Vengeful Alliances

lden City. By then, night had settled and darkness co

od lonely on a rise, far away from the nearest houses. An enormous black gate stopped our entr

ce. When I didn’t get a response from my mom I fell silent again. I

image of one of those Greek marble figures I’d once seen in a museum. Except he was in color and the flesh. Golden-blond h

. For that matter, against men as well, ‘cause I’d bet he got attention from both gro

’s side of the car. “What

ee Kostya. I c

persistent.” He walked around the car. W

open. After he made sure that it held no dang

movie or something. What exactly

a walkie talkie and the

ge, walked out of the house and appeared next to the Hunk. He scanned my mother like they d

Hunk an a

id. “Dangerous people come in al

like the idea of his hands all over me. The day I’d left the hospital, hopefully

another step toward me,

doesn’t

s eyes rested on my hands as

again. It was a nervous trait I

on me or anything.” What were th

he sai

he wasn’t treating me like a weak ca

ke I could hurt

said. You know, right befor

not going to let

ead. “Would it help

the only choice, I

man, Ivan,” t

t woman, Andrey? There are n

mother a look, but she wa

is vera?” Andrey

ere was a human of the female type in the house. H

, pretending I wasn’t checking out the half-dozen guys walking around the gro

y heart did a happy dance. Feeling my cheeks heat I looke

ide. She checked me for any hidden weapons and snapped something

her, which was ridiculous since

d. “Be glad you’re not staying, or else she

now?” my mom as

Follo

rned to me.

e front porch of what could have been the Scarface house. S

sit. I walked up to the building, which had white roses growing along th

bout to come to the path, I saw him. A naked guy stood next to a pile of dirt, holding a shovel. His back w

faint gray marks. There were at least a dozen. Someone had tortured this man. I wanted to run back to th

Impatiently I plucked a few strands of hair loose from some lea

as something wrapped in a tarp.

ed over the tight muscles of his shoulders. I had no idea God made men like him. First the golden Hunk, now this Greek god. Maybe my hormones were acting up because I was

doing, but it was overwhelming me. When you’d looked Death in the eyes

nce of darkness—as if he’d walked straight out of one of my gothi

rong as I got closer. Some

—okay, not just out of fear—but it was also from the badly hidden pain in his eyes. Something else was i

w beats passed in complete silence. Part of me wondered if I was going to end up in the same grave nex

t. It had a C etched onto it. Relief washed over me, together wi

still didn’t recognize my presence; he just put

yours?”

dded, stay

is name?” I

at makes you Ha

ed shocked. “You k

ears so I’d had a lot of time to read. The

ng street-

smaller shovel next to

esn’t bot

Reaper for years. “He’s

pproved lo

cted. “Aren’t you going to say that

o young to become di

t know what that

ing for is morbid.” He put down

ed squirming from discomfort. “Fine, I’m sevente

g to be any better than this one? A lot can happen in forty-eight hours. Two days ago, my dog

try to live up to them.” The key word is ‘live.’ Every year for the past three years I’d asked for the same wish: to be cancer-free

is face. “And what is your

issed b

a

y

hree’s—to live,

face. “Who exactly might you b

want to be yo

to see your boss.” A brow lifted in

“He doesn’t like

a big baby about it.” There were worse things in life than no

of a smile I s

t name defin

person think about their death or life choices. As if being faced with the fact that I was dying pushed them to make it all about them. The worst were the people who thought they ‘helped’ me when they went on and on about how everyone should seize the day. Like I

know a name is just a name. It’s abo

he was mocking me, so I let it go. I chin-jerked

as a man with a heart as black a

dn’t

n the hell—or should I say Ha