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Why did I know there was about to be a “but?”
“As much as I want to continue to indulge in that, I am so embarrassed and hurt that it has gotten in the way of my one and only mission, which is to protect you—not fall in love with you, but protect you. And by doing one, I forgot about the other. It is so much more important to me that you live, and that your grandfather lives, than I get to have some fairytale romance that gets cut short by someone’s death. As much as I want it to be that way, it just can’t be that way.
We have to get back to business. We have to remember why we’re here.”
“Are you saying that what we have is over?” I asked. Finally, we made eye contact. His blackberry eyes, typically so beautiful, looked hollow now, filled with nothing but sorrow.
“We need to at least put it on pause until we can make everything right again. I can’t prove my parents right. I can’t be some weak, distracted lover boy. A ‘faggot’ like they always called me. We need to get real. We need to get serious. Maybe when this is all over we can…” “If you’re gonna leave, then just leave,” I said. I was pissed. I wanted to grab one of Svetlana’s guns and fire it at a target outside.
“I’m notleavingyou, Nikolai. I am protecting you. This is for both of us. Again, maybe in the future, but right now we just—”
“I saidget out, Damien.” My words sounded like a snake hissing. Damien let out a sad sigh, stood from the bed, and left. I could feel him staring at my back from the doorway, trying to think of something to say, before realizing therewasnothing more to say, and shutting the door behind him.
So, I’d lose my grandfather and I’d lose Damien too.
This was exactly why I didn’t fucking get close with people.
They always let you down.
Chapter 22
Damien
It was game time. I was going to make sure we killed Vladimir and saved Nikolai’s grandfather.
One night had passed since we’d received the call from Vladimir, and I’d already concocted a new plan.
Nikolai had been distant ever since I told him we needed to end our affair.
Of course, he was.
Who wouldn’t be?
Anyway, I was done with feeling sorry for myself. It was time to prove that, even if I was a “little bitch,” as my parents called me, I was one tough ass bitch. I was going to show them who’s boss.
So was Nikolai, the rightful heir and Pakhan.ThatI was sure of. Even if he hated me.
I called a meeting at the dining room table, a massive calcutta marble oval where Nikolai’s parents used to gather the family. Svetlana, Igor, Mr. Ivanov, Roman, and Nikolai all joined me. Nikolai couldn’t even look me in the eyes. He appeared tired, as if he hadn’t slept at all the night before. I hadn’t either, tossing and turning into the wee hours of the morning, figuring out exactly how I was going to fix this.
“It’s Wednesday morning, and so we have 48 hours before Vladimir is expecting Nikolai at his house. This means we have two days to prepare for this battle—and rest assured, it will be a battle.”
Igor slammed his fist down on the table. “We’ll kill that motherfucker,” he said in rage.
You could always count on Igor for some brutish dramatics.
“That we will, Igor,” I said. “That we will. So, here is the plan. First up, Mr. Ivanov. I need you to use your expertise to gather intel about the layout of Vladimir’s home. We know nothing about the insides, which means we have no idea where Nikolai’s grandfather is, how best to get in and out, etc. Vladimir has had a lifelong maid, Nadia, who lives in Crown Heights. I
remember her from when I was young—do you?”
“Yes, sir, I remember Nadia,” Mr. Ivanov replied. “We used to work together very closely for Kira and Alexander, Mr. Nikolai’s parents, many years ago.”
“Exactly. I did some investigating over the years, and Nadia drops off her maids uniform every Tuesday night at Crown Cleaners & Press. She must have one of our uniforms there now. Igor, we will need you to use your skill at breaking locks to enter the cleaners at night and place one of Mr. Ivanov’s sonar map creation devices in an unsuspecting part of Nadia’s outfit. She mustn’t be able to see or feel it. As she walks around the house cleaning it, the sonar—which will be at a frequency that’s even undetectable to dogs—will create a map for us while bouncing off of the objects around it, just as a bat uses sonar to navigate. This will leave Mr. Ivanov and the rest of us with a full layout of Vladimir’s house, as the maid surely cleans it thoroughly from top to bottom.”
Igor and Mr. Ivanov looked at each other and nodded.
“The most important thing is locating Nikolai’s grandfather in the house,” I added. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nikolai. His arms were crossed, his eyes lifeless and staring down at the table. He looked as if he had already given up.
That wasn’t an option.
