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Alyanna

I crumbled to the ground, half-mad at myself for not even putting up a fight and half accepting that this was the end.

But a miracle happened. The car squealed to a stop a couple of feet away from me.

I felt someone trying to shake me but my body refused to react. My heart was beating wildly against my chest and I couldn't breathe.

"Excuse me, sir! Are you alright?" A panicked voice registered in the back of my head.

I pushed the hands away, needing some space and air.

A moment later, I felt my hair spill out and the helmet I was wearing was taken off me.

Alarmed, my eyes snapped open and met dark, warm brown eyes. I saw them widen in shock before I saw the rest of the face.

Konstantin.

That was enough to snap me out of it.

Oh, fuckity fuck!

I jumped to my feet, snatched the helmet out of his hands, and backed away.

"Uh, thanks," I said before I put the helmet back on.

I only managed to get it halfway on before it was ripped out of my hands. "Alyanna?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

"I think you're mistaken, sir," I said, changing my voice. It was dark out and the streetlight wasn't overhead. He couldn't have possibly seen me clearly. "Thank you for your help but I'd like my helmet back."

"It really is you." A second later, I was in his arms and he was suffocating me with a bear hug. Tears stung at the back of my eyes and I couldn't help but hug him back.

I had missed him. I missed my older brother.

He looked baffled when we backed up. "Wha- how? I -"

A car was passing by us so I quickly stepped to the side and grabbed Kon by the shoulders, turning him so that his body shielded me from their vision.

I could not risk being seen out like this. I bunched up my hair against my head, grabbed the helmet from his hands, and put it on. I lifted the visor so we could look at each other eye-to-eye.

"I'll give you all the answers you want but I need to get out of here, Kon," I told him, looking around to make sure no one else had seen me without the helmet on. "We can talk later."

He was looking at me with a slight frown. I could see in his eyes that he had a lot of questions to ask me. Of course, he did. But he was clearly still in shock.

"And you cannot tell anyone about me. You cannot tell anyone that I'm alive and that I'm here. Not even Kate, Will, Mom, or your wife."

"You're in trouble," he spoke as if he had already analyzed everything and realized that this was the only possible conclusion.

"Promise me," I said, neither confirming nor denying it.

"Do you still have my number?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Then you have my word," he agreed, his eyes sharp. "As long as you get in touch with me within 24 hours."

I gave him a nod before I fetched the motorcycle key from my pocket. "I really need to leave right now."

"I'll see you soon, Alya," he promised as he watched me get on my motorcycle. Without saying another word, I rode away.

As I weaved past other vehicles on the road and got closer to the house we were staying in, I realized just how massively I had fucked up. Andrei and Mikhail were going to be pissed. And I no longer would be able to go out on my daily evening rides. It was the only time I was able to step out of the house. It was the only thing keeping me sane for the rest of the day.