Page 2 of Darkest Game
I look similar to her with my own dark hair and blue eyes but I have some of my father’s features too. It’s the only parts of him I have left.
“Irina,” Mom says in a relieved tone. Probably relieved to see that Denis didn’t beat me after letting me out. Every time me and Ana come to dinner, I notice my mom searching for signs of abuse Denis left behind.
I run into her arms and she wraps me in a fierce hug. “What’s happening? It’s not dinner time. Denis never lets us out this time of the day.”
“I’m not sure. Denis doesn’t tell me anything.”
Denis returns with Ana in tow. She’s grown into a beautiful young woman over these past few years. At seventeen, she’s only a year away from the threat of marriage. I don’t know enough about Natalya’s or Sasha’s marriages to know if they’re happy. I have to hope that they are because if they’re miserable, then there’s no hope for me and Ana.
“What’s going on?” Mom demands, placing her hands on her hips. Ana rushes to her side, knowing that our mom is the only one in the room who will keep us safe.
“I have to leave,” Denis spits out. Clearly, he’s not happy about this.
“Leave? To go where?”
“I have to get out of the country. I’ll be leaving you three.”
My breath hitches. Is Denis really saying what I think he’s saying? That we could finally be free of him? No. I don’t want to get my hopes up.
“You’re going to have to give me more,” Mom says.
Denis shoots her an exasperated look. “Mikhail and Nico are growing stronger by the day with their alliance. I never thought it would last but they’ve proven me wrong. They’re going to kill me. I have to leave for my own protection.”
“And what about us? Where’s our protection?”
“I thought you’d be glad, Tatiana. You won’t have to see me for a long time.”
“What happens to us?” Mom is relentless. She always has been. “After you leave? Are we still kept locked up or…”
“Do whatever the fuck you want,” he growls. “I need to save myself. You three are not worth it.”
I want to smile but Mom still looks worried. She knows something I don’t.
“So, you’re just going to leave?” she demands. “Leave us unprotected from any mafia men who will try to come for us?”
“You don’t want my protection, Tatiana. You’ve never wanted it. You should be on your knees thanking me for protecting you all these years.”
“You protected us?” She scoffs. “When you beat my daughters? That was called protecting us?”
He waves a dismissive hand. “I have to go. I can’t die. I’m going into hiding and I’m not going to tell you where. I don’t want you to tell anyone. My guards will keep an eye on you until I’m out of the city. And then you’re on your own.”
The threat is clear.
The three of us watch as Denis scuttles about the house, grabbing suitcases with him, until he’s ready to go. With one last glare in our direction, he walks out of the house. Two of his guards remain behind to watch us. Their guns are visible.
Mom pulls me and Ana onto the couch with her.
“Mom?” Ana asks. “Isn’t this good news? Why do you look so scared?”
“Because now we have no one to protect us. Yes, Denis did a horrible job. We needed protecting from him. And while I will fight hard for all my daughters, as a woman in this world, I can only do so much. We need a powerful man behind us. But we don’t have anyone.”
“Mikhail and Nico,” I offer. “They’re both powerful. Won’t they protect us?”
She gives me a sad smile. “I’m sure they will try. But their main duty is to your sisters, which I’m happy for. But it means that you and Ana are still at risk. The only way to keep you truly safe is to marry you to a strong mafia man but I’ve lost all my contacts over the years Denis has kept me locked up. And I don’twant to just marry you off the second Denis is truly gone. I want you girls to feel free and happy for once.”
“I have to believe Mikhail and Nico can protect us.”
“You don’t know Mikhail and Nico. I was never happy when Natalya and Sasha married them. I don’t even know how they’ve been treating them over the years. I don’t know anything.”
