Page 63 of The Tsar's Obsession
“Why would I fucking know tha– are you joking? Because I’m not exactly in the mood for–”
“I’m not fucking joking! Please fucking tell me you know that!” Dmitry leaned in, his eyes wide, his expression angry, and my mind rejecting every single word he said.
What the actualfuck!?
“Come in!” he called out, his eyes still eating me up like I was some deranged lunatic who had no idea that his closest partner was experiencing these feelings.
Polina rushed in, both apprehensive and looking disheveled like never before. Her eyes puffy and red, her shirt untucked, her hair tangled, she breathed fast, latching her eyes onto me.
Reality felt warped. Dmitry’s words were being confirmed in real time. I didn’t know what to believe. Someone betrayed me, someone close, and my suspicion automatically fell on her. She was responsible for my team. She sent that text. She knew something that I didn’t.
Quickly composing herself, her voice sounded rough. “Are you in pain?”
I paused, taking a second to digest Dmitry's words and her pitiful appearance. Dmitry left us two alone, not saying another word.
"No. I'm not in pain anymore," I lied, deciding to momentarily ignore what I just found out. "What happened, Polina? Should I blow your brains out now or spare you? Let you go back to Russia, where there's a bounty on your head?" At this, her composure crumbled completely, and she placed her elbows on my desk, her head falling into her hands.
Evidently, she didn't think I knew about her past troubles and the release of her ex-boyfriend from prison.
If Polina went back to Russia, he would find her, trap her, and she would be on her own. He didn't abuse her, but he was obsessed, madly in love, and desperately pining after her for the last two years. He was unhinged—he wanted to keep her as a trophy, all locked up in a cage. She continued to refuse him, so he placed a priceon her: anyone who brings her to him gets a reward of a few million dollars. No one dared touch her when she was with me in Russia, but alone, she would be snatched up in a matter of days.
"I'm sorry." Her response was quiet, slow tears falling off her chin. "I– I don't know what happened. I still don't. I'll find out," she said, nodding urgently. "I'll find out, and I will clean house, Kirill, I will."
"It's a little too late for that, Polina. Someone is determined to fuck it up for us here, and my only suspicion is you at this poin–"
"No! No, listen to me, Kirill, it's not me, I could never do this to you!" She spoke quickly, eyeing the firearm on my desk. "I've always been loyal, Kirill; I would never do this!" she assured me, but I didn't know what to believe at this point.
Dmitry's words threw doubt on everything.
"You know how grateful I am for what you did for me. I could never betray you, Kirill. Not me."
"How did you find out it was a trap?"
Polina shifted in her seat, swallowing a sob. "One of the soldiers, he– he called me when he was captured. He didn't get a chance to say anything...I just heard them...kill him." She couldn't look at me, and her story didn't bring me any peace of mind. "I called you right away, but you didn't pick up...so I texted, hoping that there was enough time."
This day was a goddamn fucking disaster. I didn't want to end Polina, I didn't want to believe Dmitry, and I had no idea what to do with her now. She sounded sincere. Shewasalways loyal, just as she said. But her mistake almost cost me my life, Mia's life, and Yuri's life. It cost the lives of almost a dozen of my men who were meant to travel with me to Manuel's. This was acolossalfuck-up.
"Go. Go figure it out. Only come to me when you know for sure." I turned away, clutching at my side, the pain of the movement radiating through me.
This was such a significant step back. Push back, fall back, whatever. It was also a huge embarrassment. This shit wasn'tsupposed to happen, not to someone like me, not to the man who ruled it all.
As I stared out the window at the gloomy fall day, I recognized that this incident could collect more votes of non-confidence from thevory,my top men.
Fuck. This was a problem.
My phone rang, and I welcomed the interruption.
"Brother! Time to return to The Motherland," Danila chuckled and brought a smile to my face. "Yura told me what happened. No biggie; scars make a man more handsome, you know that. You’re still alive; that’s all that matters.”
With Danila, the conversation flowed and put me at ease. His cheery outlook on life was always a welcome antidote to my dark thoughts. Danila was younger, less jaded. Although, that's not to say he had killed or seen less, just in a different capacity. He was a friend, a confidant, and a brother I never had; he was like family.
"Did you know about Polina?" I suddenly changed the subject, momentarily doubting what Dmitry said. Danila was silent for a moment.
"Know what?"
I didn't even know how to pronounce those words! What the fuck kind of soap opera was this?
"Umm...pfft." I hoped that he would just jump in and fill my discomfort, but he waited. "Dima seems to think that...she has feelings for me."
