Page 6

ARSENI

I thought I’d be satisfied.

I thought all I’d needed was to see her again, to scare her, to remind her I exist.

But I’m not satisfied. If anything, I’m wilting with deprivation.

Screeching to a halt outside my house, I throw my car in park and close my eyes.

The Mustang reeks of overly greasy pizza and invades my nostrils when I take a long, slow inhale.

But it’s no use. I haven’t gotten Margot off my mind since I left her on the roof.

Some deep breathing isn’t going to do it now.

I should’ve killed her. The moment I saw the lack of recognition cross her expression, I should’ve known killing her was the only thing to calm this rage she conjures inside of me. I could’ve cut my losses, pushed her from my mind for good. Forgotten her memory as easily as she’s forgotten mine.

Maybe it was unfair for her that I wore a mask, but I remember so clearly her claiming my voice was one she could never forget. And yet…

Shaking my head, I grab the pizzas from the passenger seat and start across the yard to my front door, my feet kicking up dirt. There was a patch of grass around here at some point that my roommates and I have since let die.

When I reach the door, a faint, familiar clicking sound turns my head. The neighbor kid locks eyes with me while he taps his stick against the wooden step to what I guess is his door. The house has been vacant and decrepit since I moved in. Now the homeless have claimed it.

For a moment, I just stare, my head tilting. I wait to see if he’ll walk over here, but I know he won’t. This is the first time he’s intentionally sought my attention. If I hadn’t been distracted by my thoughts when I walked up, I would’ve seen him on my own, my eyes naturally gravitating that way.

I walk to the end of my porch and open up the top pizza box.

I wrap one of the slices in a napkin and go to place it on the ground but then pause when I’m halfway bent.

A man’s shout followed by glass breaking pulls my eyes up to the second story window of the squatter house.

When I look back at the kid, he doesn’t appear to have flinched.

With a sigh, I toss the slice back inside the box and set the whole thing on the ground. I carry the remaining box inside, the smell of pot hitting me in the face the moment the door opens.

My roommates, Zinovy and Fox, lounge on the couch with an Xbox controller in each of their hands. Their bloodshot eyes are fully concentrated on the TV, but when I drop the pizza on the coffee table, Fox looks up.

“What the fuck, man? Where’s the rest?”

I hike a shoulder and head for the fridge.

“How do you always fuck this shit up?” Fox asks, exasperated. “Seriously, it’s every time.”

Zinovy hums in agreement but doesn’t take his eyes off the TV.

I pull a beer from the otherwise bare fridge and use the counter to pop the cap off.

The bottle doesn’t make it to my lips before someone steps from the hallway, wiping his hands on his pants like the courtesy hand rag is too dirty for him.

It’s typical for Luka. Nothing is good enough for the prick.

My eyes narrow to slits as I clench the glass bottle, cold condensate wetting my hand.

“Hey, I’m not sharing with your guest,” Fox says around a mouthful of pizza. “That shit comes out of your portion.”

“Luka isn’t staying.” Zinovy finally tosses the remote down and gives me an apologetic look. I ignore it, moving my gaze back to Luka as he walks toward me.

I take a swig of beer and lean against the counter.

“Hey,” Luka says with a nod.

I lift a hand while raising my brows. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.”

We need to talk . So confident. So commanding. So predictable .

“Oh?”

He sighs, folding his arms over his chest. The confidence he oozed a moment ago begins to fade, and his hardened face cracks with a frown. “Five minutes… Please .”

“No.”

A huff blows past his lips as he drops his hands to his sides. His frown flattens. “You love this shit, don’t you? Watching me grovel. How long is it going to be before you get over yourself?”

How long will it be before I get over myself?

What level of arrogance does it take to be unable to comprehend that somebody might not want to be around you?

I shake my head. “It isn’t you I’d like to see grovel. If you want results, you should send your sister over… Or Lucia.”

His eyes pop at the mention of his wife, his face reddening. I don’t even bother smirking at the reaction. Nothing used to get to him. Now, it’s too easy.

“Shut your fucking mouth,” he says, knocking my beer out of my hand when I go to take another drink.

The bottle shatters on the kitchen tile, soaking the bottom of my shoes in beer.

I laugh when Luka grips me by my shirt and shoves me against the counter, towering over me with so much anger, a jolt of excitement puffs my chest.

I wish he’d hit me. For months, I’ve wished he’d hit me. Anything to give me a reason to hit back.

“Do we have a problem?” Zinovy asks, walking up behind Luka. Fox hovers behind him.

“Whoops,” I whisper to Luka, my smile pulling wide. “You forgot you were in my house.”

His hand shakes with anger as he lets me go and takes a step back. He runs a hand through his hair while closing his eyes.

“ Pussy .”

He doesn’t react to the remark. My smile falling, I grab another beer from the fridge and head to my room. Like a fucking dog, Luka follows.

No, not like a dog. I like dogs. He’s more of an ugly duckling.

Roscoe, Fox’s pit bull, is laying on my bunched-up comforter when I walk in. He perks his head up, and when I cluck my tongue with false disapproval, he hops off the bed and goes to me. I set my beer down to scratch behind Roscoe’s ears while Luka stands in the doorway.

“This place is disgusting,” he says. I can just see him scrunching his nose.

I hum as if I’ve just noticed. “Maybe If I had a sexy little Latina to pick up after me?—”

My words cut off as Luka jerks me by my shoulder and shoves my back against the wall.

