Chapter 32

Kimberly

H aving thrown the cash down on the table and racing out of the diner, much to Dina’s surprise and concern with her calling out after me, I am now anxiously pacing the vacant parking lot, staring at my phone and wondering what the hell I should do.

If I tell Yaroslav, I’m effectively signing my brother’s death warrant.

If I don’t, then Yaroslav goes to jail and my child will grow up fatherless. Possibly motherless too since it’s likely I’d be killed myself for betraying Yaroslav and his family with my silence.

Without thinking about it, I start to walk, hoping to clear my head. It’s a stupid decision since I’m miles from anywhere. But I need to do something, movement might help.

As I’m walking and agonizing, I hear a ringtone that isn’t my own close by. Confused, I look around me at the empty expanse of highway surrounded by trees. There’s no one else here. I’m alone. Literally and metaphorically.

With a start, it dawns on me that the sound is coming from my purse. It’s only as I pull out the phone that I recall, it’s the phone Marta gave me. I forgot to give it to David yesterday. And considering they went to meet Marta today, the phone completely slipped my mind. The display shows that it’s Marta herself calling.

“Hello?” I answer, confused.

“Kim! Thank goodness, is David with you?” she asks sounding frazzled.

“No, I thought he was with you?”

“He was… everything was going amazingly, we were all getting on so well. But then I think he must have gotten overwhelmed by everything, and he ran off. Yaroslav and I split up to find him, we’ve been looking everywhere. I was hoping he might have the phone on him,” she explains, worry marring her voice.

“No, sorry I forgot to give it to him,” I answer truthfully, cursing myself now for not doing so. “I can come and help find him?”

“Hold on a sec, Kim, Yaroslav is calling,” she says before putting me on hold.

Moments later, she’s back on the line. “Hi Kim, thank god, they’ve found him. He and Yaroslav are heading home now, he’s safe. Crisis averted,” she says with a tinge of relief and sadness.

“Well, this crisis at least,” I blurt out.

“Are you having some sort of crisis?” she asks her voice so concerned I decide to open up to her, perhaps she can help me figure out this mess.

“Yes, it affects Yaroslav too, can we meet?” I ask.

“Of course, where are you?” she says without hesitation.

I explain how I’m in the middle of nowhere walking down the road.

“Okay, I’m not going to even ask why you’re wandering down the road,” she replies, “Just stay put and I’ll be right there. I’ll let Yaroslav know we’re meeting up, so he doesn’t worry about you. I’ll be sure to act like it’s a casual thing,” she adds, intuitively knowing I don’t want him to know something is wrong.

“Thank you, Marta, you’re a lifesaver.”

At least I hope she will be.

***

A couple of hours later and several coffees in back at the diner, I’ve been updated on their reunion and Marta is now fully aware of my predicament. Well, not fully , fully, I haven’t mentioned the baby. We’ve been running through solutions, but nothing seems to keep both of our brothers safe. Apart from the one thing I can’t accept.

“Kim, please. This is the only way. I’ll give the money to your brother. Jackson and I can afford it, and if that’s the price I pay to protect my brother, I’ll do it without hesitation,” she insists, not for the first time.

“Marta, it’s a lot of money, I can’t let you do that. Plus, shouldn’t you at least discuss it with Jackson? And what if Noah asks for more? What’s to stop him coming back?” I reason, wracking my brain for another solution.

She ponders this. “You’re right, it’s a gamble, most blackmailers come back for more. But what other option do we have? Besides, it might buy us some time. And don’t worry about Jackson, I’ll speak to him.”

I let out a sigh, rubbing my eyes wearily. “Okay, thank you, Marta. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you, but I’ll find a way.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad I can help,” she responds.

Deciding to just bite the bullet and get it over with, I call Noah.

“Hey, Sis, I hope you’re not calling to—” he starts but I cut him off.

“You’ll get your money. But then I want you to move, far, far away from here. Never contact me, Gran, or any of Yaroslav’s family again. If you do, or you try to do this again and get more money once you inevitably blow it all away, I won’t stop him from ending you the next time. Do I make myself clear?” I hiss, meaning every word.

I want to save him, but sisterly love only goes so far. If Noah tries to hurt me or my family, I won’t save him the next time.

“Understood,” he replies.

I don’t bother to reply or give him the chance to say anything else, I just hang up. Cutting him out of my life for good. I’m surprised to feel relieved by the decision. Noah isn’t the brother I loved anymore. He’s toxic, and with a child on the way, I need to put them first above anything else.

Marta gives me a small smile. “Feeling better?” she asks. It’s incredible how intuitive she is.

“Yes, actually. Thanks, Marta, I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

She waves away my thanks with a hand. “No thanks needed, though I have to admit, when you first mentioned a crisis, this wasn’t what I was imagining.”

“Oh, what were you imagining?” I ask curiously, sipping my drink.

She lets out a little chuckle at the absurdity of it. “I thought that maybe you were pregnant.”

My face immediately pales, and I know that the truth is plastered across it. She takes one look at me and gasps, “Oh my lord, you are pregnant. Aren’t you?”

Having shared so many intimacies and secrets with Marta already, I feel close to her even though we barely know each other. So I don’t hesitate to tell her the truth.

“Yes, it’s early days, but I took a test yesterday and it was positive,” I reply, unable to hold back a smile. “I haven’t had a chance to tell Yaroslav yet.”

She grins back at me. “Oh my goodness this is the best news ever! Yaroslav is going to be so happy. He always wanted children.”

Her happiness is infectious, and I can’t help but feel hopeful, “He did? I thought perhaps he wouldn’t be happy about it…” I say biting my lip anxiously.

