Chapter 0256

Something about this — about Daniel coming at Ivan when he is too scared to tell his daddy that he doesn’t like his process —

really gets under my skin. “What,” I say, crossing my arms and glaring at him. “lvan’s as much of a boss as Kent is. And now

suddenly he’s full of shit, just because he’s your rival? My intel is good, Daniel. We need to know what’s going on — I’m not just

going to sit alone in my room while my life is at stake, hoping that everything is going to be okay!”

“Well!” Daniel says, spreading his hands out like there’s nothing he can do. “I, for one, am going to have faith in my dad! And

trust that he'll handle it, as he’s asked me to, and as he’s always done!”

“Cool!” I say, sarcasm obvious in my harsh tones. “Then I guess you can go and do that! Alone! In your own room tonight!”

“Great,” Daniel says nastily, leaning close to my face now. “Not like I’m not alone every night in your room anyway,” he whispers,

bringing his face close to mine so I can hear him, apparently so used to this life that he whispers his secrets even when he’s

pissed as hell and we’re alone in a big room.

I press my lips shut though, angry and a little cowed by his words. Because he’s right. My threat doesn’t have much substance to

it, does it?

Seeing that I have nothing else to say, Daniel turns on his heel with a big sigh and stalks towards the kitchen door, leaving me

alone.

And as the kitchen empties, the last thing I want is to follow after him like a lost little duckling.

But then, as I stand alone in the dark kitchen — a little creeped out by the large empty space — I realize that I also very much do

not want to hang out alone in here.

I spin, looking for a solution, my eyes falling on the door to the back patio.

But I know they’ll clam up the moment I go out there, and Natalia will use the opportunity to pick me to pieces like a little dead

crab.

So I spin again and suddenly find my eyes falling on the little door to the basement — the level where Kent once chained me to a

table, where before that I watched him punch the hell out of someone he was interrogating, and even before that where Fiona

brought me to a little room full of archives...

And suddenly, I know exactly what I want to do.

A few minutes later, I’m settled in the leather armchair that Fiona placed down here, a little book of photographs on my lap,

another glass of wine that I claimed from the bottle in the fridge sitting on the table next to me. After all, I’m not going to look

through teenage photos of Kent and Natalia sober.

Hell no.

I had to go through a whole pile of dusty albums until I came across this one — almost a flipbook, really, in its simplicity — just

plastic sleeves holding maybe twenty-five photographs? But even one glance told me it was precisely what I was looking for.

I hold it in my lap now, staring down at it, not...not really sure if I want to know.

Because...this is Lenai’s book.

I brush my fingers over her name

written on the front in her own,

looping handwriting, my heart

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sesguspitsata heresy Natalia I

t lcan handle. I didn’t like seeing

her throw herself at Kent tonight, but

all I have to do is close my eyes and

think of some of the things Kent does

to me when we're alone to be

reassured that...yeah. I’m not going

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But this...

Lenai’s book. Lenai’s memories.

Am I ready to see pictures of Ke

and the only w rea ve\ever4oved'

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I stare at the photo album for a yh

more moments, taking ten bee hs

lip pricodUt! Please read the original

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But then, I think...fuck it.

And I grab my wine, take a big gulp, and open to the first photo.