Page 117 of House of Lies
“Vanya,” I whisper. “Before you ask anything stupid, listen to me. Kaz is on his way to meet with Sevastyan and Grigoriy. I have a terrible feeling about this.”
“Where the hell is he going? He didn’t mention anything to me.”
I know. Kaz said he doesn’t want Vanya involved in this. He must have had his reasons, but his safety is more important to me. I trust his cousin despite our relationship. I’ll deal with Kaz’s rage after and do it with a smile if my defiance keeps him safe.
“Can you track my phone’s location? I have no idea where we are.”
“Yeah,” he says, sounding irritated.
“Do it. It might be nothing. But in case it isn’t.”
“I’ll gather some men. I’m on my way. Don’t lose the fucking phone.”
I would laugh if I weren’t so stressed and terrified. I clutch the phone tightly to my chest. I try not to dwell on all the things that could go wrong. It feels like the longest journey of my life. And the most uncomfortable. After almost two hours, the car finally comes to a stop, and I hear Kaz and his two men exit and walk away. I wait a few minutes, being cautious, before carefully opening the trunk and staying out of sight. I look around, but it’s too dark, and I can barely make out anything. I hear voices coming from a nearby building. I decide to stay put and call Vanya again.
He picks up on the first ring. “I’m five minutes away.”
"Vanya, I'm outside some building.”
"Be careful, Caelia. Stay where you are, and don’t get closer. You hear me?”
I wait for over five minutes, but he doesn’t show up. Anxiety intensifies the longer I wait. I give it a few more minutes before venturing out of the trunk and into the darkness. I cautiously approach the side of the building and peek through a window, my heart racing with anticipation and my clothes soaked. Frowning, I strain my ears to listen as I crouch down, attempting to remain hidden. I can make out a group of men inside the dimly lit living room. Time slows down. My stomach drops, and my heart sinks as the man who must be Kaz’s uncle takes a gun out. Kaz stands a few feet away, and I hope he can’t see me. He won’t be pleased with this. Initially, I think he has spotted me, but he doesn’t aim the gun at me. It’s directed at Grigoriy, who sits on the couch with his back to me. I’m confident that Kaz will be next. Without a second thought, I retrieve the gun I’ve concealed in my waistband, pull the slide, stand up, and prepare to shoot. However, I’m a second too late. Another shot was fired, and it wasn’t me. I’m not sure who mine hit. I quickly hide back, hearing the commotion erupt inside.
The men yell, and the shots ring through the air. My heart hammers wildly in my chest, and every nerve ending in my body tingles.
Finally, the commotion inside settles down, and I hear footsteps approaching. I take a deep breath and calmly aim the gun, preparing to face whoever is coming my way.
I know I should run and hide, but I can’t abandon Kaz. These are dangerous armed men, but my feet are frozen. When it comes to saving my life or his, mine will always come second. I should have called Vanya sooner. He should have been here by now, and the last thing I want to think about is that I put his life in danger by asking for his help. Despite his feelings, I’m not sure if Kaz will ever forgive me if something happens to his cousin because of me. I have no choice but to try to find a way inside the house.
CHAPTER 75
Kaz
As I enter, the sun sets, casting long shadows around the building. The air is still and heavy, and the silence is only broken by my footsteps on the pavement. It’s an old and worn building, and the paint on the walls has faded and started to peel. It had seen better days but still stands tall and proud, like a sentinel watching over the city.
I made a tough decision, choosing to exclude Vanya from this encounter. I don’t want him in the same room as his father, not because I fear he will betray me, but because I don’t want Vanya to bear the burden of taking his life. I don’t want that guilt on his conscience. As we enter, one of Dedushka’s men pats us down, ensuring we are unarmed, before following us inside. The atmosphere shifts, a sense of foreboding taking over. Dmitri trails behind me, and I’ve asked Domenico to return for this. The living room lacks a door. I take in every detail as I peer inside. Dedushka sits on a worn couch, his bodyguard standing watch behind him. Sevastyan paces anxiously, flanked by two of his men stationed against the wall. I see no visible firearms, but that tells me nothing. Each creak of the worn floor under my steps adds to the tension in the room. Portraits of the previous tenants still hang on the walls, their stern gazes seemingly judging our presence.
Outside, the wind picks up, causing raindrops to cascade down the windows, blurring the view. The dim lighting casts a soft, eerie glow, intensifying the room’s ambiance. All eyes fixate on me as I take a step forward.
“Couldn’t you have chosen a nicer place?” I address Dedushka, disregarding my uncle for the moment.
“You wanted to talk, so let’s talk,” Sevastyan says, pacing.
I should ask why he did what he did, but I know it won’t change the past. My father will remain dead, and no excuse is good enough to allow this bastard to keep on living. I didn’t feel much when I went to kill Ermanno, thinking that he was my father’s killer. I want to finish all this and move on with my life. There’s something wrong with me, but I don’t have it in me to care. Too much time has passed since my father’s death, and I still want to avenge him, but it’s soul-consuming.
“You look tanned. Did you enjoy Aruba?” I smirk, clarifying that I’d known his hiding place for quite some time.
Out of respect for Dedushka, I agreed to pause the war.
“Sit down,” my grandfather commands. “Both of you. You must reach an agreement and cease these attempts to kill one another.”
Anger bubbles inside me. I fucking hate every second of this. I refuse to sit down with my father’s murderer. He’s fortunate that I’ve made it this far without putting a bullet through his head. This negotiation is futile. Sevastyan’s icy gaze reveals it. While I may be willing to bend out of respect, he is not. He won’t stop trying to come after me until I am dead. He may even target my wife, and I cannot allow that to happen.
“Let’s get this over with, Kaz. What do you want from me?”
“Other than seeing you dead? Not much,” I retort.
Sevastyan laughs.