Page 41 of Sergei
He ran his hand over his beard, then stood. After a quick nod of his head, he walked out of the room, and Creed and Goose were quick to follow behind. Jenson glanced over at me, and when he saw my expression, he took it as his cue to excuse himself. He walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone to deal with the crazy in my head.
Only I didn’t want to deal with it.
Alek was dead, and for the first time in days, I felt like I could actually breathe. I didn’t want to sit in my damn office and squirrel the day away. I wanted to make good use of the lightness in my chest, so I closed my computer and made my way to the door. I was just about to walk out when Viktor came barging in.
“We need to talk.”
“I’m heading out.”
“Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“Nothing’s going on.”
“Bullshit!” he snapped, slamming the door shut. “You’ve had me running in circles for days because you’ve been up here scheming with Preacher and those fucking bikers.”
“I’ve been handling things, Viktor. It’s what I do.”
“Handling what things?” he spat. “Because I’ve been handling all the bullshit with the casino on my own. Every meeting. Every phone call. Every problem. It’s all fallen on me.”
“You’ve just gotten a taste of what I do every day.”
“Stop with the bullshit. I want to know what the hell is going on.”
I wasn’t ready to show my hand just yet, so I said, “It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. The casino is running fine. You’re handling it well. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” Viktor’s eyes narrowed. “I know you better than anyone. I know when you’re hiding something, and this time it’s something big.”
“You’re wrong.”
“You’ve been disappearing for hours… days at a time. The casino has always been your top priority, and now, you’re giving me the reins. You won’t answer questions, and you expect me to just play along like I don’t see that something’s going on.”
“I expect you to do your job.”
“I’m your brother, Sergei. Not your fucking errand boy.”
His words stung a bit, mainly because he was right. I loved my brother, and that wasn’t a word I threw around lightly. He was a good man, and I’d spent the better part of my life trying to do right by him and Nikolai. But I’d made a mess of this thing with Alina. And I knew it.
I’d not only taken advantage of him, but I’d lied to him, too. But telling him the truth meant opening a door I wasn’t sure I could close again. Viktor had a history with Alina. They were close, and there was a time when I wondered if something would come of the two of them. It was a thought I didn’t like to revisit.
Regardless, he would protect her, maybe even more than I could. Maybe he’d see her fragility, her fire, and decide I didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her. I wasn’t ready to take that chance, so I told him, “It’s complicated.”
“Then, uncomplicate it.”
“Viktor.”
“Stop shutting me out and tell me what the fuck is going on.”
Every instinct screamed that keeping Alina secret was the only way to keep her safe, but another voice, one that was quieter and crueler, whispered that maybe I was keeping her hidden because I didn’t want to lose her.
My brother waited, unmoving and unrelenting, and for the first time in a very long time, I didn’t know what the hell to do.
14
ALINA
Iwoke up thinking it was going to be just another day. I had no reason to think otherwise. I’d heard Sergei moving around in the kitchen, and I was pretty sure I’d heard him talking with Bog. Just like they did every morning, I imagined they were having their coffee and planning out their day. I took a few minutes to shower and put on some fresh clothes, then I went to join them.
I’d barely made it down the hall when I spotted a gift on the kitchen table. Sergei was leaning against the kitchen counter with a smirk. I continued towards the table as I asked, “What’s this?”
