Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Abby
I’m feeling completely overwhelmed and out of my depth as I sit here with my sister, staring down at the documents in front of me. I don’t have all the paperwork Maks threw at me a few days ago, but I have the bits and pieces I crumpled in my hand at the time, and it all looks bad.
Really bad. Like I’m one of the scammers. One of the bad guys.
“I don’t know what to do,” I say, my voice shaking a little. “How do I prove I didn’t do any of this? That none of this is real?”
“We’ll find a way,” Maggie reassures me, squeezing my hand. “We have to.”
“I feel like I’m in a nightmare,” I admit. “It’s like everything I’ve built with Maks, everything we’ve shared and experienced, is all crumbling down around me.”
“I know. But you can’t give up. You have to keep fighting.”
I nod, but I feel utterly defeated. I’ve never felt this kind of despair before, and I’m not sure how to climb out of it. “It’s not just the scammers either. It’s the DNA test and the accusations that I’d try to somehow trap him with the pregnancy.” I shake my head. “I didn’t think Maks was capable of doing this to me. To his own children.”
“It’s a lot,” Maggie says softly. “Too much.”
“But the babies.” I can feel tears welling up in my eyes, and I brush them away impatiently. “They miss him. They need him. I need him. How can he just walk away like this?”
“I don’t know, Abby. But I’m here for you.”
“I just feel like there’s no hope,” I confess, my voice breaking. “Like there’s no way out of this.”
“You can’t give up,” Maggie insists. “You have to keep fighting.”
I wish I had her optimism, but right now, all I feel is despair. “I’ll try,” I say, but even to my own ears, it sounds hollow.
I’m tempted to pick up the phone and call Maks right now, to tell him for the hundredth time that I’m innocent, that someone is setting me up for whatever reason. But I already know he wouldn’t believe me, even if he answered my call.
Which, judging by the last several attempts I’ve made at communicating with him, isn’t likely.
“I just wish there was somewhere else we could go,” I say, dropping my voice down to a whisper so the new security guards we’ve hired don’t overhear me. After a long conversation with her husband and a promise to properly explain everything once he came home from Singapore, Maggie managed to convince him to hire a security detail to stay with us at all times, but just two guys. Her husband has family money, not to mention what he makes as a foreign affairs politician…but apparently not as much as Maks, with the dozens of men at his disposal at any given moment.
“With everything else that’s going on,” I say quietly, “the last thing I want is a bunch of strangers around. Not just for me and my kids, but you and your family, too.”
She frowns. “I feel the same way, but what else are we supposed to do? We had to do something when Maks took his guys away.”
“I know, it just sucks. It all sucks. Everything.”
She nods, her expression sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Abby. I really am. You didn’t deserve this.”
“Neither did you,” I remind her.
“I know, but we’re in this together, right?”
I manage a small smile. “Right.”
Maggie stands up. “Let’s take a break and go for a walk. I think some fresh air would do us both some good.”
“Okay.” I agree, but I can’t quite bring myself to sound enthusiastic about it.
We slip out of the house, leaving the babies with one of the bodyguards and the nannies who have returned now that we’re back in the home, and walk along the street, our heads down against the wind, and a guard at our back. It’s cold and bleak, a perfect match for my mood.
There’s a car sitting in the driveway when we get back, and the guard who stayed behind seems to be questioning the driver.
“Who the hell is that?” Maggie whispers, clutching my arm as we get closer. “Should we run around to the back of the house? I want to check on my babies.”
I’ve almost agreed when I recognize the man behind the wheel. “Wait, no.” I motion for the security guards and wave them away. “It’s okay, guys. I know him.”
Maggie turns to me, wide-eyed. “You do?”
“It’s the IT guy who works for Maks.” I sigh, my stomach already up as I try to brace myself for whatever is about to happen. “I’ll deal with him.”
Alyosha looks almost relieved to see me when the security guards back away. It’s the closest I’ve seen him come to a smile since I met the guy. “What do you need?” I ask without any pretense of politeness. As far as I’m concerned, I can’t trust anyone but my sister these days.
“Our security guys left some of their equipment behind,” he explains, already getting out of the car. “I need to get it back, for obvious reasons. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
I’m reluctant to let him in, but what else am I going to do? Maks and his men are dangerous. I might not like Alyosha, but I can’t exactly hold a grudge against him for being loyal to his boss. And right now, I’m trying to avoid making any waves.
“Fine,” I grumble, unlocking the door and waving him inside. “Make it quick, please.”
He gives a curt nod, his face expressionless as usual, and follows me into the house. Maggie’s waiting for us, a wary look on her face.
“Don’t worry,” I tell her. “He’s not staying. He’s just picking up something.”
“What is it?” she asks, looking as confused as I feel.
Alyosha ignores her, heading straight for the home office that his guys used as a sort of command center while they were here briefly, keeping track of things while Maggie was at the safehouse, in case anyone of interest tried to break in that they could question. Maggie and I follow, and we find him rummaging through the closet, pulling out cords and boxes and I don’t even know what else.
