Red Reaper - Soldiers of Fortune [book one]

Chapter FORTY ONE

Konstantin Ivanov

I take the liberated vodka bottle with me, leaving Yuri to handle business as I make my way back to the bathroom, rapping gently on the door twice while I call out.. "Malishka? I come in?"

-TAP-TAP-

"Yes!" Lucky's silky melody peeps in reply before I crack the door open and step into the humid and misty confined space..

She sits up in the tub to hang over the edge, steam rising from her glowing pinkish skin, soapy suds clinging to her curves to cover her beautiful body and her wet hair dripping a puddle of water down onto the tile.. She watches me with curious clear eyes as I peel the black bandana from my face to breathe again, the scent of this room far friendlier, perfumed with the floral notes of her soap.. "Well? How is it going out there?"

"It doez smell of rat poison, you must stay with me tonight.. Perhapz tomorrow also, but it will be done.." I lean back against the door and slide tiredly down to sit on the floor with a sigh, stretching out my long legs and unscrewing the cap of the vodka bottle to take a fiery swig of the blazing nectar.

"Okay, if you say so, Big Bear.. Hey, gimme some of that.." Lucky extends her hand in request and I lean forward to pass her the drink, watching as she takes a hearty gulp and then scrunches up her pretty face in disgust before she hands it back.. "Yuck! That tastes like pure turpentine!"

"Iz nasty cheap khernya.." I chuckle as I pour a little of the vodka out onto the black bandana cloth before I set the glass bottle beside me.. I then take her pretty pink and gold pistol from the back of my belt and begin unclipping the components to lay them out on the tile between my outstretched legs..

"What on Earth are you doing now?" Lucky leans back in the water to rinse her suds and watch me work, her focus engaged on my hands as I handle the pistol, piece by piece to clean from it any trace of her ownership..

"I keep safe for you.." I explain casually, wiping down the frame from barrel to stock and inside the magazine well.. "If Yuri doez fail hiz duty, I will tell authorities I stole thiz and did uze it myself.. I will not allow you to go to prison for a task that waz mine to complete, Malishka.. "

"Oh.." She whispers, twirling the gold on her left ring finger.. "You know I'd never let you do that--"

She still wears the signet ring.. The one that bears the two headed eagle of my motherland.. The truest representation of who I am.. Who I will always be..

I may never step foot on Russian soil again, even still I will always be a Russkiy.. But with Lucky there is a sense of comfort I haven't known since I last stood on the riverbank in Myshkin.. She js like home to me.. With her is where I belong..

I could try to deny just how thrilling it is to me to see her wear that little golden piece of me on her lovely finger, but what would be the point?

It's becoming increasingly impossible to lie to myself about my feelings and all the things I want to share with her.. To be honest with myself, there is another ring I would like for her to wear, and it is no crest or coat of arms..