Page 109 of Deadly Knight

My scars are becoming no more than memories—exactly like that night.

I’m winning.

“Nearly two weeks.Your Pakhan hasn’t come for you.”

I remain silent, glaring into the dark in the direction the door is, having been awake long enough before they switched off the lights. A simple torture trick to fuck with the prisoner’s senses and concept of time.

“Shame. Nothing we do to you—physically, that is—seems to harm you.”

Oh, I’m in agonizing pain. My body burns from the abuse. I’m simply not giving them what they want because hiding the pain is my power. My cards are held close to my chest.

Truth is, staying awake is getting harder and harder each passing day. My head feels busted, like they’ve given me a concussion—which, probably. My eyes are swollen, one nearly shut, yet closing it entirely and allowing my face that reprieve almost hurts as much as trying to see through it. I’m weak, drained of too much blood, with very little food intake. All my limbs remain attached, which speaks to their lack of creativity. After two weeks, anyone I held captive wouldn’t be alive any longer.

“Seems we’ll have to break you psychologically. Your father always said you were too weak, and it’s time to see how correct he was.”

Steps pace away.

I hang my head and draw my legs up, back leaning against the bars.

They won’t break me. They can’t.

I won’t be broken as long as I keep picturing my girl’s face.

Dinner is spent with Nora,after weeks of avoiding any outings since returning to Toronto. Besides the occasional drop-in to my office, which always seem to get interrupted, we haven’t had time to talk in length.

She tells me Caleb abruptly quit days after I went on what she’s referring to as ‘a random vacation’. His email still remains unanswered because I never did anything with it.

Now that he’s quit, his company email would have been deactivated, and the knowledge of it lets me breathe. I’ll never be expected to answer him, and hope I never run into him on the street.

Ivan gave him a choice between two women in his life, and he chose the one he loves, even if they’re not together any longer.

Realistically, if the choice were between him and Dimitri, even with Dimitri out of my life again, Caleb would have been sacrificed.

So, I get it, but I’m pleased the pressure to respond has disappeared.

After dinner, I’m walking the long way back home when my phone rings, theUnknown Callerlabel making me pause. Typically, I ignore those calls because they’re probably spam or annoying telemarketers, but this one, something has me clicking to answer.

“Hello?” A greeting underlined with an unspokenwho is this?

“Katya,privet.” Hello. “It’s Vanessa.”

A person I never thought I’d hear from again. The past immediately slams into me with every memory from a month ago. Ofhim.

But instead of panicking, I find myself smiling into the phone’s mouthpiece. “Oh, hi?”

“Sorry for bothering you, but have you heard from or seen Dimitri?”

At the sound of his name, my steps falter. I barely remember to move over to the edge of the sidewalk so other pedestrians can pass. The moment she greeted me, I should have realized this would be about him. The fact she’s asking tenses my nerves, sweeping me towards that panic I narrowly avoided.

“Not since leaving your place.”

“If you do hear from him, could you let me know? Just call or text this number. Or have him reach out to one of us, since he’s been ignoring all contact. Sorry to bother you, and thanks. Bye.”

My hand tightens around the cell, my shout immediate before she has a chance to hang up. “Wait! What do you mean you don’t know where he is? He should be with you.”

There’s a moment of tense silence before she admits, “He went to Toronto looking for you.”

My stomach drops, but this time it’s not because he followed meagain,but because he hasn’t contacted me. Logically, it’s likely him giving me space like he had been for the past decade, and I scan the street around me, the shadows along the buildingsand even the windows above; anywhere he’d be hiding. Unlike all those times, Ifeelalone. There is no sensation prickling at my spine indicating otherwise.