I don't give myself a moment's hesitation before opening the door.

I yank it open, ready to take on any threat on the other side.

In front of me stands a tall man, hair thick and dark as Rose's, a shadow of a beard, and a look of both amusement and annoyance on his older face.

It's a moment before I recognized the face I'd only seen in photos that shared some of the stronger features of his family and of the girl I was head over heels in love with.

"You're André?"

"You sound surprised...almost as surprised as I am at how long it took you to open the door and the fact that you opened it without inquiring about who it is."

He walks right past me into the small apartment as he speaks, setting a small bag down on the floor.

He has the same confident air about him as his father.

"We figured if you were a killer it wouldn't matter if we asked who it was, a Jehovah witness we'd send you away, a neighbor we'd invite you in for cookies , and if you weren't a threat then there d be no issue."

It was Alberta who spoke.

She stood , setting her glass in the sink before walking to stand in front of André. I closed the door, locking it, as I looked at Rose who sat in silent shock at the table.

I'd never seen her eyes so wide with her lips slightly parted.

I suppose accepting that your supposedly dead brother is actually alive is harder to do when he's standing right in front of you.

"Long time no see, Alberta," Andre greeted curtly, or maybe that was just the personality in his voice because Alberta smiled, extending her arms out to embrace him.

"I'd asked how you've been but by the looks of this apartment I think I have all of the answer I need," he said pulling back glancing around the apartment.

His comment only confirmed that his confident, rude yet honest attitude was a huge part of his personality.

"You can ask me how I've been but I think we all know that I havent exactly been doing any better so let's leave it at that."

Alberta smiled gently, unsure of what to say. There was a long silence before she tenderly, in a motherly gesture my own mother had done countless times, held his hand to Andre's cheek, staring as if she could see all the pain behind his eyes.

He simply nodded once before gently removing her hand and stepping out of her embrace.

His eyes moved from Alberta's to Rose's, resting on her stunned face, in the same frozen state she'd been in since he stepped through the door.

"Long time no see, hey sis?" He asked by way of greeting.

Her only movement was the clench of her now closed jaw.

André spoken again, this time in Turkish.

The only word picked up on was 'father'.

"He said 'it seems that despite his best efforts, our father only seems to bring us all together'," Alberta whisper translated to me as André stepped closer toward Rose.

It was only a small step but Rose flinched all the same. Protective instincts told me to take a step forward to protect Rose from any hurt but Alberta's gently yet firm arm help me back.

"They need this moment, don't you think?" she whispered to me in Russian.

Surprised by her sudden change in languages, I nodded. Listening intently. The apartment was so small yet there seemed to be a huge space between Rose and André and the spot Alberta and I were standing in.

What little conversation there was that we were waiting for was mostly one-sided on Andre's part and took place in Turkish.

"Come," Alberta gestured to another room of the apartment. "You can help me look for a few things."

I followed, reluctantly.

Rose shared a quick glance at me, assuring me she 'd be okay.

"This is all so unbelievable," Alberta sighed shifting boxes. She gestured for me to lift a few of the heavier boxes so she could reach.

"I don't think that's even enough of a word for it," she went on.

"I have a few words to describe it but I don't think they're proper," I admitted both light and heavy-hearted.

"I knew what those children were going through in the house. I could've done more to stop it."

"There's no one to blame but the one's who did the abusing," I assured her suddenly remembering my father and how I blamed myself for not preventing it before.

"I guess you're right, but still..."

"Rose doesn't blame you. And it doesn't seem like And re does either. Isn't that all that matters?"

These were the same words my grandmother used on me when I felt guilty for the abuse my other and sister's endured.

It seemed to have the same positive effect on Alberta because she smiled.

"I consider Rose, and André, and Lissa before she died, my children. I wasn't as close to the twins but still, I was there when they needed me. I'm glad to see Rose hasn't been entirely left alone."

"I only wish I could've met her sooner," I admit.

"you've done more to fill the hole in heart and lonely soul in the short amount of time you've known her than I have in the lifetime I've known her," she said dismissing my words.

"Have you ever loved any one the way you love Rose now? Not including your family."

