I swear I lost a few years of my life when I made the decision to stand face-to-face with Captain Kirill. Since our last encounter, I’ve been dreading looking him in the eye, let alone having any alone time with him.
Hell, I was ready to bribe Viktor to go with me, even though his company isn’t that enjoyable. It’s still less intimidating than the captain’s, though.
But then I saw the man from the past, and all my plans went to hell.
“Either you’re too naïve or too foolish if you think Captain would change his mind after making a decision.” Maksim ruffles my hair. “You’ll learn, though.”
“You said you’ve known him since you were born?”
“Yeah, my father works for his father.” He grins. “But I was too cute for my own good, so the family doted on me, in a way. Everyone except for Captain, that is.”
“Why?”
He releases me, then glares in a perfect imitation of the captain’s usual expression. “He was born looking exactly like this and being Mister I Hate the World, and I’m Going to Keep Viktor Close So We Can Hate the World Some More.”
I smile. “Was it always that bad?”
“I’m kidding.” He lets his hands drop. “Viktor had a mutation and has actually become way worse.”
I hit his shoulder jokingly. “You’re an asshole.”
“I’m a funny asshole. There’s a difference.” His expression sobers. “In all seriousness, Captain is a product of his father’s rigid upbringing. You know how they say some monsters are born and others are made? He falls right in-between.”
“Rigid upbringing how?”
“Nothing you should worry about.” He subtly ignores my question and points down the hall. “Let’s get out of here before Viktor hears and comes up with creative methods for our punishment.”
“But I haven’t said anything.”
“You listened and laughed. That counts.”
I follow after, begrudgingly giving up on convincing the captain, even if a part of me is glad that I don’t have to face him.
“Hey, Maks?”
“Yeah?”
“You said the other day that most of you grew up together,” I circle back to the previous topic. “Does that mean everyone has come here at the order of the captain?”
“Not everyone—about seventy percent. And there was no order. Boss, Captain Kirill, decided to leave the family and enlist, so many of us followed.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Maksim lifts his shoulder. “Some do it for the action, but most of us are just loyal to him. Not to the level of Viktor’s stoic loyalty, but those who came to Russia prefer him over any other member of the family. Besides, it doesn’t hurt to gain experience in the meantime.”
He speaks the words with so much affinity and sure determination. For some reason, I’m jealous of the captain. I wonder what he did that these guys would follow him blindly to the pits of death, just because he decided to leave his privileged life and enlist.
“No one in the family approves of his choice to come here,” Maksim continues. “More accurately, the old boss doesn’t approve. He comes around once a year or so to personally try to drag him back.”
“The old boss?”
“Captain’s father. You just saw him leave. That old, round man?”
My lips part, and I fall a step behind him. “That’s…the captain’s father?”
“Sure is. His name is Roman Morozov. We all paid our respects to him just now when you disappeared since he’s our boss’s father. He’s always bitching about how we should go back to New York, and although we nod absentmindedly, we mean nothing of it. Where Captain goes, we go.”
My hand trembles, and it takes effort to stop it from giving away my state.