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“That’s an order, Anton.”
I didn’t wait for him to open my car door. I climbed out and headed in the back door, expecting to go straight to Sergei’s office. To my dismay, the old cooler off the kitchen was open. It had been outfitted specifically for Sergei to personally interrogate people, complete with soundproofing, as opposed to using the filthy torture chamber in the basement.
Grateful I’d ordered Anton to stay behind, I steeled my spine and made sure my head was lifted as I stepped into the small room.
Sergei and Dimitri were already there, along with Hayden.Fuck…
My stomach spasmed painfully at the sight of him. He was seated in a chair with the other two standing behind him, sweating profusely. Dried blood crusted one side of his mouth and the left side of his face was swollen.
“What’s this?” I asked, gesturing to Hayden with as much interest as I’d show a flea.
“Have you seen the newspapers lately?” Sergei asked.
I shook my head. “Why?”
Dimitri held up a copy in his hand and flung it at me like a frisbee. It spun and landed at my feet, bumping the toe of my shoe. The photograph in the center of the page showed a swath of yellow police tape and a couple standing beyond it, embracing. One glimpse of the burgundy suit and I knew it was Marek and I.
Even though terror ripped through every fiber of my being, I lifted my brows and feigned boredom. “Marek’s brother was killed two nights ago. So what?”
“So what?” Sergei threw a hand at the newspaper. “Not only is your face on the cover of a fucking newspaper, Misha, but you’re hugging a fucking man!”
“Whose brother was murdered,” I repeated slowly. “What, exactly, are you accusing me of?”
“It looks like you’re seconds away from kissing him! For the world to see, no less! More gay shit inmyorganization? This is worse than Sasha and I never expected it to be you!”
“Have you considered it’s the angle of the photograph?” I asked, as calmly as I could. “If you had the same shot from the other side, you’d seenothingof the sort, except Marek, distraught. And me trying to keep him from getting himself arrested in the middle of it all.”
Sergei looked at Dimitri, essentially giving him the floor. Dimitri all but crowed, giving me a thin-lipped smile. “He is nothing more than a filthy queer prostitute thatyoubrought into our midst. And what’s worse? He’s a fucking drug dealer, which means he’s working for our competitors. Competitors whichyouhave failed to eliminate because you’re too busy with your fucking rent boy! I’ve been watching you two, Mikhail. You might as well admit it. Die with whatever honor you think you have.”
“Admitwhat?” I let my real exasperation show, even though I knew damn well what they were trying to get me to say. I couldn’t. For Marek’s sake. Even though they’d found out about his former life, as long as I denied having anything to do with him sexually, he had a chance at surviving, however small. And without actual proof in front of me, I’d lie until my dying breath, because there was no reason for Dimitri to withhold evidence if he actually had any.
“Are you fucking queer or not?!” Sergei snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at me.
“It doesn’t matter how I answer that, because he”—I jabbed my own finger in Dimitri’s direction—“obviously has you convinced that I am! Do you want me to say ‘No,’ so you can call me a liar and shoot me in the head? Or say ‘Yes’ and you shoot me in the head anyway?”
“How about you try the truth for a change?” Dimitri sneered. “Tell Sergei why you really left Russia under cover of night. Tell him why I can’t find any record of a Mikhail Vladimirovich Chernyshevsky from St. PetersburgorMoscow. Tell him why you’ve been lying to him all these years!”
“I don’t have time for your bullshit,” I said, glaring at Dimitri. “I have a gang trying to make a power play on the one hand and a drug ring to bust on the other. Call me when you manage to find someactualproof of my so-called queerness. Until then, fuck off, Dimitri.” I spun on the ball of my foot and headed for the door.
A gun cocked behind me.
I stopped in my tracks. My pistol was tucked into its shoulder holster but any move to retrieve it would almost certainly get my head blown off in the process.
“What was it you said earlier?” Dimitri asked.
Hayden whimpered, prompting me to turn around slowly.
Dimitri had a gun pressed against the back of Hayden’s head, though his black gaze was pinned to mine. “Go on, little goluboi. Tell him what you told me.”
For the first time since entering the room, I let my gaze fall to Hayden’s. His dark eyes were wide with terror, brimming with tears. Outwardly, I remained unmoved, but on the inside, I was screaming.
“I-I told them everything,” Hayden said, the tears slipping down his cheeks. “I told them about us. About you. Our arrangement from this summer. And I-I told them about Marek. I’m so sorry Misha.”
“Thatis your proof?” My lip curled as I looked at Sergei, laughing bitterly. “Really? The word of a known homosexual who was passed over for a promotion? Of course he’s going to slander us. I refused his advances and Marek got the job he wanted. Simple as that. I thought you were a smart man, Dimitri. Desperation has made you even more pathetic than usual.”
“So you won’t care if I kill him?” Dimitri tossed back, pressing harder with the gun.
I shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible even though my heart pounded faster. “Why would I? He means nothing to me.” That part was true but it didn’t mean I wanted to watch him die, either.
