Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Julia

I”m running around, doing a dozen things at once, but my mind”s stuck on one: helping Lana. After the horror in the shower, there”s blood, fear, and a heavy silence that fills the air like a bad omen.

We”re in a different bathroom now, one that doesn”t remind us of the nightmare she just had. Lana stands there, her skin streaked with red. She stands out against the white tiles. My hands are steady, which is different from how crazy I feel inside.

I can”t believe Twitch, of all people, could do this. It”s like knowing someone your whole life, then realizing you”ve been looking at a stranger.

I dab gently at her skin, the water tinged pink as it swirls down the drain. ”We”ll get you cleaned up,” I murmur, more to myself than to Lana. She”s silent, the kind of quiet that screams. My heart aches for her, for us, for everything that”s suddenly become so complicated.

As I help her wash away the physical reminders of the attack, my mind races. The baby. We need to make sure the baby”s okay. ”I”m arranging an emergency appointment,” I say, my voice a mix of determination and worry. ”We need to make sure you and the baby are fine.”

Lana nods, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. There”s a thankfulness there, mixed with the storm of emotions I know all too well. Fear, anger, uncertainty.

As Lana sits on the edge of the bathtub, her hands trembling slightly, I can see the weight of everything that has transpired bearing down on her.

”I don”t understand how it all went so wrong,” Lana whispers.

I crouch down to meet her gaze, trying to muster the strength we both need. ”When you play the game we”re in, the rules can change overnight. We just...didn”t see the signs.”

She huffs, a ghost of a smile touching her lips, the wit we all depend on still there, beneath the surface. ”Missed the signs? I almost got killed today.”

I take her hand in mine, trying to offer some semblance of comfort in a world that suddenly feels so cruel and unpredictable. ”But you didn”t. You fought back, Lana. You”re stronger than anyone I know,” I say, my voice filled with conviction.

Lana”s smile fades as quickly as it appeared, the reality of our situation settling back in. ”It”s not just Twitch... It”s everything. The betrayal, the constant looking over our shoulders. I”m tired, Julia.”

Her admission, raw and honest, strikes a chord. ”We”re all tired. But we”ve got each other”s backs. That”s how we”ve made it this far.”

”Yeah, by the skin of our teeth,” she retorts, her sass seeping through the cracks of her fa?ade. ”Feels like we”re holding on by a thread.”

”And yet, here we are, still holding on.”

Lana”s eyes glisten with unshed tears as she looks at me, a mix of gratitude and exhaustion written on her face. ”Thank you, Julia. For being here, for helping me through this.”

”I”ll always be by your side, Lana.” I reply, squeezing her hand gently.

As we sit there in the bathroom, the water slowly turning from pink to clear, the silence is no longer suffocating.

”I”ll make him pay, Julia. I swear on everything I hold dear, Roman will regret the day he decided to cross me,” Lana seethes.

Inside, my heart aches. Doubt gnaws at me, whispering that Roman isn”t our enemy, that this is all a terrible misunderstanding. Yet, confronting Lana with my suspicions now would be like dousing her raging fire with gasoline. She”s not in a place to hear it, let alone believe it.

So, I nod, offering silent solidarity. ”Let”s focus on the check-up first,” I suggest gently, steering her towards the immediate concern. ”We need to know you and the baby are safe.”

Lana”s gaze softens momentarily at the mention of the baby, ”You”re right. This little one doesn”t need the stress.” But then, her jaw sets, and I see the resolve harden once again. ”But after that, Roman will have nowhere to hide.”

The night wraps around us like a cold embrace as I escort Lana to the hospital. Lana, with her eyes lost in thought, keeps glancing down at her barely-there bump, a silent storm raging behind her calm exterior.

”Don”t worry, Lana,” I start, trying to weave comfort into my words. ”Luca”s on it. He”s making sure the house is as fortified as a fortress. Just Grigori, me, and Luca inside. The rest of the guys are on lookout. We”ve got cameras everywhere now, even hired extra security.”

She nods, her hand instinctively resting on her belly. ”I just hope my baby is okay...”

”Your baby will be fine,” I reassure her, my voice soft but firm. ”We”re doing everything to make sure of that.”

Lana manages a weak smile, her eyes telling a story of sleepless nights and whispered fears. ”It”s just...everything feels like it”s falling apart.”

I reach over, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. ”Hey, we”ve weathered worse storms, haven”t we? This baby,” I nod towards her belly, ”will be a fighter. Just like their mom.”