“Have you spoken to Maks?” I ask, the question escaping my lips before I can stop myself. “About what happened between me and him?”
He nods, and I’m suddenly grateful for the unexpected source of information.
“What did he say?”
“Not much.” Alyosha shrugs as he gathers his things. “I think he feels bad about how things went down between the two of you, though.”
Maggie clears her throat and I’m pretty sure she’s trying to tell me something, but I’m totally focused on Alyosha right now. “He said that? That he feels bad?”
The man gives me a knowing look. “You know better than that. He would never come right out and say it, but I think that’s how he feels.”
I exhale, feeling like the wind has just been knocked out of me. “Wow. Do you think he’d agree to talk to me? Or to see the kids?”
Another shrug. “Dunno, but I can ask if you want.”
Alyosha wouldn’t be my first choice for an ally who could plead my case, but he’s my best hope at the moment. “Could you? You wouldn’t mind?”
“I’ll mention it to him. If you hear from him later, you’ll know it went well. If not…”
“Then I haven’t lost anything in trying,” I finish for him.
We walk Alyosha back out to his car and see him off. Maggie shoots me a worried look as we walk back into the house. “Do you trust that guy? Something about him gave me the creeps.”
I have no idea if Alyosha can be trusted or not, but he’s my best shot at getting Maks to talk to me. “It doesn’t really matter. He’s the only option I’ve got right now.”
Maggie sighs. “Well, at least you’re taking some action. I’ve been afraid you were going to give up.”
“So was I,” I admit. “But not anymore. Not after hearing that. We’re not going down without a fight, not me and those babies.”
She smiles. “Good. That’s what I want to hear.”
Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope Maks will call. I have a feeling the next few hours might be torture.
***
The waiting really is torture, with me anxiously checking my phone every couple of minutes just to make sure I haven’t missed a call or text from Maks. After three hours pass and I’ve nearly given up, my phone finally vibrates with a text on the small end table next to the sofa, making Maggie and me both jump at the same time.
“Who is it?” she asks, sounding as anxious as I am. “Is it him? What does it say?”
“Oh my God, I’m trying to read it,” I mutter, nudging her away when she starts looking over my shoulder. “Just a second. Yes, it’s Maks. He…oh wow. He wants to see the kids. He says he’s sending Alyosha over again to pick me up and I need to bring the babies with me.”
She immediately frowns. “I don’t like that. What if he goes crazy again when he sees you? What if he gets violent? And why doesn’t he just come over here himself, anyway?”
“He’d never hurt the babies,” I say, because I know that much is true. “And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t actually hurt me either, but getting a chance to talk again will be worth the risk.”
I’m less sure about that, but I send the reply before I have a chance to talk myself out of it. Or before Maggie does.
“What did you tell him?” she asks, still frowning.
“I told him I’ll be ready in an hour.”
She sighs and shakes her head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Yeah,” I exhale a long breath of my own. “So do I.”
The next hour flies by compared to the way time was dragging earlier, and I barely have time to bathe the kids and get them dressed, not to mention fixing my hair and throwing on a clean outfit of my own before Alyosha pulls up in the driveway.
“Wish me luck,” I say as Maggie helps me get the kids bundled into the car.
She gives me a big hug and holds me tight for a few moments. “Be careful. Call me if you need anything. And if anything seems off or weird or whatever, please call me immediately.”
I’m tempted to make a joke about how her mothering instincts have gone into overdrive since she had her twins, but I doubt that would be helpful. Instead, I hug her back and promise to let her know if anything suspicious pops up, then climb into the back seat next to my babies.
“Hey.” I smile and wave at Alyosha, hoping for a more welcoming vibe from the man than I got during his previous visit. “Thanks for coming to get me. And thanks for setting this up, too.”
“Not a problem.” He briefly makes eye contact with me through the rearview mirror. “I’m just the messenger here.”
The side streets roll by in a blur and my anticipation grows as we get closer to the safe house. What will Maks say? Will he apologize? Will he expect me to apologize?
We stop at a red light and I’m staring absently out the window when a flurry of activity around the car catches my eye. Before I have time to say something or do more than let out a frightened scream, all four doors fly open and masked men are dragging Alyosha, me, and the four car seats out right here in the intersection.
I’m struggling against the strong arms holding me, screaming at the top of my lungs for help, for someone to call the police, but I’m powerless against the brute force and muscle that are overpowering me. The kids are crying, too, their little voices shrill with fear.
“Get away from them,” I scream. “Don’t touch my babies! Maks will kill you for this, I swear to God.”
The arms that are wrapped around me, keeping me from running, tighten. One of the men laughs. “Shut her up. Get them in the van. Go. Go. Go!”
The only thing I can identify about his deep voice is his thick Irish accent.
A hand clamps over my mouth, then it’s replaced by a strip of duct tape before a hood is slipped over my head. I struggle and kick as they toss me into the back of their van, but it’s no use.
There’s no way I’m getting free now. Even if I could, I’ll never leave my babies with these monsters.