Page 58 of Alik

She looks around the apartment while I seethe. “And somewhere around here are several pairs of my panties with blood on them. I bet you’ll find a couple. Maybe even all of them. But when the police come, can you imagine how badly you’ll sweat, not knowing if you missed one?”

“Why would you do that? If you’re so interested in being with me, why fuckingframeme? Do you think this makes me want you?”

She rears back with her brows arched. “Of course not. I’m notcrazy.”

My head tips back with a laugh so exasperated, I’m the one who sounds manic.

“What did you think I was going to do when I found out you drugged Olive?” She steps up to me with the knife gripped in her hand. I peer down at it, waiting for it to twitch. “Just… Let it go? You went six months without tossing the girl a glance, and all of a sudden, you wanted to date rape her?” She takes a breath and puts a hand to my chest. “Please don’t misunderstand. I forgiveyou. I know you don’t belong with Olive. You belong withme. We can easily move past this, but I’m not going to lock myself in a cage with a tiger without holding the key… Do you understand?”

Do Iunderstand?

Sure. I understand.

I also understand that I’m a fool.

A goddamn fool.

This girl is not a puzzle. She’s a trap.

My phone rings before I can respond, and when I look at the caller ID, I see Sergey’s name. I don’t even know what problem to prioritize right now.

“Go,” Olive’s evil twin tells me. When I look up at her, she winks and points at the corpse. “I can take care of this.”

“Do notleave this apartment.”

She raises a hand. “You don’t have to worry about me. I swear.”

“I’m not worried about you; I’m worried about me. If you get?—”

“Yeah, you know what? Save it.” She scoffs. “If you want to boss Olive around, be my guest, but get this through your head right now.You are not in charge of me. I can take care of myself. So…” She waves to the door. “Go. Stop worrying. It’s all good.”

I stare at her with my jaw locked while I wonder how she’d retaliate if I handcuffed her to my bed. Stuffed a gag in her mouth.

Could I find all those letters? The photos?

Even knowing they exist, the Bratva will kill me. Knowing she’s here, they’ll kill me.

There are many scenarios of what could happen, and in most of them, I’m dead.

What have I done?

With a frustrated shake of my head, I shove her out of my way and head to the door, pressing my phone to my ear.

“Sergey,” I say, trying to keep my voice even.

“Hey man.” He sighs. “I have bad news.”

I shut the door to my apartment, the irony not lost on me when I gain a sense of control again. Shutting myself in with Olive last night gave me a surge of power. Now it’s only leaving that gives me a sliver of it back.

“I’m on my way.”

15

OLIVE

Tears blur my vision as I scrub at the carpet with a brush I found beneath Alik’s kitchen sink. The water inside the mop bucket is tinged a deep enough red that when I dunk the brush, blood clings to the bristles.

I’ve already changed the water twice.