A small laugh escapes her, though it doesn”t reach her eyes. ”A fighter, huh? I guess they”ll have to be, with this family.”

The car moves smoothly, flanked by security. I glance back briefly, noting their vigilant eyes scanning every shadow. ”Luca”s beefed up security. Cameras everywhere, guards on rotation. It”s Fort Knox back at the house.”

”Feels like we”re in a war,” she murmurs, looking out the window.

”In a way, we are.”

Lana turns to me, a flicker of the old fire in her gaze. ”I”m scared, Julia. For my child. For all of us.”

”I know,” I admit. ”But fear keeps us sharp. And we have each other. We”re not alone in this.”

The hospital looms ahead, a beacon in the night. Lana looks at it, her expression hardening with resolve. ”Let”s do this. For the baby.”

”For the baby.”

In the sterile brightness of the hospital, I take charge the way I always do when things get tough. Handling paperwork, whispering assurances, I guide Lana to the examination room. She”s like a sister, more fragile now than I”ve ever seen her. I lay her down gently, my heart heavy but my voice steady. ”I”ll be right outside, okay? Just after the appointment.” She nods, her eyes holding a sea of unspoken fears.

Stepping out, the corridor feels colder, emptier. I pull my jacket tighter around me, a futile shield against the chill of uncertainty. My phone vibrates, a jolt in the quiet. An unknown number. I ignore it, my mind preoccupied with Lana, with the tangled mess we find ourselves in. But it rings again, persistent. And again. On the fourth ring, curiosity overpowers my reluctance. I answer.

”Hello?”

”Hi Julia.”

That voice. It cuts through the years, through the carefully built walls. My breath catches, my pulse quickens. Shit, this voice... Memories flood back, unbidden, unwelcome. It”s him. It has to be. Why now? What does he want?

”Roman…”

”Can we talk?” His voice is hesitant, a stark contrast to the Roman I remember—confident, direct.

I”m taken aback, caution and loyalty warring within me. ”You know Lana is furious. Talking to you... it”s not just risky, it”s practically signing my own death warrant.” My words are sharp, a defense mechanism against the turmoil his presence evokes.

He goes quiet, and in that silence, I can almost hear him wrestling with his own set of dilemmas. Then, ”Can you come out into the alleyway? We need to talk, face to face.”

The seriousness in his tone tugs at me, despite the walls I”ve built. ”Roman, this isn”t the time. Lana”s here, in the hospital, she was almost stabbed.”

There”s a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, a pause that stretches too long. ”What?! Is she okay now? W-who did this?”

The accusation sits heavy on my tongue, a bitter pill. ”You, Roman.”

”What the fuck are you talking about, Julia?”

”You... Lana thinks it”s you who ordered it.” The words feel like a betrayal, voicing Lana”s suspicions, giving them air.

There”s a moment of silence, the kind that screams louder than any words could. Then, desperation laces his tone, a raw edge to his plea. ”It wasn”t me Julia… You know me.”

”I don”t know what to believe in anymore, Roman.”

”I need to talk to you. Please, can you come out into the alleyway? I wouldn”t ask if it wasn”t important.”

The seriousness in his voice pulls at something inside me, despite the walls I”ve erected over time. Still, the risk looms large, a shadow over his request. ”Roman, do you understand what you”re asking? With Lana so angry, I”m risking my life talking to you.”

He goes quiet again, a heavy sigh whispering through the line. ”I know, I know it”s a lot. But I swear, Julia, I had nothing to do with what happened to Lana. You have to believe me.”

My resolve wavers, his plea etching cracks in my determination. The Roman I know, the one I grew up with, couldn”t be capable of such violence. Could he?

”Roman, this is... it”s not easy. Lana is convinced you”re behind this. Why would she think that if there wasn”t any reason?”

”I don”t know, but I need to explain. Face to face. Please, Julia.”

The weight of his request, the sincerity in his voice, battles with the loyalty I owe Lana. It”s a tug-of-war, his desperate need for understanding against the backdrop of Lana”s pain and suspicion.

Finally, with a deep breath that does little to steady my racing heart, I make my decision. ”Okay, Roman. But this is risky, and if Lana finds out...”

”She won”t, I promise. Thank you, Julia. Thank you.”

Ending the call, a mix of dread and determination settles over me. Stepping out into the cold clarity of the alleyway, I brace myself for the conversation ahead. Just what does he want from me? Am I making a mistake trusting him?