Page 46 of The Bratva’s Monster

I put my clothes back on—sans my underwear, thanks to his overexcitement in bed—and I find a brush and run it through my hair to get out the tangles. I should at least look presentable when I talk to Kostya.

I can hear them talking from my place on the corner of the bed. I know they’re talking about me. I should be in on it. At least to know whether I’m in danger or not.

I get up and go to the door, cracking it a little so I can hear. Kostya’s voice is the first one I hear.

“You’ve lost your mind,” he says. “If Alex finds out— You know I have to tell him. I’m his sovietnik.”

“You’re also my friend,” Rikki says. “And the last person left outside of this family that I can still trust, and I need to be able to trust you.”

Kostya sighs heavily. “He’ll kill me right next to you for this,” he mutters in Russian. Then in English, “I can’t believe you’re dragging me into this. You, of all people.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only that out of all of us, never in a million years did I think that your dick would be the one to get us both killed.”

“Thanks,” Rikki says bitterly. “You really think I’m that weak? To let something like sex get in the way of my senses?”

“If that’s not what’s going on, then what is this?” Kostya asks. “You’ve seen the video for yourself. Gedeon sold out his own brothers⁠—”

“Gedeon,” Rikki growls, “was my best friend. Since we were all kids. In all that time, he never showed any sign of betraying this Bratva. Not even in times when he could have and gotten completely away with it.”

“Men change.”

“Maybe. But if there’s any chance at all that that video can be explained and he’s innocent, we owe it to him to take it.”

Kostya sighs. “You know, if you’re wrong, if you go poking around looking for his innocence and you can’t find it and your brother finds out that I knew all along⁠—”

“He’ll only know if you tell him,” Rikki says.

“Rikki—”

“Okay, listen. You can tell him eventually, but not just yet. I need you to give me a chance to find the truth. That’s all.”

They both go quiet, and my heart pounds hard against my chest, waiting for Kostya’s decision.

“All right, bring her out. But listen, this is as far as I go. I show her the video and that’s it. You two are on your own after that.”

“You have my word.”

I close the door gently and go back to my place on the bed. A few seconds later, the door opens and Rikki motions with his head for me to follow him.

I do, walking down the hallway to the landing before the stairs. Kostya paces around the living room, his hands on his hips. The moment the sound of my shoe hitting the steps sounds out, he turns and looks up at us. His dark eyes look even darker as we approach. As we get closer, I realize he’s looking at me, studying my face, looking for the deception.

“Show her,” Rikki says when we’re both in the living room.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone and scrolls for a few moments, then hands the phone to me. On the screen is a paused video. Gedeon is standing in what looks like a mall area. Part of what looks like a store is on one side of the wall he’s standing against and a dark hallway is on the other side of him. He looks like he’s waiting.

I walk over to the couch and sit down, steeling myself. In my hands is all the proof in the world that the Bratva needed to convict Gedeon of the crime of being a traitor. I press play.

I watch in silence as Gedeon waits alone, glancing around as people pass him in the foreground, seemingly unaware of his presence. He looks at his watch a few times and just waits.

It goes on like this for about a minute before he looks over, then, seeing something, he stands up and turns. A man walks into the frame.

At first, I don’t recognize him. He’s about Gedeon’s height, but thinner. He’s got salt and pepper hair with gray that looks more silver than black and a graying goatee. They shake hands as they exchange a few words, then walk into the darkness of the hallway.

“Do you recognize the man?” Kostya asks.

“He… he looks familiar.”