St. Michael Hospital
Nikolai: (Forcibly pulls out the heart monitor attached to his chest) What a fucking joke! Just clean the wound so I’m out of here!
Cardiologist: Mr. Volkov, aside from the infected wound on your thigh, you just suffered a heart attack. Your medical history tells me that you were in perfect health and physical state prior to this. May I know what recent events or changes happened?
Nikolai: I would like to be discharged now.
Cardiologist: Mr. Volkov your temperature is very high at the moment. You need to stay at least for the night.
Nikolai: The hell I will! Can someone get me my goddam shirt!
Cardiologist: Mr. Volkov I strongly advise-
Irene: (Interrupts) Drug him.
Cardiologist: I’m sorry?
Irene: (Nods at Boris and Andrey and then signals the Doctor to come with her outside of the room) The only way you can make that man stay against his will is to knock him out cold. Administer the drug or whatever you do to mental patients that make them sleep– you know like in the movies.
Cardiologist: But- (Got distracted because he just saw Boris and Andrey hold Nikolai down but the latter is fighting back albeit weakly. The hospital apparatus inside the room are now scattered on the floor)
Irene: You don’t have much time Doc.
Cardiologist: But this is not a mental institution-and certainly not the movies Mrs. Volkov! This is against the law-we can’t hold Mr. Volkov against his will.
Irene: Charge the damages and the bill against his name. Money is of no matter. Treat his infection and do what you need to do for his heart problem.
Cardiologist: His heart problem was not really heart attack per se’. I suspect that Mr. Volkov is suffering from Broken Heart Syndrome. BHS usually mimics the symptoms of a heart attack. Whatever he is going through or has been through recently– if not resolved– will worsen his condition.
Irene: Thank you for having the common sense of not telling a very powerful man that he might die because of a broken heart. Good call.
(Her phone rings and it’s Dimitri)
Irene: I have been trying to reach you Dimitri! All hell is breaking loose but you’re not answering my calls! Where are you?!
Dimitri: Matushka…
Irene: Did you find Alexei? Did you tell him what happened to his brother?
Dimitri: Matushka, are you sitting down?
Irene: (Froze as she felt strongly that something has happened to her son. She once had this exact feeling, the moment before she found out over the phone about what happened to Vyacheslav and Viktor)
–
Belle’s POV
When I opened the door my heart skipped a beat as my body spun and swiftly pinned to the wall. His palm instantly covered my mouth as his gaze connects to mine. He then signals that I keep quiet as he gently closes the door, locking it from the inside. Oh my goodness. Why is this man even here? And how on earth was he able to get past our security?
He looks at me longingly, brushing a few strands of my hair off of my face. He then removes his hand from my mouth and wraps his arms around me for a tight embrace. The warmness of his body and his scent reminded me of home–reminded me of the Russian Mafia. I want to push him away but my heart has betrayed my cause. This, right here, used to be my safe place —my solace.
For a few seconds, I let my guard down and just gave up. I slowly reached for his back, leaned my head on his neck and closed my eyes. We stood in silence; the only sound we can hear is the beating of our hearts.
“My sunshine.” He whispered to my ear.
He pulls me tighter to his chest, “We’ve been missing you.” He continued.
“What are you doing here Yuri?” I asked as I stood still.
“I’m here to make good my birthday present to you. Here you go.” He answered lightheartedly, guiding my palm to his beard.
I smack him lightly on his chest I heard him soft chuckle in response. “What did you do to the guards? You know, they can kick yours and Boris’ arse without breaking a sweat.”
“Are you sure about that? Last time I checked they are all sleeping like big babies.”
“Yuri! What did you do to the guards? They are Papa’s men!”
“Relax, I won’t do anything that would put me in bad terms with the General.” He paused for a while and continued, “Maybe just this one time?”
My heart jumped from my chest when I heard Devon knock on the door relentlessly. He’s calling my name worriedly, perhaps he has found out that the embassy has been broken in.
I pushed Yuri towards the other side of the bed on the floor so he can hide underneath my bed. I took a deep breath as I compose myself to face Devon.
“Ara!
“Wait Devy, I’m coming!”
When I opened the door Devon instantly held my face and inspected me from head to foot. “Are you okay? Did anyone come in here?
“I’m okay. What happened?” Oh my goodness please I hope all of Papa’s men are okay.
