Roman narrows his eyes. “And how exactly do you plan on accomplishing that?”
“However, I have to,” I tell him, well aware that there’s no time left to grapple with ideas. “I’ll go out and surveil the places his men frequent myself. I’ll find a way to get whatever information I can on Yuri’s whereabouts, and I’ll take him out. This is on me. I’ll make it right.”
He watches me for a long moment. I can see the gears turning in his head, almost like he’s both surprised to hear it and questioning if I mean what I say. Roman doesn’t forgive easily, and he sure as hell never forgets.
“I’m trusting you to handle this, Sergey,” he says finally, just barely softening the edges of his anger. “Get Yuri under control and end this shit. Prove to me that nobody else has to clean up your mess for you.”
His words sting, but I swallow them back, and I nod. “Understood.”
With a final glance, Roman walks off and leaves me to process what all of this means for me, and how I have no more room to slip up.
My stomach knots while the weight of it all presses down on me.
This isn’t about Kat anymore. It can’t just be about love or obsession or whatever the hell’s been influencing me to do whatever the hell I please.
This is about our legacy and the family. About proving I’m not just some impulsive heathen with too much money and spare time.
After seeing Kat for the first time, I put my old habits behind me. I stopped spending too many nights at the clubs, drinking, and using women to numb the pain of feeling unimportant. It was a start, but now I need to take it a step further.
I have to fix this.
And I need to prove myself, regardless of what it takes.
Chapter 26 - Katya
The distinct smell of oil and rubber is comforting in a way nothing else has been lately. I carefully pull off the side panel of a Yamaha with a level of focus I’ve missed.
It feels good to be back in my element, even if the garage is new and doesn’t feel entirely like mine just yet, even if I’m technically still under watch.
I half-heartedly tried to fight Sergey on the matter of having a bodyguard parked outside, since that wasn’t exactly the most immersive thing for me, but I knew I could only push back so far before it became a problem. And with the garage put in front of me, I didn’t want it taken away just as easily.
So, I agreed, and I’ve been escorted to work since. Besides, he’s one of the Lukov men who doesn’t talk much but keeps a close eye, and occasionally strolls inside to make sure everything’s alright before returning to his station.
Sergey says it’s for my protection, and for once, I don’t argue. After everything that’s happened, I know better, and while I won’t say it to him directly, I appreciate the backup.
Still, guard or not, the space is mine. Sergey bought it for me fully equipped and spotless, though it didn’t stay that way for long. I already have half the tools out of place and a few half-finished projects scattered around. There’s a sense of peace here, even if it wasn’t of my making.
And of course, there’s Roland.
He has two full rebuilds underway, with one vehicle jacked up while he works on the underside. He whistles along with the radio while he works, and for a moment, it feels just like before.
The two of us taking on the world, chasing down business and pursuing the lives we want to lead.
But this time, Sergey’s also in the picture, and while he’s still a mild point of contention for Roland, he’s been civil enough about it. I’m pretty sure he mostly agreed to relocate just to keep an eye on me, but either way, I don’t mind.
At least he’s here and giving me a sense of normalcy I’ve been begging for.
“And where’s the husband off to today?” Roland asks while he searches for the wrench he needs, glancing over at me with a knowing look.
I pull in a breath while I place the side panel down and set up the space to start painting. “Out being busy, I assume.”
“He’s always busy, but you never say with what.”
“That’s because I don’t always know what,” I tell him simply, not wanting to dive too deeply into his business. “And I don’t want to know. He has his thing, and I have mine.”
Roland hums to himself, not letting up on that knowing lilt. “He can pull some strings quickly. Most guys like that have quite a bit of power and aren’t always the most truthful. Is that something you want?”
It was hard for Roland to accept that I was married to Sergey in the first place, and I know he had my best interests in mind, but I had to throw in a couple of white lies to ensure he didn’t fly off the handle. He still can’t understand how everything happened so quickly, but he does his best to approach the topic carefully, at least.
