Chapter 33

Chapter

Thirty-Three

"There is no honor in betraying your friends."

― Madeline Miller

Volk

I slammed the car door shut and leaned against the vehicle, my eyes locked on the jet as it touched down. Dve was next to me, silent but I could feel his eyes on me.

Before leaving Sofiya, I had taken her to the shower, letting the hot water do its magic. I gave her a thorough massage, her shoulders and back relaxing under my touch.

She fell asleep on my bed, hugging my pillow and smiling.

Part of me wanted to crawl in beside her, to snuggle up and forget everything for a while.

But I couldn't. I had things to tak e care of.

I told Dasha to look after Sofiya when she woke up, then left to get everything ready.

Now, as the stewards opened the door of the jet, I drummed my fingers on the car impatiently.

Dve, looking worried, crossed his arms. "You sure you wanna tell him everything?"

His question hung in the air.

But deep down, I knew I didn't have a fucking choice.

The weight of this secret was crushing me, like a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

"It's time he knows the truth. He deserves to hear it from me."

Dve sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Something feels off tonight."

The tension was thick, like the calm before a storm.

The jet's engines hummed steadily, a stark contrast to the chaos in my head.

I paused, letting Dve's words sink in.

The guy had an uncanny knack for sensing trouble, making me rethink my whole plan. Sometimes, I wondered if he'd been a fucking medium in a past life with the way he seemed to know things.

I remembered a few years back, just after joining Igor, when Dve and I went to Colombia for business.

He wanted to see the beach, having never been before, and neither had I. So, we went.

It was in Santa Marta, right after sunset, and the sky was an incredible canvas of pastel colors. I kicked off my shoes, dipped my feet in the warm water, and soaked in the tranquility. We were supposed to leave that night, but I sat on the sand, watching our men splash and wrestle in the water.

Dve sat beside me, looking worried. He muttered about having a bad feeling, like something was about to go down. I shrugged it off, thinking he was just being paranoid.

But later, he was right.

When we got back to the hotel, bombs went off in the lobby just minutes before we arrived.

The walls were covered in red smudges, with the letters "LA" glaring at us.

Los Aguilas —the gang we thought were our allies.

Turned out Alexsei fucked the wife of one of their Capos, and they weren't happy about it, for obvious reasons.

We spent hours cleaning up his mess, but it was clear we didn't have enough men to survive a war with them. We couldn't afford to stick around, so we left the country in a hurry. Years later, we paid the price for that stupid decision of his.

"What's making you say that?" I asked, standing up straight as Igor finally emerged from the plane, making his way down the stairs with five of our men following him.

"I don't know, Volk. But we better keep our guard up tonight."

That's it.

There's no turning back.

As Igor hit the ground, his eyes found mine and we exchanged quick nods.

He came right up and yanked me into a tight embrace. His short, strong arms wrapped around me, and though I tensed up, I quickly hid my unease.

"Volk, moy syn , good to see you," he said with a firm pat on the back.

As Igor's attention shifted, he turned to Dve, a genuine smile softening his rugged face. He extended his hand, giving Dve a hearty pat on the shoulder too.

"How was the flight?" I asked, breaking the silence .

"Quick. Julius mentioned he's been waiting for you. It's been a while."

Julius had taken over as don of Los Aguilas in Columbia not long ago, after his father was murdered by his own mistress. But he seemed oddly unfazed by it all.

The last time we talked, he sounded thrilled to finally have the reins. It was like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life.

To be honest, I wouldn't be fucking surprised if he confessed he was behind his father's death.

That bastard always had a hunger for power and a knack for scheming. We had a strange understanding, both drawn to the darker side of life, driven by a thirst for control.

Over the years, we've crossed paths plenty of times. We're like two sharks in a ruthless sea, always on the lookout for the next opportunity to strike. We thrive in the shadows, where the weak get trampled and the ruthless prevail.

Loyalties are fickle, and alliances are fragile, but Julius and I understand the unwritten rules all too well.

I've got to admit, the bastard had a talent for finding opportunities in the darkest places.

"I'll make sure to pay him a visit soon."

Igor silently nodded in response.

The car door swung open, and he settled into the backseat.

Dve took the wheel, and I slid in next to Igor, staring out the window.

"How's my daughter?" Igor's deep voice broke the silence, eyes locked on mine. He tossed his black suit jacket onto the passenger seat beside Dve. "Has she caused you any trouble?"

I caught the worry in Dve's eyes through the rear-view mirror .

With a shrug, I settled back, spreading my legs to get comfortable.

The engine roared to life.

"There's a lot you need to know about your daughter, boss," I sighed. Cracking my neck, I leaned back. "But first, we've got an appointment with Vlad."

Igor's eyes narrowed. "Vlad, that slimy fucker. Good job, moy syn. I knew you'd track him down."

A chill ran down my spine.

I grabbed a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag, the smoke swirling around me.

The night sky stretched above us, stars twinkling like they were laughing at me.

I leaned against the car window, taking a long drag from my cigarette, the burn in my lungs familiar.

Smoke curled out of my mouth. As I exhaled, my thoughts drifted to Sofiya.

What was she doing now?

How was she feeling?

I knew I'd put her in a dangerous spot, like throwing a lamb to the wolves. But she had to trust me, even if it meant facing this mess together.

I'll protect her. I promised myself that.

This morning replayed in my mind.

The way she kissed my skin, so fucking tenderly, like she wanted to leave a mark.

Her eyes, always locked on mine, intense and full of fire. Her hands gripped me tight, claiming me. Her dark hair spread around her face on my sheets, gently caressing me. Her breath, warm and intoxicating, seeping into me.

And then it hit me.

I was falling for her, hard .

The realization punched me in the gut, stirring up emotions I hadn't felt in ages.

She'd cracked through my defenses.

Fuck.

The last thing I wanted was to drag her into my fucked-up life.

"Tell me everything, moy syn ."

His words demanded my full attention, and I quickly stubbed out my cigarette, flicking it out the open window.

The ember danced briefly before vanishing into the night.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his gaze.

There was no room for fucking half-truths or hesitation.

Igor valued loyalty above all else, and betraying that trust was a dangerous game.

But I didn't even know where to start.

Sorry, boss but I fucked your alleged-but-happened-to-be-fake daughter, and I ate her pussy for so long that I can still taste her on my tongue and feel the tip of her nails digging into my skin and dream of hearing her moans again.

Or worse: Sorry but I found out that your wife fucked your best friend and made a pregnancy pact with his wife to have Vlad children together at the same time and all that behind your back.

Or even worse: Sorry, but the baby your wife gave birth to, the one you believed had died, but then you found out it didn't. Well, it is not even yours, so you did all of that for nothing.

Sorry boss, I betrayed your trust.

In the dead of night, as Dve guided the car slowly through the fucking forest, surrounded by towering trees, I found the courage to divulge every goddamn detail I knew and every fucking action I had taken to uncover the truth. The darkness outside seemed to echo the weight of the secrets I carried .

I held nothing back. I revealed the tangled tale of Helena, Victoria, and Vlad's affair.

I spoke of Tanya's role in it all.

I shared insights into Sofiya's upbringing, both in Russia and America.

I recounted the chilling incident where Marina, influenced by Vlad, pushed Sofiya into icy waters, nearly fucking killing her.

I laid it all bare, except for what Sofiya and I shared.

That was ours alone.