Page 10 of Legal Returns
I stumble forward and grab the chair to keep upright. Bela was the last of my sons. I was willing to walk away after Ziv got himself killed.
I told him not to help that traitor. She does nothing but get everyone around her killed. It is who she is.
“They were taken and tortured to death. They killed every last one of them. Even your people who set them up,” Miroslav says.
My sisters didn’t listen to me. My son didn’t listen. Now he has paid the price and so has his brother.
“My son, my baby boy,” I sob brokenly. “They have taken everything from me. I live like rat underground in this disgusting place.Net, no more.
“This time I finish what no one else could. I hide not here, not in Russia, nowhere. Misha wants to find me, I will reveal myself so he can come face to face with me and death.
“Bring her to me. She will die with him. This all her fault. It was stupid to help her. I should have killed her the moment she appeared at my door.”
“Are you sure? Bringing her out in the open will expose you if not careful. I don’t like it.”
“I don’t care. Ziv and Bela didn’t deserve this. I do for them, no one else. I didn’t start this, I finish. Enough,” I scream.
“I have had enough. Bring. Her. To. Me. Now.” My chest heaves as pain sears through me. I will show Misha what pain is like.
He and that traitor will understand what I have endured. I had planned to walk away from it all. While others have asked me to finish job, I had planned to lick my wounds in peace. Bela was going to run small business we have been reduced to.
He has lived in America since he was small boy. In the last two years, after the loss of my oldest son, Ziv—I have taught Bela all about our business and how to get things done.
“I told him not to be there.” I sob into my hands.
I knew Misha was coming. I had set the trap in hopes I would finally be able to join my last living son. I thought I had lost too much before; now I know I have lost everything.
There is nothing left. I will run from no one. They will all pay.
“Da, I finish. For my sons, I finish. You all die.”
I take out phone and make call to last card I hold. He will step up because he wants what Misha has. This will be a simple ask. I have people too.
CHAPTER 5
Brothers
Sammy
“CanI still spend the night in your room tonight?” my little brother, Elijah, asks as I finish coloring the last page in my coloring book.
I need to ask Mom for another one. She keeps them for me to have. I’ve been having visions all day. Today I’m overwhelmed by them, so I’ve been coloring and trying to focus.
I don’t have the weight and comfort of my vest and knives. They were taken from me. I outgrew the jacket Uncle Micheal first gave me when I was little. I have vests now.
My nanny is afraid of my knives, so she locked my vests and knives away.
However, she was called home for an emergency and left without giving them back. I haven’t told Mom because she’s going to fire her. I’ve seen it.
Miss Philps is a nice lady. She doesn’t get that what she did was wrong. She thinks she’s doing the right thing.
“Yeah, you can spend the night, but I’m having a bad day. I don’t know if I’ll sleep anytime soon,” I say to Elijah.
“That’s okay. Can I help you? Do you want to do a puzzle together or play chess?”
I smile. Elijah is only six, but he will be an amazing chess player. I started to teach him when he was three. I got a brand-new chess set from my first mom as a birthday gift. She left it for Dad and Mo-mo to give to me.
I never needed lessons. I just know how to play. Uncle Micheal and Auntie Sim have helped me to get better.
