18. Inessa

Every night, I battle sleep, waiting for Vlad to come back. He's been more careful, so I haven't caught him since his drunken night and the office door might as well be hermetically sealed when I'm in their house. There are no orders given through the wood, the immature prick will message anyone he needs, but my phone never flashes after he decided to kiss me just to evade being honest. I keep replaying it because my traitorous body has built an image of my ideal in his exact image.

Does he think about me? Does he lay awake at night thinking about us two and how we should be with him instead of miles away in a place that doesn't feel like home anymore? It's everything in the city that feels wrong, not just the house. I don't belong here, I'm no longer a part of Grandfather's group in the Bratva, and no one under the Vartanovs are allowed entry to the city without approval, so I shouldn't be either.

My mind doesn't just fixate on how he kissed me, it's the way he spoke. A man who prides himself on not being weak or showing any vulnerability was begging me. That has to mean something. Or I'm back to deluding myself into believing what I want is true rather than accepting reality.

My limbs are heavier, and I can't muster the energy to blink as steps move closer. I hate the way my heart settles knowing he's here, it feels safer, and I allow sleep to take me. But he must be drunker than last time because the heavy footsteps don't match what I've always heard. Vlad normally moves silently, and he does everything in his power not to disturb me. The safety falls away instantly and dread sinks into my bones. I was supposed to stay with Grandfather due to my parents visiting, a stupid show of one happy family as they pretend to give a fuck about their unborn grandchild. Fuck, I sent the guards away, but I was tired and canceled.

It keeps happening now that I'm further into my pregnancy, the dizzy spells have stopped, and I just have this exhaustion I carry everywhere. A door opens down the hall and I turn alert as my heart rate slows. I know whoever it is coming towards me isn't the devil I'm safe with. Why couldn't he be laying on the floor now? Another door opens, Viktor's old room and I can't move. Maybe they won't come in here or it's Vitali, yeah he said he would stay with me if I wanted him to. But he knows the layout of the house and the steps move closer again. They pause at Vlad's office door, the room beside mine, and I uselessly hold the mattress as though it will absorb me.

The clink of metal as they attempt to open it makes me move and I keep one hand on my baby as I grab my phone and slide off the bed. I'd laugh at the irony of taking Vlad's position if I wasn't so terrified. There's a muted click, and the heavy steps move into the office, giving me time to move. I blindly dial the number by heart without looking at the screen and crawl to the closest door to me with my thumb on the low volume button as the call's dialing tone rings out.

Fear has the footsteps appearing louder.

But they remain on the other side of the wall.

A loud crash has me flinching, and I nearly drop my phone, alerting them to my wakefulness as I'm halfway to the door. Whoever the fuck is in my house is searching for something in what used to be Vlad's private office.He answers the call, but I can't find my voice as I cover the speaker with my hand to mute his question. Three more steps, and I'll be able to lock myself away. My heart is beating erratically, slowing then speeding up, as sweat beads down my spine. There's another thud but it hits the wall that connects the rooms and I stupidly use too much force to close the door. My hand whips out, muting the slam as I push my fingers between the wood and door jamb.

I still can't speak as the air of his harsh words hit my palm through the speaker. I sit up on my knees, closing the door as I wince at the low click. Hitting random buttons so he knows I'm here, I manage to sit with my back against the door and I realize my mistake once I see the clothes hung up.

I should have gone into the bathroom.

I could lock it.

A sob works through me, and I press my hand over my mouth as the crashes get louder, as though they're tearing out a wall.

Vlad's deadly voice comes out full of hope.

"Inessa, press a button if you're safe."

My head shakes like he can see me, but I don't press anything. I don't fucking know if I'm safe.My shoulders hunch forward as I try to tell myself I'm fine.

"Inessa. Fucking speak!"

There's something muting me. It's too intense to be as banal as fear. This is sheer terror, not for my life but my daughter's. I slowly bring the phone to my lips, and my voice is barely audible I beg him.

"Save her, please."

I can feel the violence coming through the speaker, turning everything to ice it's so hot, but he manages to speak calmly despite the rushed steps in the background.

"Can you hear me?"

He doesn't relax when I press the keypad and keeps his voice low.

"Are you at your grandfather's?"

He didn't say Maximoff, he never calls him my grandfather. I press two buttons, attempting to say no. The beeps echoing in front of my face are muted by the thuds still hitting the wall. But Vlad's moving, he'll be here, and I keep communicating with the keypad.

"You stayed home?"

I press one button as the sound of a car starting comes through the phone, while he continues with his questions, trying to gauge how many there are.

"Have they seen you, meelaya?"

Two buttons and I hold the top of the phone with my palm to dull the sound as the demolition stops.

