Chapter Fifteen

Mila and I stand on the steps as we watch Lenya and Dmitriy drive off. Mila laughs as she turns to me. "You're going to have your hands full. A teenage boy and a baby?" Mila walks down the steps toward her car, opening the door and leaning in to strap Alexei in. "Save some acts of service for the rest of us," she jokes with a smile plastered on her face.

After Alexei is safely in his car seat, Mila makes her way back over to me. I wrap my arms around her and hug her as best I can, what with my belly sticking out. She pulls back from the hug and says, "You be safe on the road, okay? You sure you don't want me to go with you?" I shake my head.

"Net (No), take Voin (Warrior) home. Let him nap in his bed. I'll be fine," I kiss her cheek and watch her get in the car and drive off.

"Proshu proshcheniya! Mogu ya odolzhit' dvoikh iz vas, chtoby pomoch' s etoy vypechkoy?" (Excuse me! Can I borrow two of you to help me with these baked goods?)

Two men jog over and nod. I walk up the steps, telling them to grab the baskets and take them to the car. Once we have the car loaded, I thank them and get in the car. I make my way to the gate, a bratva member on a motorcycle following behind me. I make my way towards town, heading to the church.

Mila came and helped me bake a huge amount of baked goods and loaves of bread for the church. This weekend the parish will feed the unhoused and I volunteered to bake. I drive and listen to music, monitoring the man on the bike behind me.

The slower pace on this side of Moscow allows me to reach the parish promptly. I park next to the parish hall so we can go straight inside the kitchen. The bratva member walks up to the trunk of the car as I unlock it. I get out and help. "So what's your name?" I ask him. He hesitates, standing there staring at me. I raise my eyebrows, awaiting a response.

"Vladimir," he says, reaching into the trunk and grabbing multiple baskets. "Which way?" He grunts under the weight of the food.

I chuckle and point to the double doors. He makes his way over. I grab a few bags with loaves of bread following close behind. The parish hall kitchen is busy. The counters are full of pots of soup, plates of vareniki, and other tasty foods. Nastya and a few other babushka's rush over once they see me enter, taking the bags from my hands.

"Too bad your mom isn't around to assist," Nastya says, settling me into a chair. Raisa and I stuck with the story of our parents moving to the U.K., leaving us in charge of the family business. With Leonid's help, we are selling the house and using the funds for Raisa's education and savings.

"Yes, it's sad," I say with a heavy sigh. "At least my sister and I have each other." I offer, because it is the truth. All we need is each other. I take out my phone and send her a quick text message.

Lina: Are you looking forward to coming in a few days? I miss you.

Raisa: Yes! I am so excited! Can it be today?

Lina: You want to come home early?

Raisa: I was kidding. But in all seriousness, can I? I'm done with all my exams.

Lina: I'll see what we can do when I get home.

Raisa: I love you!

I put my phone away, looking around the kitchen. A young woman has cornered Vladimir, and she keeps asking him to try things. He looks to be enjoying all the attention she is giving. I stand up and move towards them.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask Vladimir.

The new parishioner gives me a quick look. Her eyes stop on my rather large bump. She flushes with embarrassment. "Mne Zhal (I'm sorry), I didn't know he was married." I laugh aloud.

"I'm not his zhena (wife), and this isn't his child. He works for my muzh(husband) and I." I chuckle as she finally relaxes. "Please, stay. Get to know each other. I am sure I can make my way home just fine." Vladimir begins to protest, but I hold up my hand to stop him. "I am a grown woman. Trust me, I can handle driving home. I'll send Leonid a text to let him know.

Lina: Moy Lev, I am going to head home now. Vlad met a nice girl at the parish, so I encouraged him to stay and get to know her. I'll be home soon.

Without waiting for his response, I continued on my way. With a gentle pat on Vladimir's shoulder, I bid farewell to the Babas and proceeded towards my car. The engine purrs to life as I start it up, and I pull back onto the main road. The drive through the city is typical, with light traffic. No one else is on the main road back to the house.

My phone buzzes with an incoming call, and as I look down to hit the accept button, the car lurches forward. The powerful force of the hit from behind, my forehead forcefully collides with the steering wheel. As I raise my head, I glance into the rearview mirror and notice a blacked-out SUV trailing behind me. I press accept and switch it to speaker mode.

"Lenya," I cry out, my voice trembling with fear. "A car just hit me, and it's now following close behind me." My hands grip the steering wheel, knuckles white and my foot pressing down on the accelerator.

"Tsvetok (Flower), how close are you to the house? Can you tell?" Lenya barks orders at some men, and I can hear his heavy breathing. I quickly scan the road.

"Maybe five to ten minutes away?" I say, my head throbbing and my eyes on the review mirror.

"Don't stop at the house, just keep driving. Drive like you're headed to my father's house. We'll catch up with you on the road. I love you, Lina. You are brave and strong, moya krasivvy tsvetok (my beautiful flower)." The line disconnects.

