Billion Reasons Why

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“Is Vitaly here…” I mumbled.

“He’s been going crazy since Hale took you out of Russia. We’ve been trying to track you down, but the other Hale kept giving us fake leads.” His thick accent was making me smile, although I should’ve been scared, anxious at least. He sounded genuinely worried—so different from how a kidnapper would act.

“Yurik, I-”

“Madeline,” Yurik said, raising his hand to stop me from talking. “Vitaly had to go back to Russia to take care of business. It seems like the Hale brothers have been busy getting into Vitaly’s affairs.”

“Why are you here?”

“You already know.” He shook his head at me. “He wants you back. He’s not going to give up.”

From what I could tell, Yurik was alone. There wasn’t anyone else in the apartment with him. I hadn’t seen an army of Russians outside ready to ship me back to Vitaly. I was hoping that meant he didn’t have backup.

“I’m with Blaine.”

“So now you’re with him?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“In Russia, you wanted us to believe that you and Blaine were not together,” he stated, flatly.

“We are, and I’m happy here. You understand that, I know you do,” I said, pleadingly.

Yurik softened up. He wasn’t even speaking, but I could tell my words had gotten to him. “Vitaly wants to see you. He’s coming back tomorrow.”

“He wants to take me again.”

Yurik shook his head. “For now, he just wants to talk.”

“For now… So he’ll ask me if I want to go with him, but if I refuse, he’ll just take me.”

I should have kept my guard up while Yurik was there, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I sat down on the bed, and put my head in my hands, trying to think. I had been hoping for Blaine to get there quickly.

But the more I talked with Yurik, the more I realized it was better if they didn’t run into each other. I could handle Yurik when he was alone. Blaine would make a bigger deal, and I would never hear the end of it.

“You could give him a chance to talk. I am not here to fix any problems between you and Vitaly. But he is not going to give up. Talk to him. If you want to stay here, he won’t take you,” Yurik said—his voice serious but still soft.

“Am I supposed to just believe you? Yurik, he kidnapped me. I’m pretty sure he’s not just going to let me go.”

“He will, if that’s what you want.”

“It’s what I want.”

“Then tell him that.”

“I’m telling you right now. Can’t you just get the message back to him?” I asked, hopefully.

“No. You will talk to him when I come and pick you up tomorrow.”

“I won’t go with you. Blaine is about to get here, and I’m going to tell him about this,” I warned him.

“If you don’t come to Vitaly willingly, he will still come after you, and you probably won’t like it.”

Yurik’s words silenced me. I stared up at him, wondering if he was really being serious. I was glad that he wasn’t just taking me. At least he was throwing me a warning. He looked so calm, even after I told him that Blaine was on his way.