Chapter Twenty-One: Sophia

The honeymoon was supposed to last for close to two weeks, but because of work we had to return after only five days. Now we’re back in Chicago, and it feels as if we didn’t even go to the Maldives. Things have been such a surreal whirlwind that my new life is giving me whiplash.

I’m disappointed I didn’t get a chance to spend more time with him and to explore more of the island. Oh well. Instead, I fill Ava in on everything as I wait for Andrei to come home.

“So how was it? Aren’t you supposed to be still there?”

“Yes, but Andrei had to come home to work. Apparently, there was an emergency and nobody else in the organization could fix it but him,” I reply glumly, recognizing that what he’s probably been asked to fix might involve criminal activity. I’m still confused as to how I’m supposed to feel about that, but the more nights I spend with Andrei, talking and laughing in bed together, the more I let it slip from my head that he’s the head of a Bratva organization.

“That’s sucky. Are you feeling okay with the pregnancy and stuff?” Ava asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing too bad. Just some weird pains I’ve never had before, but the doctor told me they’re normal.”

“Ah okay. That’s good. It’s not the same without you here in lectures and I swear the professors keep looking at me because they’re looking for you.”

Chuckling, I shudder, the dark stain of New York still engraved in my mind. “Yeah, well they aren’t going to see me anytime soon,” I conclude, a wash of guilt coming over me when I think about letting Dr. Perri down, but I don’t want to be anywhere near the vicinity of her brother, or her.

“Don’t you think you should speak to Dr. Perri? Don’t you want to know if she knows?” Feeling sick, I sigh.

“Yes. Of course, I want to talk to her about her sick-in-the-head brother, but I’m so scared of what she’s going to say! It’s Dr. Perri. I looked up to her, and it’s just so bad right now. Andrei fucked up his hand and his face. If Christopher sees me, he’s probably going to try and press charges or something. Why wouldn’t he? Who’s going to believe me?” I ask her, putting all my brushed aside fears on the table.

I haven’t spoken to Andrei about them because I know he’ll just tell me he plans to kill the guy, and I don’t want to know about it if he does. “This is a mess, but if I were you, I would hire a lawyer and bring them to see Dr. Perri about it.”

Tired of thinking about it all, I dismiss Ava. “No, Ava. Just leave it alone. I don’t even want to think about it anymore. I’m concentrating on the baby and being a wife.”

And with that, I look at the time on my cell phone, pining a little for Andrei. I look for him after seven, and that’s usually when he gets in. I have free rein of the house, and I can go out if I want to, but I know he has location tracking on the car. Ava calls me on my bluff, but I want to rest and get prepared for dinner anyway. “Are you scared? Do you want me to investigate things from my end?”

Tapping my teeth, I shake my head, swallowing down my regret. “No. Don’t. Leave it. Trust me. It’s best left the way it is. It’s going to blow over and when everything settles with the new baby then I’ll decide if I’m coming back or not.”

“Okay, friend. You’ve made up your mind, sounds like. I’m going to go. You have a nice night with your new husband while I toil on case scenarios,” she wails, but I’ve spent enough study time with Ava to know she loves geeking out on law stuff like I do. The confronting pinch of regret brings me down for a moment as I wish to be back in class with my friend somehow.

“Stop it. You love it. If you get stuck, call me so I can reminisce about my lost career,” I moan back at her.

“Babe, it’s not lost, it’s just on hold. Love you, and I will. Byeee.”

“Bye.” But I don’t have enough time to wallow in my losses and regrets as the familiar sound of a car door slamming brings a spark back to me. It’s Andrei and he’s home.

He looks tired, but when he sees me, his face brightens, sending butterflies flitting around in my stomach. “Hi, how was your day?”

Every now and then I have to pinch myself, his large stature, broad chest, and powerful physique take my breath away. His hair’s longer now, and as he rakes a hand through it, all I want to do is jump up to kiss and welcome him home. He dips as I sit up at the kitchen bench, dropping a juicy kiss on my lips. “It’s better now I’ve seen you,” he replies, dripping in charm.

