19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Talia

The morning light filtered through the kitchen window as I sat at the table. Nikolai sat in his usual place in the corner of the room. He picked up a newspaper and looked over the black-and-white print while sipping coffee.

"Good morning," Abram greeted. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Yes, thank you," I replied, comforted by his grandfatherly demeanor. I barely slept last night, consumed by my thoughts of Aleksandr and the baby. I need to speak with Sandy. I told her I would figure out how to escape the mansion, but now I have second thoughts. Maybe there's a chance that Aleksandr will be happy about the baby. Maybe we can be together. And maybe pigs can fly. I know it's a long shot, but don't I owe it to my baby to have their father in their life?

I grew up without a father, and I don't want that for my baby. My father was killed in prison when I was three years old. I don't remember him, but I went to the library years ago and found newspaper articles about him. He found out my mother was having an affair with the next-door neighbor. When he confronted the neighbor, they got into a fight, and my father beat him to death. He went to prison and was killed by another inmate not too long after that.

The neighbor's wife accused my mother of being the reason that she lost her husband, and her son lost his father. She was able to turn most of the people in town against my mother, which led my mother to start taking drugs. Between the betrayal of my father and the guilt of the neighbor being killed, she became a full-blown addict. She died of an overdose when I was five years old.

I know what it's like to grow up without parents and be bounced around from foster home to foster home. I want my baby to have the life they deserve-full of love and contentment.

As I dwelled on memories, Abram placed a plate of scrambled eggs and fruit before me. Then he brought me a cup of freshly brewed coffee. They sure do treat me nicely for being locked up in this mansion.

"Thank you, Abram. It smells delicious."

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better today." He smiles kindly and then leaves me to enjoy my breakfast.

The tranquility of this moment was interrupted by a faint rustle that drew my attention. Turning my head, I found Sasha standing at the kitchen entrance. She held out Alyce's cell phone with a mischievous grin playing on her lips. Tucking it into her pants pocket, she waltzed into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Sasha," Nikolai greeted. "Are you behaving this morning?" He winked, causing her to giggle.

"I always behave," she replied firmly. "Except when I'm getting into trouble!" She grins from ear to ear and plops down in the empty seat next to me.

"Whatcha eating?" she asks, licking her lips.

"Eggs and fruit. Would you like some?" I push the plate in front of her. She picks out a juicy strawberry and takes a big bite.

"Mmmm, that's good," she says. Strawberry juice dribbles down her chin as she takes another bite. "I have something to show you in your room," she says, blinking and patting her pocket.

"Why are you blinking?" I whisper.

"I'm winking at you," she whispers back.

"Ohhh, I see. We'll go to my room as soon as we finish eating."

Abram places a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of Sasha. She shovels the eggs into her mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. After a few bites, she puts the fork down. "I'm finished," she announces, jumping up from her seat.

Grabbing me by the hand, she pulls me to my feet. "Come on, let's go!" she whisper yells.

Nikolai follows us back to my room. Sasha puts her hand out and stops him in the doorway. "No boys allowed," she declares.

He nods and leaves us to enter the room without him. Pulling the cell phone from her pocket, she thrusts it into my hand. "Here, you can call your sister now."

"Sasha, you shouldn't have taken the phone. You can get into big trouble with your uncle."

"But you need to call her so you don't worry," she says, frowning.

Squatting down, I give her a hug. "Thank you for being so kind. But this is the last time I want you to take Alyce's phone."

"Okay," she says, jumping onto the bed.

I dial Sandy's number and wait for her to answer.

"Talia?" Sandy's voice came through the line, filled with urgency.

"Sis, what's wrong?" I ask, my heart sinking with dread at the tone of her voice.

"Our apartment was broken into and ransacked, although nothing was taken. I've called the police, but they can't do much without evidence," Sandy explained, her voice tight with worry.

My stomach clenched. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm at the hotel now. Dimitri took me to get some of my belongings from the apartment. He insists that I stay at the hotel for my own safety. Have you figured out a way to sneak out of the mansion?"

I hesitate before I reply. "Not yet, but maybe I should tell Aleksandr about…" I pause, glancing at Sasha. "About the bun I have cooking."

"You mean about the baby? Why can't you say it? Is someone there with you?" Sandy rambles.

"Aleksandr's niece, Sasha, is here with me," I reply, smiling at the little blonde girl hiding beneath the bedcovers.

"Do you think it's the right time to tell him? An awful lot is going on, and I think staying with Luke in San Franciso is the safest thing we can do. I mean, Aleksandr won't even let us be together." Sandy sighs heavily, her frustration evident.

"I'm not sure what to do. I can talk to him again about letting you stay here. I miss you terribly."

"Okay, see what he says. But don't get stressed out with worry. It's not good for you or the baby. Besides, I'm safe enough. Aleksandr has men guarding me twenty-four hours a day. I am concerned about the apartment, though. If I don't return to work or get some money to pay the rent, we'll lose it."

