Third Person POV.
Andrei’s pacing the length of the underground parking garage of Vera’s apartment complex, tensed.
He was barely holding it. The rage he felt mottled his cheeks with stains of red. From afar one can literally feel the sparks of rage the stocky man was trying to keep at bay.
Fuck! He wanted to man up but the weight of the information felt too heavy, making it impossible for him to stay in check.
Andrei’s emotions were riding high, a tailspin he couldn’t hold back regardless of his decision to stay calm.
His wandering feet brought him to the side Vera’s car was parked and he took a sneak peek inside the car through the run-down windows, checking to see if it was all there. The cause of his raging mood. His anguished pains. Seeing it all there, Andrei batted his lashes, pushing back the sting of tears as he strode away from the car.
Andrei fixed his jolting hands into his pockets, not wanting to display how tensed he was. Or rather how he wanted to get revenge, he could practically taste it on the tip of his tongue.
“Dammit!” The low growl went off of his lips as he grew more impatience, wanting David to show up.
Andrei wanted nothing more than to get his mind off of this but it was impossible. Not when his heart was on the line. Not when his source of joy was involved.
In his bid to occupy his mind with something else, Andrei began taking stock of the number of cars in the underground parking lot.
Even though Andrei had counted the varieties of cars in the garage, it wasn’t enough to divert his attention away from the bite of pain in his heart. It wasn’t enough to taper his rage.
Andrei’s mouth dropped open, quivering as the pang of pain constricted his heart tighter. The stinging of his eyes was just about to give him away.
No one would believe that a man as burly as Andrei would ever cry, but he was just a fraction away from breaking down.
Images flashed through his mind, spurring more anger within him. He needed someone to pay for this. He fucking needed someone to feel the bite of pain he was feeling, chiseling away at his heart.
With effort, he paused to take some bit of air because his lungs were roped so tight he doubted he had literally taken a breath in the last few minutes.
Drawing in three long breaths, he stabbed his fingers through his hair, pushing his stray tresses away from his face. From that position, Andrei heard the thud of someone’s feet over the floor.
Somehow he knew it was David so he didn’t bother to twirl around and confirm. He only clenched his teeth harder, his bones poking out over his cheeks.
When David paused his movement behind Andrei, the grim-looking Andrei began to shove around, letting her front side face David.
He nodded but barely, gazing into his boss’s eyes. David straightened his taut muscles, cracking the bones of his fingers before he brought his attention back to Andrei.
However, all Andrei did was go about hiding his pains. It worked though because David really didn’t catch up on the real feelings of Andrei at that moment.
“What’s the update you got, Andrei? You sounded strange over the phone.” David’s voice came out firm, his heart jerking a bit too wildly.
Andrei opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He swallowed past the tight lump in his throat, aiming to speak again. However, a car drove into the garage, distracting them a little.
Both men waited for the new arrival to exit the garage first before they continued their discussion.
After a long pause, Andrei began speaking when the person strode away from the garage.
“Some shits went down.” He said, making David cock his brow as he grew more curious.
After Andrei said those words, he veered on his feet and began a short stride to the car. He leaned his upper body towards the car, sliding his hand through the open window so he could reach the envelope that bore the parcel of news she wanted to deliver to David.
David waited patiently for Andrei, however, curiosity bit at him so crazily until Andrei twirled and shoved the brown envelope into his hand.
Both men gave each other a long look, David’s bordered on curiosity whereas Andrei’s bordered on pain and the thirst for vengeance.
When David cut his eyes away from Andrei, he curled his fingers into the envelope bringing out three different heart-stopping pictures of someone strange.
David made some noise at the back of his throat watching the gory pictures of the young man severed into pieces, he was barely recognizable.
Confused, David pinched the skin of his forehead together as he raised his head to lock eyes with Andrei.
However, it was at that moment that Andrei’s feelings began to reveal on his face.
His jaw was taut with his lips pressed in a thin line. A look further down showed how he was fisting his fingers to rein on his rage.
Taking a cut swallow, David found himself asking. “Who is he, Andrei?”
Puffing a long plume of breath, Andrei nodded nonchalantly as he worded. “The guy I sent to monitor the mafia brothers and get a handle on the incriminating video…”
“Fucking fuck!!!” David was already cursing before Andrei rounded up his words.
David raised his leg, letting it dangle before he kicked the air and the tinge of dirt on the floor.
This shouldn’t have happened to the guy! Fuck!
They’ve lost another life because of the damn mafia dudes. Dammit, David let out an additional string of cusses. He wanted to outsmart those sons of a bitch. To maneuver them while beating them at their own game but look what happened? They got him squarely.
Dropping another sharp kick in the air, David brought his focus back to Andrei. Then. “We messed up. We fucking did. The guy shouldn’t have ended up dead…”
While rumbling and sputtering with no Andrei’s
response or reaction, David quickly paused. He let his eyes wander over his bodyguards.
“Wait, Andrei…?” David had thoughts- wild thoughts running through his mind but he didn’t want to let it out. Despite his best effort to shut his mouth, David suddenly asked. “Who is he to you?”
The rumble of question had Andrei slipping his eyes shut at the quick stab of pain. His heart hurt like a dagger was speared through it.
Was this how David felt those years ago when he lost Helen? Andrei thought to himself.
Did he feel the feeling of loneliness? God, he couldn’t help it. Andrei’s heart was caving in on him, disrupting his mind. He couldn’t take it and for the first time, Andrei’s
shoulders wracked with sobs.
The muffled groan of anguish told David everything he needed to know. That guy in the picture was Andrei’s lover.
David never knew…he never thought Andrei would have a lover much less be gay, despite the fact he had worked for him for years.
“I thought it was a good idea to send him to do the job. Because he had never lost a mission before. Mikhail was damn good at what he does- working as an undercover spy. He basically freelances since we separated from the big Russian crime family we worked for before.” The words came tumbling out of Andrei’s lips. Every outpour of the words made Andrei feel as if his heart was being twisted.
David knew the pain of losing a loved one. Someone to whom he dedicated his heart to. He had felt it once so he knew how it singes the body and heart and mind.
“I’m sorry, Andrei. I’m sorry those assholes did that.” David offered, teeth fused together in anger.
Andrei cracked his neck, shifting his head from side to side before he steeled his trembling shoulders.
“You can take a break if you want…” David began but Andrei’s gravel voice made him pause.
“Never!” Andrei barked lowly. “The least I could do is mourn him. But the best I could do was to avenge his death. And Helen’s death. We can’t let them win this battle. They took our loved ones and they should pay with their lives…”
As he spoke, he reached for his gun holster and brought the black revolver, he shoved it before David just to remind David what he once was…the mafia’s Byki. It’s not like he had forgotten that life. It was just because of Vera that he decided to lay low.
David felt his blood surging through his veins at Andrei’s look of determination. He loved it. He encouraged it.
“Thanks, Andrei for choosing my side,” David said in gratitude.
“I’d always stand by you, David. We ain’t gonna let them get Vera. They won’t ever take the person we love away from us. Never.”
David nodded.
“Give me the permission, boss. I need to fly to Russia and get the right men to watch their daily lives and activities. People that could help drill the video…”
David took a long sigh. Then. “You have my approval.”
To be continued…