He gestures at me with disgust. "And then there is you. This time around you are going after a woman with zero value and we find out she is the daughter of an enemy. What other shame can you bring into this organization? Your father was the same when he married a woman of lower status who wasn't even part of our world. It seems you men just like to bring collateral damage and ruin operations."
"So that is why you sold us out to the same people you call our enemies?" I ask, my voice deadly quiet. "I am not stupid, Sergei. But you, you are very stupid for using the same payment route to pay for that information because they would never know if you weren't feeding it to them."
I stand up slowly. "I almost died in those woods when I was fourteen. I was hunted like an animal all because of yourbetrayal. Even the one in America was your doing." I smile a cold and empty smile. "So, I will repay the favor."
I snap my fingers, and my men burst in with guns drawn. Chaos erupts as executives scream and try to run. "Wait!" Sergei begs. "We can negotiate!"
I shoot him between the eyes myself, and then I give the signal for my men to slaughter the rest.
The room fills with gunfire and screams until seventeen men lie dead on the floor. Only three remain alive, cowering against the wall.
"You three can go," I tell them calmly. "Leave Russia tonight or I will kill you too."
They run for their lives. "Clean this up," I tell Viktor.
"Sir," he says hesitantly. "I have news about Miss Iris. She left the country."
My world stops. "What?"
"She took a private plane to Germany this morning," he explains.
"Germany," I repeat numbly.
I close my eyes and see her face. "Maybe it's for the best," I say, shocking myself. "She needs time and maybe I need time to be better."
Viktor looks confused. "Sir?"
"Get me a therapist," I order. "And sign me up for anger management."
"Sir?"
"You heard me," I snap. "And keep monitoring her. I want to know everything she does."
"Yes, sir."
I wipe a speck of blood from my sleeve.
"I will get her back. She belongs to me and nothing will change that." I walk away knowing that she can run as far as she wants, but I will always find her.
Chapter 39
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IRIS
Germany a month later.
I say goodbye to Maria, the receptionist, at the office entrance, pulling my coat tighter against the evening cold while she fumbles with her keys, muttering something in German about needing to get the lock fixed.
"See you tomorrow, Iris," she says with a warm smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"See you tomorrow," I reply, managing a smile even though exhaustion sits heavy in my bones from eight hours of translating dense legal contracts.
The walk to my car takes less than two minutes, the small parking lot behind Schneider Translation Services nearly empty now that everyone else has already left for the day. I’m not going to lie I miss my porche but I’m grateful to dad for getting me this Sedan.
He even had it reinforced with bulletproof glass. Plus, it’s in my favourite colour, lavender.
I unlock my modest car, slide into the driver's seat, turn the key in the ignition, pull out onto the street without looking back at the building that has become my temporary refuge.
