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

“Shut it.” Yuri kicks his friend in the shin, and the latter howls.

“What the fuck was that for? I’m telling the truth here. Sasha deserves to know why he took that bullet.”

I stare between them, grabbing for a sliver of information. “What’s going on?”

“Remember the fat man who came on the day of the mission?” Maksim asks.

“Captain’s father?”

“That’s the one. He’s always wanted Boss back in New York and has been trying to get him to discharge from the military for years. Since he failed and most of us chose to stay with the boss, what do you think his next course of action would be?”

“Try to force him.”

He snaps his fingers. “Exactly.”

“We don’t know for sure.” Yuri lowers his voice. “But it’s true that the old boss met the captain’s commandants prior to leaving.”

“In our line of work, we don’t believe in coincidences,” Maksim supplies.

“Does…could the captain share the same suspicions?” I ask.

“I’m sure he does.” Yuri’s brows draw together. “If we thought of this after the mission, then he must’ve figured it out during. It’s probably why he was hesitant about sending the units to that warehouse.”

Shit.

If that’s the case, and he was sabotaged by his own father, then how can he stay that calm? Just what type of steel is Kirill Morozov made of?

Maksim changes the subject to focus on me, and I realize they’re trying to escape the reality they find themselves in and whatever the future holds for them.

Omitting the husband and wife roles Kirill and I played, I tell them about Nadia and Nicholas while fighting tears.

“It’s a miracle they accepted soldiers in their house,” Yuri says. “Most villagers have a distaste toward us.”

“Uh, the captain stole civilian clothes, and we pretended that we were attacked by soldiers.”

“Smart.” Maksim grins. “As expected of Captain.”

Yuri nods in agreement. “Point is, you came back safe and sound.”

I’m not so sure about that. It feels as if something has been missing since I saw the blood and the old couple’s corpses. A part of me has remained in their house and refuses to return.

That part of me is so riddled with grief, it’s impossible to chase away the red haze that’s been turning my vision hazy.

So I choose to focus on Maksim and Yuri, still feeling grateful that they’re safe. I don’t know how I would’ve dealt with all this if something had happened to them.

Soon after, the others join in and we catch up on the mission and the aftermath.

What seems like an hour passes by before a solemn-faced Viktor appears at the threshold of the entrance.

The captain follows behind, eternally calm and unaffected. He’s nothing more than a monster dressed in human clothes.

I will never forget his practical, methodical expression when he was looking at Nadia’s and Nicholas’s faces. Or when he received the news of his men’s death.

Nothing and no one can affect him, and I’m not sure why that fills me with a sense of dread.

Everyone stands at attention, and a shuffling of beds and limbs sounds from behind us as the injured men try to stand at attention.

“At ease,” Viktor says.

When everyone complies, Kirill steps to the middle of the room, naturally stealing everyone’s attention. He stands tall and erect, like a charismatic performer. When he speaks, his tone carries like a cool breeze. “The mission made me realize that I can’t escape my destiny and that if I attempt to, I’ll keep losing loyal men who followed me without asking questions. For that reason, I’m leaving the army and going back to New York. I understand if you want to stay here. I’ll personally make sure you’re transferred to elite units. Those who do not wish to remain here are welcome to come along. We’re leaving in three days.”

And with that, he turns and exits the room with Viktor in tow, leaving us in a jumble of confused emotions.





Not one, and I mean not one man, has decided to stay in the military. Not even those who secretly like the military lifestyle and the bursts of violence.

According to Maksim, their excuse is a simple, “We’ll get plenty of violence in New York; it’s just a different type of violence.”

That leaves me. I always thought I’d spend a few years in the military, go up in rank, and get close to the commandants so I could find out who ordered the hit on my family.

But due to the change in the situation, I’m not so sure about the next step.

So I call for an emergency meeting with Uncle Albert at the usual warehouse. My shoulders drop when I find out he’s come alone this time, without a certain little boy climbing him as if he were a tree.

My uncle has thinned, looking way unhealthier than he did the last time I saw him. It’s been only a month, but it feels like a year ago.

It’s strange how time functions. When I saw Nadia’s and Nicholas’s bodies three days ago, it felt as if I’d been thrown back in time to when my own family experienced a similar tragedy.

After we got to the base, I told Captain that I was going back to the village to make sure the couple were buried properly, but he said he’d already taken care of it. Not sure when he had the time, but he got it done.