Page 29 of Pretty Evil
“I believe it was natural causes.”
Gleb says kindly. “A heart attack that came on suddenly. Your mother reported he was unwell after dinner, and he retired to his bed. It was quick, so I understand.”
It’s as if I am hollow inside. I have no emotion at all, just an emptiness I can’t deal with right now.
I drag my fingers through my hair and drain the second glass, but it may as well be water for all the effect it has.
There is a deep pain inside me as I come to terms with the fact I will never see him again and I feel so alone.
My father is dead.
I have never known pain like this.
Gleb drags my attention back with practical common sense and says firmly, “Your presence has been requested at your family home. Shall I instruct the pilot to change course for Russia?”
“Of course.” My voice sounds dull, as if it doesn’t even belong to me, and the tears burn brightly behind my eyes as I face life without the formidable head of the Romanov family at the helm.
“Miss Vieri, shall I arrange a connecting flight to Sydney for her?”
Gleb says practically, his words strangely shocking me to shout, “Fuck no! She comes with me.”
If he’s surprised, he doesn’t show it and just nods. “Then I will arrange for a message to be delivered to her family.”
Fuck!
I make a fist and thump the desk, hating the fact I’m falling apart. I can’t think of anything other than my grief right now, but there is no way in hell I’m letting Serena out there unprotected with an assassin in the shadows.
“How long?” I say with a ragged breath, and he says coolly, “We have two hours remaining of flight time.”
“Make the arrangements.”
I stand and leave, not caring about anything but getting away from this room. My father is dead, and I never even got to say goodbye. Why would I? He wasn’t ill, at least he never let on, which makes it even worse somehow.
* * *
I headto my bedroom and slam the door behind me, sinking to the floor with my back to the wall. I am alight with grief and there is a gaping hole inside me that my father used to fill and if anything, it is leaking emotion that will be difficult to replace.
I must sit for only minutes, but it seems like hours before I drag myself up and reach for my cell phone.
I’m surprised when she answers immediately.
“Alexei.”Her soft voice sounds broken, which doesn’t help, and I whisper softly, “I’m sorry, mama.”
“I know.”
Just hearing her gentle voice gives me a yearning to be with her and I hate that it will take over two hours until I am by her side.
“It was so sudden. One minute he was complaining about the food and the next he was dead.”
Her tearful voice tears me apart as she sobs,“It happened so quickly, we didn’t have time to react. The doctor was called immediately, but he was dead before he arrived.”
Her sobs drive the pain deep into my heart as she whispers,“Hurry home, my son. I need you.”
She cuts the call and I note several texts lit up on my phone, mainly from my brothers in the group chat and as I read them, I hate that I’m so far away.
We are always scrambled across the globe dealing with shit and rarely together unless for family occasions. This is our life. None of us are married with families of our own and I hate that my father never got to be a grandfather. He will never see his son’s children, not that I intend on having any, but it’s at times like this it becomes important.
I type out my own reaction and hate how cold it looks.