From Russia With Loathing

Part 19

"How could you let this happen!?"

"Evgeni, son, calm down" Maxim calmly says from behind his oversized desk. What the fuck does that man need a desk so big for. He doesn't do anything.

It has been less then a week since the night Oleksandr broke into my apartment. All of the organizations dealings had been halted. We were bleeding money, but I could care less.

Anastasiya and I hadn't really been the best of friends before all of this. I liked to think we mutually tolerated each other. Neither of us wanted to be in the relationship, but neither of us was actively trying to get out or make things work. We both just flouted around each other.

Part of me wanted it to work. But that was mostly because I was tired of sleeping in my office every night for the past few months.

I had liked to think we were becoming sort of friends. We would talk about books that we both had read and tv shows that we liked. Weirdly we like a lot of the same things. We both like crime dramas and science fiction tv shows and we both like action movies. We both also thought horror movies were stupid and chick flicks were overrated.

But Anastasiya has avoided me at all costs since that night. I had tried to talk to her and ask her how she was. But Audrey was like a damn brick wall.

I was completely disoriented after Oleksandr had left. I had no idea what to do or how to react. I had never felt that way in my life. And I never want to feel that way again. The only thing I knew I had to do was call Audrey. I knew she would help fix the mess that had been created. And she did. I just wish she had done it without shutting me out.

"No, I will not calm down. She could of been hurt, or worse! He could of killed her!" Evgeni then turns his back to me. "How could you let this happen!? It's your job to protect her!"

He gets dangerously close to my face. I have had enough of him. He was annoying at first, but I just figured it was because he was upset. Now he is just pissing me off.

"Don't fuck blame this shit on me Evgeni." I try to say calmly. "He has a rat in our organization. Someone told him how my security system works. They told him what buttons to push and where the keys were. He put one of my guys in the hospital. You don't think I know what could of happened to her!? I never wanted this arrangement in the first place! For this very reason! Don't. Fucking. Blame this. On me! And his grievances wasn't with me! You want to blame someone? Blame the greedy sons of bitches we call our fathers!" I gesture towards Maxim.

Evgeni parts his lips slightly like he is going to say something but nothing comes out.

"When was the last you heard from your father?" Maxim asks.

He knows his part in this. He is just to proud to admit it. That or he is just to much of a coward.

It does make me feel a little better knowing Anastasiya has also been avoiding him and his calls.

"He has a few more things to take care of back home. He should be back in New York in a few days."

"Good. We need to figure this all out before anymore damage is done."

~*~

When I open the door to the apartment the lights are on. Anastasiya hasn't left the bedroom while I have been home since that night. So I'm surprised to see her passed out on the couch watching tv.

I walk into the kitchen, grab a bottle of vodka, and take a seat at the island. Twenty minutes later I see her walk around the corner. She stops when she sees me. Obviously taken off guard, she must of thought I wasn't home yet. She turns on her heals, but before she can take two steps I stop her.

"Anastasiya," I say to the back of her head.

"What?" Sage says venomously

She starts to walk away again, but I get up and grab her arm.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She says harshly. She pulls her arm out of my grasp. Then using all her might, she tries to push me.

"Please, Anastasiya. We need to talk."

"About what?"

I can see the tears brimming her eyes. She has been so good at bottling everything up.

"I just want to know if you are okay?" My voice comes out small and defeated.

"Okay?" She asks "you want to know if I'm okay!? No! I'm not ducking 'okay'! I have spent my whole life! every decision I have ever made! I have done to stay away from that! To stay away from people like him!" Her voice begins to crack.

"Anastasiya," I reach my arm out to her.

She slaps my hand away. "I said don't touch me! This is all your fault! I never wanted this! I never wanted any of this!!!"

"You think I wanted this!?" Now it's my turn to shout. "You think I wanted to be put in that situation!? You think I wanted to come home, after an already stressful situation, to find the women that I am supposed to marry tied to a chair  and surrounded by men with guns!! You think I wanted to watch Oleksandr touch you, and threaten you like that?! I never any of wanted this either!! You just love to say how much happier you were before this, well I was a hell of a lot happier too! I worked hard for my life! I never wanted to settle down. I never wanted to be in a relationship, with anyone. I never wanted to be in a relationship with you. And for this very reason! You think this has been easy for me? You think it has been easy for me to constantly worry about your safety? Constantly worry if someone else is going to break in and kill you. Or worse!" I pause and take a deep breath. "You think it was easy for me to feel so powerless? like, at any second, he or anyone could take you away from me."

I hadn't realized I was bottling everything up too. I knew I didn't want to be with her because she would always be in danger. I just hadn't realized I cared. I hadn't realized I cared about her.

I was attracted to her, sure, but I hadn't realized I was developing feeling for her.

We both just stare at each other. Either of us saying anything.

Eventually I give up and walk out of the kitchen.

~*~

The battery on my computer turns red and a note pops up saying I need to plug it in. I look over at the clock, 1:45 am. I hadn't realized it was so late. For the last 4 hours I had been sitting at my desk watching security footage. I had scanned through a few months of footage, looking for anything that stood out or seemed off.

Nothing. I had found nothing. I turn off my computer and plug it in. When I go to stand up from my desk I hear a faint crashing sound.

My body is instantly on high alert.

I grab the gun I keep stashed in the desk. Quickly and as quietly as possible I run downstairs.

When I reach the bottom of the steps I open the coat closet and grab a wooden baseball bat. With a gun in one hand and
the raised baseball bat in the other I round the counter into the kitchen.