That Summer In The Country

Fifty-three:

Fifty-three:

"Why are you giving this to me?" Alina said. "Shouldn't you be taking this to the stad watch?"

"Because, you're still the one that has to tell the story," Aleksander said, "you haven't watched the news have you?"

Alina shook her head. "I wasn't exactly in a good headspace to be paying attention to the news. I thought..."

Aleksander tilted his head to the side. "You thought what?"

"Never mind. The only reason you've done this is to protect me, so I don't expect anything to come of this. I suppose it doesn't matter."

Aleksander leaned forward and grabbed her by the wrist. "I don't think you understand, Alina. All of this---sending you away----ending things----it was all to protect you. I was angry that Ana did try to kill me, of course, but I am not angry about you. I could never be angry about you. You're the one thing in this universe that brings me joy."

"Then I'm staying?" Alina said.

"I don't know. I hope so." He stroked her hand in his. "But I want you safe too, and it might not be safe for you to be with me."

Alina gripped his hand tightly. "I don't care about being safe right now, Aleks. All I care about is that I want you. You and Mal have always been my anchors, and I've lost Mal...we've lost Mal, and I don't think that I'll be able to handle being sent away from you again."

"What about your aunt?"

"I know I should care about her, but the truth is we're not that close. I don't even think that she would have taken me in if it hadn't been for me still being in school. And I'm...."

"What?" Aleksander asked.

"I'm done," Alina said, "I finished during the move. They've already mailed me my diploma. I haven't had a chance to tell her, because I didn't know what she would do once I did. And after the move, I wasn't sure what would happen. I just needed time to sort out what it was that I was going to do with myself during this whole time."

"I'll try to keep you," he said, "as long as I can. But the world might come crashing in on us soon, and we might not have much time to be together. It might be safer for you to be far away from here."

"Maybe," Alina said, "maybe physically.... but I go crazy when I'm not with you, Aleksander. The whole time I wasn't, all I could think of was about getting back to you."

"Are you sure it was me?" he asked. "And maybe not the lifestyle?"

Alina laughed a little. "The lifestyle is lovely, but I don't care about that. Even if we wind up dirt poor, all I care about is being with you."

He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Good. Because I don't think that I could live without you. Especially now that Mal's gone. You're the only thing good that I have in my life right now."

Alina took a deep breath. "Well, we've got to open this then. We've got to figure out the truth. Do you have your computer?"

"It's over on the table."

The two of them went to go sit down at the kitchen table. Alina sat down next to Aleksander, and he passed the laptop to her.

"Are you sure?" Alina asked.

"I was told that you were the one that was supposed to open it. So, you get to do the honors, not me."

Alina winced. "Has there been any word on Genya?"

"No. But we've got someone out there looking for her, so it should be only a matter of time before someone finds her."

"You sent someone to look for her?" Alina said. "What about her family? Are they doing anything about trying to find her?"

"Of course, they are, but money tends to talk. Genya's family has money, but I've got more."

Alina rolled her eyes. "You're awfully full of yourself."

"All I know is that money talks, so I put more money on the problem. I've got someone that knows The Fold looking for her. We'll find her. I promise."

"What if Petyr comes after us before we're able to find her?" Alina asked.

Aleksander bristled. "That won't happen. I promise."

"We couldn't keep Mal safe."

"Mal got in too deep. I don't go in too deep. I make sure that I always have a way out."

"Aleksander, money can only go so far. Men like Petyr don't stop until they get what they want. They're deadly and dangerous."

"And you don't think that I am dangerous, Solinishka?" Aleksander asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alina smiled. "Of course, I know that you are dangerous. But you're a different kind of dangerous than Petyr. You would never do something like Petyr did."

"No, I wouldn't do something like Petyr did, but I have done other things. There's a reason that Mal was always telling you that I wasn't a good guy. I'm not the kind of guy that you plan the rest of your life with Alina, I'm the kind of guy that you run from to find something better. Zoya, Genya, Nina-----they all knew that."

"Well, maybe I'm not a good person," said Alina, "and maybe I don't care. You're my home, Aleksander, and you're the one that I want to be with."

Aleksander reached out and took her hand. "Okay. Then, lets do this." Aleksander turned on the computer, and when it whirred to life, Alina put the flash drive in. She opened up the file that was on there and stared in shock.

"It's everything," said Alina.

"What do you mean, everything?" Aleksander asked.

"I mean, it's every shady underground deal that Petyr is involved in. Prostitution. Drugs. Guns. All of the bank accounts that go to his money laundering. Mal...Mal got everything we need to get rid of him."

Aleksander smiled. "That's my brother."