"Okay, one beep for yes, two for no. The guards are coming, stay with me, okay?"

Two buttons.

"Are they dead?"

Two buttons.

"You called them back when you stayed?"

Two buttons.

"For fuck's sake!"

His anger makes me feel better.

"Stay on the phone, meelaya, I won't let anyone hurt either of you."

One button.

Fear overtakes his voice, making it tremble.

"Are you hurt?"

Two buttons, and there's no sound through the door.

I press my ear to the wood and my phone to the other side as I listen to Vlad promise murder in my name.

"I am the biggest cunt to exist, no one will get fucking close to you. When I've put the suka's head on a fucking pike to show that you are out of limits, no one will fucking dare look at you. Either of you. Okay? You're both mine, under my protection and my responsibility, Inessa."

Relaxing enough to speak, I press the phone deeper to my ear like that will ensure I'm not heard.

"I know. We?—"

The door jolts at my back, cutting me off, and my phone drops from the force as I choke on my fear. Holding the floor for support, I dig my heels in and push back, praying that my weight will keep it in place.

"INESSA?!"

I can hear Vlad's muted shout, but a sob breaks free as my hands slip. Whoever the fuck is battering their full body weight against the wood is pushing me enough to create an opening. A hand slithers through the crack, and my neck strains from how hard my head is pulled to the side. I cradle my baby with both hands, and I don't give a fuck if my head is bashed in, as long as she's safe. She's still growing, and nothing else matters.

The stupid fucking room is too big, and I can't stretch my legs to use a wall for stability as hot tears burn the backs of my eyes. The fear is keeping them at bay as a scream builds inside of me. Needing to be rational, I look around for anything I can use as a weapon. There are no guns in the house. Fuck, I should have taken one from Ana or a knife. Fucking anything.

The hand in my hair twists the strands, pulling them out of my scalp. They continue tugging until my head is bent. A kick hits the door into my spine and temple, creating a big enough gap for their booted foot to be wedged into it as I beg, "Stop! I'm pregnant!"

They tug harder, and I stop pushing my weight back as I'm thrown to the side. My hands come out in time to stop the impact against my stomach, and the edge of the door slams into my spine. The booted foot is next, knocking the air out of me. I curl up, protecting the only one who requires it and cradle my stomach.

The dark doesn't allow me to make out the person's features as they grab my hair, ripping more out. A pained scream echoes through the room as they step on my ankle. Something clatters behind me, but I stay in the position I'm in, with my knees biting into the ground and my head tucked in as much as possible. My hands don't leave my stomach. Like this, she'll be okay. My baby will be okay.

My head is pulled up so fast my neck can't counteract the movement and the low light of my phone moves from the floor to the motherfucker's face who is holding me. He doesn't say anything as Vlad screams murder. Len just smiles at me. My other senses take over as he presses his knee into my nape and covers my mouth with his alcohol-ridden hand. It burns up my nose, and I bite down on my teeth to stop it from seeping in as much as possible. He's sober, I can see it in his eyes, but he smells like he's been pickled for years as he ends the call without saying anything.

Pulling me up by my hair, I straighten my spine, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of me being timid. Even though my tears don't stop, and my arms are wrapped around my middle, I convince myself that he won't hurt his own grandchild. There's no taunt or goading as he lets go of my face to grab my hair and drag me with him through the hallway. The office door is open, the wall has large holes in it, and the desk is upturned. I didn't know it had drawers, but he's managed to open them. Papers lay strewn across the floor, each of them blank, and he twist his fist around my strands as he continues to drag me into the elevator. I shouldn't be thankful, but I am because this is less dangerous than the staircase. I don't trust that he wouldn't throw me down them.

My phone lights up in his hand as Vlad keeps calling back, but he ignores it, allowing it to ring out. He'll come, he said he won't let anyone hurt us, he won't abandon me if I'm in danger. The ping of the elevator doors doesn't reduce the stench of alcohol. It increases it, making my eyes sting. My bare feet slip against the wood, and the smell finally makes sense. There's no heat in my threat as I try to make the psychotic prick see reason.

"The Pakhan won't allow the disrespect of you hurting his family."

Grandfather will tear Len to fucking shreds whether I get out alive or not, but I focus on him not killing me, or hurting my daughter. "He'll be forced to retaliate."

A scoff brushes my shoulder, and he lets me into his fucked up plan as we reach the ground floor.

"Maybe that will teach my sons not to be fucking weak, allowing a whore to rule them."

I bite my tongue to stop from telling him how fucking delighted the world would be at the news of his death as he drags me out of the elevator. The flowers Vlad had delivered without a card are wilting from the chemicals that have been poured on them.

