CHAPTER THIRTY - SEVEN

LORENZO GRAYSON\ VADIM KERZHAKOV ©

Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the road for a brief second before thunder followed.

Vanya looked out the window before glancing up at the dark clouds.

“Etot dozhd' ne prekratitsya yeshche nekotoroye vremya, kogda on nachnetsya,” she said as I drove.

{This rain isn't going to stop anytime soon once it starts.}

I hummed in response and kept my eyes on the road.

We left Kyle's bar just before the rain started to fall.

A light drizzle tapped against the windshield as we drove on the road. It was close to midnight.

My thoughts drifted straight to Nick. He was probably on his way home in this weather.

“Tell me you're not thinking about that kid,” Vanya said.

I glanced at her before looking back at the road.

“Конечно я.” {Of course, I am.}

“What's your relationship with him anyway?” she asked.

For a few seconds, I fell silent and the only sound in the car was the rain against the glass.

What exactly is he to me?

Just my student?

I scoffed at my own thoughts as I drove down the road.

It bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

I remembered the first day we met. Someone had sent a man to kill me at Kyle's bar. Nick had been terrified after witnessing it, yet the very next day, he challenged me and demanded that I pay for what I'd done.

I couldn't stop thinking about his bright eyes and his nerdy features.

And honestly, I was glad he wasn't hiding those tired, beautiful eyes behind a pair of glasses.

Even with everything he's been through, he still kept himself neat and carried himself well. He was intelligent too.

But he was my student. A young boy who still had his whole life ahead of him. Getting involved with him would only put him in danger.

What if Father found out about him?

“Do you realize the way you stare at that boy?” Vanya suddenly asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I lifted my eyes to her.

“How do I stare at him?”

“S lyubov'yu. {With affection},” she replied, half yelling, and my heart skipped a beat.

I pulled up in front of the house, and everything went quiet before she let out a sigh.

“I'll assume you know what you're doing,” she said and got out of the car.

I followed behind her.

The men standing by the large entrance bowed their heads as we walked inside.

I rubbed my temple and sighed.

“When are you leaving?” I asked as she made her way through the lounge area.

“You didn't even ask why I'm here. You're more curious about when I'm leaving?” she asked as she took off her coat.

“I don't care why you're here. Just... take your men and leave,” I said and she rolled her eyes.

“I'll be staying in the country for a while. I'm here to take you back to Russia,” she said.

Then she pulled a cigar from its case, lit it with her lighter, and took a slow drag.

I clicked my tongue and scoffed before walking closer to her.

“Take the room at the end of the hall and leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

I started heading upstairs, but her voice stopped me.

“Antonio isportit tvoyu zhizn', yesli ty ne vernesh'sya so mnoy.

{Antonio will make your life miserable if you don't come back with me}.”

I let out another scoff and turned back to face her.

“My life was made miserable long before I escaped that world,” I said as I walked back down the stairs toward her.

“He found me here and sent people after me so I could keep staining my hands, doing his dirty work just to stay trapped in his world,” I added.

“I've just managed to escape Russia, Vanya, and then he sent you to bring me back...” I was saying when she cut me off.

“On ne sdelal. YA prishel syuda sovershenno odin. {He didn't. I came here on my own.}”

Her words came out sharp, leaving me speechless.

“What?” I asked quietly.

“You know what I went through just to leave Russia and build a life here,” I said and she laughed.

“Build a life?” she snapped. “You should know that the Kerzhakov life became your life the moment you were born into that family.”

I ran a hand through my hair and let out a tired sigh.

“Leave my house first thing tomorrow morning,” I said and turned to walk away.

“Antonio needs you. He plans to take over Italas City.” she said and I turned back to her instantly.

“Что? {What}?” I asked.

She pressed her cigarette into the ashtray, putting it out.

“He's planning to take full control of Italas' trade routes,” she said. “Tunnels, weapons… everything you can name.”

I shook my head hard.

“No. That's not possible. He's going to get everyone killed.”

She raised her voice. “And that's exactly why he needs you back. Every other organization is fighting for the same city.”

“How can the heir of the Kerzhakov family stay out of this war?” she asked and I shook my head again.

“Tell him he has the wrong heir,” I said and started up the stairs.

“Or maybe you're not reconsidering this because you're already attached to the people here?” she asked, stepping in front of me.

I stopped and frowned.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to move past her.

“I heard you're investigating your mama's death,” she said and I froze for a second.

Then I shot her a glare.

“Get out of my way,” I snapped.

“Or is it the kid? Or the minister's daughter?” she added, and I felt my anger rise.

“Uydi s dorogi, Vanya. {Get out of my way, Vanya},” I said.

“Tell me,” she yelled back.

“What does any of them have to do with what you're talking about?” I shouted.

She didn't back off. Instead, she grabbed my hands.

“Vernemsya v Rossiyu, Vadim.

{Let's go back to Russia, Vadim},” she said softly.

“Komu yeshche on sobirayetsya peredat' organizatsiyu, yesli ne vam?

{Who else is he going to hand the organization to if not you}?” she asked gently.

I stayed quiet for a moment. Then I slowly pulled my hands away from hers.

“Goodnight,” I said at last before walking into my room.