Giggling, my mood lifts. “That’s good. Working on anything good?”

His eyes narrow as he heads to the fridge, picking out an apple for a snack. “Nothing I think you want to know about,” he replies flatly, coming around to hug me from behind. Sinking into his touch, I wonder how I survived without it.

“Alright. Then I won’t ask.”

He smothers me with kisses into my hair. “That’s surprising because your research questions told me otherwise,” he teases.

“Andrei,” I drone, rolling my eyes.

“Joking, joking….”

But a couple of days later, the past returns to be revisited. Finishing my yoga class, I head home, barely getting in the front door before my screen lights up inside my purse.

Digging it out, I read the text message on it from Dr. Perri.

DR. PERRI: Hi, Sophia. I wonder if you would pop by my house to discuss and tie up loose ends on the research project together. I have some questions for you.

ME: Sure. When did you want to meet?

I might as well bite the bullet, and Ava is right, I should tell Dr. Perri.

DR. PERRI: Can you meet later today? I know it’s late notice, but there’s some discrepancies I’m urgently wanting to clear up.

Andrei’s not going to be home until late. He already told me, and I’ve already been to my clinic checkup. Plagued by indecision, my fingers hover over the text message button for a second.

Go. Do it.

ME: Sure. Did you want to meet at your office?

DR. PERRI: No. We can meet in a more relaxed setting. Please join me at my home. 551 Ryon Avenue, Mount Greenwood around four. Thanks, Sophia.

ME: No problem. I want to talk to you too.

DR. PERRI: Then I look forward to our meeting.

Anxiously, I place my phone on the countertop, wondering if I’ve made the right decision, but there’s no changing my decision. Quickly jumping in the shower, I freshen up, pottering around the large estate killing time and puzzled at what possible information was left out of the research project.

If it’s about Andrei, it’s going to be tough to deal with. If she asks me about the conduct of her brother in New York, it’s going to be tough. All around the conversation isn’t going to be fun.

I didn’t finish the interview. She understood. To a certain point. Does she know I’m still carrying his baby? I ask myself over cleaning the kitchen countertop, even though the staff have done it already. The only two people I spoke to about the pregnancy was the college dean to suspend my studies and Dr. Perri.

Time ticks on and quicker than I want, it’s time to go. Mount Greenwood is one of the affluent neighborhoods of Chicago, but it makes sense she would live there. Dr. Perri has won so many research awards and has worked in law enforcement for over a decade. Of course she lives in a nice place. Along the drive a funny feeling comes over me, but I ignore it, thinking everything’s going to be okay when I see her.

Parking nearby, I take the short walk to her brick building, admiring the neatly cut green grass. Knocking on the door, a smiling Dr. Perri answers the door, my fears vanish.

Okay. Good. She doesn’t hate me.

She gives me a warm hug, and I relax. Maybe, just maybe she’ll believe me if I tell her about her brother. “Sophia. Nice to see you, come on in. Welcome!”

“Thanks for inviting me.” Her house is inviting and warm with family portraits and a fireplace intact. It’s an old home, but large.

“Don’t mention it. How about we head into my study. It’s quieter there and we can talk.” When I look around, I can’t see anybody in her house, so I don’t know why she would want it to be any quieter than it already is, but I follow anyway, suddenly thinking I probably should have mentioned to Andrei I was here, more so as a personal check-in.

“Okay.” We reach the study where there’s a pitcher of iced tea and shortbread.

“Take a seat.” Sitting down, I feel guilty about not revealing my pregnancy decision, but the conversation starts off innocently enough.

“So how have you been? I heard through the grapevine that you’ve decided to postpone your studies.” She pours me a glass of iced tea, her voice remaining even as she smiles at me.

“I did postpone my studies. Given the situation, I couldn’t keep on going,” I tell her, about to slip out the information.

“Such a shame. You’ve got all the potential in the world. Do you think you’ll change your mind?” she quizzes.

“No. I can’t.”

“Why’s that?” Prickles of heat ride up the back of my neck as I find the words.

