Page 67 of Grace of Spades
Ruby is already up and cooking up a feast. Her face splits into a grin when I enter and she hurries over bringing me into a warm hug.
"Go get something to eat, sweetheart." She smiles. I sit down and fill my plate with her glorious food and dig in. I'm so lost in my head that I don't notice Andras and Christian enter both in respectable black suits while I am in my workout gear. I know I'm going to need to work out these feelings or I am going to be overloaded and do something I'll regret at the funeral. Preventative maintenance, if you will.
"Grace?" I startle looking up with my hand stopping halfway to a knife when I recognize it's Andras talking to me.
"Sorry, yeah?" I manage. I see everyone's frown.
"Come on, Grace. Let's go work that shit out." Andras says, gesturing for me to stand before bringing me under his arm. That alone almost makes me crack.
We leave everyone and head to the gym.I watch as he takes off his tie and jacket and rolls up his shirt sleeves.
"Come on, Grace. Let's go." He commands bringing his brow down in concentration and his body into a defensive position. I am so lucky to be here.
I charge in and start aiming blows to his chest and arms. He blocks every one of them. I jump back to reevaluate him and see him charging for me. I block a hit to my side and a knee to my gut that I take advantage of throwing my foot into his grounded leg making him lose balance. I hit him again and again and again hitting home every time before I can't see or breathe because I'm crying too hard.
Fuck!
I wipe my face stepping back to collect myself. But arms wrap around me and hold me together.
"It's okay to show this. You're safe here. You can let go with us." He assures me which is apparently the password to unlock the blubbering mess that used to be Grace. My knees give out and Andras comes with me sinking to the mats.
"Tell me what you're thinking?" He suggests.
"How did they die? I don't even know." I admit.
"They were killed because they didn't pay their debts." He explains.
"Who?"
"Bratva." Mr. Chekhov killed my parents? Well, he probably had someone else kill them. I should send him a fruit basket or something.
"How did they die?" I ask before realizing this is his little sister I'm talking about. "I'm sorry you don't have to answer-"
"They were both beaten then shot in the head." He says stifflyand suddenly I know I'm going to Hell because every tense muscle in my body relaxes. It was painful and messy. They got what they deserved. I am awful.
"What did they do to you, Grace?" He asks, holding me closer to him.
"A lot." I hedge.
"Please, Grace? I need to know who I'm burying today." He pleads. I get that. I take a deep breath and hope to all that is good in the world that I'm doing the right thing.
"So, you know the scars you asked about the other day?" He nods slowly. "The first one. I didn't tell you the whole story. I was... I was ten when that happened. I needed Mom to sign a form for school. She wasbusywith Dad's friend, so she threw a vodka bottle at me, it shattered against the wall and the shrapnel caught me. I had to pick all the glass out of it while mom stayed on the couch with her... friend." I explain. I feel Andras grow still beside me.
"And the other?" Shit.
"That one is hard for me to explain," I admit.
"Please?" He presses through clenched teeth.
"Whenever I was bad or in the way, I was sent to this guy's house. And he would... play. He would cut me up and then nurse me back to health. Later on, I found out that he would buy me for a week to do it so Mom and Dad could buy their drugs. I was his favourite." I admit my voice is small and full of pain and hatred.
"Fuck. When did he do this?"
"The first time was when I was seven the last was when I was twelve," I admit.
"Fucking... Jesus. I'm so sorry I let that happen!" He says bringing me back into his arms and now we're both falling apart. My tearshave renewed.
"You didn't even know I existed. Do not blame yourself. Besides, I have plans for him." I assure him.
