Unveiling Truths

KAIA

~“Nice to see you again, Kaia.”~

The voice was all too familiar, and then a sharp sting hit my neck. Everything went dark.

I woke up with a jolt, my wrists tied to a metal headboard with a zip tie. I was in a dingy motel room, on a hard bed.

My eyelids felt like they were made of lead. I squinted, trying to make out the room through the darkness. The curtains were drawn tight.

I attempted to sit up, but a groan escaped my lips as my muscles screamed in protest. How long had I been in this position? I had no idea.

Suddenly, a light flicked on from the bedside table. It was so bright it nearly blinded me. Then, in the dim yellow glow, I saw Irina.

She was curled up in a chair next to the bed, looking at me like I was a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

Anger surged through me at the sight of the hatred in her eyes. Those were eyes I never thought I’d see again. Eyes that made me feel heavy with guilt.

If only she knew the lengths I’d gone to find her. If only she knew what I’d been willing to ~do~ for her. What I had done. For ~her.~

I met her glare, even though the rest of my body was still numb from whatever they’d drugged me with.

“Irina, untie me.”

She didn’t move at first. Then, slowly, she unfolded her legs and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

“Do you remember when we lived in a motel room just like this one?” she asked quietly.

Surprise widened my eyes, and I couldn’t help but look around the room with new understanding.

She was right.

When we first arrived in this country, all I could afford was a cheap motel. I wanted to stretch the money Mara had given me until I could find work. I spent countless sleepless nights watching over Irina, while strange men came and went from the surrounding rooms.

“One night, when I was crying myself to sleep, you promised you would always be there to take care of me. Do you remember that?” she continued.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I bit my lip. It felt like I’d made that promise just yesterday.

“I’ve always kept that promise, Irinka.”

She sprang up from the chair, leaning over me until our faces were just inches apart.

“You ~lied~!” she screamed, making me flinch.

She took a deep breath and sank back into the chair.

“The night you didn’t come home, I sat by the window and waited for you.” Her eyes took on a distant look, and she began to rock back and forth. “You didn’t answer your phone. You ~always~ answer. But that night you didn’t, and I knew something was wrong. And then ~they~ came.”

She looked at me, and I could almost see the innocent little girl I’d left behind.

“There were three of them. One of them was old enough to be our father.” Her eyes dropped to her feet, and her body started shaking as she remembered. “They tied me up and took me somewhere far away where it was quiet. It was so quiet I could hear my screams echoing in the mountains.”

A sob tore from my chest, and I doubled over, crying uncontrollably.

A gentle hand brushed my hair back from my face and wiped away my tears.

“And do you know what I thought about while they were hurting me?” she asked softly. “I thought maybe men like them had taken you too. That maybe they were hurting you the same way they were hurting me.”

Her words felt like a knife to my heart. The pain was immediate. Horror. Regret. Sadness. They all hit me so hard I could barely breathe.

“Irina, I’m so sorry!” I sobbed. “He told me if I did what he said you would be safe!”

Irina yanked my hair back, making me cry out.

“How do I know you didn’t sell me?” she taunted. “I heard Don Cristo likes little girls. Maybe you were helping him. Maybe you’re just like Papa after all.”

The door burst open, and heavy footsteps echoed on the tile floor. Her words hung in the air, leaving me stunned.

“Irina.” Ilya’s voice was a warning.

Irina held my gaze for a long moment before she finally let go of my hair.

Irina slid off the bed, moving toward Ilya. She wrapped her arms around him, her gaze softening. It was a look so different from the one she gave me. It was filled with warmth, even love.

“Ilya was my savior,” she murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. “He kept me safe.”

I nodded at Ilya, acknowledging his role.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Ilya’s jaw clenched, his green eyes turning icy.

“I didn’t do it for you,” he said, his voice rough. He turned to Irina, kissing her temple and gently unwrapping her arms from around him. “Go eat something, ~mishka~. I need to talk to your sister.”

Irina pursed her lips, not arguing. She left the room without a backward glance, leaving us alone.

Ilya sighed, taking the seat next to the bed.

I lowered my head, tears streaming down my face. This wasn’t the reunion I had imagined.

“She hates me,” I admitted.

“Can you blame her?” Ilya shot back. “You left her.”

I looked up, taken aback by the disapproval in his voice. The judgment.

“I’m telling you the truth, Ilya,” I said, my voice hardening. “Irina knew I was considering a new job. It was for ~him~. Cristo. But then I changed my mind, and he had me kidnapped. I’ve been trying to find Irina ever since.”

Ilya rubbed his chin, seemingly considering my words.

“A hacker like you?” he asked, his tone skeptical. “I thought you were one of the best.”

I jerked against the restraints.

“Cristo told me she was in a remote area, no internet. I couldn’t trace her. I believed him because I couldn’t find her. But I did try, Ilya. I never stopped trying.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “How did you find her?”

He remained silent, his cold gaze unnerving me.

He had changed since I last saw him. He was taller, bigger, as if he’d been working out. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans, and his arms were covered in tattoos, similar to Aleksandr’s men. It made me wonder…

“Who do you work for, Ilya?”

He grinned, but his eyes were devoid of humor.

“Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon.”

I frowned, sensing there was more to this than I understood.

“What happened at Lipeshin?”

His smile vanished.

“Didn’t the pakhan tell you?” he asked, his voice mocking. “He ordered it burned to the ground.”

“But you escaped,” I said, my voice shaky. “Did you find Mama?”

He was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

“There was too much smoke, I couldn’t see anything,” he admitted. “I hid in a crawlspace until the bombing stopped. When I emerged, you and Irina were gone.”

Ilya leaned forward, his gaze intense.

“You found the file. Is that why you left him? Because you finally saw who he really is?”

I thought back to everything I’d discovered. All the evidence that pointed to Aleksandr. But after living with him, understanding his mind, I couldn’t believe he was guilty.

He had claimed his father gave the orders. Was he telling the truth? Did I leave too soon, before I had the full story?

“How did you find Irina, Ilya?”

He leaned back, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“When Don Cristo was killed, his men tried to sell Irina at a private auction,” he said, his gaze dropping to his hands. “After Lipeshin, I joined a group working for a South American cartel. I thought it would keep me safe. My boss was invited to the auction, and I was part of the team that went with him.”

His expression softened, and I could see the pain in his eyes. It was clear how much he cared for Irina.

“There she stood. On a stage, barely clothed,” his voice faltered, and he cleared his throat. “At first, I thought I was hallucinating because she was supposed to be safe with you, right? I’d been searching for her for so long that I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, that maybe it was another girl who just resembled her. But when they shoved her into the spotlight and her gaze met mine, I felt something inside me shatter.”

I knew exactly what he was talking about. I could feel my own heart splintering as he shared his story.

“I waited until they took her back to a room, and then I whisked her away and never looked back.”

When Cristo passed away, that meant she’d been mistreated for ~years.~ He’d rescued her during the time I’d been captured by Aleksandr.

“Ever since then, I’ve been assisting Irina in finding the closure she needed,” he said.

Our eyes locked once more.

“You mean helping her get her revenge,” I corrected.

Ilya just shrugged.

“Same difference.”

His phone vibrated with a new message, and he retrieved it from his back pocket to check the screen.

“My boss is ready to see you.”