I gulp, tiptoeing back to my bedroom. I grab a ratty suitcase from underneath my bed and stuff it with what little belongings I have left. Serafin stands in the doorway, his hands shoved in his pockets. I wish he would say something, anything, but he just stares across the room at my painting.
“Am I going to get arrested?” I ask as I zip up my suitcase. “Is he going to press charges?”
He just shrugs and walks across the room, grabbing my freshly painted canvas off the floor and tucking it under his arm.
“What if I say no?” I shout after him. “What if I just refuse to come with you? You guys aren’t in charge of me. What if I scream?”
He shakes his head and walks out the door. “Why don’t you call up your ex husband and ask him for some advice?”
“Why are you being so mean all of a sudden?” I ask.
He turns and stares me down, his face blank and somber. “I guess I finally just realized you never gave a fuck about anybody but yourself. After all these years you finally had a chance to say it was all a misunderstanding and the only thing you have to say for yourself is that you don’t want to go to jail.”
“Serafin, this is not the place for this conversation,” I say. “It’s complicated. We need to do this in private.”
“Do you see these two men?” he asks. Rafal and Fabian stand in my living room, their arms crossed over their muscular chests. “They were here for me when you abandoned me. They took my shit for the last twelve years. They never left my side. You can tell me whatever you want, and I’d probably believe you, Mia. It’s in my nature. I’d bend the world the world for you, even now, but if you really want to make things right, you’re going to have to convince them, too.”
Rafal pulls a toothpick out of his pocket and flips it between his lips, raising his eyebrows at me. Fabian won’t even look me in the eye. My heart breaks for the millionth time knowing what a monster these men think I am. I loved Serafin more than anyone in the world. We were only kids back then, and I was only doing what his parents wanted from me. I thought adults were the ones who knew best back then. It’s only since I’ve reached my thirties that I realized we’re all just figuring it out as we go.
I wipe a tear from my eyes and hang my head. “I know what Janka and I did was wrong, but nobody was ever supposed to get hurt. I was just trying to get back on my feet after my divorce. Nobody would hire me when they heard my married name. My ex husband made sure I’d never be able to take care of myself.”
“Save the sob story,” Fabian says, patting me on the back as he starts leading me towards the door. Rafal roughly grabs my bag and tosses it over his shoulder. “I’m sure Jakub will have something for you to do to pay off your debt to him for the watch and money Janka lifted. Maybe if you’re really good at it he’ll hire you full time.”
I gulp. I know what Jakub hired Janka to do, but having sex with some wrinkled up old guy for money is not a low I’m willing to accept for myself. I think about how far and how fast I can run before these guys catch me. Maybe if I create a diversion or pretend like I have to pee and shimmy down the fire escape, I can make it down to Main Street and Catch a taxi.
All of a sudden, there’s a pounding on the door that sends me into instant panic mode. I know that knock. It’s not the knock of a landlord or an old friend. It’s the kind of knock that says ‘we’re coming in whether you like it or not.’
“Politja!” a man’s voice shouts. “Open up! We have a warrant for your arrest!”
I dig my fingernails into Fabian’s arm, and he slaps his hand over my mouth.
“Janka Kaminski! We know you’re in there. Open the door or we’re going to bust it down.”
My heart is pounding so fast, I feel like I’m going to black out. They didn’t say my name, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking for me, too. I have no idea where she went last night after we parted ways or what she did, but there’s a good possibility I’m going to be incriminated in some way, and if I go to jail, nobody can keep me safe. Bartek made sure that notion was beaten into my head with every divorce proceeding.
“Please,” I whisper through Fabian’s hand. “Get me out of here.”
“I’ll deal with them,” Serafin says, walking to the door. My eyes grow wide, and he looks back over his shoulder at me with a cocky grin. “Take her out the back. Meet me in my car.”
“Why are you doing this?” I whisper. “Why don’t you just turn me over if you want to see me suffer so bad?”
“I don’t want to see you suffer, Mia. I do want to punish you myself, though. We have a lot of catching up to do.” He kisses the air and my thighs clamp together instinctively. I don’t know if that was meant to be a threat but somehow it feels like more than that. It feels dirty and wrong and sinful, but I crave finding out the meaning for myself.
Fabian pushes me into the bedroom before I can ask for clarification. He yanks open the window, sticking his head out and looking left and right. My stomach does flip flops, not exactly in love with the idea
