Heart of My Monster (Monster Trilogy #3) by Rina Kent

Yulia clicks her tongue as if she can’t stand the sight of her own daughter. “It’s pointless to communicate with you people. Let’s go, Kosta.”

Her son doesn’t move as Karina cries against him, her whole body trembling. He watches his mother with a dead expression. “Who’s my father, Mother?”

“We’ll talk about it once we’re out of this snake’s den.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Who’s my father? Is he still alive, or did you also get rid of him?”

“Konstantin!” Yulia clutches her pearls and then slowly releases them. “We’ll talk when you’re calmer and you realize no one cares about you as much as I do. Least of all this devil.”

She glares at Kirill on her way out. Her head is held high, and her steps are measured.

I admire that woman’s strength, but I still despise the role she played in her children’s lives.

Karina is sobbing as Konstantin pats her back. He exchanges a look with Kirill. I’m not sure if it’s comradery or understanding.

For some reason, it feels as if I’m intruding on the siblings’ relationship. Maybe they gave each other this look when they were growing up.

After a moment, Kirill goes up the stairs. I pat Karina’s and Konstantin’s shoulders, then follow after.

Even though I’m supposed to be mad at him, I can’t possibly leave him alone after that. He’s the type who hides his emotions to the point it backfires against him.

I find him in the closet. His jacket has been discarded on the floor, and he’s removing his shirt.

“Are you okay?” I slowly approach him.

Kirill throws his shirt down, revealing tense muscles. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

I stand in front of him so that I’m between his body and the closet door. My fingers find his scruff, and I stroke his cheek. “It’s okay not to be okay.”

“I’m perfectly fine. It’s actually good to know why she never liked me and never will. I have her assaulter’s genes, which isn’t something she’d ever approve of.”

“I feel sorry for what she’s been through, but she had no right to treat you and Karina as if it was your fault.”

He says nothing, but he leans into my touch, slowly closing his eyes.

I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his naked chest. Turns out, this is the type of consoling he needs, because Kirill circles my waist with his arms and engulfs me in his embrace.

His low whisper nearly stops my heart. “Thank you for being here, Solnyshko.”





23





KIRILL





I’m annoyed.

No, that’s an understatement. I’m teetering on the edge of rage and loss of control.

It’s taken inhuman strength to keep a cool head about the situation I’ve found myself in. Namely, the distance Sasha has slowly but surely continued to implement between us.

It’s been getting worse since I put that tracker in her about a week ago. But then again, it’s not like she wasn’t doing it before. The only difference is that she’s taking it further.

She’s been trying to spend as much time with anyone but me. And while she has a surprisingly heightened sex drive lately, she pulls away almost immediately after, throwing out all sorts of excuses.

I have to meet Kristina.

I promised Karina I’d go on a walk.

Rai and Lia invited me for lunch.

Viktor is taking me to see my brother.

Every day, there’s some sort of reason why she can’t spend time with me. It doesn’t help that I’ve been caught up in some new shit Damien stirred, and I’ve had no time to corner her.

Maybe I should take her to that cabin again so that it’s only the two of us and no one will dare to interrupt us.

Otherwise, she’ll keep getting further away until we reach the fucking deadline she imposed on this relationship.

“I have a bad feeling about this. It smells like a trap,” Viktor says while watching our surroundings with a gun in hand.

We’re near a shipping dock on the outskirts of the city. It’s one of the sites where we complete our transactions with the cartels. I haven’t been here in ages, though. Especially not since I became Pakhan.

All these petty operations can be taken care of by others.

It’s late at night, so the only sound is Viktor’s harsh breathing and the occasional crash of the water against the pier.

“We already have backup stationed all around the dock.” I adjust my glasses. “So even if Makar planned to ambush me, we have enough manpower to eliminate him and whoever he brings along.”

“What if he colluded with the Pakhan of the Chicago branch and brings more men than we have?”

“One, that’s paranoia. Two, you’re overestimating Makar’s influence.”

“Or maybe you’re underestimating it…” he trails off and tenses, and I sense a third presence near us.

Sure enough, Makar carefully slips out from between the containers. He carefully studies the area as he approaches us.

His steps turn heavier after he notices Viktor by my side. He asked to meet alone, but he should know by now that Viktor vehemently refuses to stop being my shadow.

Makar is a bald man with an average build, a pointy nose, and thin lips. He also always wears suits that look a size too small.