“Why do I need to be?” I ask. “You can’t be here in the next ten minutes, can you?”
“Wait… you’re ten minutes away from her?”
“Yes.”
“Jesus," he hisses. "When did you even leave?”
“A while ago.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” he asks, sounding angry. “Or Lev?”
“I can deal with this on my own.”
“For fuck’s sake, Anton, you don’t always have to act like you can do every goddamn thing by yourself.”
“Why not? I can.”
“That’s ego talking.”
“No, it’s experience talking,” I snap. “I’ve been at this a lot longer than you have, Yulian.”
“Excuse me, we’re only two years apart—"
“And it might as well be two decades. You were shielded because you were the second son. I was in the trenches way before my time because Otets wanted a super soldier and a ruthless leader all rolled into one," I snarl. “And just to be clear, I don’t have to tell you or Lev anything. I am your fucking don. I choose to inform you when something concerns you. This does not.”
There’s a second or two of silence from Yulian’s end.
“I just want to be there for you,” he says reluctantly. He’s always been better at talking about feelings than I have. But I know it’s not easy for him, either. “You don’t have to do everything alone.”
I’m silent. There’s nothing to say.
“Good luck then, brother,” he sighs in a resigned tone. “Go get your woman.”
“I intend to.”
He hangs up before I do.
According to the navigation system, I’m minutes away from Laurel Manor. With every second that ticks by, I feel the heat of my suspicions grow more and more intense.
It isn’t what Chris told me.
It isn’t even what Jessa has told me.
It’s about the uneven strum of my heartbeat. The way everything feels like it’s been coming down to this moment.
Because even when the die was cast and it seemed like my nightmare was over, I didn’t believe it. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And now, at last, here it comes.
Except it is about to fall on my entire future. My woman. My child.
If that comes to pass, there will be no mercy. No reprieve. Only blood and pain.
My revenge carved onto her skin.