Chapter 26 - Raisa

My stomach is in a tight knot as we follow the convoy behind Leon.

I honestly thought Rodion had been the one who took Anya. When we all realized that it wasn’t him, my heart sank because at least if it was my own brother, I could have spoken to him. Unfortunately, she is with a stranger now someone scary, dangerous, and unknown.

I sit quietly next to Oleg. He looks tense and worried as well.

I don’t blame him.

I know he is very close to Anya.

All of her brothers love her.

We drive through the city towards the harbor, where Leon pulls off to the side of the road. We all do the same.

He climbs out of the car, and in no tim,e we are all standing with him. Oleg is furious that I got out as well. But I will not just sit there and wait. I want to help and I want to do whatever I can.

“We’ll head in the back. You guys can take the front entrance. It’s not a big warehouse, so this should be quick and easy. The goal is to get Anya, I don’t care what happens to the people who took her,” Leon says to everyone. As soon as he is done speaking, Rodion bolts towards the front of the warehouse. He is determined to clear his name and help get her back. Otherwise, why is he still acting so weird about her?

Oleg turns towards me. “Please, Raisa, go back to the car.” I glare at him and he shakes his head. “Stay behind me and you will do exactly as I say when we are in that warehouse. Do you hear me?”

“Yes.” That I can agree to.

He pulls a second gun from his ankle and hands it to me. “Do you know how to use this?”

I nod.

He grabs my jaw and pulls me towards him. Pressing his lips against mine, he kisses me. It's brief but intense. Then he turns to run after his brothers.

I follow everyone into the warehouse.

Before I even step through the doors, gunfire has already erupted inside. I flinch at the sound. No matter how many times you shoot a gun at the target range, or out in the field near the forests back home—no matter how many times you hear that loud snap—you never really get used to it.

Although, glancing around me, I notice that all of the men look like they don’t even notice the sound.

Oleg runs deeper into the space, kneeling low and taking two shots. I see a man drop to the floor ahead of us and my stomach churns.

I hate this.

All of this death.

I follow close, the small gun Oleg has given me feels heavy in my hands. I won’t use it unless I have to.

Somewhere in the warehouse I hear a loud scream. It sounds like a girl, but I turn towards it, expecting to see Anya and I see a young man. Leon has him by the collar of his jacket.

He tugs the jacket to the side, revealing a waiter’s uniform.

“This is the uniform they were wearing at the party this evening,” he snarls, glaring at the man.

“I—I—“ he stammers.

“Where the fuck is my sister?” Leon growls and the man looks like he is about to pee in his pants.

“We didn’t—we didn’t take your sister. We wouldn’t touch the Dubrov sister.”

Leon snorts. “Right—so you were at my party—and my sister is missing—but you want to try and deny it. “

“We took his sister, a girl called Raisa, please—it wasn’t me, though. They made me do it.” The guy points towards Rad.

They think they have me.

They took the wrong girl.

I am the reason Anya got taken.

I’m about to step forward when an explosion rattles behind us and we all drop to the floor. Oleg pulls me close, his arm wrapped around my head.

I hear screaming from behind me, the person is in agony. I turn with worry, fearing that I recognize my brother’s voice.

Writhing on the floor, Renat is clutching side. A large chunk of metal is protruding from it.

Everyone else is already taking aim towards the explosion as men rush through the hole in the warehouse wall towards us.

They fire at us, but there aren’t enough of them and between my brothers and the Dubrovs, the enemy drops like flies.

Bodies fall to the floor around me as I keep low and make my way to Renat.

The gunfire stops and I hear someone shout Anya’s name.

Glancing around, I see Rodion carrying her into the main area of the warehouse. Holding her tightly cradled against his body.

When he sees it’s safe, he sets her down and she huffs, stepping away from him.

Anya is safe. Thank goodness.

I turn my attention back to Renat.

He groans, rolling over.

I grab his body and stop him.

“Don’t move,” I say harshly.

Rodion is leaning over me now. “Pick him up. We have to get him to the hospital.”

“Don’t you dare move him,” I snarl at Rodion and push his hand away.

“What the fuck?” he snaps at me.

I lift the torn shirt away from the wound, assessing the damage.

Turning to Rodion, I demand. “Give me your shirt.”

“What?”

“Now! Stop being difficult and just give it to me.”

Rodion, looking confused, unbuttons his shirt and pulls it off, handing it to me. He’s wearing a t-shirt beneath it. I don’t get why he had to be so difficult.

I take a deep breath. “I’m going to pull this out. It isn’t in deep, but the angle it’s in means it will pierce his kidney if we move him now. That will be very bad. I’m going to pull it out, then press this against the wound. Then we can get him into the car, ok?”

No one answers me.

“Ok?” I say again, louder.

Oleg pushes past my brothers and kneels down next to me. “Tell me what to do,” he says.

“Push here. And Renat—try not to move.”

Renat nods, his face pulled tight in agony.

Slowly, I remove the shard of metal, blood spits from the gash, but I cover it quickly. It’s not deep. He will be fine.

Renat groans but sounds relieved to have the metal out of his side. “Fuck, that fucking hurt,” he mutters. “Thanks,” with a sigh of relief.