For a moment, I’m certain he’s going to throw a punch.

His fist is clenched and reared, his lip curled with a snarl.

I lift my chin and wait for it, beg for it, but the coward just shakes his head and lowers his fist.

“I love you,” he says through gritted teeth. “You’re my brother… But if you keep talking about my wife like this, I swear to God, you’ll regret it.”

“Too vague.” I lift my chin, my voice low and mocking. “Tell me what you’ll do, big man. You gonna sick your brother-in-law on me or do you think you’ll finally grow a pair?”

Luka rears back and stutters out a taunting laugh. “You think I’m the one hiding behind power?” He scoffs. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing with Nikita?”

I show my palms. “Enlighten me, oh wise one. What have you heard?”

“Doesn’t matter what I’ve heard. I know you. All the guy had to do to get you by the balls was tell you that you’re special.”

Fire flickers in my veins, heating my ears. I open my mouth, but Luka continues before I can tell him to fuck himself.

“I bet he makes you feel real important,” Luka drawls. “Probably tells you how different you are. How much smarter you are than the rest of us. Meanwhile, you’re such a fucking idiot you can’t see he’s lubing you up before he fucks you.”

I nod, my lips puckering. “Nice metaphor.”

“Goddamn it, Arseni. I’m serious .” Grinding his teeth, he rubs at stubble on his jaw. When he drops his hand, he sighs. “If you’re not careful, the guy is going to eat you alive. You don’t mean anything to him.”

I shrug. “Well, it’s convenient then that I don’t mean anything to anyone . What do I have to lose?”

“Your life.”

I mock gasp at the drama in his tone and flatten my hand on my chest. “Should I be scared?”

“Yes,” Luka growls. “The engineer Vitaly tried to hire just ordered a restraining order against him. I know that shit was because of you.”

“Okay.”

“Vitaly is in charge now. Get it through your boss’s head before he gets you killed. If you keep running side jobs for Nikita, it’s you who’s going to end up paying for his bullshit.”

I open my mouth but hold the words in while I study Luka’s expression. He’s angry, for sure. I obviously botched the job with the engineer.

But he also looks worried.

“Well…” I tip my head to the side. “I guess it’s a good thing I have the Pakhan’s brother-in-law to look out for me, huh?”

Luka lets out a frustrated burst of air. “There’s only so much I can do.”

My lips curve into a bitter smile, and I just stare at him. I could stab him right now, stab those self-righteous eyes right out of his skull.

The sad part is, he actually believes that we’re brothers. That what he feels is love . But the thing about Luka, the thing his wife would be devastated to realize… He isn’t capable of loving anyone but himself.

“I get it.” I nod. “You gotta do what you gotta do to thrive, right?”

He closes his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. Always frustrated. Always disappointed. He can’t bear it when someone won’t do what he wants. He can’t bear the idea of me no longer being under his thumb, no longer following his orders.

“This isn’t about me,” Luka finally says. “I’ve been going to bat for you. But tensions are growing between Nikita and Vitaly, and everyone knows you’re the lap dog. You have to stop.”

“I never started.”

Luka’s face flushes. “Don’t?—”

“I didn’t lay a hand on that engineer,” I say, palm-to-bible while staring carefully into Luka’s eyes. “I’ve never even seen his face.”

Luka stares at me warily like he’s searching for the truth, but we both know he’s already made up his mind that I’m lying. He’s only half wrong.

A minute passes before he steps back and shakes his head. After another disgruntled sigh, he turns. “I gotta go.”

As he leaves my sight, I poke my head out the door. “Say hi to the missus for me!”

The front door slams moments later.

I turn and look down at Roscoe wagging his tail, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“Aren’t you supposed to be an attack dog?” I ask, tsking at him. I crouch to pet his head and pull my face away when he tries to lick me.

It’s funny. Luka’s presence almost always spoils my mood, but this time feels different in spite of his ominous warning. He’s finally brought me some good news.

“You know what this means, right?” I ask Roscoe, scratching behind his ears. He hits me with his paw while panting.

“It means Ms. Stevens didn’t do her job.”

My lips curve with a smile when he manages to lick my nose.

I bring his head to my chest and ruffle his side.

He laps up the attention until we both hear a mouse squeak.

Roscoe barks and snarls as he rushes to my dresser, pressing his snout to the bottom and sniffing.

He snarls and claws while the mouse squeaks louder, its fear audible between species.

I stand and watch Roscoe with interest, knowing he won’t stop until he catches his prey. He’ll go at it for hours if I let him. He’ll refuse to eat, not allow anyone in this house a wink of sleep, and irritate the squatters so much they’ll wish they could call the cops.

Maybe some would call it overly aggressive or annoying, but I get the obsession. Hell, I feel the same way.

I shut my door when Fox yells his dissatisfaction, then go to my dresser. After patting Roscoe away, I get on my belly and shine my phone’s flashlight beneath. The scared little thing is trembling at the back corner.

Turning my head to the side, I reach in and grab the rodent, groaning when it bites the shit out of my hand. Standing, I grab its tail and dangle it above Roscoe. He barks and jumps, but when it’s clear I’m not going to let him snatch it, he sits and wags his tail like a good little psycho.

He catches the mouse when I drop it for him, and I sit on my bed and watch the violence unfold, feeling the first bit of ease since last night when I left Margot. It’s unfortunate for her that I’m a man of my word.

Maybe this time, she’ll remember me.