Blood of My Monster (Monster Trilogy #1 ) by Rina Kent

“We’re going back,” he finally announces.

“Have you gotten hold of the others?”

“Only Viktor, yes. He’s at the base and will come to pick us up tonight.”

“Thank God he’s all right. How about Maksim? Yuri? The others?”

“No clue. I had to end the call because Nicholas found me.”

“Oh, okay.”

Something’s wrong, though. I didn’t pay much attention to it earlier, but the expression on Kirill’s face has been hardening since he came back from the market with Nicholas.

“We’ll need to leave now,” he continues.

“I thought it was tonight?”

“The pickup is tonight, but we need to leave the couple’s house immediately. I had a nagging feeling that I was being watched in the market today, and Viktor confirmed that our position might have been compromised.”

“Okay, we’ll just say goodbye and leave.”

He shakes his head. “We don’t have time for that. If we linger any longer around them, we’ll be putting their lives in danger.”

“We can’t just leave without saying anything.”

“We will. That’s an order.”

My muscles tense, but like the apathetic monster he is, Kirill simply turns and takes a few steps, then starts digging in the snow.

I watch from afar, my blood boiling, not only at the turn of events but at him. How could he envision leaving without even saying goodbye to the people who took us in and asked for nothing in return?

Soon after, he retrieves our weapons and combat gear that he wrapped in the waterproof backpack. He throws mine near me and I pick them up.

“Get dressed.”

My fingers tighten around the material, and I want to punch him in the face, but I can’t. One, Kirill has zero appreciation for emotional outbursts, so it would backfire.

Two, he disappeared behind a tree.

My movements are jerky and mad as I remove the coat and start to dress in the surprisingly dry clothes. Because he was smart about hiding them. Kirill is always thinking ahead, never wavering or taking a shortcut from his original path.

As I wrap the bandages around my chest, I’m fuming while nearly freezing to death, which isn’t a fun combination.

With every wrap, I feel like I’m locking myself inside again. It’s only been a few days, but I easily got used to being a woman and also feeling like one.

Going back to my ‘man’ look leaves a weird taste at the back of my mouth. Despite living like this for so long. Will I ever go back to being a woman?

“You done?”

A chill sneaks over me as Kirill comes into view. Gone are the glasses and the somewhat tamed look. He’s now back to being the unforgiving captain with nerves of steel.

“Almost.” I lower my head to focus on tying my combat boots.

My shoulder strains with the angle, and I wince.

Kirill lifts up my shoulders so that I’m standing. “I’ll do it.”

“There’s no need—”

“If you rip your stitches before we even leave, I’ll be the one who’s burdened. Stay still.”

I bite my lower lip to stop myself from hurling curses at him. It’s like he’s making it his mission to sound like an asshole. Though, it probably comes naturally.

Efficiently and in record time, he finishes tying the laces and rises to his full height.

“I’m going back,” I announce.

“You’re what?” I don’t miss the annoyance in his tone.

“I have to bid Nadia and Nicholas goodbye.”

“What part of ‘that’s an order’ do you not understand, soldier? We are not going back, and that’s final.”

“I won’t see them. I can’t, anyway, when I’m looking like this, but I can at least slip them a note of thanks.” I step closer, keeping my head up. “Not only did they help me, but they also helped you and offered you warmth and shelter from a deadly storm. How are you supposed to protect your soldiers if you can’t display gratitude to your benefactors?”

Kirill lifts his hand. “You little—”

I close my eyes, waiting for him to punch me for the insolence.

I wait and wait.

And wait…

But the impact doesn’t come.

When I open them again, he’s staring at me as if he wants to slash my throat open, but his hands are at either side of him.

“Five minutes, and then we leave.”

“Okay!” I jump, smiling, but it soon disappears when it’s faced with his complete apathy.

Damn tyrant.

I pick up my rifle and run in the direction of the house, thinking about the words I’ll scribble on the note.

Thank you for everything (minus the needles). If I have a chance, I’ll come again for those cooking lessons and—

My feet come to a halt when I arrive at the backyard. Silence.

Long, overbearing silence. No chopping of wood. No sound of Nadia’s voice.

It’s an eerie type of silence.

Something is wrong.

“Get down!” Kirill shouts as someone opens fire in our direction.





13





KIRILL





My instincts have never failed me.

So when I made the decision to get the fuck out of here, I wasn’t doing it arbitrarily. This is an emergency situation—escaping is a necessity, not an option.