I stand in the middle of the beautiful lobby, trembling. Waiting for him to come to me.
“Kira?”
I nod.
“You look like him.” He tips his head. “And her.”
So he knew Anya.
Tears fill my eyes. “Are you–?
The man holds out a hand. “My name is Vlad. I’m Mika’s adopted father.”
“Oh.” Tears spill down my cheeks.
He holds out the suitcase and my purse. “Maykl brought your things by for you. And he wanted me to give you this.” He takes a thick envelope from inside his jacket pocket and hands it to me. The flap is open, and inside I see a stack of one hundred dollar bills. “For your hotel expenses.”
“Where’s–”
“You can see Mika in the morning. Let’s get you checked in.” He picks up my suitcase again.
The man is unbelievably kind. Another bratva man who doesn’t fit the image in my mind. And Maykl brought my things…
I barely keep from dropping to my knees and crying like a baby.
Somehow, I follow Vlad to the reception desk and provide my passport and a credit card to get checked in.
Vlad carries my suitcase to the elevator and gets in it with me.
I marshal my thoughts. “What happened to Anya here? Why is Mika with you?”
Vlad’s lips thin into a line. “Anya abandoned Mika with us not long after she moved here.” He tips his head. “She had a nasty drug habit.”
The old me would’ve lashed back that it was the bratva’s fault, but I don’t have any fight left in me. Nothing is black or white anymore. Good or bad.
The elevator stops on my floor, and we get out. Vlad goes on. “Honestly, I considered Mika to be Aleksi’s problem since he’s the one who brought them out with us. But…” He draws a breath. “I was called back to Russia for personal matters, and while I was away, the men in my cell–including Aleksi–were massacred by the Italian mafia. When I returned, I found Mika had been living on his own in our house for weeks. He’d been stealing food and wallets from the streets to get by. I took him back to Russia, but he did not wish to contact his family. He did go and look in the window at his grandmother once but decided against making contact.”
Tears spill from my eyes. “Yes…my mother wasn’t much to him. She wasn’t much to anybody. I can see that.”
“He stayed with me in Volgograd, and after I moved to Las Vegas to marry, my wife and I legally adopted him. My wife is a teacher. She tutored him up, and now he’s in high school. Straight A’s. He’s a very smart kid.” Vlad says it proudly and fresh tears streak my cheeks. “He’s not interested in sports, but he’s strong. He boxes at a gym.” Vlad shrugs. “Grew up with violence.” He says it matter-of-factly.
Once more, I can’t find it in me to rail against that violence. Not when it seems Mika found people who love and care for him.
We stop in front of my door.
“Thank you,” I say. “I…look forward to seeing him in the morning.”
“We’re in suite 399. Come at ten.”
I still, suddenly wondering if it’s safe for me. But of course, if Maykl’s cell wanted me back, they would have grabbed me downstairs.
“It’s not a trap,” Vlad says as if reading my mind. “Although if you know where to find your boss, there are some people who want him dead.” He doesn’t wait for my reply, he just strides off in his tailored slacks and shined shoes, his gait both graceful and lethal–like a lion in his jungle.
I open the hotel door and go inside. My skin burns from the cold. My head aches. I’m parched from so much crying. I should take a shower, but I can’t put the effort in. Instead, I fall face down on the bed and don’t move until morning.
Maykl
I stay out of my apartment, sitting downstairs at the front desk all night. I’m not watching the door for her.
I know she won’t be back.
Especially not when I brought her things to her and made it easy for her to go home.
Ravil hasn’t green-lighted the return of the civilians to the building yet, so it’s dead quiet. Of course, it’s always dead quiet at this time of night.
The lobby suffered a few bullet holes, but the blood’s been scrubbed from the floors and the bodies disposed of. My biggest failure as a gatekeeper. I couldn’t keep Kira out of the building, nor out of my heart.
It’s a wonder I’m still breathing. I still don’t know what Ravil might have in store for me.
I text Kira. I know there’s nothing I can do to give you back your father. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you and your family. If you ever need anything, I will provide it.