Oleg slides his arm around Renat’s waist and helps him up. Ruvim and Rad step forward to take him and help him to the car.

Rodion is glaring at me with narrowed eyes.

“How did you know what to do?” he asks abruptly.

“Now isn’t the time,” I say.

He grabs my arm. “Now is a perfectly good time.”

I sigh.

“I’ve been studying medicine for years.”

Saying it out loud is actually a relief. I never wanted to keep that secret. I’ve always wanted to tell them and I’ve wanted them to be proud of me for it.

Rodion looks shocked. “What do you mean?”

“I graduated top of my class back home, then I stared studying again when I got here. Oleg helped me sign up at a very prestigious university and I’m writing my exams soon.”

“Oleg helped you—are you studying to become a doctor—is that how you knew how to help Renat?”

I nod. “Yes.”

Rodion glares at Oleg, who steps close to me and wraps his arm around my waist. “You did an amazing job,” he whispers against my ear. I smile, because I just saved my brother a world of pain. If they had moved him, that shard would have done far worse damage.

Oleg and I turn to walk out of the warehouse, away from the carnage.

“Is Anya ok?” I ask as we step outside.

“She’s good. Leon has taken her home. Rodion was actually the one who got to her first. I need to thank him.”

Oleg stands next to his car but waits before getting in.

“Rodion—“ he calls my brother, who turns to look at him. His eyes are glazed, as though he is lost in thought.

“Mm?” he says, looking between Oleg and me.

“Thank you—for what you did for Anya. For getting to her so quickly. I appreciate it.”

“Sure,” Rodion says, then pauses. “Oleg, did you really enroll Raisa in university?”

“She wants to me a doctor, man. I will do anything she needs me to do to help her achieve her dreams.”

Rodion nods slowing, then pulls his car door open.

“Have a good night,” Oleg calls out.

“You too,” Rodion replies, then climbs inside and drives away.

“What’s gotten into him?” Oleg shrugs, pulling his door closed. He turns towards me, running his hand over my leg. “Let’s get home. Tonight has been absolute chaos.”

He pushes the car into gear and pulls out into the road, heading away from the warehouse, towards our home.

“Do you think he’s angry with me?” I ask after a while, worrying about how serious Rodion looked. “Or maybe disappointed? Because I never told them I was studying.” I twist my fingers nervously in my lap.

“Just give him some time, little flower. A lot happened tonight. But one thing is for sure, he saw what you did for Renat. He can’t deny that you helped him.”

I nod, still feeling tense with worry.

By the time we get home, Oleg has talked me out of some of my stress. He even has me laughing a little. I love how he can do that. How he can take away my concerns and put me at ease.

“No matter what, it’s your life Raisa, your brothers don’t get to choose your dreams. And I will support you—through everything.”

I still haven’t told him I love him.

I want to.

I’ve almost done it so many times—but I haven’t seemed to get the right moment.

Oleg pulls the car door open for me. I climb out just as his phone starts ringing. He flicks it to answer.

“Rodion? What did—oh—ok.”

He holds the phone away from his ear. He presses a button on the screen and switches the call to loudspeaker as we climb the stairs into the house.

He pushes the front door open and leads me to the living room.

“Ok, we are both listening.” Oleg finally says.

“Raisa? Can you hear me?”

“I’m here. I can hear you,” I say, narrowing my eyes in confusion.

“Listen, I was shocked when I heard you were already so far along into your studies. I guess I hated the fact that you felt you needed to hide it from us. That you thought we wouldn’t support you. Raisa, I am your brother and I will support whatever you want to do. If you have a dream of being a doctor, then I am not going to tell you that you can’t do it. Chase your dreams with fierce passion—“ He pauses, I don’t say anything because I feel emotionally overwhelmed by his words. “And Oleg,” Rodion continues, “I think I was wrong about you. Seeing how you were there in a second to help my sister with Renat’s injury, how you trusted her, and knowing that you have been supporting her and helping her achieve everything, man, I’m sorry. Ok. I was wrong about you. Definitely. Thank you for being the man my sister needed and felt safe enough to share her secrets with.”

I can’t help the tears that are flowing down my cheeks. But these are happy tears, I am so excited that my brother not only knows the truth but has finally accepted that I want to be with Oleg, he isn’t going to keep fighting this.

“Thank you, Rodion. This means so much to me,” I manage to say between tight sobs.

“Don’t cry, Raisa. I’m happy for you. I’m happy you found someone who sees you and supports you. Oleg—you better look after her. I’m happy—but I’ll be there in a second if you hurt her in any way.”

Oleg chuckles, wrapping his arm around me and holding me in a tight hug. “Thanks, Rodion. I appreciate that.”

We end the call with my brother and I can’t stop grinning.

Oleg is smiling down at me. “Well, that was an unexpected call—“he chuckles.

“That was the best call ever. My brother is happy for us. This is the best news ever. They won’t fight you or your family anymore and all of this horrible tension can be over.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him.

Tonight isn’t the right time to tell him that I love him.

Too much has happened already.

But at least Anya is safe and Rodion isn’t going to be a pain in the ass anymore.