The smell of alcohol mixes with something even more potent, and I squint from the fumes the deeper we get into the bar. Len kicks my calf with his heavy boot. My knees crumple, and I fall to the floor with a crack. The ugly bastard is in full view as he lets my hair go to backhand me, his knuckles catching on my lip, and it splits on impact. I turn my head back straight, but he stops me standing again and grabs the hair on my crown.

"You made him weak. He should be sat with the Vory, but he left because you called him."

He addresses me with a snarl, and I try to use sense over brawn I don't possess.

"I can find what you were looking for in his office," I offer.

I don't flinch as his hand comes back up, and his knuckles fully connect with my cheek. The burn on my face is nothing compared to the one in my nose as it works out the mix of flammable liquids coating every surface.As long as he focuses on rearranging my face, he won't hurt my daughter.

The floors sparkle in the low light emitted from the lamps from how saturated they are. I'm barefoot and I'll make it two steps before I fall. Hugging my bump tighter, I give her every promise I can think of. Everything she wants, she will have.

Len looks me up and down with disgust. Swapping his hand for a gun, he moves back and keeps his eyes locked on mine as he aims at me. "You are nothing. I knew he wouldn't allow you his secrets. Those weak bastard brothers of his don't even know, but I do."

He sounds smug, the freak. He continues as he declines Vlad's call.

"I thought I'd rid him of everything. He was worse than I dreamed of. A true evil bastard."

The pride in his voice as he describes his twisted wishes for his son fill me with disgust.

Vlad isn't fucking evil. He's a nightmare for those he doesn't give a fuck about. Deep down, he's a protector and the most loyal man anyone could know.

Len reaches for something out of sight on the bar, and he shakes his head as hate coats his voice.

"He's always allowed bitches and whores to be his weakness, a waste."

I'm not a submissive or silent person. I argue back and don't give a fuck. But there's another life that means more than my own.I focus on that and remind myself that Vlad will be here soon. He promised, and he won't let anyone hurt our daughter. She's family, under his protection. Repeating the same thought over and over, I zone out of Len's ranting as he uncaps a bottle.

"You think he became what he is without me? He thinks he can ruin everything I fucking worked for?!"

There's no glass and he doesn't bring the bottle to his lips. He tries to smile at the joy of his fucked up thoughts, but his face isn't suited for the curve.

"He won't take from me. I will ruin him again and make him stronger like I did all those years ago."

I refuse to acknowledge him, nothing he says is rooted in fact, it's bullshit.

"Has he told you about Vanya?" he asks when I don't react to anything else he's said.

Not answering him, I stare ahead, fixing on a spot on the wall.I continue repeating my mantra. We'll be okay, Vlad said he was coming. If he was in a meeting with the other Vory, he'll have people to help.

Liquid splashes on the top of my head and I hold my breath, not wanting to ingest the alcohol dousing me. Unhappy with not getting a reaction, Len stokes one from his son as he dials Vlad.

"Your wife is keeping me company whilst we await your arrival."

He drops his phone on the floor, the gasoline and alcohol splashing up and hitting my thighs as Vlad falls silent. I can see the timer tick over to know he's there, and Len looks from the screen to me before he grabs my face with one hand. His fingers dig into my cheeks, and he speaks in the most sickening tone I have ever heard.

"Open up, nevestka1."

The bottle comes up, and I bite down harder.

He doesn't move as I lock my jaw closed to stop the sick fucking cunt. I try to turn my body away from him as I push against him with one arm wrapped around me. The force of his hold pushes against my teeth, and his foot comes up, aiming for my stomach, making me scream, "NO!"

It lands on my thigh, hard enough for my bones to rattle. He presses his fingers between my parted teeth through my cheek, not allowing me to close my mouth. The sick bastard empties the rest of the bottle into my open mouth while I try to spit it out. I don't know if I've accidentally swallowed some, and I can't breathe from my attempt not to.

Holding up the empty bottle while I choke and wretch, the cunt toasts, "Sleduyushcheye pokoleniye2."

I'm going to peel his fucking flesh from his bones and feed it to him. As soon as my baby is safe, I'll be worse than the devil himself. Not voicing anything to risk her safety, I can't hide the murderous plot in my eyes. Vlad said he would come, but he isn't even speaking. I can't hear any sounds of the road or an engine. I look down to make sure he's still there and the seconds are still being counted. But he doesn't fucking say anything.

Len follows my line of sight and tuts before he dramatically lowers voice with a wide smile.

"He doesn't speak when he loses his weakness." His eyes widen freakishly, and he says with more pride, "He becomes deadly."

Bile burns a path up my throat, counteracting the liquor as it attempts to remove it from my body. He doesn't give a fuck, and the psychotic cunt takes out a lighter. There is accelerant everywhere. One spark and I'll burn, we'll burn.

