I keep to my side of the seat, quietly counting the seconds until we get to our next stop.
After a few moments, I’m reminded of why I’m also on edge, and I start getting mad at the way he treated me.
“What’s on the schedule this afternoon?” he asks without looking up from his tablet.
“Not sure. I erased it, thinking I was being transferred to Damien.”
He adjusts his glasses as his intense eyes fall on me. “Was that sarcasm?”
“Were you really going to let Damien have me if he wanted to?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. Since you’re friends, I thought it might be a good idea to give you a change of scenery.”
“I wouldn’t want that, and I would appreciate it if you’d check with me before making these decisions.”
His eyes narrow, but he reverts his attention back to his tablet and says nothing.
Since he seems to be in a better mood, I straighten. Originally, I’d planned to ask this later tonight, maybe after sex since he seems the most amiable then, but I don’t trust myself not to fall asleep.
Besides, it’s better if we have an audience so he doesn’t question me for long.
“Boss…” I start.
“Hmm?”
“Can I have three days' vacation?”
At that, he looks up from his iPad and even tilts it to the side. “Why?”
“It’s…private.”
Silence falls between us for one second.
Two.
Three.
Then, without a change of expression, he says, “Fine.”
“R-really?”
“Yes.”
I narrow my eyes. To say this is highly suspicious would be an understatement. I was mentally prepared to fight tooth and nail for this while undergoing his unforgiving questioning. I even thought of how to survive if I cracked and told him everything under torture.
True, Kirill hasn’t asked again about the ‘man’ he thought I was talking to that one time, and I somehow thought maybe he’d really taken my threat seriously. But that’s just not his style.
The fact that I need to go home is making me even more nervous. I’ve rarely talked to my uncle since that day I almost got caught, and only when I’m off duty and away from the house. He quit asking me to end my mission to get close to Kirill. In fact, he seemed glad when I told him that I’m part of Kirill’s inner circle now.
So I’ve been slowly working on my initial plan to eventually gain access to the office. I’ve been there a few times alone, but Kirill updated the security, so all the critical files are now protected by his thumbprint. I’m still trying to figure out a way around that issue without triggering his suspicion.
On the other hand, neither Uncle Albert nor I have received any news of my brother. Sometimes, I go to sleep with tears in my eyes, thinking he’s already dead, but most of the time, I refuse to believe it.
Yesterday, I learned that Babushka is ill and that it’s bad. Uncle Albert said he’d take care of her, but I have to go home, just in case. I’d never forgive myself if this were the last chance I had to see her alive and I chose not to go. So I told my uncle that I’ll be returning to Russia in the next few days.
Which is why I came up with this vacation request. That Kirill so readily approved.
He’ll probably send someone to follow me.