Crave (Beneath The Secrets #3)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

ALEXEI

Twenty Years Ago

I’ll go home when my candy’s gone.

If Papa catches me with it when he’s drunk, he’ll beat me again for stealing. My lip hasn’t healed from last time, but I can finally take a full breath again from my sore ribs.

I don’t hate him. Not that I know what that would feel like.

But I avoid him.

My feet trace the puddle under the swing in half-moon circles. The air is cold enough to see my breath, so I know I’ll have to find a warm place to hide until my treats are gone.

I didn’t take them. He shouldn’t make up stories. Papa always tells me lying is wrong, but then punishes me, even when I tell the truth.

“You, kid! Why are you always here?” A brown haired boy, bigger than me, yells across the desolate playground.

I thought I was alone.

There’s two of them, both taller and wider than me.

I bet they’re teenagers.

I can’t wait until I’m one. I’d stand up to Papa if I were.

The black haired one moves closer. “Didn’t you hear my brother?” Bending at the waist, he peers at me with his dark eyes.

He doesn’t look mean, at least.

“What happened to your face?” His tone softens, like he’s talking to a child younger than me.

I’m almost a teenager, not a baby.

Defiantly, I stick up my chin and meet his gaze. “None of your business.” The hard candy clicks against my teeth as I shift it to the other side of my mouth.

The smile makes him look nicer. Maybe they aren’t going to take my treat?

“What’s your name?” The brown haired one stands behind his brother who drops to a squat in front of me. “I’m Nikolai. You can call me Niki. This—” He drops a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “—is Mikhail. We won’t hurt you.”

Niki has blue eyes. I’ve had to learn to watch people’s faces. I’m not very good at guessing emotions, but their features usually tell me what they’re thinking.

Papa’s mouth will twist and his eyebrows drop into a line across his nose just before he starts swinging.

“Do I call you Miki?” I stare at the squatted boy. He looks almost like a grown up with the stubble on his jaw.

Nikolai grins. “Not if you want to live.”

Mikhail winks at me as he shakes his head.

Confusing.

Does that mean sometimes?

“So, you kill people? Can you teach me?” I can use that the next time Papa gets mean.

Mikhail’s brows knit, and it reminds me of Papa.

Sliding off the swing seat, I back away and put the pole between us. I don’t want him mad at me.

Mikhail glances up at his brother, then softens his features. “Why do you want to know? Who hurt you? It looks like you can barely see out of your eye.”

I forgot about that. I’m so used to one or both being swollen, I don’t notice as much.

“Papa said I was stealing, but I wasn’t.” My arms cross over my threadbare coat, tucking the edges together.

Nikolai bends over and whispers something in his brother’s ear.

Mikhail nods and looks back at me. “Is your father Akim?”

My chin bobs, but I don't answer. If I don’t say it out loud, I won’t get in trouble.

Mikhail sighs, and pushes his hands against his thighs to stand. “Tell you what kid, if you want help, you be here next time we come through, and you can show me where you live. Khorosho?”

“Okay.” I watch their heads go close, and they talk too quietly for me to hear.

It’s only as they start to leave I remember I didn’t answer their question.

Papa always said it’s rude to ignore him when he asks me something.

“Alexei!” I yell.

Nikolai turns back. “What’s that?”

“My name! It’s Alexei!”

I should be used to it. One of the teachers at school told us that scar tissue is tougher.

All of the scars Papa gives me should make me invincible.

But I can’t see out of my eye again, and my tongue is fat in my mouth from when I bit it.

He hits too hard when I’m not watching.

I watch the alley for any movement. They should be here today.

It’s almost time for me to leave. Hanging out on this swing waiting for them makes my toes tingle.

The fear of missing the boys makes my feet seem like a tiny problem. If they don’t show up, I’ll have to go home.

I don’t want to anymore.

Long shadows stretch from the old brick building. When they reach the sandbox, I’ll leave.

Just a few more minutes.

Footsteps echo from the alcove.

Maybe it’s them?

My chin juts out, hoping they’ll be able to see the fresh bruises when they pass.

“Hey, Alexei! We haven’t seen you in days.” Nikolai is the first to see me.

He smiles and moves closer. But his mouth drops into a frown. “Mikhail, look.” He gestures at me.

Like I’m a thing.

Mikhail tugs a small girl with him. She looks younger than me with light tufts of hair poking out from her bright pink hat.

She pulls against him when she spies me.

“You should say ‘Hi’.” Mikhail encourages her. “I have to take care of something. Do you want to stay here and play while I do?”

Her pink lower lip rolls between her teeth as she looks at me with big blue eyes.

Nikolai squats down in front of me, and reaches his palm towards my head.

He pauses when I try to jerk away. “Be still,” he grunts. “I’m not going to hurt you. Is your father at home?”

I don’t move, but let him twist my face left and right. “Yes. The blue house at the end of the street.” My arm raises to point, showing off the holes in my coat.

He squints and his mouth thins.

That usually means irritation.

“He did a number this time,” Nikolai calls to Mikhail.

Mikhail sighs and pulls the girl closer.

“Alexei? This is Lara. She’s very important to me. I have one job for you in exchange for helping you with your father. You need to keep an eye on her and keep her safe while we’re gone. Can you do that?” He places his hand on her back and leads her closer. “When I get back, you come home with us, okay?”

I nod solemnly.

Putting my hand across my heart, I look into Nikolai’s face with as much seriousness as I can muster. “I swear to you I’ll do whatever you want for, um.” I can feel my nose wrinkle. It hurts the right side of my face. “What’s the word for forever? The fancy one?”

Mikhail gives me a lopsided smile. “Do you mean ‘eternity’?”

Bobbing my chin makes my neck hurt. It’s still hard to turn after Papa kicked me when I fell.

“Yea, I swear I’ll do whatever you want me to do for eternity.” One side of my mouth grins.

The other side tries to split and start bleeding again.

“What happened to you?” The girl asks. Her voice is sweet and musical. With wide eyes sits in the swing next to me.

Do I tell her how I accidently broke a glass, and that made Papa so mad he beat me to the ground and kicked me?

“A giant grizzly bear broke into my house. He broke some stuff, but I chased him away.” That sounds better.

Nikolai’s brows raise.

My arms move as I shrug. “What? That’s better than the real thing.”

Lara giggles. “I know it isn’t true. But you’re funny. Can you tell me another?”

Nikolai pats my leg and stands. “We’ll be back. Keep her company.”

“I promise. For eternity.”