“But she insisted that she would be safe with you,” Vitya says. “She told me you would protect her.”
My failure twists in my gut, compounded by Vitya’s words.
He was right back then.
He’s right now.
“So I let her marry you, fool that I am. I gave her my blessing because she seemed so happy with you. What else is a father to do? And then you weren’t even married two years before the baby came. Yuri, that sweet, innocent boy… he would have been six years old this year.”
“Vitya,” I say, cutting him off before he can destroy me further. “Come inside. You need to sit down.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” he roars, twisting away from my outstretched hand. “You’re just going to kill me! Just like you killed her.”
I cringe, but I push down the bite of my anger. Vitya’s eyes are not focu
