Dancing in Her Webs | Yelena Belova [1]

Chapter 4

Natasha shakes her head, "This doesn't makes any sense." Irina sighs and closes her eyes, pressing a different part of the hoodie to her wound, and listens to her mentor and new acquaintance converse.

"Well, the truth rarely makes sense when you omit key details," Yelena looks at her.

Natasha snapped her head to Yelena, her voice hardening, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You didn't say one word about Dreykov's daughter," Yelena waited a moment before she continued. "You killed her."

At Yelena's last statement, Irina's eyes shoot open. She looks at Natasha. "I had to. I needed her to lead me to Dreykov. Dreykov's daughter was collateral damage," Natasha takes a moment and looks elsewhere that isn't Yelena, and especially not Irina; the girl who's looked up to the Widow since she was 13. "I needed her to be sure."

Yelena didn't hesitant to reply, not once taking her eyes off Natasha, "And here you are, not so sure."

Nat sighs, and says softer back, "I needed out." She briefly met Yelena's eyes before she averts them to the surface under them, genuinely feeling the remorse of her actions years ago.

"Nat," Irina called softly. There was something in the sadden look Natasha's expression showed that made Irina's stomach churn. "How old was she?"

Reluctantly, Natasha answered, swallowing the lump in her throat, "Younger than you when we met."

All the pain in all parts of Irina's body cease for a moment, "How much younger?"

"Irene . . ."

"How much, Nat."

She sighs heavily, averting her eyes down again, "Couple years, maybe. I don't know, Irina."

Irina swallows the dryness in her throat, and dabs part of her hoodie back to the wound on her forehead. She looks down. All the years she's known Natasha, even with what little knowledge she has of the Red Room, she never knew Nat could go through with killing an innocent kid. But, if the innocent kid is the enemies daughter, she will never not be a target. And she ended being Natasha and Clint's.

"That's what I'd call imploding a five-story building and then shooting it out with the Hungarian Special Forces," Natasha's words echoed in the back of Irina's head.

Irina brings a knee to her chest, propping her elbow on it as she stares at the floor, still keeping the pressure on her wound. "Is that why you took a liking to me?" Irina didn't look at Natasha. "Because you carried the guilt of killing Dreykov's daughter?"

"Yes," Natasha answered, not missing a beat. "Killing her's haunted me since. And when I met you, I thought I could, I don't know, redeem myself somehow, I guess." Irina finally meets Natasha's emerald orbs. "You made the guilt and haunting a little less worse."

Irina never knew how important she was to Nat until now. She's always known she holds a special place in Nat's heart, considering Natasha's told her herself, but the shock was still there.

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Limping down the uneven, cracked and empty street, Irina re-situates the blood stained article of clothing and sighs. Her hoodie lays on top of her, the even bloodier sleeves tied under her chin. "You look ridiculous," Yelena doesn't bother to hide her low chuckle. Her blazer's tied around her waist, exposing the white tank that was under it.

"The sun's hurting my eyes. Unless you have any Advil in that bag of yours, I will continue to look ridiculous, thank you very much," Irina snarked back. Yelena laughs even more.

"I see why you keep her around," Yelena said to Natasha.

Irina snaps her head to the red-haired Widow, "Don't you dare take her side, Natasha Romanoff," she narrows her eyes.

Natasha folds her lips together to suppress a laugh, "I wasn't gonna say anything. All I was gonna say—"

"You're saying something," Yelena butted.

Irina shoots her a look, "You are very biased when it comes to choosing a side."

"I meant that I wasn't gonna say anything about the marital bickering you two are doing," Natasha said. Yelena and Irina glance at each other, brows furrowing. "I was gonna say, 'I'm sure Irina's glad she left her glasses in New York'."

"Not really. I can't see a damn thing twenty feet in front of me."

Yelena's brow lifts, "You wear glasses?"

"When we find a gas station you can buy some there," Nat suggested.

"I am not buying gas station—"

"I doubt it would make a difference," Yelena spoke her opinion on their argument, keeping her gaze on their surroundings.

"Thank you, Yelena," Irina lifts a cocky brow Nat's way, earning an eye roll from her at the typical Stark trait. "The entire world knows my dad, which means they know me. My life is basically the Truman Show, only more realistic and a smidge less creepy."

"Then what's the point of not wearing any? Gas station glasses are gonna have to do if you want to see everything, and right now, that's not such a bad idea," was Natasha's answer.

"She does have a point," Yelena agreed.

"Oh my god, Yelena, pick a damn side!" Irina groans in frustration, "And Nat, please stop with the mom speeches and scoldings."

"What's wrong with her?" Yelena looks at Natasha, who's now at her side, while Irina limped pass the Widow duo, now taking the lead.

Natasha sighs heavily and shrugs, "I have no idea."

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Sorry for the wait, guys! Hope you're all enjoying this book:)