Lies of My Monster (Monster Trilogy #2) by Rina Kent

“I don’t want to move up. I want the fucking war that you’ll give me in a month, and if you fail me, you’ll fight me anytime I wish to.” He pushes him with his shoulder. “If you fuck with me, I’ll kill all your men. Starting with the pretty boy Sasha.”

On his way out, Damien pats my shoulder. “No hard feelings. It’s only business.” He leans over to whisper in my ear, “Get in my way again, and I’ll stab Kirill while he sleeps, got it?”

My spine jerks, and I remain frozen long after Damien and his men have gotten in their cars.

Kirill spins around and faces me with those emotionless eyes that I’m starting to dread seeing. “What did he tell you?”

“You…heard him.”

“What did he whisper to you just now, Lipovsky?”

“That…uh…I shouldn’t get in his way again.” I omit the last part, and something tells me Kirill can feel I’m hiding something, because he narrows his eyes, a muscle clenching in his jaw, and he remains like that for what feels like an hour but is actually a few seconds.

Then, as if he didn’t just turn my world upside down, he walks to the car.

Viktor follows after him, but Yuri stays behind and even approaches me as I catch my breath.

“You okay?” he asks in a soft tone.

I hate that he always has to check on me lately. Maksim doesn’t. Yuri, however, is more attuned to people and changes, and he said that he feels like I’m not myself lately—despite all the effort I go through to appear normal.

Not myself is an understatement, though. I used to think that it was only a matter of time before I got Kirill back, but that hope dims with every passing day.

Now, I think I’m on the verge of mourning him. No, we weren’t best friends or anything, but we were intimate, and he let me hold him sometimes—mostly after sex. He used to joke and lash out his sarcasm and made me feel so safe in his company that I actually considered never leaving.

Everything is different since fucking Russia.

“Sasha?” Yuri asks again when I don’t answer. “Did Damien say something that bothered you?”

I shake my head. “It’s not that. I’m just…not on my game, I guess.”

“No, you’re good.” He squeezes my shoulder. “You were able to escape Damien’s hold. Not just anyone can do that. I’m proud of how far you’ve come.”

I grin. “It’s all thanks to you.”

“Don’t be humble. None of this would’ve happened if you weren’t disciplined.” He releases me. “Come on. We should go before Viktor starts being a pain in the ass.”

We’re about to leave when I catch a glimpse of Rai—the Pakhan’s niece—being guided by her guards into her car. She got married a week ago to someone chosen by her granduncle. Her new husband is dangerous and mysterious. Everyone is keeping an eye on him.

Their wedding day was complete madness, and everything that followed was weird.

Since then, she’s changed, but I’m not sure if it’s for the better. Rai has always been a careful businesswoman who’s made of steel. She used the secret she held over Kirill’s head to make him vote for her to become the executive director of V Corp—the organization’s legitimate front. Since that time, she’s been slowly but surely eliminating his and even Adrian’s spies from the company. Something both men don’t appreciate and have been secretly plotting to get back at her for. How, I don’t know.

Under different circumstances, I wouldn’t care, but I’m sure Rai is also planning something. For instance, she’s glaring at Kirill as he gets into the car now. And I’m not sure how much longer he can piss her off in meetings before she decides to put his position and all the wins he brought to the organization in jeopardy.

All because of me.

Logically, Kirill has no reason to protect my identity. He could tell her that I’m a woman, and that might get me killed by the Pakhan, but Rai would have nothing to threaten him with anymore.

But he hasn’t.

Why hasn’t he?

“Move it.” Viktor glares at us, forcing me to break eye contact with the situation.

I climb into the passenger seat. It’s now my usual place since I’m forbidden from sitting with Kirill. Viktor, who took that position, would gloat if the man knew how to display normal human emotions.

I’m in the middle of checking my ammunition when my eyes clash with Kirill’s through the rearview mirror, and he’s glaring.

Or I think he is, because the contact only lasts for a fraction of a second before he focuses back on what Viktor is telling him about the club’s numbers this month.

I swallow. What the hell was that for?

“Is there a reason why you’re not putting Rai in her place?” Viktor asks after he’s done discussing the club. “She has the audacity to subtly threaten you at the table with everyone there.”

I go still, but I don’t dare check the rearview mirror or look behind me and, instead, focus on the tall buildings blurring past us.

Even Viktor notices her not-so-subtle animosity. Which means everyone else does, too.

“She’s all bark and no bite,” comes Kirill’s casual reply.

“She didn’t sound like it. Besides, it’s demeaning, Boss. Adrian, Igor, and Damien’s men are asking me and Lipovsky if you’re not able to remove Rai from your path. We don’t know how to answer them.”