“Burim, Drilon,” said Buda in as friendly a tone as he could manage. “What happened here is that the girl tried to escape, but she didn’t succeed. My men are very embarrassed, as they should be.”

Burim looked at Neri but no explanation was forthcoming regarding his injury.

“My wife was certainly a tigress,” he said. “Perhaps this woman is too. Mr. Buda, I am ready to meet her.”

Buda showed Burim into the bedroom and left. Pia was sitting on the bed, facing the window, shivering.

“Afrodita. Pia,” Burim said. “Is it really you? I am Burim. Burim Grazdani. I think I’m your father. Pia, look at me, please.”

Pia sat for a second and then turned, glowering at the man, her face clouded with unadulterated fury and loathing. Burim’s expression went from disbelief to pure amazement.

“Oh, God,” he said. “You’re exactly your mother’s image.” Burim knew the look she had on her face, from the first Pia, a beautiful woman full of hatred. Burim had feelings he’d never experienced and couldn’t come close to articulating.

“I’m told you’re a student at Columbia Medical School. That’s amazing. You must be very intelligent.”

Pia had turned around again, and Burim continued talking to her back.

“You look like your mother, you know that? Probably you don’t. The same hair, the same eyes, it’s amazing.”

Pia said nothing. Could it possibly be him?

“I feel this is a miracle, our meeting. Pia, please say something.”

Silence.

“Your uncle Drilon is here.”

Now Pia reacted. She hacked up some spittle and spat loudly on the floor by the bed. Burim was disconsolate.

“Pia, I’m sorry I never came for you. I was young and stupid. I meant to come, so many times, but I knew that if I came forward they would find out I was illegal in this country and send me home, and then I would never have a chance of seeing you. I was working with these guys, the Rudaj group, you know, and the organization fell apart, and Drilon and I had to go underground. Then when we started working for Ristani, we had to change our names and leave our pasts behind. I wish we didn’t have to do it, but we did. Pia, please.”

As soon as Pia saw Burim’s face, she knew who he was. This was the man she had waited years for, the man who put her through torments while she fervently hoped that he’d come back to save her. He never did. Now he was showing up, and for what? And he had brought that monster with him? What were they going to do, kill her? At this point, Pia barely cared.

“Listen, I know I abandoned you, but suddenly, now that I see you, it’s important to me that you are my daughter and that you’re safe.”