Reunited

KAIA

My eyes widened in shock as Irina burst from the back of the SUV. Instead of rushing into my waiting arms, she halted a few feet away, her face twisted in anger—~accusation~. My arms dropped to my sides, a wave of disappointment washing over me.

I took in her appearance. Her usually long, curly blonde hair, often styled in braids or pigtails, was now cut into a short bob. Her eyes held a world-weariness that was far too mature for her age.

She was dressed in baggy jeans and a pink tank top, looking older and thinner than I remembered. What had happened to my little sister?

“~Irinka.~” My voice cracked as I took a step toward her, only to be stopped by Ilya stepping protectively in front of her.

“No,” he said, his voice firm. “Join us and you can reconnect with Irina. If not, we have nothing to discuss.”

I saw Irina peeking at me from behind Ilya’s broad shoulder. I tried to appeal to her.

“Irina, please. Let’s talk. I’ve missed you—”

Ilya took a threatening step forward.

“Don’t you dare say that. You abandoned her to Cristo while you lived in luxury at his mansion. Now you’ve moved on to Kozlov.”

I gasped, meeting Irina’s gaze.

“That’s not true,” I whispered, holding out my hands, palms up. “Irina, that’s not true. Cristo’s men kidnapped me off the street. I tried to find you.”

She moved then, pushing past Ilya to face me.

“Do you have any idea what they did to me? What they made me do to ~them~?”

Her voice was so cold, so devoid of emotion, that I had to choke back a sob at her implication.

“Ilya was the one who found me. ~Not you~. Ilya is my family now. I have no sister,” she spat before turning back toward the car.

“Irina!” I called after her, but she ignored me, slipping back into the car and slamming the door behind her.

“Make a choice, Kaia,” Ilya said. “Join us and learn the truth about Lipeshin. Or stay with Kozlov and be against us. ~Against your sister~.”

I clenched my fists, glaring at Ilya.

“What do you think you know, Ilya?” I asked. “Do you believe Aleksandr had a hand in our families’ deaths?”

The air seemed to crackle with danger as Ilya’s temper flared.

“I don’t ~think~, Kaia. I ~know~,” he said, his voice tight. “You’re so blinded by your infatuation with the pakhan that you can’t see the monster he truly is.”

One of his men touched his shoulder. He nodded at him before turning back to me.

“Time’s up, Kaia,” he said, turning on his heel and heading back to the SUV.

“Wait!”

Ilya paused but didn’t turn around.

“You have access to Kozlov’s network, I assume. Look for a file named ‘The White Lotus’. You’ll find what you’re looking for there.”

With that, he climbed into the car with Irina and they sped off.

I stood there, stunned, as the reality of what had just happened sank in. Then I went back inside before I was missed.

***

When I returned to the house later that evening, I didn’t get a chance to dig into Aleksandr’s network. He had canceled his afternoon meetings to have an early dinner with me.

The thought of being separated from Irina again made my stomach churn. But at least she was with Ilya. Judging by his protective stance, I knew he would keep her safe. I could finally relax and focus on what he had told me about Aleksandr.

Throughout dinner, I responded to Aleksandr with monosyllabic answers, studying him as if he were a puzzle I was trying to solve.

“What’s wrong?” he finally asked.

“What?” He was looking at me expectantly. “Did you say something?”

Aleksandr sighed, rising from the table to walk over to my chair. He took my hand, pulling me to my feet.

“You’ve seemed distracted all evening,” he observed. “Did Stasya overwhelm you with all her wedding talk?”

A smile played on his lips, as if he found the idea amusing. Little did he know, he’d just handed me the perfect diversion.

“So, when do you think we’ll tie the knot?” I asked, aiming to distract him.

His eyes sparked with surprise.

“Eager to be mine, kotik?”

I shrugged, trying to seem indifferent, even though the idea secretly thrilled me.

“We’ve already signed the contract. There’s no need for an actual wedding. We’re already getting what we want from each other.”

Aleksandr’s smile turned wicked.

“We’re definitely having a wedding,” he said, his voice making the words sound almost sinful. “I just don’t want our celebration to outshine Stasya and Gio’s.”

How considerate of him, I thought, biting back a sarcastic comment.

Aleksandr’s arms wrapped around my waist, forcing me to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.

He was breathtaking.

I traced the thin line of his scar, and he turned his head to kiss my fingers. This tender side of him was new to me. It made me wonder how many layers there were to him, and if Ilya was right about me seeing him through rose-tinted glasses.

“What’s really on your mind, kotik?” he asked, as if he could read my thoughts. “Is it Irina?”

I stiffened, unable to meet his gaze.

“Andrey hasn’t found anything,” I whispered into his chest.

Aleksandr kissed the top of my head.

“He will soon,” he reassured me. “Want to watch a movie?”

I pulled away from him in surprise.

“Did you just ask me to watch a movie?” I asked, cupping a hand over my ear and leaning toward him. “I must have misheard you.”

Aleksandr laughed heartily.

“I do watch movies.”

I looked at him as if he’d just sprouted wings.

“Since when?”

Still smiling, he took my hand and led me down the hallway, as if we were heading to his office.

He opened a door I hadn’t even noticed before.

“Where did this come from?” I asked, as Aleksandr switched on the lights to reveal a cozy movie room.

“It’s always been here.” He guided me to a wall and ran his finger along the wooden paneling, causing a small door to pop open. “This is a panic room. If anything happens, you’ll be safe here.”

He took my hand and pressed my finger to the same spot on the paneling, where I felt a small disc, like a fingerprint pad.

“Your prints are already programmed in,” he added casually.

I opened my mouth to ask how he’d gotten my prints, but another question took precedence.

“Are you expecting trouble?” I asked, suddenly serious.

Aleksandr gave my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

“Just being cautious, kotik.” He tapped my nose and turned me back toward the room. “You pick the movie.”

I couldn’t help but glance back at the room, wondering what other secrets it might hold.