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“Then you know why—”
“Why his enemies want me dead? I imagine that when you kill other people’s kids, they want an eye for an eye.”
When his lips thinned, but he didn’t say anything to deny it, the flicker of hope I’d had that my father wasn’t the monster he was portrayed to be, went up in smoke.
I rose from my chair and started packing my stuff into my bag, debating how to respond. I felt conflicted about Aslanov, but I did know one thing. I couldn’t just leave while things between Kristoff and me were like they were. Whatever he did, however he reacted, I knew one thing for certain—Kristoff would never hurt me. He might crush my heart, but I had never not felt safe with him. Despite everything, he was my safe haven and right now that was what I needed.
I wasn’t ready yet to meet my father.
I took Ilya’s card and put it in my bag. “I can’t do this right now.”
He nodded, but thankfully didn’t follow me as I left the library.
I’d barely made it through the gate to the mansion when I spotted a familiar car. Sokolov’s silver Mercedes sedan was like a lightning rod, wreaking havoc on my mood. I didn’t like the fact that he was still around, but what could I do about it? Kristoff had assured me that I was safe from Sokolov’s vengeance. I wondered, though, if it was a coincidence that he came to the house the same day one of Aslanov’s men came to me? Was my mind spinning in circles? Or was Sokolov simply waiting for the moment when he could follow me to my father? Was he working with Ilya? So many questions, and they were starting to make me paranoid.
“You okay?”
I blinked up at Yuri, who was giving me a curious look. Then I remembered that I was still sitting in the car, my hands clutching the steering wheel.
“Peachy.”
His gaze followed mine and an understanding look crossed his face. “Sokolov won’t touch you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Look, I know that man seems like the Devil to you, and I understand why, but if there’s one guy who is known for following Bratva rules, it’s Sokolov. The man has two truths in life: avenging his family, and the Bratva.”
I looked away. “His family who was murdered by my father.”
Yuri shrugged. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’re a Romanov now and he will never touch you. The boss knows that.” When I still gave him an apprehensive look, he added, “We call Sokolov the Silent One. When, um, Aslanov did what he did,Sokolov wasn’t home. He was holed up somewhere in Siberia. It is said that when he came home and saw his murdered family, he didn’t utter a word. He didn’t let any of his men touch the bodies of his brothers and nephews either. One by one, he carried them all outside, then buried them in the backyard. It was the middle of winter and the soil was frozen. It took him days, but he didn’t stop until it was done. At times he dug the dirt with his bare fingers, but he didn’t say a single word until every grave was done.”
A chill swept through me.
“What happened after the burial? I bet he wasn’t silent then.”
Yuri looked pained, but he spoke anyway. “Aslanov. That’s the first word he said.”
Not wanting to discuss this any longer, I got out of the car and headed for my room. Usually I would go to the kitchen to see if Olga had made me a snack, but I didn’t want to chance running into Sokolov.
Of course that’s when it happened. The moment I turned the corner to the stairs, I saw him heading my way. I should have anticipated that he’d be leaving Kristoff’s office where they usually had their chat.
He didn’t slow down when he spotted me. Gritting my teeth, I refused to cower or walk as if I wanted to flee him.
He halted right before me. I tried my best to feel some kind of empathy for him, instead of just rage mixed with fear, but it was difficult. I could see a hint of pain and darkness in his eyes though. Before, I would have thought it was just an imprint of his criminal mind that wanted to rule the world, but now I knew what drove this man. His custom-made gray suit fit him to a T, and if I hadn’t known who he was, I would have pegged him for any other white-collar banker, or perhaps a lawyer.
“Mrs. Aslanov, or should I say Romanov?”
“I haven’t chosen either name yet.”
“Does it matter? It won’t change the outcome.”
“And what outcome might that be?”
“You’re going to ruin my best creation. Women always do. Because of you, Kristoff’s isn’t single-minded anymore. A scattered brain is a less-focused and slower-functioning one.” He sighed, pretending to be distraught. “And because it makes me feel less inclined to help him in his quest to annihilate the man who killed his mother.”
I thought about that for a moment. Then I decided that he could go fuck himself. “I won’t be the reason he doesn’t get the intel he needs to take his father down.Youwill be the reason. No one’s stopping you from helping him, right? See, that’s what friends do. They help each other out during the good, the bad, and the very ugly.”
Sokolov’s brows rose in surprise. “A friend? You think Kristoff and I are friends?”
