Page 36 of Tainted Empire
Her words are a lifeline, a reminder of the bond we share. “I know, and I’m fucking grateful for that. You have no idea.”
There’s a pause, a moment where we just sit, connected by the unspoken understanding between us.
“I just wish I could protect you from all this,” I say, my voice laced with regret. “You’ve been through enough because of me.”
She gives me a small, wry smile. “I’m not some fragile thing you need to shield from the world, Mischa. I’m here with you, in the thick of it. And I want to help.”
Her resolve, her willingness to stand beside me even amidst this mess, it’s more than I ever expected. And it only reinforces my determination to set things right.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I tell her, feeling a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty.
She chuckles, a sound that eases the tension in the air. “Just doing my part as your wife.”
My wife. God, it feels good to hear her call herself that. With her hand still in mine, and the trust in her eyes, I know it’s time to reveal the full extent of the shit show we’re up against.
“There’s more,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s about Dasha’s family. According to a contact, she had an older brother who was kidnapped when he was young, just before their parents were assassinated. He never resurfaced.”
Gabriette’s eyes widen, a mix of surprise and concern etching her features. “A brother? You never mentioned him before.”
I shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. “Because I never knew. Dasha never spoke of him. This brother, if he’s still alive... he could be behind all of this. A vendetta against me for killing his sister.”
Her grip tightens on my hand, as if trying to anchor me to the present. “Mikhail, this is... Do you think he’s working with my father? You mentioned my father putting Lucy and Emma up to other things, so maybe they’re working together?”
“That’s where it gets more complicated,” I admit, feeling the weight of every word. “Your father has been seen in Berlin. We don’t know what he’s up to, but it’s clear he’s involved. And yes, he could be aiding Dasha’s brother or being used by him.”
Gabriette’s expression hardens, a resolve setting in. “My father always played his cards close to his chest, but to be mixed up in something like this... I can’t believe it.”
I lean back, feeling slightly better because I’ve told her everything. “It’s a tangled web, and we’re right in the middle of it. Whoever is orchestrating this knows too much about us, about our pasts. It’s personal, and it’s dangerous.”
Gabriette’s brow furrows, her mind visibly racing as she processes the information.
“This is a lot to take in, Mikhail. If Dasha’s brother is alive and behind this, he’s had years to harbor resentment and plan his revenge. And involving my father... It’s like a sick game.”
“It is,” I agree, my voice laced with frustration. “Manipulating events, pulling strings from the shadows.”
She leans forward, a fierce glint in her eyes. “But why? What’s his endgame? Revenge for his sister’s death?”
I nod slowly. “Revenge, power, control... it could be any or all of those. But one thing is clear; he’s dangerous and resourceful. He’s been moving around all these years without being noticed.”
As we sit next to each other, the tension in the air is almost palpable. I’m about to say something, when Gabriette suddenly sits up, her eyes wide.
“I just thought of something. Who kidnapped Dasha’s brother? And why would they keep him alive after all this time?” she asks, her voice steady despite the storm brewing in her gaze.
I lean back, as her question hits me like a bolt of lightning, a perspective I hadn’t fully considered, and it leaves me momentarily speechless.
“Fuck!” I exclaim, running a hand through my hair and scoffing. “I never thought of it this way. If those same people decided to keep her brother alive after all this time, they might have groomed him.”
Her fingers tighten around the stem of her wine glass. “Groomed? Like a tool?”
“Possibly,” I reply, my mind churning with possibilities. “It’s not unheard of in our world. Children taken and molded into weapons, their loyalty guaranteed through manipulation and indoctrination.”
Gabriette’s face hardens, disbelief painting her features. “That’s... horrific. Using a child’s life for such twisted purposes.”
“You grew up in this life, Malyshka, you know how sick it can be,” I say with a sigh. “Boys are either leaders or tools to be used, women are bargaining chips. It’s the only life we know.”
She bites her bottom lip and sniffs. “And we’ll bring children into this life too. It’s such a sick cycle, but what can you do?”
The mention of children has my heart in a vise. I’ll never fucking forgive myself for what I did to her, for leaving her to suffer the loss on her own.