Page 72 of Disgraced (Russian Sinners 3)

Scarlett

Ileaned against the locked door in the bathroom and slid down onto the tile. All the years of feeling loved and cherished by my parents and now that I needed them, my father refused me. He left me to my own devices. Well, if those two men think I’d take it lying down, they better think again.

Damn, this hurt! I felt alone and abandoned.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat in the bathroom lost with my thoughts when a door knock startled me.

For a fraction of a second, I hoped it was Sergei. The notion so stupid, I would have laughed if I had it in me.

“Scarlett?” A woman’s voice called out that I didn’t recognize.

“Yes?” I answered hesitantly.

“I’m Sonia,” she answered like that should mean something to me. “I met your friend Anastasia. She told me a lot about you.”

I didn’t bother getting up, just unlocked the door and scooted away from it, so she could open it. On the other side of the door was a young woman. She was very pretty, with dark hair and big sparkling blue eyes. Actually, scratch that. She wasn’t just very pretty. She was beautiful.

“Can I come in?” Her voice was soft, asking for permission.

I nodded, and she squeezed in, and sat down onto the floor, opposite of me. I shut the bathroom door again.

“Why are you here and how do you know Anastasia?” I asked her suspiciously.

“I work for Sergei,” she responded.First strike!“His brothers rescued Anastasia and brought her to Sergei’s place. She mentioned you and Olivia… a lot. Then Sergei sent me over here but I had to help my parents first.”

“Oh.”

“Are you okay?” There was honest concern in her voice but I felt raw. How was a person supposed to answer a question like that? My father and Sergei arranged a marriage, without consulting me. I fell in love with a man four weeks ago, but he deceived me and concealed that he was my future husband. And then to top it all off, there wasn’t a trace of the man I fell in love with in this Sergei that came back.

“I guess so,” I ended up answering. “Anastasia called the day before yesterday.”

“Yeah, Sergei’s house was attacked,” Sonia stretched her legs. “I am guessing they must have thought it was coming, and it was the reason he sent me here. I worried about them but they always come through.”

“They do?” What did she mean, Sergei’s house was attacked?

“Yes, they do,” she replied. “And because Anastasia was with them, I knew she’d be safe too. Besides, Dimitry would never let anything happen to her.”

I frowned, not following exactly. “Who is Dimitry?”

“That’s Sergei’s brother. Dimitry and Nikolai are his brothers.” I was just about to ask a question, when she continued. “Well, not real brothers. Those three grew up together in an orphanage. From what I gather, they always stuck together.”

I looked at her in surprise. I was certain Sergei didn’t tell me that bit about himself. Truthfully, he hadn’t told me much of anything about himself.

“Why did you say Dimitry wouldn’t let anything happen to Anastasia?”

She chuckled. “Honestly, I have no basis for saying that,” she whispered like either one of them could hear us. “But the air just sizzled when those two would look at each other.”

“Sizzled?”

“Yes,” she chuckled again, like it was the funniest thing. “He was basically devouring her with his eyes. I have to admit, out of the three of them… he was the most stoic so maybe that’s why it stood out so much. Don’t know.”

Did Anastasia mention she liked him during our brief phone call? No, I wouldn’t have forgotten that.

“Hmmm, I’ll have to ask Anja if she likes him,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Oh, she likes him,” Sonja replied with certainty. “Trust me, she likes him very much.”

“I guess he is Russian too?” I asked her, and my voice sounded a tad bit bitter and angry. “And part of the mob?”

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