I take my time carving him up. I know where to go to maximize the pain and minimize the blood loss. Every time he tries to pass out, I pour more water into his face and slap his cheeks until he stirs. Then I get right back to work.
Dimiv pulls out his own blade as he kneels at my side. “Mind if I join? I’ve got some ideas for this little operation.”
Oleg’s eyes go wide. Sweat and blood mix together as he tries to crawl away as much as his restraints will allow.
“No, don’t do this… please…”
“There is no mercy for men like you, Oleg,” I tell him grimly. “Your end has come—”
There are red veins pulsing through the whites of his eyes. He opens his mouth and lets out a strangled scream as Dimiv’s knife sinks into his right eyeball.
“—and it’s gonna be fucking slow.”
34
ALYSSA
URI: We’ve got her.
The message came in over an hour ago and I still can’t stop looking at it. Lev has already asked me why I couldn’t seem to put my phone down. I distracted him with video games and an extra hour of TV time before insisting that he went to bed.
I’m just stepping out of his room when I hear the purr of an engine. Gasping, I rush downstairs and peek out the window.
It’s them.
I spy Nikolai and Uri emerge from one side of the SUV—but still no Polly.
Quickly, I punch in the code and push the door open. They troop in one by one, all looking weary but calm. The last in is Uri and he has Polly in his arms. She’s clinging to him tightly, looking fragile as ever in a thin, sleeveless slip that hangs off her bony frame.
Her face is hidden in Uri’s chest. At first, I assume she’s sleeping. But then I notice her head lift once the door’s shut.
“Polly.”
Her head snaps in my direction. Her eyes go wide. “You’re starting to show,” she whispers softly.
I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but I’m losing that battle already. I venture towards her, unsure if I should touch her or not. I want to, just to make sure she’s real, that she’s really here.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so glad you’re home.”
She nods but says nothing.
Uri goes upstairs with her. I follow along, then rush ahead so I can open the door to one of the empty bedrooms.
He is about to set her down on the duvet when she starts frantically shaking her head. “No. Don’t! I’m so dirty. I don’t want to touch anything.”
“It doesn’t matter, Polly.”
“It does. It does,” she insists with a fervor that reminds me of Lev. “I’m dirty.”
Uri looks at me helplessly and I feel his pain. I rush forward and put my hand on Polly’s arm. “I can get you cleaned up, Polly. Would you be okay with that?”
She stares at me. Those eyes are huge and scared, flitting side to side like they see things in the shadows that no one else can see.
“Come on,” I say to Uri. “Let’s take her to the bathroom.”
He scoops her up again and carries her in before gently settling her on the side of the tub where I point. “Thank you. I’ll take it from here.” He glances at me and I can see the turmoil raging in his eyes. I slide my hand up and down his back. “It’s okay; I’ll take care of her. Pinky promise.”
With a solemn nod, he slips out quietly, leaving Polly with me.
I turn on the faucet, making sure it’s hot before I add bubbles and bath salts. Polly watches me wordlessly. Those eyes of hers never stop moving. Like she’s gotten so used to checking for demons in the shadows that she doesn’t know how to stop now.
Once the tub is filled, I turn to her. “Ready to get clean?”
I help her undress, dumping her ruined clothes right into the trash can. Then, with one hand on her back and another holding hers, I lower her into the bathtub. A trembling breath passes her lips as she sinks below the surface of the suds.
She closes her eyes and sighs deeply. She doesn’t say a thing and I decide not to break the silence until she’s ready.
After about thirty minutes or so have passed, the water’s started to go cold. “Are you ready to come out?” I ask.
She shakes her head immediately. “No. Not yet.”
I run the tap again to refresh the warm water. When I cut it back off, the silence seems denser than ever. She shudders against the comforting swirls of steam that rise out of the tub.
“Who knew heaven was a tub of hot water?” she croaks.
I sit by the side of the tub and trail my fingers through the water, making ripples in the soapy crests and valleys.