Page 107 of House of Lies
“I’m not blaming you for my actions. I can only blame you for yours, and trust me, I do. What is Aleksandrov asking for?”
“He wants Katarina to marry his younger son.”
I grit my teeth, blinking away the mist clouding my vision. I will never sell my sister to solidify an alliance. Dedushka should know better than to ask for such a thing. I’ll give Aleksandrov money, guns, or whatever the fuck he wants, but his son will never lay a hand on my sister.
“No.”
“Think about it, Kazimir. Don’t make any hasty decisions.”
“I’ve thought about it. The answer is no.”
My sister would tear him apart and spit him out for breakfast. She would also shoot me if I even mentioned this to her. Katarina wants nothing to do with this life, as she has made it clear countless times. She wants to study, marry a man with a tedious nine-to-five job, and have children who won’t become criminals. And I understand. That’s why I wanted nothing to do with the illegal side of the business, either, leaving Vanya to take care of it. But now, I wonder if that was a mistake.
“And you don’t have a say in this,” I warn him. “Don’t sell my sister behind my back because, God knows, I’ve had enough betrayal from family lately.”
“Call Aleksandrov and sort it out, then. I didn’t want to be part of this shit show initially.”
Over the years, Dedushka has relinquished more responsibilities but struggles to let go of power. He stopped interfering in my and Sevastyan’s businesses, and maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation if he had let go sooner. He could have saved us all the headaches if he had told me the truth.
“And treat my wife with respect,” I add, knowing he most likely won’t.
“That wife of yours doesn’t even speak our language. She won’t know if I offend her or not.”
“She’s learning,” I assure him. “And I’ll know.”
“What did you tell your sister?” He changes the subject, leaving me to interpret it as I wish.
“About what?”
“About her brother, whom you killed.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
I turn around, meeting my sister’s angry gaze as she storms into the office. I was mistaken when I thought she knew better than to eavesdrop on private conversations. She looks between me and Dedushka, waiting for an explanation.
“I think it’s best if you have this conversation alone.” Dedushka excuses himself, standing up from the armchair.
It’s for the best. I don’t want him to get angry, even though I haven’t done a great job keeping him calm. I shake my head as Katarina is about to speak, trying to prevent him from leaving.
“Close the door, Katarina. We need to talk.”
I can’t avoid this. If I don’t tell her the truth, she won’t stop until she uncovers it herself. I don’t want to allow anyone to lie to her. Caelia’s story is not mine to tell, so I’ll try to avoid going into too many details. But I owe her the rest. She deserves to know.
CHAPTER 68
Caelia
I don’t think Kaz’s family likes me very much. Apart from Kat, who speaks English, and Vanya, the others either ogle at me or ignore me completely. His grandfather seems to dislike me more than the rest. He scoffs at me every time I say something, giving me angry looks at every opportunity. His stepmother, Anya, appears kind enough, smiling and exchanging compassionate looks occasionally. His aunt seems uncertain of her place here after everything her husband did. Kat is no longer in the good mood she was in this morning. Kaz left the room a few minutes ago to take a call, leaving me to face all this alone.
I cringe when Vanya leans over. I had forgotten he was even here.
“You look like you’re about to cry,” he whispers.
I swallow, clenching my fists.
“Wouldn’t you like that?” I bite back.
“I don’t deal well with tears,” he smirks. “Don’t let him smell your fear, Caelia. He’ll feed on it like a wolf on its prey.”