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Sasha “Explain.”The word tore out of me low and rough, my stare locked onto Evelyn.She flinched.“I- I’m so sorry.” she whispered, arms folding around herself as if she could hold herself together. “Jo only came with me because she didn’t want me going out alone- ”Her voice cracked. Tears spilled over and an ugly, broken sob ripped from her chest, her shoulders caving as she struggled to breathe through it.I felt my patience snap.This was not the time.Crying wouldn’t bring Josephine back. Panic wouldn’t help because every second mattered, especially the first twenty-four hours.I turned sharply and stormed across the apartment. The chair scraped loudly against the floor as I passed, the sound making Evelyn jolt.“Sasha-” she gasped.Pavel moved instantly.He stepped between us without hesitation, one arm spreading out protectively in front of Evelyn, his posture rigid and ready.I stopped short.For a split second, my brows furrowed, taking in Pavel’s immediate action to prote
JosephineBurning.That was the first thing I felt, like someone had poured acid into my eyes, my nose, my throat. A strangled gasp ripped out of me as I jerked awake but my eyelids felt so heavy.Each blink felt like sandpaper scraping, with tears trickling uncontrollably down my cheeks. My nostrils throbbed, and throat felt hot and severely dehydrated, every breath was painful.“Ah…” I croaked out.The air was thick and pungent with rust, mold and something else that was definitely decaying. I gagged immediately, turning my head to the side as bile clawed up my throat.My stomach twisted painfully, throat burning from the acid and bile but there was no product of my retching. I blinked again, forcing my eyes to focus through the tears.A concrete ceiling stained with ugly brown and black streaks. Exposed pipes above me, dripping something onto the floor somewhere close by. The sound of water hitting puddles echoed softly around me.Everything smelled damp…“-Where…?” My voice cracke
Sasha“Are you sure you’re okay to be discharged?” My mother asked for the nth time today.I held in a grunt, wincing slightly as I slipped a hand through my jacket. “Yes, the doctor cleared me already, you have nothing to worry about.”She didn’t look convinced because of course she fucking didn’t. She could smell a lie the moment it formed.“You mean-” she said, arms crossing, voice sharpening, “-the doctor you threatened moments ago?”“Threatened or not, you heard it from his lips.” I retorted flatly, securing the last button of my jacket. My ribs screamed, but I ignored it.“You should stay another night.” she insisted softly. “Your body is still healing.”“My body can heal on the jet.” I muttered, tugging the zipper of my jacket up. “Not here.”She frowned. “Sasha-”A sudden knock cut her off. The door pushed open and Sergei stepped in, boots heavy, coat dusted with snow. His expression was serious, more serious than usual.“The car is waiting. Your things have been packed, and t
Josephine I ended up going….I felt sick the whole ride in the Uber, checking the mirrors like Katya herself would pop out from the trunk, but eventually… we arrived, And I instantly knew this place was nothing like the underground subway we’d been to before.The entrance was hidden behind an abandoned construction site near the river. At first glance, it looked like nothing, just cracked pavement, a rusted fence, and a concrete wall covered in thick, chaotic graffiti.But as we walked closer, we noticed the faint thrum beneath the ground, bass vibrations, distant roars, and muffled music.Ev grinned. “Oh yeah. This is the place.”We hurried across the lot, passing rows of polished bikes and modified cars lined. Black, red, neon green, engines still warm and some owners leaning against their hoods smoking or laughing loudly.The night air seeped through my hoodie, making me clutch the fabric tighter. “This is freezing.”“That means the crowd inside will be warm.” Ev answered confiden
JosephineI catch on to the laughter that echoes from the kitchen. Ev hasn’t laughed as hard as this before and it wasn’t the fake one she gave whenever she wanted to get laid.This one was genuine…A small sly smile stretched on my lips as I crept down the stairs discretely, listening in on the two’s conversation. Pavel’s deep voice said something that I couldn’t quite catch but caused Ev to snort loudly.Then followed after, was the sharp hiss of sizzling oil and Ev’s loud squeal with cluttering of utensils.Typical Ev to be clumsy while cooking…I eased closer, peeking around the corner just enough for a view. Ev was standing at the stove, hair tied up in a messy knot, waving a spatula to the sizzling pan.Pavel chuckled lazily with a grin. He looked… relaxed and at ease while Ev, flushed slightly as she caught his stare before turning her attention back to the oven that dinged at attention.Pavel reached over sneakily, and snatched a piece of fried sausage from the pan, and Ev smac
Sasha The doctor’s penlight swept across my vision for what felt like the hundredth time.Left.Right.Up.Down.Another slow hum of approval vibrated from his throat.“I’m not blind.” I snapped, batting his hand away. “Move on.”He didn’t even look offended, just amused in that clinical way doctors get when they think they’re the only intelligent ones in the room. He scribbled something on his clipboard before adjusting my IV line.“Your cognition and reflexes are back to baseline,” he said, nodding to himself like he wasn’t stating the obvious. “No signs of swelling, no delayed concussive symptoms. The stitches on your ribs are holding well.”“Great.” I muttered, tapping on my cover sheets with urgency.He paused at the foot of the bed, eyebrow lifting. “You’re unusually impatient, Mr. Romanov?”I met his gaze with a flat glare. “I’ve been stabbed, shot at, blown up, and hit with a car. This-” I gestured to the room, the monitors, the antiseptic smell. “-is nothing. You hovering is







