That Summer In The Country

Forty-seven:

Forty-seven:

They were supposed to stay the whole weekend. Alina thought they should wait for Mal, but Aleksander had tried calling him dozens of times and he wasn't picking up his phone. Finally, it was late afternoon on Sunday and Aleksander decided that they should go back. "But what if he can't get off The Islands?" Alina asked as they were about to leave.

"Mal's a big boy with a black card," Aleksander said, "he'll be fine. I've done everything we can. I think he's just out there sulking."

"It was different this time, Aleks."

Aleksander sighed. "I know it was, Kiska. But you've never seen him like this before. He hasn't been this angry in a long time. The last time he was angry about something, it was because of Genya. And it's Genya that's caused him to go dark again. We'll give him some time. He'll come back to us. If not, I'll drag him back. I have my ways. Genya might think I've gone soft, but I most certainly have not."

Alina's stomach had been in knots ever since Mal left. She had tried calling him too, but he wasn't answering her calls either. The two of them left, Aleksander's private plane having gotten back earlier that morning. They'd received a text from Genya saying that her, David, and Mica were alright. So far, Petyr hadn't tried to contact them again. But Aleksander suspected it wouldn't be long before he tried to make contact. It was only a matter of when and how. There was no way he would take this lightly.

When they got back to The Great House, Alina was shocked to see her aunt, standing in the driveway. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and her face was fixed in a furious expression. "Oh no," Alina said, "that can't be good."

Aleksander reached out and grabbed her hand tightly. "It's alright. We'll face her together."

They got out of the car. The minute they reached the front of the house, Ana Kuya smacked Aleksander. "How dare you?" She shouted. "Alina is my niece, the last family that I have. She isn't even out of high school yet. She's only eighteen, Mr. Morozova. Barely old enough to do all of the things you've---you've----"

Alina stepped forward. "Aunt Ana, what are you talking about?"

"Malyen called me. He told me everything that had happened between you two. He showed me the pictures! He felt guilty and said that he couldn't lie to me anymore. He thought that I should know the kind of person that I worked for," her aunt said, "Alina's a young, impressionable girl. I can understand how she could be fooled. But you, Aleksander, I would have thought better. Especially everything that happened with Genya!"

Aleksander, who was still rubbing his face in shock, tilted his head to the side. "What could you possibly know about Genya?"

"I saw that girl sneaking around here, putting herself in knots over you two boys!" Ana Kuya exclaimed. "I thought that accident would knock sense into you, I hadn't meant for her to be---"

Alina froze, and Aleksander locked eyes with her aunt.

"What do you mean, the accident would knock sense into me?" Aleksander demanded.

"Petyr Lantsov was upset about a business deal that had gone wrong," Ana explained, "he told me that he had reason to believe that you were hurting girls. He wanted to make certain you stopped that, and so..."

"You cut the breaks on my car?" Aleksander said. "I almost died! Genya was pregnant, and she almost died! How the---get out!"

"No!" Ana said. "I have taken care of this house for years. I do not answer to you, I answer to your parents."

"Well, I don't think my parents will take too kindly to their son being nearly murdered by their grounds keeper."

"Wait!" Alina stepped forward. "Aleks, you can't be serious. She's...my aunt."

Aleksander glared at her in a way that she had only seen reserved for people he was angry with. "Are you really going to side with the woman that tried to kill Genya and me?"

Alina took her aunt's hand. "Are you really going to ask me to give up the last bit of family that I have left?"

He stood there, emotionless. "Get off my property. The both of you. You have until the end of the day to get your fucking shit out. You should be lucky I don't call the fucking cops. Leave, now."

Alina's heart fell. "Aleks, but we...."

"No, Alina. You've made your position perfectly clear. You don't love me."

"Why, because I won't give up my family? Aleksander, that's not how love works."

"No, you won't give up a woman who tried to kill me. Get off my property. If I ever see you again, I will destroy you personally, myself."

His eyes are filled with a kind of rage Alina's never seen before. Alina wanted to reach out, to grab him, to kiss him. To do something. But the rage that radiated off of her scared her to death. No, she didn't know what he would do if she tried to reach for him. It was too late anyway. Her aunt was pulling her back, away from him, and away from The Great House.

"Come on," her aunt said, "lets grab our things. We've got to get out of here."

Aleksander watched Alina leave, until she was nothing but a small speck going into Ana Kuya's house. When she was gone, his cell phone rang. It was Mal. "Hello, brother," he said.

"Did you do it?" Mal asked.

"It's done. She'll be far away from here if Petyr tries to do something."

"Good," said Mal, "good. At least Alina won't get hurt."

"She might hate us," Aleksander said.

"I can live with that. Just as long as she makes it out of this alive."

"Me, too. Are you sure about this? You don't have to do this alone."

"I'm positive," said Mal, "stick to the plan, and everything will be okay."