Page 14 of Refrain (Beautiful Monsters #2)
“I don’t know,” Ivan says. His expression is carefully blank. “I thought you would.”
So much for his omniscient reputation.
“Well, I don’t,” I admit. “Someone…someone got me out before I saw much.”
“Oh?” His eyes narrow in a silent demand for more.
“A man,” I add. “I don’t know who he is or who he works for.”
“His name?”
My mouth opens, but this time, the words stick in my throat. A baby-faced angel may run with street thugs like Vlad, but he’s no match for a man like Ivan Ivanov.
Neither am I.
“Did you hear me?” His voice lowers in warning. “Ksenia…”
After a sharp intake of air, I spill the rest. “He said his name was Espi. Espisido.”
Ivan frowns, mulling the name over. I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until he sighs and my lungs contract in response.
“Never heard of him.”
Is that more relief flooding my veins? Whatever it is drains the energy I have left.
My hand flies out against the wall for balance, but my outstretched fingers miss the frame of a hanging photograph by inches—a much younger Ivan grinning beside an even younger Vlad.
I flinch at the reminder and tear my gaze away.
In the process, I find myself staring down at my arm.
Only a few tiny stitches are visible beneath the sleeve of my borrowed shirt and sweater.
The artist wasn’t exaggerating his talents, considering they’ve held this far, at least .
“Whoever he is, I don’t think he’s part of the Syndicate.” It feels important to say that, conveying an underlying message I’m not brave enough to say directly— He’s no one. Leave him alone.
“Hmph. I’ll look into it.”
“I didn’t tell him much,” I add. “Just enough to keep him from asking too many questions.”
“Too many questions.” Ivan laughs.
He’s in front of me in an instant, and I don’t even see the slap coming. It’s sharp, stinging, but he hooks his meaty palm beneath my chin and forces my gaze up to meet his as my eyes water. The concern I see there is more painful to endure. I don’t deserve it.
“You need to focus , little girl,” he insists, his accent thickening over each word.
“I promised your father I’d look after you.
After everything… I’ve done what I could.
I even humored your little bid to join the pigs.
” He spits the word out and releases me to sway on my feet.
“All you had to do was stay away from here. Especially from Vladimir and Piotr. I risked my fucking neck enough helping you the first time—”
“I think I saw Anna.”
He recoils. A part of me wants to take his reaction as a good sign, but it’s a hollow comfort. His alarm quickly gives way to a terrible expression that takes the form of a frown. Pity.
“Ksenia.” He sighs heavily, shaking his head. “So that is why you came back—”
“I saw her,” I insist. My fingers fly to my chest, but my proof is gone, burned to ash along with Vlad. “I did . In the international database. A girl who had been detained here a few weeks ago. She had her eyes.” That beautiful, haunting navy.
“So that’s why you joined the pigs,” he says, seeing through my lies in advance. “To keep looking? Tell me you’re not that stupid.”
“It’s her,” I say. “I know it’s her—”
“She’s dead,” Ivan says. Not brutally or harshly. Just firmly—as if he’s told himself the same two words enough times to believe them. I can stomach his anger, not his pain. “You know if she weren’t I would be the first to get her out.”
But he couldn’t. Only I can. With my newfound strength, my resources with the police, and my instincts. That is how I’ve rationalized it all this time. Anna is still out there, somewhere. Waiting for me.
“She’s gone,” Ivan says softly. “She’s gone, Ksei, and you were reckless to come here. Especially after Vlad.”
Does he know the fate of his friend? His frown reveals little, and I can’t bring myself to ask. He has a good point, drawing my attention to my current dilemma.
“I said I needed your help,” I start, swallowing hard. “There’s a van, looking for a girl. I need you to call it off—”
“Call it off?” Ivan raises an eyebrow, and I cringe in anticipation of another slap. One doesn’t come, however, just a heavy sigh. “What the hell have you gotten yourself into now? If anyone saw you come here,” he adds, “it will be my ass on the line.”
“I…” Deep down, maybe I knew all along that coming here would be a waste of time. A dead end.
But, for the second time today, perhaps Ivan doesn’t know everything.
“I will give you one last piece of advice,” he tells me, jabbing a single finger in my direction. “Leave town. Forget your name. Forget the Petrovs.”
“You think I haven’t tried?”
“Maybe you haven’t,” he says. “Not hard enough, anyway.”
I’m halfway to the door when Ivan calls out.
“Wait.” He lumbers closer and takes the gun from me, tossing it back onto the counter. “I’ll have my men get rid of that. And as for your name…forget what I said. For your father’s sake, never forget who you are. You are Olenova .”
He raises his fist, and I contort my fingers to form one in return. Our knuckles meet for one brief moment .
“Go,” he says, drawing back. “I’ll make a phone call. Just stay the hell out of sight, understood?”
“Thank you!” I push the door open and scramble out, but Domi’s not where I left her. Damn. Whirling around, I spot a dark-haired blur disappearing around a nearby building, and I race to catch up.
“What are you doing?” I snarl the moment I draw even with her in a narrow alley. My hand snags her shoulder, yanking her to a stop. “I told you to stay there—”
“Yeah,” she hisses, wrenching out of my grip. “So that you can deliver me to them on a platter? I know whose place that was. You’re one of them!”
“Wait. Just slow down.” I direct the plea more to my body than to her. I need my pulse to slow. My thoughts to stop spinning. I need to forget his fucking face.
A face that won’t look so pretty once Piotr’s men are through with him. Ivan may call off the thugs for now, but the reprieve may come too late.
“Forget it. Keep moving.” I release Domi’s wrist and shove her forward. “I’ll catch up.”
There’s only one shortcut back to the precinct. How many blocks have we covered already? Ten? Twenty?
He’s already dead. If I’m lucky, they left his body on the road at least. Something for the rats to savor.
“No!” Bony fingers clutch at my shoulder. “They’ll—”
A sudden sound draws both of our attention. Footsteps. I watch in a frozen, morbid fascination as a body unfurls itself from the top of a fire escape clinging to a decrepit building up ahead.
With the fluidity of a gymnast, the figure jumps and lands mere feet away from us, one hand pressed against the pavement to steady their landing.
It’s a man. Tall. Slim. Familiar. I exhale as blue eyes meet mine through a fringe of dark hair .
“Miss me?” He’s smiling. Of all things, it’s the strangest occurrence of today. Unlike his amused smirks, this grin looks…
Real.
“Let’s go.” Domi’s still tugging on my arm, though she slows for Espisido to catch up. She must be used to this little trick of his. “Go! Go .”
I don’t know why I submit to being pulled along by the wrist as Espisido takes the lead, drawing his hood low once again. Maybe I’m still delirious.
Watching him, I swear the dark sleeves of his jacket flutter out beside him as he moves. Almost like wings. But even angels aren’t invincible. He’s limping, favoring his right leg, though his expression never wavers.
And he never stops smiling.