“There’s been a breach. We don’t know exactly what happened because our security details were all knocked unconscious by tranq guns and our security cameras have been remotely disabled. Whoever did this were pros.”
Devon is looking at me as if he already knows who might be behind this. “I will post security outside your room. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to protect you Ara.” He said as he inspects my room. He went to the bathroom first and then went around my bed. I feel like I am going to faint.
Oh goodness not under my bed. Not under my bed please.
“Call me if you need anything. Amy will be here soon. I asked her to sleep here with you.”
“No!” I said too abruptly. “I mean, I’m okay Devy. Amy can sleep in the other room when she arrives. Really, I’m very sleepy. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I said sitting down and slowly scooting over to lay in bed. I hugged my pillow and waited patiently for him to leave.
When I heard the door shut I told Yuri that it was clear for him to get up. He stood up from the floor and pulled me toward him but I took a step back.
“Take off your shirt now.” I demanded. There is only one reason why this man was able to pull off coming in the Embassy, a task that requires resources and an enormous amount of influence. He still has the back of the Russian Mafia.
His lips slowly pulled to the side like a loco, “Belle.”
“I’m serious Yuri. Take your shirt off and show me your right arm.”
His Adam’s apple moved as if he got caught on something. He sighed in defeat knowing fully well that I already have a hunch about his real status in the mafia.
He took his jacket off and then unbuttoned his shirt in front of me. Lo and behold every single tattoo signifying his standing in the Mafia as the third man in line is intact. The monogram V on the back of his hand, the cross as a symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian words and symbols covering the sleeve of his whole arm all pointing to one fact. His wolf was not burned. He is still an important and powerful part of the Russian Mafia.
I looked at him sternly, anger simmering at the pit of my stomach. “You and your Bosses are all lying bastards!”
He grabs me and pulled me back to his chest, effectively immobilizing me. “Back in the boathouse, when you asked me if I am leaving the Mafia, what was my answer?” He held my chin to meet me in the eye, “What was my reply to you Belle?”
I tried to disconnect my gaze from him but he held my chin to look up to him, “That you’re not leaving the Mafia.” I answered without looking him in the eye.
“That’s right. That was after you said that you want me to stay. The Boss and Alexei love and care for you so much that they spared my life because they know that you did not want me to leave.” He paused for a little while as if thinking about his words, “That it will break your heart if I leave.”
I tried to ignore what he was implying but in the process, I was left crimson. I can literally feel the heat trickling up my cheeks. This time a small smile formed on Yuri’s face.
“Still, you made it appear that you left the Mafia. You were nowhere to be found! Nikolai told me that it was your decision!” I said, as I try to make full sense of what happened.
“The Boss did not lie to you. It was my decision to leave for the time being because I was on a mission to eliminate Sergey Yvanislov’s descendants and every single person connected to him whom we suspect had a hand in killing the bosses’ old men and for threatening your life. The Boss could not take any chances. It had to be done on the sly while we are still at war with the Germans.”
“On the sly mission like what you just did here?”
“Coming here was one of the hardest jobs I ever did. It took Your Father is a tough old man to beat Arabella.” He said while taking his phone from his jacket pocket. I hurriedly grab the phone from him because the man is now typing something and I think I know with whom he’s going to communicate.
“Belle I need the phone now.”
“No.”
“The Boss and Alexei need to know the truth about your condition before it’s too late.”
“Too late, why?”
He kept silent for a few seconds and sat on the edge of the bed as if thinking if he will tell me or not.
“Why Yuri?”
“The Russian Mafia is imploding. The Boss had been drinking himself to sleep every night since he received the divorce papers. He’s been taking pain medication for his wound but Matushka is afraid that he’s started abusing it. We think that the pills are the only reason why he still functions every day since he barely gets sleep or eats a decent meal. He blames himself for what happened to your marriage, to you, and to your babies. Since you left them, Alexei has become obsessed with fucking killing himself. He competes in every single underground sport he could think of without care if he lives or dies. Now both of them are in the hospital because one’s heart has suddenly stopped working while the other one might just get what he wishes.”
I turned my back on him because I don’t want him to see that every single word ripped through my heart like a knife.
“Belle, if you can’t forgive them, I am begging you to at least tell them the truth that you did not lose the babies. Guilt is a foe no one can ever win. Not even a Volkov.”
to be continued…