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

The halls are silent, and a more nefarious energy reeks from the walls, growing the farther I go down the hall.

Once I arrive in front of the room I’ve come for, I stop and inhale a deep breath. That proves to be futile, though, since my heart rate picks up.

All of a sudden, the door opens, and I’m greeted by a hellion of a girl. Even though she looks more presentable in her black, lacy mourning dress and a veil that covers half her face, there’s no other word to describe Karina except for menacing.

“What do you want?” she asks with a psychopathic grin. “Oh, have you come to have your throat slit?”

“No,” I say bluntly. “But I did want to talk to you.”

“Oh, fuck off. Don’t you have to be that bastard Kirill’s shadow or something?” She’s about to slam the door in my face, but I jam a hand against it and force my way inside.

Her room is dark, all the curtains are drawn, and she has some satanic-like circle of candles in the right corner.

It smells like her, though. Something lavender-y and girly.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, asshole? I’m gonna scream the whole house down, you fucking psycho! You’re going to be dead before you blink.”

“Is that so?”

She swallows, her throat moving up and down. “If you think I’m bluffing, try me. I swear to fuck I’m gonna have the guards skin you alive while I watch.”

“Funny you’d say that, because I could swear you don’t like it whenever people are around. That’s why you only have your meals in your room and even ask the maids to leave them in front of the door so you won’t have contact with them. It’s also why you ran away from the funeral without even showing your face.”

“That’s none of your business, you stupid fuck! I’m gonna have your balls for dinner tonight. We will see if you’ll continue using that tone then.”

“That won’t be possible, but here’s what might.” I pause until she starts tapping her heel on the floor, showing her lack of patience. “How about you support Kirill?”

“I’ll support him in Hell when he’s being burned for eternity.”

“You act like you can’t stand the sight of him, but really, he’s the only one who thought of you today. Not only did he ask the cook to send breakfast and lunch to your room, but he also specifically told your mother to leave you out of the proceedings. She didn’t listen, but his intention was there.”

Her lips purse, but there’s a subtle softness in the corners of her eyes.

So I was right. Karina acts like murdering Kirill is her life’s mission, but I often catch glimpses of her watching him from behind the curtain of her window like a creep.

She also makes sure to barge into his room every night to threaten him, but she no longer carries weapons.

He ends up hugging her, and she runs back to her room, cursing him all the way to Hell.

It’s not that she hates him. It’s that she probably feels abandoned by him. Someone as reclusive and odd as she is has lost her sense of reality. She’s too sheltered, too spoiled, and too rich for her own good. As a result, she keeps her distance from the world, but when she gets attached to someone, it’s for life.

I’m guessing Kirill was that someone, but when he left, she didn’t take it well.

“What do I care what that piece of shit does?” She lifts her chin. “Why don’t you do the world a favor and drive him off a cliff so both of you can die?”

“Careful what you wish for, Miss. If Kirill doesn’t succeed in his endeavors, he’ll go back to Russia.”

“Hmph. As if Kirill would change his mind so soon. You know nothing about him, asshole.”

“I certainly know more than you do. He already left you once, do you honestly think he won’t do it again? Will you be able to survive this time?”

Her smug expression falls and she stares at me in horror. “You…you…”

“Remember my words.” I salute her with two fingers and walk out of the room under an onslaught of her curses.

Yes, I could’ve gone about this a different way, but I didn’t have time. Or maybe I’m just being molded into someone of Kirill’s caliber.

At any rate, Karina is the only ally he can have here, despite her antics.

At least I hope she chooses to be on his side in this internal war.

Now, I need to figure out how to help Kirill get to the top. The more I’m of use, the more he’ll trust me.

The more he trusts me, the closer I’ll get to revealing his father’s involvement in my family’s death.





18





KIRILL





I have a plan.

It’ll take time, effort, and, most importantly, patience, but sooner or later, it’ll work.

Everyone in the organization thinks I wasted time in Russia, but it was the military that shaped my strategic mind into its current state.

While my father’s brutal torture filled my mind with red, it’s the military’s discipline that allowed me to redirect that energy into clear focus.

My plan is dangerous and has a twenty percent margin of error, which is undeniably a lot, but I choose to focus on the eighty percent success rate.

I stroll out of my room to find Viktor at the door. His expression is solemn, but his attitude hasn’t changed since we returned—something I appreciate. “The Pakhan has set a meeting for later today at which you and Konstantin have to be present.”