I thought about it, only needing a moment before responding certainly. "No, never."

"That feeling I saw filling your eyes as you thought about it, hold on to that because I believe it is only love that'll save us and your grandmother agreed."

I smile at the mention of Yeva and her predictions. The thought makes me realize that all of this isn't just for Rose but it's to keep everyone I love, every family in danger of being ruined because of Abe and Adrian, safe.

Alberta pulled out a few pieces of paper and gestured for me to follow back into the main room.

André sat across from Rose in a business like manner. Rose stared down at her cup wrapped in her hands as he spoke, still in Turkish.

When it seemed clear that Rose wasn't going to ever respond, André turned his attention to Alberta and I as we reentered and smiled one-sided.

"It seems I share the same ability as my father in that I can push people away, repel them without even trying," he spoke to us but looked back toward Rose.

She glanced up quickly before turning her heavy gaze onto me. She gestured to me to sit beside her again.

"Are you two like an item?" André asked pulling out a cigarette. "Because I've been watching you two since the family moved to Russia and I have to say, it's been hard to tell."

Rose grabbed my hand on the tabletop purposefully.

"Question answered," he said around the cigarette.

"You've kept tabs on us that far back?" I asked curious.

"Don't get all full of yourself. I only kept tabs on you because that's where Rose was. You were just in the way. Unlucky bastard," he muttered the last part.

I raised my brow at him questioningly.

"Hey, you tangled yourself in this family of all families thereby classifying yourself as an unlucky-"

"I get it," I said cutting him off.

Alberta sat beside André between him and Rose, giving him a disapproving look for his comments.

"What I don't understand is how closely it seems you've tracked us without anyone noticing."

"When you're trying to stay low-key and hidden , you go out of your way to stay hidden," he says in an 'it should be obvious' tone of voice.

"Baia is a small town."

"I was careful," he shrugs." Which reminds me, Alberta, that nephew of yours is mighty good at his job, trailing me as I trailed my father. He's actually the one who led me here."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'd had about enough of his sleuthing so I finally approached him upstate when you two returned to Montana, we compared notes, swapped stories, had a beer and here I am. He said he'd be over later."

Alberta's face grew brighter with excitement.

"Why now?"

It was the first time Rose had spoken. It was as very brief pause before he responded.

"Because he said he wanted to help and to see his aunt-"

"I meant why are you here, in front of us , now?"

He lit his cigarette and exhaled.

"Because, like I said, I've been watching you guys and I've seen everything Abe has done and it's time to stop him says the son who almost died at the hands of said father."

"Yeah, well, while you were almost dying and playing spy, I was actually with Abe and Janine, taking every hit they had for me," Rose said solemnly. "I think if any one deserves revenge on the almighty Abe, it's his punching bag for the last few years ."

"And what about me, Rosemarie? What should I do while you try and fail to take him down?"

"Leave, disappear the way you've been abscent most of my life."

"You seem to think you're the only one who's suffered, who is suffering now but you're not. I tried to help you and look what happened. Abe didn't just play a part in your awful life. He was the bad guy in all of our lives."

"You didn't try to help me! You were trying to help Lissa," Rose shrieked standing. "You use to tell me, tell everyone, that I wasn't really your sister, that you only had one sister, Lissa. You know what, you're right. You only had one sister, all of this time. "I know that I'm not alone in this. In fact, Abe has hurt enough people so that I don't need you here. There're enough other ruined lives to help me. I not need or want you here. It was so easier for you to believe back then, it should be a piece of cake for you to believe now."

I reached for her hand but she pulled away slightly, upset.

André appeared unphazed by her words. I imagined one of my sisters, Victoria in particular, saying such things to me and I shuddered at the thought. Only a brother so cold and emotionless as his father could ignore such words.

"Look, I know tensions are bound to be high between you two but now we have something more important to deal with, the reason, or reasons, there is so much animosity. Not just Abe and Adrian but Janine too. They pitted you two, Lissa and André, against you, Rose. They did all of this and they are going to win if we don't stick together. Understood?"

All of us, surprised by Alberta's stern out burst stared astonished and then nodded.

"Alright. Good. Now what's the plan?"