Split Love

CHAPTER 54

The air was freezing. And the wait, long. As fucking always.

The tactic of making the suspect wait was known to him, but the freezing air conditioning was typical of the FBI. Bad for them, his veins ran cold Russian blood.

Mikhail remained calm for the almost 1 and a half hours he waited. The silence was pleasant, as was the solitude. Micah always loved them both. But he missed the sound of Jasmine's laughter, her presence that made him feel alive.

She was the only one who could. In all those years, since his mother's death, he always felt dead inside. Like a zombie who just killed people and had sex for fun. Alcohol calmed things down but Jasmine was his drug. He needed her to fucking survive.

The door opened and an agent entered alone. It wasn't Richard Keller, nor was it either of the two men who picked him up at Andrei's house, but a blond man with tied-back hair and a beard.

- Mikhail Romanov, I am Agent West. - The man introduced himself. He pulled out the metal chair on the other side of the table and sat down. He only had a thin folder in his hands which he placed on the table.

Micah had his body relaxed in the chair with his hands on the table, and his fingers intertwined.

- I was waiting for Richard Keller.

The agent looked between his eyes for a moment. He couldn't hide the doubt in his eyes. Keller's identity was no longer a secret, and the agent didn't know it. But why was it a secret, Micah wondered. Thoughts about Jasmine not knowing who her uncle truly was came back to him.

Agent West... West, why did that sound familiar?

- Agent Keller is not on this case.

- In the case of his own niece? - Micah raised his eyebrows in question.

- Kidnapping is a federal crime, Romanov.

- I know very well. And I'm a suspect in the kidnapping of my girlfriend. Ain't I?

- Well, - Agent West opened the folder. - The fact that you are a Romanov speaks for itself.

He knew that. A Romanov was always a suspect in any "wrong" operation that took place in and around the state. But they were already too experienced to know how to get rid of the vast majority.

Micah took a deep breath and leaned his body forward. His knuckles were bruised, and his jaw was slightly swollen. A contrast to the pristine black shirt and trousers he had on.

- I'm curious to know your theory. Why would I kidnap a girl from a tiny country town?

- Maybe she discovered something about your dirty life and operations. - The man raised an eyebrow.

He was playing.

Wait...West.

- Agent West... - Micah said slowly, testing the name out loud. - May I know your first name?

- And why does that matter?

- Well, - He shrugged. - You know my name and even where I live. That's not fair.

- A girl is missing. That's not fair. - The man argued.

Micah remained silent. He felt no pride in having somehow infected Jasmine's quiet life with his filth. But now he needed to rescue her. His world seemed to crash down in one morning. And the feeble hope he had windled away, leaving him empty except for hostile rage.

He gritted his teeth.

- Tell me your name so we can talk.

The agent watched him for a moment, he seemed to consider exchanging one thing for another. Fair.

- Agent Logan West.

- Logan West, - Micah repeated aloud. Pure, unadulterated rage poisoned his blood as the letters of that man's name danced in his sick mind. His eyes were glued to the agent. The bastard who probably turned Jasmine against him. Everything was fine until he showed up. Anger spread through him like a disease, and a macabre smile appeared on his face. - Now we can talk.

- Where is Jasmine Davenport? - The agent asked without further ado.

- I should ask you the same question, Agent West. - He almost spat out the name. - Where is Jasmine?

- You're the only one who has reasons to disappear with her.

- Reasons? - Micah tried not to snap. - What reason would I have? Well, besides being a Romanov.

- This is the reason. - The agent's voice rose. - You, Romanovs, destroy everything you touch. You destroy families in the blink of an eye. Jasmine was fine until you found her.

- I didn't find her. She fell on me, - He made a pause. - literally. I saved her. And what did the FBI do?

- Saved her? No, Romanov. Again, you destroyed her life.

Again? The agent's speech made Micah raise an eyebrow. For the first time in that conversation, he felt lost.

Found her.... again...?

He tried to replay the conversation from the beginning in his head, but he didn't have time for that. He didn't wanna appear lost. There were more cards on the table than he was aware of, or was the agent bluffing?

L.W.

Micah leaned his body forward, approaching the agent.

- I didn't kidnap Jasmine. I love her and would never do her any harm. - His voice was straight as was his face. There was no time to play cat and mouse.

- I don't believe you.

- I don't care. - He shrugged before leaning back in the chair. - Since Jamie disappeared, the only thing I do is look for her. And I'm going to bring the world down until she's safe at home.

- Bring the world down like your father always did?

Micah took a deep breath. He pushed back his chair and stood up. For him, that conversation was useless. The FBI didn't seem to have any useful information that would help him find Jamie. A complete waste of time, he concluded.

- I have nothing to do with my father. You would know this if you investigated me better before giving false information to innocent people.

Agent West held Mikhail's gaze in an invisible battle of powers. Good versus evil and all that bullshit.

Fuck.

Knowing the FBI had nothing to hold him there, Micah ignored him and walked towards the door.

- Romanov. - Logan West called him. He stopped but didn't look back. - Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.