She shakes her head before stating confidently, “No way. He’ll be over the moon about this. You should tell him right away. I just know that you two are going to make the best parents.”

“You think?”

“Of course, it’s clear that Yaroslav is madly in love with you, and you with him. What more does a baby need than two parents who love each other to love them?” she says with complete conviction.

“Thanks, Marta, you’re right. I shouldn’t put it off any longer. I should go tell him now. Can you drop me back at his?” I ask, gathering my things.

“Sure thing,” she agrees pulling out her purse.

“No way am I letting you pay for this,” I warn, “You’ve just spent a whole heap of money on my stupid brother.”

She graciously concedes and we head to the car once the check is settled.

“Oh shoot!” I declare as I notice the time on the dash. “I was supposed to meet a friend at Antonio’s at five. She’ll already be there, I can’t cancel. I should at least show up to apologize in person.”

“No worries, we’ll swing by there first,” Marta replies confidently before pulling off.

I rapidly fire off a text to Amelia.

Sorry I’m running late, I’m with Yaroslav’s sister and coming to you now. Heading from Dina’s Diner, so we’ll be around 15 mins. I’ll explain everything when I see you.

A thought occurs to me as we’re nearing the edge of town.

“I should give Yaroslav a quick call, so he knows we’re okay,” I voice my thought aloud, pulling up his number.

Marta glances at me from the corner of her eye, “Knowing my brother, he’s already well aware of where we are and what we’re doing. See that black SUV behind us?” she asks, and I turn and take a look. “It’s been following us for a little while now. I bet you that’s Yaroslav’s men.”

“Really? He’d do something like that?” I ask, surprised.

“The men in my family are both protective and control freaks, you bet he would!”

“I’ll still call him anyway, he doesn’t know I know that,” I say with a chuckle, dialing his number.

It goes to voicemail, so I leave a message, “Hey, Marta and I are just heading to Antonio’s to meet Amelia, but I’ll be back soon. Hopefully, we can have dinner together, there’s something important I need to tell you.”

I almost add ‘I love you’, to the end, stopping myself at the last minute. The first time I say those words to him they should be to his face.

The SUV behind us overtakes and then begins driving slowly in front, causing Marta to have to slam on her brakes. “Well, it’s not one of my brother’s men, but it is an asshole,” Marta mutters, “Learn how to drive!”

She glances in her rearview mirror as a second SUV pulls up to the side of us, revealing a third behind. “Shit,” Marta hisses.

“What? What’s happening?” I ask, feeling panicked by the strange behavior of the cars.

“Nothing good,” Marta replies through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, the cars close in on us, ramming Marta’s car from all directions and forcing her to come to a sudden stop. Three armed men in balaclavas pile out of each vehicle, all armed with guns.

“Get out of the car, now!” one of the men shouts, firing a warning shot into the air that makes me yelp in surprise.

“What should we do?” I ask Marta, a wave of terror courses through my veins as I realize the danger we’re in.

“Siri, call Yaroslav,” Marta orders her phone, and the car system automatically begins to dial on speakerphone.

She quickly moves to lock the car doors as a man approaches the window. I sit there, frozen in panic and unable to go anywhere. One of the men, realizing the car is locked, smashes the window next to Marta with the back of his machine gun. Glass flies everywhere and Marta screams as the man drags her like a ragdoll out of the car by her hair.

“I told you to get out of the fucking car!” he snarls, roughly passing her to another man.

Marta snarls and fights against her captor trying to get away. “Let me fucking go! My brother will kill you for this, you’ve no idea who you’re messing with!”

One of the men backhands her with his gun and she falls down, a bright red welt on her face appears where he struck her.

“Marta!” I cry out, worried for my friend.

The man who broke the window calmly looks at me, pointing the gun at my head. “Are you going to comply? Or do we have to do this the hard way?” he asks me.

All I can think of is the life inside of me, the desperate need to protect my unborn child, I don’t want them to hurt her, so I agree. “I’ll come with you,” I say, crawling across the car and getting out of Marta’s side.

“Good choice,” he says.

Meanwhile, Marta has gotten up and tried to run, the men easily catch her, and I see them hold a rag over her face. She quickly goes limp, falling unconscious. “What did you do to her?” I cry out, agonized as they then proceed to tie her arms and legs.

“It’s just a sedative, she’ll be fine,” the man says as they bundle Marta’s unconscious body into the trunk of one of the SUVs.

The man grabs me by the wrist, “Hands behind your back,” he orders and I comply, wincing as he duct-tapes my wrists together tightly.

He starts to lead me toward another of the cars. “No, please, let me go with her,” I beg, not wanting to be separated from Marta.

He shrugs but seems to concede to my request, turning and marching me toward the same trunk as Marta. “Get in,” he barks.

I do as I’m told, leaning close to Marta as I do. To my relief, she’s still breathing. The man proceeds to tape my legs tightly together. He then pulls out a bottle and a rag, pouring liquid onto it.

“Please, no. There’s no need to use that on me, I’m doing as you ask. I’ll be quiet I swear,” I beg, fearful of what an unknown drug could do to the precious life inside my womb.

“No can do,” the man says, reaching to press it to my face.

I struggle and wriggle away, trying to turn away from him. “Please, don’t! I’m pregnant!” I beg, hoping he will show mercy on my unborn child.

“We know,” the man says as he finally presses the stinking rag against my face.

I hyperventilate panicking and reaching out with my bound hands for Marta, I feel woozy, and my vision starts to blur. I hear the sound of the trunk closing with a slam.

And then everything goes dark.