I refocus on the road, maintaining a steady speed with the SUV trailing behind me.. The SUV remains in pursuit as minutes go by. As I approach our house, I notice the gates are open. As soon as I pass the exit gate, I notice that motorcycles and an SUV emerge onto the road. Our SUV stays behind the one following me and some bikers surround the sides. They box him in so he can't speed off. Three men on bikes surround my car. I glance to my right and recognize Lenya. He points ahead and I notice we are nearing the turnoff for his father's property.

I follow the bikes as they make the turn. I continue to follow the main road until I reach the very back of the property. A warehouse sits off to the left. Lenya and the two other men dismount their bikes. He runs toward the car. My door swings open, and his gloved hands caress my face. He reaches up to take off his helmet, putting it on the roof of the car.

"Tsvetok (Flower)," he pants, gasping for breath as he removes his gloves, "I can see that you're bleeding. Does anywhere else hurt?"

"Net (No), just my head." My fingers touch my cut and now swollen bump on my forehead. I wince as the adrenaline wears off and pain spreads throughout my head..

Lenya leans in and kisses my lips. "Stay here. Don't move until I come back." He closes the door and as he walks away, he shouts back over his shoulder. "Lock the doors." I do as I am told and I lock the doors. Men are yelling for the SUV driver to exit.

My heart races as I watch my muzh (husband) walk towards the SUV. Oleg and Ilya, both standing right beside him, have their guns drawn and ready. The sound of Lenya's shouting in Russian fills the air, overwhelming my senses as my head pounds from the impact. The man in the SUV exits. With barely a moment passing, someone forcefully throws him to the ground.

The man"s hands are bound behind him as a group of men drag him closer to Lenya. Lenya reaches down and grabs the man by his hair, lifting his head. I don't recognize the man, but all of the men seem to. Lenya draws his fist back and begins pummeling the man's face. Only stopping when Oleg and Ilya pull him back. With his fist bloodied, I hear him angrily bark orders to take the man back to the warehouse at our property.

Lenya turns, making his way back toward the car. The rage is evident in his eyes. At my door, he taps on the window with his non-bloodied finger. I unlock it and he pulls it open. He lowers himself to a crouch and takes a breath. Lenya takes hold of my hand, gently caressing my fingers. "You won't leave without your escort again. Promise me," his tone is flat, but I can tell he is angry.

"Moy Lev (My lion), I just—" I start to say, but he cuts me off.

"Kalina," he shouts, his tone sharp and piercing, causing me to flinch. He never uses my actual name. "Tell me you understand. Vidit Bog, ya lyublyu tebya bol'she, chem samu zhizn'. Nikogda bol'she ne delay takoy gluposti. (God knows, I love you more than life itself. Don't ever do such a stupid thing again)." Tears well up in my eyes and I nod.

"Slova. Mne nuzhno uslyshat' eto ot tebya, moy prekrasnyy tsvetok. (Words. I need to hear you say it, my beautiful flower.)" Lenya lifts his gaze from my hand and meets my eyes with a questioning look.

My chin quivers as the tears fall down my cheeks. "Da. Ya ne uydu bez soprovozhdeniya. Ya…prosti, moya lyubov'. Ya dumal, chto byi dobrym.(Yes. I won't leave without my escort. I'm…I'm sorry, my love. I thought I was being kind.)"

Lenya nods his head and brings my hand to his lips. My head throbs again. Wincing, I reach up to the cut, my vision spotty with the pulse I feel. Oleg stares at me intently. "Lina, are you alright?" I shake my head, feeling a sudden wave of nausea. Lenya quickly dodges as I vomit on the spot where he was crouched down. His eyes flare with concern.

"Is it malysh?" His hand drifts to my bump, feeling around to see if our syn moves. He reaches to remove the seatbelt. Once released, he turns my body to face him. Oleg looks at me over Lenya's shoulder.

"She needs the hospital, Brat. She might have a concussion. The head pain and vomiting are signs of that." Oleg's voice fades in and out as I feel my body falling forward. Dizzy and disoriented I say something but it comes out as gibberish.

"Blyat (Fuck)." Lenya scoops me up into his arms and jogs with me over to the SUV.

Oleg and Ilya hop in the front and start the car, as Lenya cradles me in his arms. "You need to keep her awake," Ilya says, as he turns around to look at us. Oleg hits the accelerator, flying down the back road.

"Moy Prekrasnyy Tsvetok, let me see your beautiful eyes," His words beckon me from the darkness that is falling over my consciousness. "Please Lina, please stay awake. I need you, moya lyubov. Don't leave me. Talk to me. Tell me anything." He pleads with me to stay awake. I want to answer, but my mouth can't form coherent words. "Faster," he urges Oleg. I muster all I have left to say, "Ya tebya lyublyu. (I love you.)" The darkness wraps around me as I slip into its embrace.

Upon waking, I"m greeted by a blinding brightness that floods the room. The throbbing in my head reminds me I am alive. "Gospodi, pomiluy! (Lord have mercy)" I say aloud, truly grateful that I am alive. My hands drift down to my belly. Malysh moves around inside me and tears spring in my eyes.

"Lenya!" I call out, as I look around the hospital room and see that I am very much alone. I search for a call button and when I find it, I hold it down. I am waiting for someone to come in and explain the situation. With my eyes locked on the door, I patiently await its opening.