whatever picture she has of me, of my past.
“What happened?”
I swallow, shifting the bowl of soup in my lap, suddenly finding it hard to meet her gaze. My mouth feels dry, and my pulse thrums in my ears like a distant drumbeat.
“He broke out,” I say finally. “One night, without warning. Set the entire prison on fire, burned everything with it.”
Ada doesn’t react, but I can feel the way her breathing changes, how she’s holding herself still, waiting for me to continue.
“I thought Nick died that night too,” I admit, my voice quieter now. “But apparently he didn’t.” I shake my head, exhaling sharply. “I don’t know who Nick really is. We kept it professional, and I was only there for a month. I never asked questions. But I ran when I saw Aslanov break out, when I saw what he did.”
I can still see it if I close my eyes; the thick smoke curling into the freezing air, the way the snowflakes melted before they even hit the ground.
Everyone was lined up in the courtyard, zip-tied, their heads bowed under the weight of something far worse than fear.
I was supposed to be with them.
But I ran.
My feet were freezing, my breath came out in ragged gasps, and I could hear the shouting behind me, the way orders werebeing barked like gunfire.
Aslanov had ordered his men to bring me to him. But eventually, he came for me himself.
I feel my cheeks heat as I say it, as I let the words out into the stillness of the room.
Ada shifts beside me, her voice careful. “And then?”
I force myself to meet her eyes. “I thought… I thought he was going to leave me there too. Let me burn with the rest of them.” My voice wavers, just slightly. “But my pleas, I don’t know what it was, Ada. Maybe something shifted in him. Or maybe I was just an afterthought.”
“But he didn’t leave me there.” I take a shaky breath. “He carried me out. Put me in his car and…”
I close my eyes, the memory thick and suffocating.
“And he drugged me.”
Ada’s breath catches.
“I woke up in a cell. Somewhere in one of his houses, or hideouts, or whatever the hell it was.” I swallow hard. “I had no idea where I was. No idea what he wanted from me.”
“I spent some time in that cell,” I murmur. “I don’t know how long. Days, maybe weeks. It all blurred together.” I exhale sharply. “I was losing it. Having panic attacks back to back. Sometimes, I’d scream until my throat felt raw. Other times, I’d just sit there, too numb to move. But he never physically hurt me.”
Ada’s hand slides over mine, grounding me. I glance at her but don’t stop. It’s like a dam that has broken, all the water spilling out from my lips.
“One night, I was having a severe attack. Couldn’t breathe. Everything was spinning, and I thought I was going to die right there in that cell.” My voice drops lower. “And then… he came in. Carried me out.”
Ada blinks, her expression unreadable.
“He calmed me down,” I continue. “Held me until I stopped shaking.” I shake my head slightly, scoffing at the absurdity of it. “And then he cooked for me.”
A soft, humorless laugh slips out. “It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Like something a psychopath would do.”
Ada doesn’t laugh. She just studies me carefully, her fingers still curled around mine.
“That’s when I started to piece things together,” I go on. “I found out he had ties to the Bratva. That he wasn’t just some nameless prisoner. But he told me he couldn’t kill me, and he couldn’t keep me locked up forever, either. So eventually…” I swallow. “He let me go.”
Ada tilts her head. “Just like that?”
I nod slowly. “Let me run loose. But under one condition; I couldn’t tell anyone. Not what happened, not what he looked like.” My throat tightens. “But the truth is, at the time, I still didn’t even know his name. I only knew he was dangerous.”
