The door opened, and the expression on my father’s face changed from irritation to slimy deference.
“Viktor,” the Pakhan said to my father. His sharp eyes landed on everything in the room as if searching for a hidden snake to jump out.
Despite my protesting stomach, I stood up and bowed along with my father.
“I’d like to speak to Alisa alone,” the Pakhan said, and my stomach cramped at his words.
Predictably, my father scrambled out of the room, not one to protect his children. A million scenarios swam through my brain as the Pakhan silently made himself comfortable on the most opulent chair in the room. Was this how I was going to go out?
No, the Pakhan would’ve sent someone else to do his dirty work.
“I’ll skip to the point,” he said.
He leaned back in the chair and stared at me as if this werehisdomain instead of my childhood house. In a way it was. After all, my parents lived off the generosity he gave to the candidates’ parents.
I discretely glanced around the room for a weapon, but the closest thing was a vodka bottle. Might as well inflict a little pain if hehaddecided to kill me.
“I want you to tell me about Dmitri,” he said.
All thoughts of weapons disappeared.
“What?” I said before I could squeeze the word back down my throat.
The Pakhan continued on as if I hadn’t even spoken. “Tell me everything you’ve noticed about Dmitri during your missions.”
Dmitri’s words last week echoed in my ears:There’s always a reasoning behind the Pakhan’s decisions.
The Pakhan had likely paired us together, so I could spy on Dmitri. Even now, I wasn’t worthy of the Pakhan’s interest. I was merely a tool for him to use.
The Pakhan smiled at me, but there wasn’t a hint of warmth in the depths of his eyes. “Now.”
I swallowed, and a thousand little memories of Dmitri sprang to mind. The way his eyes lit up before a sharp witted comment came out of his mouth. The way he’d protected me against Jayden.
In those moments, he’d unknowingly exposed a part of himself, and I could exploit those details to get the Pakhan off my back. Before that thought had even fully processed in my mind, my body screamed its complete and outright opposition.
Still, I was all too familiar with the consequences of not following the Pakhan’s direct orders. Was I really going to risk his wrath to protect Dmitri?
“I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to be watching him,” I said. My smile was a bashful mask that I’d often used on myfather when I was trying to delay a beating. “I was too busy focusing on the missions.”
The Pakhan’s eyes narrowed, and I started to doubt the sheepishly earnest tone of my voice. Was he seeing straight through it?
A moment later, he nodded dismissively and stood up.
How easy it was to play the part when he already believed I was a useless tool that would never be worth worrying over.
“Be prepared next time,” he said, not bothering to look over his shoulder before he strode out of the room.
Once the door closed, I slumped onto the couch. Relief flooded through me along with hatred, some of it internalized.
I’d been alone with the man who’d ordered the death of my brother. On my most painful nights, I secretly daydreamed of plunging a knife into his throat. Even though I’d be signing my own death sentence if anyone so much as suspected that I felt that way.
Yet, the moment I was actually alone with him I’d just sat there looking helpless and loyal.
I was rubbing my sore stomach when I felt the vibration of a text. I laughed when I read it.
Another mission with Dmitri.Now.
The Pakhan wasn’t in a patient mood.
