“He accused me of disloyalty. He kicked me out. Onto the streets. I had nowhere to go.” I ramp up my tears, letting them fall freely.
“Katya, my daughter. Of course he threw you out. You were never anything to him. If only you listened to me.” He clicks his tongue, scolding me.
“Please, ????. Please let me come home. I’ll do anything.” Begging him feels like a betrayal to all the effort I’ve put into becoming the new, strong me. The words feel like ash on mytongue, but I push them out anyway. I remind myself this is all part of the plan to end him. This is the only way. Playing into his pride. But it kills me that some of my last words to him will be begging.
“Why should we welcome you with open arms? All you’ve done is betray your family.” He sneers at the reminder.
“I’ll tell you everything I know about the Syndicate. I’ll spill all their secrets.” I will do no such thing, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“I doubt you know anything important.” His words say one thing, but the glint in his eyes say another. This is the best lead he has.
“But I do. He welcomed me into his office, into his Syndicate. I know a lot. And it’s all yours.” Words of a desperate girl fill the air.
His features are pensive, lost in thought. The wheels turn as he calculates what angle he can exploit this information.
“Very well. Clean yourself up, then come back here. We have work to do.”
“Thank you, ????.” There’s fire in those words, and I hold my breath. Thankfully, he doesn’t catch it, already onto the next thing.
“Remember going forward who your family is.” It’s a threat wrapped in advice.
“I’m a Sokolov.” The words are acid in my throat. I’ll never be one of his again.
He hums in agreement, then averts his attention to his desk. He’s dismissing me, but I’m not done with this conversation.
“Can I have a hug?” He jerks his head up, a look of bewilderment across his features. We haven’t hugged since I was a child. “I could use some comforting.” Tears well in my eyes, and I let one slip.
“I suppose so. You’ve had a rough day.” He awkwardly pushes from his desk but remains seated.
Standing on wobbly legs, I make my way to him. Slowly, I wrap my arms around his neck. The smell of smoke wafting off him chokes me, but I hold it in.
He’s stiff but tentatively pats my back. After far too long, I pull back and look down at him. This is the moment. Nothing else matters now.
“Tell me something, do you ever think of ?????” Hardness and hatred spill into my voice. I could never speak of ???? to him with saccharinity. It’d be a betrayal.
“What?” Caught off guard, his gaze jerks up at me.
“Do you ever think of her? After all these years, I’ve never seen you with another woman. Is it because you miss her?” His answer doesn’t matter. But for some reason, I need to know if he still loves her. If he regrets her. It won’t change his fate, but maybe it’ll answer some of my questions.
“Your mother taught me that all women are a waste. They take and take but never give. If I have needs to be met, I know where to go. You’re just a continuation of that useless woman. The one thing you could do for us, you failed at. And here you are, begging for more.” His words are vitriol, but little does he know, the poison will be his.
I nod slowly, as if I understand, but inside, I’m screaming. Rage consumes me. This fucker doesn’t even care that he drove his wife to her grave.
“I know her ending was brought by her own hand, but it was always you who controlled the knife.” I take a step behind his chair. “It was you who pushed her to that point.” I run my hands over his scalp. “I always blamed you.” I grab his hair and jerk his head back.
“Katerina, what–”
Moving quicker than ever before, I unsheathe my blade and hold it to the base of his neck. I push it in until blood beads for the contact.
“This is for ????. I could handle all you did to me, but I swore to avenge her. This is me fulfilling that promise.” My voice is strong and confident.
“You don’t have it in you,” he says through a rough chuckle.
“You underestimate my hatred.”
“You’ll never make it out of here alive.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