No, she has to live.

My voice comes out strong as I remain on my knees, hoping it convinces him to stop.

"What do you want?"

He doesn't look at me as he turns and grabs a large pillar candle that wasn't here before. I didn't buy it and he turns back to me, assessing the bottom. My shoulders flinch as he runs his thumb on the metal bearing of the lighter and holds it to the bottom of the wax. It doesn't drip on the floor as he moves his arm to the side. He fixes the candle to the bar, and there's no splash as he presses it down.

"What I want is my name to be strong. Not that weak pendik."

I try to hide my disgust, but there's only so much I can take when he uses the slur for a child that was fucking raped.

The door opens and there's only one pair of shoes hitting the puddles on the floor. They don't thunder towards me; Vlad walks in like this is nothing. Like I am nothing, and he doesn't even fucking look at me. Staring at his father, his voice is bored, but the tap on his thigh is faster than ever before.

"You always were a sloppy drunk."

I focus on his finger and the familiarity of the movement — his only tell. Which doesn't stop after the repetition of three, three, and four but restarts again and the change stops me noticing Len moving closer to me.

His leg touches my shoulder, and I flinch, getting Vlad's attention. The nonchalance disappears for a second, and his anger is ablaze until he blinks it away and walks to the bar. He's a calculating ruthless monster, and Len is too fucking stupid to see that Vlad will always win.

"You left your position because of this whore?!"

His roar is nothing when all I can see is Vlad. His shoulders tense before he forces them to relax as a lighter cap clicks behind me.

The dickhead is getting off on this, having control for once in his pathetic fucking life and I bite my lip to stop the sob from leaving. Icy blank eyes land on me, and my heart cracks despite knowing it's fake.

"Do it. Maximoff and Dmitri will have no argument over your death when you kill their blood."

The click stops, and I close my eyes in relief.

It doesn't last when Len stays behind me like a coward, using me as a shield. His voice is full of disgust, and I don't dare open my eyes.

"She's your weakness, fucking pathetic. I made you strong!"

Vlad's bitter laugh is too good to be fake, but he was raised around the cunt behind me and had to bury his goodness.

"She is nothing. And you are a fucking nobody. I gave your name meaning where you never could."

My head is dragged back as Len fists my hair.Something warm ghosts near my skin and a whimper escapes through my teeth. I squeeze my eyes shut tighter and wrap my arms around my middle. If he punches me in the face, my daughter will be okay. She'll survive. As long as she survives, it will be okay.But the lighter is there, the flame flirting with the small amount of space between the alcohol coating my skin in a room filled with fucking flammable liquid.

Vlad's voice is cold, counteracting the dangerous heat in front of me.

"That flame touches her, and what will be done to you will be a hundred times worse. She is the granddaughter of the East Coast Pakhan, niece of Moscow's Pakhan, and the wife of a Vor."

It is removed instantly, and I can breathe. The lighter cap clicks by my ear, and I turn away from it as though there's a flame or it could possibly help. Len is vibrating with cruelty, repeating his earlier question.

"Has he told you about Vanya?"

The name has my eyes opening, and Vlad can't stop his rage showing.

"Her name does not belong on your dirty fucking tongue!"

Ignoring his son, he continues and whoever she is, has my deepest sympathies at whatever this sick cunt did to her.

"She was his last weakness, I had to fix that bec?—"

Vlad freezes, his brows slowly coming together and then hellfire overtaking him as he calmly confirms whatever the fuck they're talking about.

"You opened the window."

His voice is low, and it's not a question. But Len pales, realizing his tongue got away from him. His hold on my hair loosens, and the devil would run from the look in Vlad's eyes. He flicks to me, then looks back to his father. I don't know how I know to move, but his finger taps in a different pattern when he moves his feet, and I push away at the same time as he charges his father and screams with gut-wrenching pain ripping through him.

"YOU OPENED THE FUCKING WINDOW!"

I land on my ass as I struggle to draw in a breath. But he keeps repeating the same thing regarding a window. Len can't fight back, and I can't move as he turns animalistic in his rage.

Len's fingers bleach deathly white from the force of Vlad's fully inked hands wrapping around them, keeping the lighter in place. He drives his head forward into his fathers and I can't look away.

I've watched documentaries about animals in the wild fighting for survival, and this is no different. Vlad's chest rapidly inflates, his breathing harsher, as he breaks his father's fingers and ignores the blood staining his skin. His teeth come out, latching onto Len's cheek and I'm frozen in place as a muted scream echoes around the room.

Vlad's bite is forceful enough to part the skin and he doesn't stop. He gets bigger with his rage, more violent than he's ever been. While I freeze half in fear for him and half in awe of his strength.

1 ?Daughter-in-law

2 ?The next generation