Page 27 of Broken Embers

Nikolas shoots her a quick look through the mirror. “How did you meet if she’s been trapped in a facility?”

“The General needs her to look after her mother,” Nadia explains. “The woman was once a brilliant scientist. Now she’s a lush who can barely get out of bed.”

I snort. “I can imagine being married to the General would be enough to turn anyone into an alcoholic.”

“It wasn’t the General that drove her to drink,” Nadia says flatly. “It was her son. Valeska’s older brother, Mikhail.”

The name drips venom from her mouth, and for good reason, I’m starting to suspect.

“He’s the nastiest, sickest piece of work you’ll ever meet. He doesn’t just torture people for information. He does it because he enjoys it. It’s like a drug to him. And he’s violent on another level—the word berserk doesn’t even come close.”

“Shit,” I mutter. “Maybe they should use him as a test subject in the RMSAD instead.”

Nadia shakes her head. “Valeska thinks that’s exactly what happened. Something went wrong with his treatment.”

“What treatment?” Nikolas and I ask at the same time.

Nadia meets my eyes. “Genetic enhancement.”

I feel the blood drain from my face.

“He was designed to be genetically superior,” she says, her words razor-sharp.

“What? Violently?” Nikolas hisses.

“I’ve never seen a temper like his,” Nadia continues. “When he snaps, it’s like something else takes over. A fire ignites in him, and it burns until he’s spent. By the time he comes back down, the damage is done. And the damage is extensive.”

“Leaving a wake of destruction behind,” Nikolas mutters.

“Yes.” Nadia’s eyes glint with rage now. “I met Valeska through one of his violent rages. And then a few more. He put her in the hospital more times than I can count.”

“Jesus,” I breathe. “He hit his sister?”

Nadia shakes her head, and for the first time, I see her hands clench in her lap. “Not just hit her. He’s raped her. Then let his friends gang rape her more than once.”

My stomach flips. Nikolas swears under his breath.

“She ended up in my ER so many times,” Nadia adds, voice tight. “I was a trauma surgeon before General Ergorov had my medical license pulled for daring to accuse his precious golden boy of harming Valeska and their mother.”

I blink. “You were a surgeon?”

“Were being the operative word,” she says bitterly. “But I’ll get my license back. Once Valeska and I have a new life.”

Nikolas shifts in his seat. “How do you know we can trust her?”

Nadia turns toward him. “Because there’s only so much abuse a person can take. Full body casts. STD tests. Being held down by your own brother while his friends do what they want to you—that changes a person. Or it breaks them.”

“And her father?” I ask, my voice low and dangerous. “Why hasn’t he stopped it?”

“Because he thinks Valeska is jealous of her genetically superior brother and just wants attention.”

I can’t stop the disgust from curling through my tone. “So what? Does he think Valeska throws herself down the stairs for fun?”

Nadia’s lips tighten. “Mikhail blames his mother for the brutality against Valeska. And the General always believes Mikhail.” Her voice is bitter and angry. “Then he throws his wife into a rehab facility that he conveniently runs. While Valeska’s mother is being tortured, Mikhail makes sure Valeska suffers for having run to their father.”

Nikolas growls. “He deserves to be put down.”

“I agree,” Nadia says without hesitation. “And Mikhail’s back tomorrow evening. They live in the main house on the compound. The same one Sabrina is currently being held in.”

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