“Because of the choice I’ve made about keeping the baby.”

Dr. Perri’s face falls with disappointment as she sips her tea. “Such a shame,” she says. “But I wanted to talk to you about your notes for Andrei.”

“Yes. What about them?” Racing through my mind, I think about what I might have left out or left in.

“On the tape, Andrei seemed very relaxed about being in jail. Do you think he knew he was going to get off?”

“Ah—I have no idea. Maybe.” There’s an fierce loyalty I have to Andrei now, and I don’t want to tell her anything about him.

“Right.” Dr. Perri scowls, clearly upset at my answer. “He was cryptic with his answers, wasn’t he? Playing you a little bit.”

“He was, it was hard to get anything out of him, but that had more to do with us. I think if you had of been there, it would have been easier to ask the questions.”

“It might have been, but I did piece together enough from your insights.” The funny gut feeling I had earlier is expanding, but it’s hard to figure out where it’s coming from, but I feel a clear urge to leave. Now.

“Is this all you wanted to talk to me about, Dr. Perri? Because we could have spoken on the phone,” I tell her boldly, wanting to cut to the chase if she has something to say to me. A spooky grin rides over her face, as if part of her face becomes grotesque.

“Sorry—it’s not all I wanted to talk to you about.” Her tone turns cold and stony, her eyes hardening as they drill into mine. “Sorry.”

Frazzled, and not understanding, I jump in. “What for?”

Goose bumps rise on my arm as Christopher quietly walks into the room, his cold eyes full of hatred. “Hello again, Sophia. Nice to see you.” Horrified, an inaudible cry remains stuck at the base of my throat, the pieces of the puzzle coming together. I know where the funny feeling was coming from.

“What is he doing here?” I shriek, looking down at the bandage around his hand. He flexes it, grimacing with a menacing smile.

“This is my sister’s house and just as you were stupid enough to come with me to New York, you were dumb enough to come here,” he says as Dr. Perri says nothing as I’m now getting the answer I dreaded. She’s siding with her brother.

Getting up, I rise quickly, moving away from the repulsive man, deeply regretful of coming.

“I trusted you, Dr. Perri.” Her cold stare chills my bones as I think back to what Andrei told me about being in a room full of snake charmers. I race towards the front door, turning the brass knob, but when I open the door, I run into a bigger problem.

Bruno Salvatore, the man I met with in the lobby of the hotel is standing in front of me in a pinstripe suit.

Don’t panic. Don’t panic. He’s not here to see you. He’s here for them. Move past him.

Averting my eyes from his intrusive gaze, I dip my shoulder into the gap beside him in order to slip by him and out the door, but he places a hard clamp on my shoulder, his capped tooth glittering in Chicago daylight.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Utkin. Blood drains from my face, rushing to my feet, and I almost want to faint as his bulk closes the gap, forcing me to retreat backwards. Turning around in the main living room, I see I’ve got nowhere to run, and I’m literally cornered by three. Dr. Perri and Christopher approach from behind as my head swings from one enemy to the next.

I shouldn’t have come. I’ve walked right into an open trap.

Bruno’s snicker morphs into a dirty snarl and I pull out my phone, but Bruno snatches it from my hand throwing it to the ground and stomping on it. The glass shatters as he twists his foot on it. “Can’t make that call now, can you? What do you think… we’re stupid?”

“I know you said she was bright, Sis, but you got it wrong.” Christopher’s voice sends me into freeze mode as I stand in the middle of three of them, unable to find my voice.

“I told you to abort it,” Dr. Perri cuts through.

“Your brother is fucking monster!” I call out, her eyebrow inching up.

“No more of a monster than the one you’re married to, honey. I couldn’t let you hurt my brother and get away with it. You see, Chris and Bruno already had plans for Andrei, and you had to meddle, didn’t you? And if you were willing to go home with him, why not indulge my brother?” she remarks sarcastically as I feel sick, a swirl of vomit rising.

“You’re sick! You’re all sick!” I spit out, looking for any gap to run through.