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I throw back the rest of the scotch, another wave of fresh tears spilling down my face. Roman watches me for a long second before he shrugs. “Since you said he left, he ran away. He can’t leave the island, first of all. From what I know, he’s a delivery boy. He’s broke and desperate. So do you want to know how to get him back?”
I don’t answer him, just waiting for whatever twisted idea he has.
Roman leans forward, dropping his voice. “Since Devils Night is in a few days, why don’t you send little Elias an invitation? The cash prize is alluring enough for these desperate scholarship students, and most of the school doesn’t know the Russian bratva runs it.” He gets even closer, placing a hand over my shoulder.
“You got a chance here, big guy; just cut off the funding for his mom, and boom, you’ll have your little boy toy in the palm of your hands. How’s that sound for a plan?”
The idea is twisted. I won’t lie, and it is something I would never normally do. But after Elias left, all I can think about is holding him close again. I need him back. I am taking advice from the devil himself, but I just have to do it.
“Send the invitation through a third party; heck, I’ll even do you one and send it through the guy I used in inviting my woman,” Roman continues, sitting back in his chair. I look up at him, genuinely surprised. “You actually like somebody?”
Roman smiles. “You may not know, but there’s this little bird I just want to put in my cage and never let go. She is so skittish and hyper-aware, it annoys the shit out of me. But that’s all the more reason I want it in my possession.”
He stands up, reaches over, and snatches the rest of the scotch bottle right off the bar cart.
“This is my bottle,” he says. “I’m letting it slide because you seem a bit down in the shits, but next time you buy your own if you want to sulk over some ass. Goodbye.”
He walks toward the elevator, laughing quietly to himself. Devil’s Night is my chance to get him back, and I will have my wife back.
Chapter 8
Elias
Ishove the door shut and slide the bolt into place, but my hands refuse to stop shaking. The cramped dorm room feels like it is shrinking around me. I check under the bed, behind the desk, and inside the tiny closet to be sure he isn’t waiting for me, sighing in relief that I’m alone.
I look up at the smoke detector on the ceiling and recognize the same model Yakov uses at the flat. I drag my desk chair over, climb up, and tape a piece of black paper over the hidden lens before stepping down to stare at the black square for a minute. He cannot see me anymore, and I have to make myself believe that.
I sit on the edge of the mattress and try to force air into my lungs while reminding myself that he won’t come tonight. He doesn’t know where I am yet, which means I am safe.
My phone rings in the quiet room. I answer it the second the hospital’s number flashes on the screen. “Hello?”
“Mr. Elias?” the nurse asks over the line. “I’m calling about your mother’s account, and I need to let you know the automatic payment declined today.”
My stomach drops at her words. “What do you mean it declined?”
“We tried running it twice,” she explains. “Is there an issue with the card on file?”
Yakov cut it off. He cut the funding the same day I ran away from him.
“Please don’t take her off life support,” I say, my voice cracking. “I will fix this and make a call to sort it out.”
“Since you have never missed a payment before, we can hold the account for a few days,” she replies. “But we will need the balance soon.”
“Thank you for doing that,” I tell her.
I end the call and punch the plaster wall hard enough to split my knuckles open. I keep punching the mattress, the pillow, and the wall again until a raw scream tears out of my throat and my hands throb with pain. I keep hitting things until tears blur my vision.
Once I can breathe again, I open my contacts and dial Professor Matthew, waiting until he picks up on the second ring.
“Elias? Where have you been?” he asks. “I’ve been trying to reach you all week.”
“I’m sorry about that, Professor,” I lie. “I lost my phone and had to buy a new one after something unexpected came up.”
He sighs, the sound coming through tired but kind over the speaker. “You sound off, Elias, so tell me what is going on.”
I swallow hard while staring at the blank wall. “The money I’ve been sending for my mom declined today. I lost the job covering most of it, and even though I took on extra shifts, it's not enough right now. Can you talk to the hospital and tell them I need a few more weeks to catch up?”
Professor Matthew stays quiet for a long second before answering. “I told you I wouldn’t keep stepping in to fix this for you, Elias. You are supposed to graduate and walk into that residency I lined up, and your mother gets full coverage the day you start. But I also promised I wouldn’t let her die while you kill yourself trying to keep her alive.”
