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I hid my grin as I picked up Caesar and hugged him. As always, his soft fur grounded me. “I’m leaving, Olga. Please take care of Caesar for me in the time being.”
She frowned. “You come back.”
It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer it. I was coming back for Caesar, for sure. Everything else was open for debate.
In hindsight, I didn’t have to worry about having to break out of this place. No one tried to stop me as I grabbed my suitcases and walked to the garage. I didn’t spot any of the Bloody Ones, not even Kristoff was there to haul me over his shoulder and take me back inside.
No one was there except for Yuri, who was standing next to my Veyron jangling the keys in his hands.
“I’m driving,” he said, sounding grim. “And that’s not up for debate.”
As much as I wanted to leave, a twisted part of me had hoped that Kristoff wouldn’t let me. I shook it off.
The moment we left the safe harbor of the mansion, three black cars joined us. Two of them drove behind us, the other in front.
“Ilya’s men,” Yuri explained. “You didn’t really think Kristoff was going to let you go without a protection detail, did you?”
No, I supposed not.
Anticipation and trepidation zinged through me. Was I really going to do this? Leave my home to visit a father whom I had, to say the least, mixed feelings about? Might I never return?
I sent Onyx a message, calling her off. Her reply was immediate.
Bon voyage, Bratva queen. PS: I’m still going to charge you for a day’s work.
Despite my broken heart, I smiled. It was good to see that some people still reacted the way I expected them to. I wondered if I would change after visiting Moscow. But more than that, would Kristoff?
20.
KATYA
Moscow was called the Golden-domed city, and cruising through it in the back of a limo, I kind of understood why. It seemed like every few feet there was a church with a gold-plated dome. Moscow was a city filled with old buildings. The architecture was stunning, and provided a sharp contrast to women walking along the streets in the latest fashions. I felt out of place in my sneakers, jeans, and T-shirt.
Yuri, who sat beside me, didn’t seem impressed. “You just had to come here,” he muttered. “We’re going to miss bad movie night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sometimes you are such a big baby.”
He grinned. “You love me anyway.”
Ilya just ignored us, not looking up from either his phone or tablet. Every now and then, I noticed him stealing dark glances at me, but wasn’t sure what to make of it. Maybe I was just seeing things, so I put it out of my mind.
I concentrated on taking in as much as I could during my first glimpse of a city I’d never visited before. Had my mother walked these streets as well? I still got nauseated when I thought of the pictures Ilya had shown me. It was difficult to grasp that people could do such vile things to each other, let alone to someone I loved. I needed answers. I wanted to look Aslanov in the eye when I asked him why my mother had left him while his enemies were coming after her. Why hadn’t he protected her? So many questions, while in the back of my mind there was another major hurt that occupied my entire being. I tried to forget the fact that Kristoff had honored my wishes and let me go. I even pretended that him not coming to say goodbye before I left didn’t hurt.
It wasn’t long before we left the city center and the crowded streets and made our way to a highway.
Yuri frowned. “Where are we going?”
“Aslanov lives on an estate just outside the city.”
“Of course he does,” Yuri grumbled, and returned to a game on his phone.
We drove half an hour until we reached a huge, black gate, which was the entry point to the estate.
Opulent didn’t begin to describe Aslanov’s house. I still had difficulty thinking of him as my father. Living with Kristoff, I had become used to being in a big mansion, driving in the fastest cars, and basically enjoying any comfort money could buy. When I’d lived with my mother, we weren’t used to the jet-set lifestyle, though we got by just fine. Yet, whereas Kristoff’s huge house resembled somewhat of a fortress, Aslanov’s house was like something out of a fairytale. Large Greek columns greeted me as stern observers after we drove along a perfectly cut lawn.
There were actually staff members waiting on us on the porch, which embarrassed me to no end.
Yuri grunted. “Like freaking Downton Abbey.”
