Page 180 of Doubts & Fears

“They’re saying accidental. No body was found, but his granddaughter seems to have disappeared. I’m sorry, father.”

This could not be happening again. “How long ago was this fire? I need to see the report,” I demanded.

“I’ve got it for you at home. It’s on your desk.”

“Take me home,” I said, suddenly feeling old. I needed to find her and put an end to this fabrication of my life. The decisions I had made from the beginning were wrong.

A series of too many bad choices and thinking I was doing the right thing had resulted in losses that could never be made whole. Mischa’s place was here, with me and the rest of the family.

Konstantin had taken over while I was in prison, and I dreaded the upcoming conversation we needed to have. His whole life was about to change. Our driver, Petr, greeted me warmly, and I couldn’t wait to get home.

“Everyone is eager to see you, father,” Konstantin said as I stared out the window.

“They’re going to have to wait with the exception of the Pakhan.”

“Father?”

“We need to talk, Son, once I have washed the stink of prison from my body.” I patted his hand. I could only hope he’d understand what I had done and why.

We drove in silence the rest of the way home. Stepan called in the car.

“Mikhail, I’m doing everything I can to find her. We can meet tomorrow to discuss the plans. Have you thought about letting Konstantin in?”

“I have and will go over that this evening.”

“Until tomorrow, then, my friend,” he said, disconnecting the call.

My heart leaped at the sight of the gates surrounding my home. I was greeted warmly once again by everyone, but all I wanted was silence and to go over the report. My shoulders shook as I opened the door to my room. I was home.

I quickly shed the clothes I had on, making my way to the bathroom. Turning the shower on hot, I stepped under the spray, leaned my head back, and sighed. The hot water streamed from several showerheads.

The dirt rinsed off me and down the drain, and I soaped up, washing off the filth of confinement. It was a completely novel experience, no need to be on guard or tense. No one would be here to bother me. The luxury would be something I would never take for granted again.

I turned the water off, wrapped a towel around my waist, and walked over to the mirror, studying my reflection. The man staring back was filled with scars. Most were earned over the years, but I’d picked up a few new ones during my stay. Those stood out more.

Standing six feet tall, I was still fit enough to fight off every attack sent my way. However, the figure looking back was harder, older, and tired. My hair had gone full silver over the last year, so now my hair and beard matched.

I quickly got dressed and walked over to the safe. It opened with a click, and I took out the years of pictures, videos, and updates I had on my little Mischa. Konstantin was waiting for me when I got to my office.

“Sit, Son. I’m going to tell you a story.”

Chapter 58

Aleksandr

Seduced By a Kitten

It had been nine long-ass days since Kinsley had let us touch or kiss her intimately. Damn, it was hell when all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless. She mentioned she was conflicted and that the emotions she was trying to process with Marcel were overwhelming.

Maybe we hadn’t been clear enough with her. We all knew what we wanted but danced around it. Never in a million years did any of us think we’d be in this situation. We fucked club women over the years.

It was neither here nor there. We’d fucked trainees, but at the end of the day, an emotional attachment didn’t exist for any of us. Every one of them was replaceable, and as shitty as that sounded, it was the truth.

Kinsley was on a whole different level. Each of us was smart enough to house a small amount of fear. Relationships were complicated enough between two people. Add in her grandfather and her uncertain past…

Maybe Marcel was right. Maybe it was a potential disaster in the making. She’d taken to sleeping in her own room again those first few days. She stopped wanting to go in to work with us. Something was wrong, but I couldn’t get her to open up.

What was more concerning was she’d stopped talking to Marcel. Even he was left confused by this development. He’d shared that their last session, while emotional, was productive. He said the only thing we could do was give her space.

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