Our Flame

liv

EZRA

As my fist reaches out to knock on Nadia's front door, I could almost feel that something was wrong. But I knock, hoping that I'm wrong. Hoping Nadia and I will pick up where we left off.

"Vadim." I greet. "What are you doing here, Ezra?" Vadim wonders. I stare at the man in front of me, he looks so tired. "Are you alright?" I question.

"Yeah, what's up?" He still doesn't invite me in. "Nadia called me, earlier this morning." I explain. Vadim sighs, "She isn't here."

"She went somewhere?" I pry for an answer, just wanting to see my girl. "We don't know where she is." Vadim admits.

Finally he moves aside, letting me in. "We had an argument, she went outside and we when we went to look for her- she wasn't there. Her phone was broken on the ground."

My jaw tightens, "What are you saying?" I speak again. "Clearly I need better security." He leads me to a room, where the rest of his family sits.

"I pay you to do a simple job- protect my family, you failed. And I hate people who fail to do what's asked of them." Viktor shouts at a man. I watch as one of her brothers sits with his head in his hands, Aleksi.

"How long has it been?"

"Seven hours." Her twin responds. "He can do a lot in seven hours." One of her other brothers respond. "Camera footage?" I question, ignoring the comment.

The last thing I want to do is picture Nadia being hurt after I swore to protect her.

"Blurry." Is the only answer I receive. "I think I can help with that." Her best friend enters the room. "Ezra." She nods my way. "Gianna." I respond.

"You know me?" She sounds almost surprised. "Nadia talks about you, a lot." I tell her. "That's great. G, please do your thing." One of the brothers sit her in a chair.

"One of the videos are just a constant loop, here's the only one that might help." She pulls up a video. In the video, men are circled around Nadia.

Pride fills me when she punches one and kicks another. Fear fills me when a needle is inserted into her neck, stopping her movements.

"The tattoo." I speak up. They all look at me confused, "That tattoo is what men receive when they work for your father." I explain.

"You've seen this before?" Viktor asks. I go on to tell the story about the man in Australia. "So do we think this is planned?"

"It has to be." We all respond.

NADIA

"Проснись." Is spoken before a bucket of water is poured onto me. "I wasn't asleep." I mumble, attempting to wipe the cold water from my face.

translation: wake up

I look up seeing my father, "I want to know some things and if you don't give me the answers I want- there will be consequences." He speaks.

"Work for me, again." He orders. "Never." I shake my head. "I'm feeling generous, let's try again." My father steps closer for me.