Her eyes search mine, seeking the promise of security and warmth I've vowed to provide. "Okay, Mama."
"Good girl." I squeeze her close, her small body a fragile reminder of what's at stake. "Let’s go home," I say, although I use the word loosely. "We’ll figure something out. We always do, right?"
"Right," she echoes, a ghost of a smile on her lips, mirroring my own forced optimism.
We walk back through the desolate streets toward our rickety encampment, past buildings that wear their decay like badges of honor. I fear I’m beginning to have far too much in common with them, and I refuse to let Yara succumb to the same fate.
With each step, I reaffirm my vow to build a future where Yara can thrive—a world away from the shadows of men like Luchenko. One where she never again needs to worry about where her next meal is coming from, or about having shoes on her feet. Or about the dangerous men who lurk in the shadows, waiting to pounce when she's in direst need.
In the quiet that follows, I feel her hand slip into mine—a small lifeline amidst the uncertainty. I squeeze it gently, and in that simple touch lies the weight of all the love and determination I possess.
We'll get through this, together.
Even if it kills me, as it has nearly done so many times.
Chapter 1
Alina
Irap softly on the intricate, mahogany front door of Dominika’s house, my heart drumming with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. This place always feels like stepping into another world—one where the shadows of our past don't linger in the corners, waiting to leap out. An ode to our former life, but without the toxic dangers.
The door swings open, revealing Dominika in all her polished grace.
The sight of her is a comfort. Her sharp, high cheekbones and icy blue eyes would normally intimidate, especially with the way her meticulously microbladed eyebrows boldly frame her face and her full lips exude a perpetually knowing look. But to me, they spell friendship and understanding. The unspoken bond of our shared childhood experience has tethered us together through many storms, and always will.
There was a time when I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ever come here again or resume my friendship with Dominika, given howthings were left off what feels like forever ago. But it’s not her fault she’s related to…him.
"Alina, darling! Come in, come in!" Dominika exclaims, her voice echoing off the marble floors. I step inside, the warmth from the grand foyer wrapping around me like a plush blanket.
She leads me through the hallways adorned with expensive art, to a sunlit parlor where a table is set with a platter of scones and a delicate porcelain teapot. It's surreal, this opulence, compared to our scrappy childhood homes. And compared to the homelessness Yara and I experienced until recently.
"Sit down, make yourself comfortable," Dominika gestures towards a velvet chair, her gold bracelets clinking softly. She pours tea into two intricately decorated porcelain cups, the steam curling up like little spirits dancing.
“So he knows I’m here? I was scared to come, but you insisted…”
“Listen, I don’t delve into my brother-in-law’s mind because that’s a scary place for anyone. But I do know he’s busy wrapping up a big business deal overseas. One of his key men is threatening a mutiny of sorts, and Marie is giving him a hell of a time. He won’t have a spare moment to give you a second thought.”
I smirk at the thought of such a powerful man facing such simple struggles as a nagging wife whom he can’t seem to get rid of. Even the wealthy put their pants on one leg at a time.
"One thing is certain. I need to get us out of here. I can’t keep putting her through this,” I confess, staring into the golden liquid, my thoughts drifting to Yara’s innocent face and the darkness that seems to follow us.
The irony, sitting here with the sister-in-law of the man who caused so much of our pain. But sometimes, we become the closest friends with the blood of our enemies. We’re drawn to what repels us. It's a counterintuitive survival mechanism.
“You know, I’ve been thinking of you, Alina," Dominika says, her voice warm despite her clipped speaking manner. "Brainstorming ways to get you both out of this situation.”
“Well, I’m all ears," I sigh. "I’ve done everything I can think of. Reached out to agencies, applied for every type of assistance I could find." I look down. "Even panhandled. It at least got us into some fairly stable housing and I was able to find a part-time job, but that could be taken away at any moment and it's hardly enough to make ends meet. I can’t risk having the rug pulled out from under Yara again, or your brother-in-law changing his mind.”
I shiver at the thought. Luchenko is cruel. He likes nothing more than putting me on a leash, letting me think that I’m free, and then yanking me back roughly just when I think I have the chance of truly getting away from him. And I worry that as Yara gets older, his sadistic streak is only going to get worse. There’s no way I would put her through what I was forced to endure. No fucking way.
Dominika reaches across the table, her hand warm on mine. "I do have an idea for you, actually. You could try online dating. Find an American man who will take care of you. Eva did that, and now she’s happily married with three American babies and a massive mansion in the United States. Just think… wouldn’t that solve all your problems?” Her eyes shine with a mixture of hope and concern. “You’d be far away, and under someone else’s protection. Not even my brother-in-law would be able to fuck with you with those kind of resources under your fingertips.”
I sigh. “I suppose there’s a chance I could find someone that way. It’s just….”.
“Just what, Alina? I have all the patience in the world for you—you know that—but you’re running out of options. You’re doing so much better than last time I saw you, but like you say, it feelsimpermanent. Luchenko is unpredictable. I regret every day that I can’t do more, but as you know, things are… complicated.”
Dominika is the queen of understatements. My childhood best friend, from the worst part of town just like me, but she took a very different path. Marrying her childhood sweetheart didn't sound like a runway to financial success, but he joined a powerful enterprise and quickly worked his way up the ranks. Alongside his stepbrother. His cruel stepbrother, Luchenko, who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Dominika is one of the lucky ones, that's for sure.
“You’re so lucky, meeting Aleksandr when you were both so young. High school sweethearts.” I smile to emphasize I'm truly happy for my friend. I could never resent her for being with a good man, or having a life that seems like the polar opposite of everything bad about mine.