Chapter 78: The Rural Escape

The drive had taken nearly six hours. Leo watched the city lights fade into the rearview mirror, replaced first by endless highways and finally by the dark, towering silhouettes of pine trees. He didn't ask where they were going. He didn't see the point.

Dmitri was driving, his hands relaxed on the steering wheel, while Ivan sat in the back with Leo, holding his hand. It wasn't a gentle hold; it was a firm grip that reminded Leo he wasn't allowed to move.

"You'll love it here, Leo," Ivan whispered, his thumb tracing circles over Leo's knuckles. "No noise. No crowds. No phones for people to send you frightening messages. Just the three of us and the fresh air."

"It’s a cage with better scenery, Ivan," Leo said, leaning his head against the cold window. "You can call it a vacation, but we both know why we're here. You're hiding me."

"We are protecting you," Dmitri corrected from the front. He glanced at the rearview mirror, his eyes catching Leo's. "The city is compromised. Every person on the street is a potential eyesore or a threat. Here, we control the perimeter. Here, you can breathe."

The SUV finally pulled up a gravel path to a cabin made of dark cedar and heavy stone. It was beautiful in a rugged, lonely way. There were no other houses for miles. As the engine died, the silence of the woods rushed in, thick and heavy.

Inside, the cabin was warm. A fire was already roaring in the stone fireplace, likely started by a staff member sent ahead of time. The air smelled of pine needles and woodsmoke.

"Go on, look around," Ivan said, gently nudging Leo into the living room. "We brought your favorite paints, your softest blankets. We even brought that brand of tea you like from the shop near the studio."

Leo walked to the large window. Outside, the moon was bright, reflecting off a frozen lake. It was the most romantic place he had ever seen, and it made his stomach turn. "It’s beautiful," Leo admitted, his voice small. "It’s also terrifying. If I screamed out here, would anyone hear me?"

Ivan stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms around Leo's waist and resting his chin on Leo’s shoulder. "Why would you want to scream, my love? We are right here. We've got you."

"That’s the problem," Leo muttered. He turned around in Ivan’s arms, looking him in the eyes. "You don't see it, do you? You think that because you're hugging me, I'm not a prisoner. But you took my phone. You took my keys. You didn't even let me pack my own bag."

"Because you were too upset to think clearly," Ivan said, his voice hurting. "We did it for you. We wanted to take the burden off your shoulders."

Dmitri walked in, carrying a tray with three glasses of dark wine. He set them on a low table and sat on the leather sofa. "Enough with the gloomy talk. Leo, come sit. Let’s enjoy the fire."

Leo walked over, but he didn't sit on the sofa. He sat on the rug by the hearth, staring into the flames. I am disappearing, he thought to himself. Every day, they shave off a little more of who I am until there’s nothing left but a doll they can dress up and move around.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind," Leo said to the fire. "In the city, I could at least pretend I was part of the world. Here... it’s just us. It’s like the rest of the world stopped existing."

"Isn't that wonderful?" Dmitri asked, taking a sip of his wine. "The world is a nasty, loud place. It wants to use you. It wants to sell your face and your talent. Here, you are just Leo. Our Leo."

"But I’m not just 'yours'," Leo snapped, turning to face them. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I am a person! I have friends! I have a life! Or I did, before you decided that 'protection' meant total isolation. What happens if I want to go for a walk? Alone?"

"The woods are dangerous at night," Ivan said quickly.

"See?" Leo laughed, a harsh, jagged sound. "Everything is a danger. The wind, the trees, a text message. You’re using my fear to keep me in line. You're making me afraid of everything so that you're the only things I have left to trust."

Dmitri set his glass down. He stood up and walked over, kneeling beside Leo on the rug. He reached out and cupped Leo’s face, forcing him to look at him. Dmitri’s eyes were soft, almost sad.

"Leo, look at me," Dmitri said. "Do you think we enjoy this? Do you think I like seeing you cry? It kills me. Every time you look at me with hate, it’s like a knife in my chest. But I would rather have you hate me and be alive than have you love me and be buried in the ground."

"You're so dramatic," Leo whispered, though his heart was racing. "No one is trying to kill me."

"You don't know what our father was capable of," Ivan added, sitting on the other side of Leo. "And you don't know who is still out there looking for a way to hurt the Volkovs. You are our heart, Leo. And people always go for the heart first."

Leo felt the heat of the fire on his face and the heat of the brothers on either side of him. He felt trapped, but he also felt a terrifying surge of affection. They were so sincere. They truly believed they were the heroes of this story.

"I’m tired," Leo said, leaning his head back against the sofa. "I’m so tired of fighting with you both."

"Then stop," Ivan whispered, kissing Leo’s temple. "Just stop fighting. Let us take care of you. Just for tonight, forget about the city. Forget about the messages. Just be here, with us."

Leo closed his eyes. He could hear the crackle of the logs and the steady breathing of the two men holding him. It was a beautiful, golden trap. He knew he should run, but as he felt Ivan’s hand move through his hair, he wondered if he even had the strength to stand up anymore.

"Stay with us by the fire," Dmitri said, his voice a low, soothing command. "We aren't going anywhere. We'll be right here when you wake up."

Leo didn't answer. He just watched the shadows dance on the ceiling, feeling the isolation of the woods closing in

like a heavy velvet curtain.