Page 27 of Bedazzled
“What was the phrase Tania always used when one of the bodyguards got injured?” He smiled, “Chicks-”
“-dig scars, glory is forever, babe.” I finished. “I heard one of the captains made a sign with the quote and posted it over the surgical suite in the safe house.”
“Yuri,” he sighed. “I never thought there would come a day I’d ask you if you really wanted to walk away from Tania, but…”
“Stop.” I put down my glass and stood up, buttoning my jacket. “I still have a lot of work to finish before I leave tomorrow.”
“Sovietnik!”The word came out harshly, and I turned to Maksim. “Do not turn your back on me.”
“What do you require,Pakhan?”I tried to stir up some anger, but there was nothing. The words were as lifeless as I was.
He walked around the desk and stood in front of me, putting his hand on my uninjured shoulder. “I say this as your brother and yourPakhan.I find Tania…” he scowled as he tried to find the right words, “irritating. Exasperating. Infuriating. But I have also seen how good she is for you. How happy you are together. Walking away from her…” He shook his head, clearly confused. “We both endured a childhood of torture. We always understood each other. But I don’t understand this. This woman loves you, despite being Bratva, not because of it. Just like Ella, and me.”
I smiled. My brother, the powerful Maksim, trying to talk to me about true love and happy endings. I was happy for him that he found his, there was not one for me.
“Is there anything specific you need me to handle before I leave for St. Petersburg?”
Maksim’s mouth thinned in disappointment before he squeezed my shoulder and stepped back. “You already have too much on your plate. Let me know how the meeting with the Manolos Cartel goes.”
Tania…
“So, he’s insane,” Ella said emphatically. “Yuri’s so traumatized by what happened to him that he’s just, what, giving up?”
“Not giving up on the gangster life,” I said bitterly, taking another gulp of wine. “Just giving up on me.”
We were still sitting in the wreckage of my living room because I hadn’t found a place to move to yet. As much as I wanted to put the Morozov brothers and their unwanted charity behind me, the specter of getting kidnapped by the lunatic head of the Sokolov Bratva to force Ella to trade her life for mine, made me never feel really safe again. It was always on the edge of my consciousness that another van could pull up, someone could yank me inside and this time it could be game over.
“I can’t stay here, Els,” I stood up, walking over to the huge window and looking out over the street. “Between the shooting and seeing Yuri in every corner of this place, I just… I’ll find something else.”
“Look, of all the things Maksim owes to you, my beloved emotional support animal, he owes you safety. If you don’t want to be here, we’ll find you another super safe apartment instead, okay?” She came over, putting her arm around me. “Although, are you really sure you want to move? Look at that guy across the street! What the hell size weights is that man lifting?”
“Right?” I agreed. “He works out in his living room, I think he converted it to a gym. You should see him on butt and leg day. It’s better than Pornhub, I swear.” She cracked up, just like I knew she would, and we finished our wine, watching the hot guy across the street bench press his body weight.
Two days later…
I woke up around midnight, gasping. My heart was trying to pound its way out of my chest and I was dripping sweat. I dreamt that Yuri was lounging on his private jet, just taking off from JFK Airport. And then the jet exploded in a giant fireball, flaming pieces of torn metal falling to the ground.
Checking my phone, I sucked in a shaky breath. Ella had told me he was leaving for St. Petersburg tonight.
He was really gone.
Chapter Nine
In which a mysterious and exceptionally spiteful billionaire delivers the final blow.
Tania…
Three months later…
“...So, if you take a look at the data, you’ll see why I think MacGown Oil is an excellent prospect.”
“Great presentation, Tania, thank you,” Ezio beamed at me from the head of the conference table. “Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look at the spreadsheet, I’m sure we can answer any questions.”
As everyone filed out, my boss walked over grinning at me. “That was a masterful PowerPoint, really. You have really been on fire for the last few months.”
I smiled weakly. Sure. I didn’t have anything else in my life, so there was always work. It was so much easier to plunge into the numbers instead of lying on the floor of my new apartment, drinking and crying my eyes out. Ella came over every chance she got - she knew I didn’t want to see anything Morozov-related so I wouldn’t go to her fancy penthouse - but between her medical training and herPakhan'swifey responsibilities, there wasn’t much time.
The only upside of Yuri being in St. Petersburg was there was less fodder for the gossip sites, so I could keep away from any painful, accidental sightings popping up when I was scrolling around on my phone.
