Talia nodded at Kisa, then her gaze met mine. “I’ll be close.” She released my hand and moved off with her friend. I suddenly felt empty. But Luka’s hand wrapped around my bicep and he pointed to the far side of the grass.
I followed Luka, passing by stone after stone. At first I struggled to understand what they were, then a memory hit me. Anri and I stood with my papa at a stone. It was my grandpapa’s grave.
Ice spiked down my spine when I realized where we were—a graveyard.
Then Luka stopped. I didn’t look down. Instead I watched him watch me. Luka ran his hand through his hair, and swallowing, said, “When I escaped the gulag, it was your brother who opened my cell. It was your brother who freed me.” Luka rubbed his lips together and stared off at nothing, his eyes losing focus. “He was my friend. I was locked down on the lower floor, but he made sure I got out. He ensured I got my revenge.” His eyes then focused back on me. “As we said good-bye, he was heading west to seek his own revenge on the people who put him in the gulag. We were also full of drugs and had no memory of what had happened to us, but he was determined to make those responsible for his imprisonment pay.”
My breathing was hard as he spoke of my brother. I could see his loyalty for Anri in his eyes. Thinking of Anri was painful. Painful, but at the same time, Luka knew him. It felt like I knew Anri, too, as Luka spoke about him.
Luka coughed. I knew it was to clear the emotion from his throat. “I didn’t see him again until the night we had to fight in the cage here in Brooklyn. He had been recaptured and forced to fight.” Luka looked up at me again. “It was by another Georgian crime family. I don’t know who. They’re keeping themselves under the radar. But one day I’ll find out.”
My jaw clenched at that, and I vowed that I would help him in this endeavor.
“He died, Zaal. Died under the blades of my ’dusters. It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”
I stared at Luka. A flash of anger swept through me. He had killed my brother, my twin, but when he met my eyes with sadness in his eyes, the anger left me.
“His death haunted me. Has haunted me for months. I didn’t know his name, I didn’t know who had sent him to the gulag. But now I do. I know it all.”
Luka’s head turned away and he pointed to the grave. Inhaling, I closed my eyes. I held my breath as I turned, and opening my eyes, stared at a black gravestone. Breath rushed from my lungs as I read:
Anri Kostava
Warrior. Friend.
Brother.
“Be strong. Keep strong.”
I read those words. Then read them again, all the time fighting the heavy burning in my chest. I felt Luka stand closer to me.
“He deserved to be honored in my family’s graveyard. He deserved to be honored for the brother he was, to both you, and I.”
I wanted to speak. I fought for words. But they didn’t come. I didn’t know what to say. What could I say?
But my heart was full as I stared at those words. “Be strong. Keep strong.”
My hand clenched as I remembered Anri holding my hand, as Jakhua invaded the yard. “Be strong. Keep strong.” Remembered him holding my hand as we were strapped to a bed, and the man in the white coat filled us with drugs. He met my eyes and mouthed, “Be strong. Keep strong.”
Water dripped from my eyes, and then Jakhua’s words replayed in my mind.…
… you looked right through him as he begged you to see him. Didn’t react as he whispered in your ear … and you didn’t even shed a tear as he was dragged from the room … and you never saw him again.…
Gasping, I remembered his voice in my ear. “Be strong. Keep strong, brother. I’ll come back for you. One day, I’ll come and set you free.…”
Anri’s voice, his words, circled in my head. I tipped my head back and screamed. I screamed for the brother I had loved, but had forgotten. I screamed for Jakhua stealing my self-control, taking away my good-bye, and I screamed for my brother being gone, for my family, my sister, my little Zoya being gone.