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Sasha’s lips part. “Boss—”
“What part of fucking leave do you not understand?” I don’t look at her as I cast the harsh command. I can feel her going rigid behind me, unease drifting off her in waves. When I lift my head, she nods at me and follows the other guard, but not before glancing at Rai.
As if she wants to warn her or something.
Sasha needs to be hit upside the head with a clear definition of loyalty and private lessons from Viktor.
“I didn’t realize we were close enough to sit for tea after breakfast, Kirill.” She sips her coffee and glares at me.
“We’re not. Fortunately.”
“Fortunately. So to what do I owe this honorable meeting?”
“I’ve been wondering.”
“About?”
“When are you going to tell Sergei and the others about what you saw?”
“What I saw?”
“In the club. You remember now, don’t you?”
“Oh, you mean your sexual preferences? I told you, I don’t want to use that against you unless you force my hand.”
“I’m forcing your hand, then.” I adjust my glasses with my middle finger. “Tell them.”
Her brow furrows in clear bemusement. “Why would you want me to tell them?”
“Don’t you want to destroy me? You have your chance, so fucking seize it.”
“No,” she says with force.
On one hand, I take this strong opposition as an indication that Rai probably never meant to use that bit of information and only wanted to hold it as ammunition.
On the other, being outed as gay would be the only way to protect Sasha’s real gender. If they know she’s a woman, she might get killed just for having the audacity to lie to the Pakhan.
Knowing her character, she’ll probably say I didn’t know, and I’ll get out of it unscathed, but I made an internal vow to protect her gender in the army until she’s comfortable revealing it herself.
So I glare at Rai. “I said. Do. It.”
“No, Kirill. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“If you don’t, I’ll kill your sister.”
She freezes and swallows, but she soon regains her composure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Reina Ellis. Though she’s Reina Carson now, yes?”
She chokes on her mouthful of coffee, sending splashes flying all over the table. “How…”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about her with you holding something over my head? You hid her well, but I have my ways.”
“Kirill,” she warns.
“She’s been married to her childhood sweetheart for seven years now, right? He’s a lawyer and works for his father’s firm. They also have a beautiful little boy who was named after your father. Should I start with the child first? Would that give you a good enough incentive?”
She lunges up, grabs her gun from her bag, and points it at my forehead. “I’ll spill your brains here and now.”
Checkmate.
After Rai caught me with Sasha, I made it my mission to have her followed wherever she went. That’s how I knew she has a twin sister that she barely keeps in touch with due to not wanting to drag her into our mafia affairs.
I’ve kept that secret for a long time, but today, I’ll make use of it.
“Kill me, and an unfortunate gas accident will blow up their house. And since it’s the weekend, they’re all home today. Can you picture the headlines talking about the tragic event?”
Her hand shakes until she’s barely holding the gun. “What the hell do you want?”
“I’ll pretend I know nothing about Reina’s existence if you tell the brotherhood about me.”
“Why don’t you come out yourself?”
“That’s none of your fucking business. Just do as you’re told.” I stand and button my jacket. “You have a day before the bomb goes off.”
Could be less, depending on how fast Viktor works.
I ignore her and the gun, then step out of the dining room. Sasha, who has been watching the door like a statue, falls in step beside me. “What happened in there?”
“None of your business.”
“I’m your senior guard. Your business is my business.”
“Not on this particular issue since you’re obviously a Rai convert and I don’t trust you to be unbiased.”
“She’s really not that bad.” Sasha leans over to whisper so only I can hear her, “She promised to keep your alleged homosexuality to herself.”
“Doubt it.”
“I mean it, Kirill.” She comes to an abrupt halt in front of me, forcing me to stop. “You need to give people some leeway sometimes.”
“I haven’t been given any, so why should anyone else benefit from it?”
Her expression softens, and her shoulders drop. “I’ve lost so, so much in my life. You have no idea how much. But I don’t think that just because I have nothing, no one else should.”
“You do you. I’ll do me.” I pause. “That sounds sexual. Are you up for it?”
She suppresses a smile. “Up for what?”
“You doing you and me doing me, preferably in front of each other and possibly at the same time to preserve energy. Or better yet, I can, say, do you.”
