The Secrets of Darkling Manor

Two: Alina Starkov

Two

She had told Mal about the job when she'd gotten home. "Baby sitting?" he'd sounded as incredulous as she had when the offer had been made to her. "Alina, come on. I know rents high, but don't reduce yourself to baby sitting for some asshole."

Alina sighed. She had started to pack her things. She knew she had until the weekend, but she wanted to get a jumpstart on it. That way, she wouldn't be rushed when the time actually did come. Like she had been this morning. Her new employer, it seemed, was nothing if not a stickler for the rules. She didn't want to get fired for being late so she had everything planned, including her suitcase.

"What are you going to do about the room?" she asked Mal.

He shrugged. "I keep you here mostly for the company, Alina. I've got the money. I'll keep your room open for you."

She smiled at him. "Thanks. Think you can give me a ride to the train station on Saturday morning?"

Mal nodded. "Sure. Hey Al---"

"What?" she said.

"You didn't like him, did you?" Mal said.

Alina shook her head. "He was an arrogant ass."

"Good," said Mal, "promise me that you won't fall in love with him."

She frowned. "Why would I fall in love with him?"

"I've seen pictures of the man, Alina. He was on GQ when they launched that new app for college students to keep track of their homework. It would be hard for me not to fall in love with him, and he's my cousin. That's how gorgeous he is."

Alina laughed. "I'm not going to fall in love with him. I doubt I'll even see him."

"Good," he said, "because I don't think I could take it if you dated that jerk."

She raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason?"

"He's a jerk, that's the reason."

She reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "You are very, very sweet for worrying but I doubt I'll even see the man. Besides, I don't think that he likes me. I think he hired me in spite of him."

"Good," he said, "because you deserve better than my dick cousin."

"I will keep that in mind," she said.

On Saturday morning, he took her to the train station. It was late afternoon when she arrived in Keramzin. The sky was grey, it looked like rain. There was no sign of anyone in the parking lot. It was about thirty minutes an hour after she arrived, and her phone was beginning to lose power. She also couldn't remember where her charger was, and she was pretty certain she'd accidentally buried it in the bottom of her bag.

Not that it mattered, because there didn't seem to be any place to charge it. Alina was starting to get nervous. It was about to rain. She could hear the thunder. And if there were lightning....

She glanced back at the train station, but it seemed to have closed early on the Saturday. Alina frowned. She didn't want to risk calling anyone incase it drained her cell phone battery. She decided to grab her suitcase and start walking. As she had made her way across the parking lot to the road, she heard the roar of a car's engine. She looked up to see a sleek, black Porsche speeding towards her.

Alina tried to jump out of the way, but she somehow still found herself knocked over. She hit her head, and the world was spinning around her. A blurry figure stood over her. "Christ, it's the girl," she heard a deep, male voice say. She felt someone picking her up.

"W-w-who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm your boss," the stranger said, "Alexander Morozova. You were supposed to wait here at the train station for me. What were you doing walking on the side of the road?"

"Walking," she said, despite the pounding of her head, "it had been an hour, and no one was here."

"You shouldn't be walking in places you don't know," he said, "you should have waited there for me."

"I didn't know that you were the one coming," Alina shot back, "you told me that you were sending your assistant or something."

"I thought it would be easier this way. Besides, you don't know what my assistant looks like. But you do know what I look like. Sit up, keep your head up."

"Why?" she groaned.

"Because you might have a concussion."

"I do not," she said irritably.

"You don't know. Sit up, Miss Starkov."

Alina forced herself to sit up but it was very heard to. Her head was pounding, and she thought that maybe there might have been some blood. She wasn't sure. Everything was completely foggy.

"You hit me with your car," she said, "how fast were you going anyway?"

"I was late," he said, "you were a young woman alone....I....didn't want you alone."

"Did you have to run me over with the car?"

Aleksander groaned. "Be quiet, Miss Starkov. And stay awake."

Aleksander sped down the road and didn't stop until they reached what appeared to be a large, Tudor style mansion. Alina heard the door open, the sound of her seatbelt being unbuckled, and then she felt a pair of strong arms carrying her.

"Stay awake, Miss Starkov," he ordered curtly.

"Fuck you, Mr. Morozova," she pouted, trying to ignore the pounding of her head to no success.

She heard his deep laughter. "Not yet, Miss Starkov. We've a whole several months to get through. We must keep things appropriate."

That was the last thing she remembered as she was carried by a pair of strong arms into the house.