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Chapter  23
ALEXEI
Standing in front of the window in our bedroom, I check the tracking device I had slotted between the diamond and the band of Isabella’s engagement ring. It shows she’s in Panama.
She hasn’t taken the ring off.
“What’s in Panama, baby?” I whisper as I watch the dot flash. It hasn’t moved for the last twenty-four hours.
Letting out a sigh, I shove my phone back in my pocket and stare out at the garden as the sun rises.
What a fucking mess.
My teeth tug at my bottom lip as I try to come up with a way of convincing Isabella not everything was a lie.
There’s a soft tap on the bedroom door, and when I glance over my shoulder, Demitri comes in.
“How are you holding up?” he asks as he comes to stand next to me.
“I’ll survive.”
Somehow.
The thought of Isabella not being a part of my life is too unbearable to even consider.
“I’ll find a way to get her back.”
“You might not be able to,” Demitri warns.
“I’ll find a way,” I say with certainty. “She can’t hate me forever.”
“How would you have reacted if you were in her position?” Demitri asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I didn’t force her,” I mutter.
I’m not my father.
“Answer the question.”
Letting out a sigh, I try to put myself in Isabella’s shoes. Then I shake my head and glare at Demitri. “I wouldn’t be as pissed about it as she is.”
Demitri lifts an eyebrow at me. “What if you were in Isabella’s position, but instead of it being Isabella, your memory returns, and you come face to face with Sonia.”
“What the actual fuck,” I snap at him. “That’s just twisted, brother. Anyone else but Sonia.”
“Isabella considered you the enemy, and then she spent two months falling for the charismatic version of you while you had your way with her. I can only imagine what a fucking shock it must’ve been for her. I told you not to do it.”
Rage explodes through my veins. Turning to face Demitri, my features tighten. He assumes the same position, and then we stare at each other, tension building between us.
Then my body shudders as the memories from my past crawl to the surface like rotten corpses.
I can hear Papa slapping Mama. It’s the only sound echoing through the house because she never cries out loud.
I glance at my baby brother, glad he’s asleep, and then I sneak out of the room. As I creep closer to the stairs, the awful sounds of Papa hitting her become louder. Reaching the railing, I crouch down and peek down.
Papa has his favorite gun in his hand, using it to hit Mama. I bite my bottom lip when I see all the blood.
Stop.
My face crumbles, and I almost cry out to Papa to stop, but then he points the gun at Mama. She turns her face toward me, and it hurts to see how badly Papa has beaten her.
“Close your eyes,” she cries, her eyes locked on me.
I can’t, Mama.
A bang makes my body jerk, and then my heart pounds out of my chest as I watch Papa glare up at me.
“You never hesitate to pull the trigger, Alexei. When someone betrays you, you kill them. Got it?”
I can’t nod as my eyes move to Mama.