Russian Roulette: Family secrets [2021 version]

Ch. 37: I'm dying here

Mackenzie jumped with excitement, dragging Gareth from store to store at the mall. Though shopping was not his thing, not Mackenzie or anybody could make him like it, he happily followed her and let her melt his credit card any way she saw fit.

Two weeks had passed since Jace woke up.

A few days after that emotional day, Mackenzie had come to Gareth and asked if they could postpone the honeymoon until they knew if Jace and Phoenix could handle things on their own. They probably have could manage without them since The Mansion was under siege by Gareth's men, ready to do whatever for them.

Gareth had just kissed her and loved her for her compassion. He had worried about it before she asked. He knew what he needed to do as a friend and also as a husband. It was like having to choose between family. Luckily, Mackenzie had saved him from having to make that choice.

They had also moved into The Mansion at her request. Gareth had not argued with that, either.

Alyssa and Cracker as well.

Though Alyssa was a little sad that her meeting with Cracker's family had been put on hold. She, like everybody else, understood where their priorities were, and she did her part by making friends with the guys and helping where possible.

Gareth stood with the bodyguards, looking around and waiting for Mackenzie to fill a cart in the bathroom accessories store, and she filled it as if she had won an 'empty store in five minutes' competition.

That was when he saw...

"Malyshka, I'll just pop out for a smoke. It's been hours, ok?"

"Sure thing, Pretty boy," Mackenzie replied without looking up from the stacks of towels she inspected and weighed if the color suited her taste.

"Keep her hidden and protected at all times," Gareth whispered to the bodyguards and took two of them with him out of the store.

He walked casually, though he was on the highest alert. He was at a public mall, odds were nothing would happen, but he could not take the chance to be caught off guard. Looking around, he tried to survey the area he was in.

It was like any mall. People everywhere, it being a Saturday and all. People went about their business, unaware of the threat among them.

Gareth had spotted Grychenko from the store and slowly made his way toward him. He informed his two bodyguards to stay close but look inconspicuous. Grychenko had not noticed Gareth until he looked up from the wares he apparently thought of buying. His face immediately turned serious, though not hostile.

Like the last time they had met, he wore a tailored suit and looked like a distinguished gentleman doing a bit of pre-Christmas season shopping. The dark grey suit made him look younger than he was. He was just there, shopping like a normal person.

"Adjenkov," he said jovially. "We meet again. Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"You hurt one of my friends." Gareth low-key seethed, controlling his anger at what Jace had gone through. What he still went through, and the strain it put on Phoenix.

Never had revenge burned in him like that.

To his amazement, Grychenko looked a bit surprised. It annoyed him to no end that Grychenko dismissed an attack like the one on Jace as if it was nothing, and still looked like a jolly Santa and not the Satan he was.

Same letters, just a quick rearrangement, and then two completely different experiences.

If he at least was boastfully proud of what he had done to Nicholay, Ruslan, and Jace it would have been something, but that surprised indifference convinced Gareth that the man was a total psycho.