Chapter Thirteen
PRESENT DAY, LOCATION UNKNOWN
Breaking eye contact with Alexei, I push up from the table in a sharp motion and stride over to the side of the boat, where I grip the wooden rail and stare out at the endless blue ocean, my chest heaving with uneven breaths. The memories press down on me, so heavy they suffocate me even after all these years.
My father killed my mother.
My brother killed my father.
I saw it all, and not a day has passed since that night during which I haven’t thought about it, haven’t remembered… whether consciously or in my nightmares.
Warm hands land on my shoulders from behind, strong thumbs digging into the tightly knotted muscles around my neck. It helps. The painful tension eases, the worst of the memories receding even as my spine goes rigid for