I can hear Sandy pacing around in the hotel room. "Okay, sis. I'll call you back tomorrow. In the meantime, please be careful. If anything happened to you…" My voice cracks as the thought of losing Sandy sends chills up my spine.

"I'll be okay, sis. Take care of yourself and the baby," Sandy reassures me, though I can hear the strain in her voice.

I'm left trying to figure out what to do. Do I tell Aleksandr about the baby? Do I ask him to allow Sandy to come stay here with me? Do I forget all that and figure out how to get out of the mansion so we can go to San Franciso?

Before I can fully consider it, Sasha pops out from under the covers and jumps on me, hugging me tightly.

"It's okay," she says, her face buried in my neck. "Uncle is the best. I'm sure he'll let your sister stay here. He won't want you to be sad." Pulling away, she looks at me intently while cupping my face in her tiny hands. "Uncle loves you," she whispers.

I feel like I just got sucker punched in the gut. "What…what do you mean?" I question.

"He looks at you the way Otets used to look at Mama. That means he loves you, silly." Sasha giggles and wiggles out of my arms.

She takes the phone from my hand and sticks it into her pants pocket. "I'm going to sneak it back into Alyce's room." She disappears quickly, leaving me there, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, like a fish out of water.

He loves me? Kids say the darndest things.

I gather my thoughts, knowing I need to decide what to do. Before long, Nikolai appears, informing me that Aleksandr wishes to see me in his office.

My nerves flutter as I follow Nikolai through the halls to Aleksandr's office. I find both him and Dimitri waiting inside.

"Talia, come in," Aleksandr beckons, his expression unreadable.

"Good morning," I greet, attempting to keep my composure despite the weight of the situation.

Aleksandr gestured for me to sit, his gaze probing yet reassuring. "I have something to tell you, but before I do, I want you to know that Sandy is alright."

I take a deep breath, waiting for him to continue. His phone rings, interrupting him.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this." Aleksandr steps out into the hallway to speak to the caller.

Chewing on my lower lip, I debate telling Dimitri I already know about the apartment. He'll want to know how I received this information, and that's a problem. Convincing myself that it's now or never, I tell him.

"Dimitri," I begin nervously, "I know about the apartment. I know someone broke in and ransacked it."

"Hmmm, and how did you find this out?" he ponders, walking around the desk to stand before me.

"Well…let's just say I got my hands on a cell phone and called Sandy. But in my defense, Aleksandr hasn't let me contact her at all! And she's my sister . I needed to know she was okay. And he just wouldn't listen to reason…" I shrink in my seat, waiting for the backlash.

After a moment, he leans on the desk, crossing his arms in front of him. "I understand," he replies coolly. "What did she tell you?"

I relax my shoulders and relay what Sandy told me. "She said she called the police, but they can't do anything about it without evidence of who broke in. She said the apartment was torn apart, but nothing was taken."

"I took her to the apartment to gather some belongings. Unfortunately, we don't know who broke in. We assume it was Mikhail's killer." He cracks his knuckles, then paces in front of the desk with controlled anger. "Sandy is safe at the hotel. We have a crew cleaning up your apartment and installing security locks."

"I want to see her. Will you please speak with Aleksandr? He won't listen to me."

" Da , I will speak with him, but I make no promises."

Dimitri steps into the hallway, leaving me alone in the office. My stomach shakes from either nerves or the baby. I'm not sure which. All I know is that I need to see my sister. Without realizing it, I rub the bird tattoo on my wrist.

A few minutes later, Aleksandr and Dimitri enter the office. Aleksandr's brow is furrowed, and there's a glint of frustration in his eyes. "Did Sandy tell you anything else? Anything suspicious that might have happened before the break-in?"

"No, she didn't. She's been at the hotel. But she did say she'll have to go back to work soon, or she won't have money to pay the rent on the apartment. I can't let that happen. We need the apartment. And if it's not safe for her to return to work, I'll have to figure something out. Which means that you'll have to let me leave the mansion." I cross my arms over my chest, ready for an argument.

"Talia, this concerns me deeply," he said, his voice low and serious. "But I need you here."

I hesitate for a moment, steeling myself before speaking. "And I need to see Sandy. I need to see for myself that she's safe and make sure we don't lose the apartment."

He regards me with surprise, then nods slowly. "Very well. I will pay the rent for the apartment and then take you to her."

Relief washed over me, and I was grateful for his understanding. "Thank you, Aleksandr. Can we stop by the apartment first? I need to gather some of my things."

His gaze hardens momentarily, then softens as he considers my request. "Fine."

With a plan in motion, I returned to my room to prepare for the trip. I was determined to ensure Sandy's safety, even if it meant confronting the unknown dangers that awaited us outside the confines of the estate.