Chapter 12
12
Kirill
The Next Morning
" Y ou wanted to see us?" Sean states, entering the gym with Brax.
"Which one of you wants to fight?" I ask, grabbing my boxing gloves off the wall.
"I will," they both say in unison, with deep scowls on their faces.
It's a perfect way to greet me. I've barely slept, fighting my guilt, going over the different options before me. It all makes me feel unhinged, and the need to take it out on someone digs into the pit of my gut.
"Get out of the way, Brax," Sean orders, reaching for another pair of gloves. His hatred for me flares like fire raging in a dry forest, ready to incinerate everything in its path.
Brax whines, "You always take all the fun away."
Sean ignores him, steps under the rope, and cracks his neck. He pounds his gloves together, then warms up by jumping up and down.
My trainer, Vlad, studies him, then glances at me. "Sir, are you sure this is smart on such an important day?"
"Yep," I answer, ducking under the rope .
Vlad argues, "We don't have a referee."
I grunt. "Brax can do it."
"He's his friend," Vlad points out.
"Shut the fuck up," Brax snarls, insulted.
Vlad crosses his arms. "You aren't unbiased."
"Neither are you."
"I'm not the one calling the shots in the ring."
"You aren't qualified," Brax asserts.
Vlad barks, "A referee should have no conflict of interest."
"Does anyone in our world ever have no conflict of interest?" Brax spouts.
"Enough!" I snap.
Sean fumes, "Are we doing this or not?"
"We are," I reply, and step to the center of the ring.
Sean moves in front of me. "Good. I've been waiting to pound your face until it's bloody."
Brax enters the ring, holds his arm in the air, then brings it down, shouting, "Box!"
"Wait!" Valentina screams.
Sean turns, and I land a hard punch on his cheek. He flies across the ring and lands on his ass. Rage explodes in his eyes, and he jumps up, ready to kill me.
"It's Fiona!" Valentina shrieks.
I turn toward her. "What about her? "
Sean's body flies at me and knocks me to the ground. He grits out, "Motherfucking, Petrov!"
"Stop them!" Valentina orders.
Adrenaline courses through me. I flip Sean onto his back and reach for his throat.
He grips mine just as tight.
"This isn't the time!" Valentina cries out.
Vlad tries to pull me off Sean, but I'm too angry to release him.
Sean's just as determined to kill me. His greens burn into my stare. He increases his hold around my throat and tries to kick me.
"Brax! Do something!" Valentina orders.
He calmly replies, "Don't get your panties in a twist. They'll figure it out."
"This isn't funny! Fiona's having chest pains and can't breathe."
I release Sean's neck, turning my head, but I can't speak. The slight angle gives him the ability to tighten his hold on me and cuts off my air supply.
Brax grabs Sean's wrists and pulls, commanding, "Time to pause, bro." Sean releases me, and I gasp for air, rolling off him.
"Grow up. All of you!" Valentina scolds.
As soon as I can speak, I jump up, asking, "Did you call the medics?"
She glares at me but answers, "Yes. Of course."
"What's wrong with her?" Sean asks in panic, stepping next to me.
Valentina puts her hand on her hip and points at us. "Of all the days, you pick today to kill each other? Do you ever think of anyone but yourselves? "
Brax grunts. "It's just a friendly boxing match."
She pins her murderous glare on him. "Don't open your mouth again."
"Or what? You're going to spank me?" he taunts.
She narrows her eyes. "I'll deal with you later." She refocuses on Sean and me. "You two better cut this shit out."
I duck under the rope and jump to the ground. "What's wrong with Fiona's heart?"
Valentina shakes her head. "I don't know. The medics are there now. Zara is with her."
"She's in the queen's quarters?" I ask, stepping toward the door.
Valentina lunges in front of me. "You can't go there, and you know it."
"Like hell I can't," I declare, reaching around her for the doorknob.
She backs against the wooden door, snapping, "They'll kill you if you attempt to see her."
"So what?" I bark, turning the knob.
Valentina's eyes widen. "They'll kill Fiona too!"
I freeze, my chest rising and falling in short bursts, staring at the intricate pattern on the door above Valentina's head.
"Where's the queen's quarters?" Sean questions, stepping next to us.
She scoffs. "You aren't allowed there either."
"Bullshit. She's my sister," he claims.
"So what? You aren't special. The rules apply to you too, so deal with it," Valentina retorts.
"Such a bossy little minx today," Brax interjects, a proud note to his tone.
"Shut up," Sean and I growl at the same time .
He holds his hands in the air. "Touchy, touchy."
"Shut up," Sean repeats in a harsher tone.
"Tell me what happened," I order.
"All of you go sit down, and I will," she instructs.
I stay planted.
"Go." She points.
Sean caves first, stomping toward the weights and sitting on a bench. "Start talking, Valentina."
I stand back and cross my arms.
"I'm not speaking until you sit," she warns, pinning her challenging stare on me.
I finally break and find another bench.
She looks at Brax and Vlad.
"Sit," I bark at them.
They obey.
Valentina leans away from the door. "They wheeled in breakfast. The three of us were sitting around the table, and Zara was talking."
"About what?" I ask.
Valentina shrugs. "I don't remember. Something about the twins. Everything was normal, but then Fiona said her heart was racing. Her breathing became short and choppy, and her face turned bright red."
"Does she have a history of heart issues?" I ask Sean.
He shakes his head. "No." Worry laces his expression.
Valentina continues, "The medics gave her an EKG. Aside from the elevated heart rate and shortness of breath, they said she's fine. They think it might be a panic attack. "
A feeling of helplessness washes over me, and my heart squeezes with fear.
Brax queries, "Fiona's never had panic attacks before, has she?"
"Not to my knowledge," Sean admits.
"I thought you would want to know. I'll let you know more information as I receive it," Valentina states, then slips out the door.
I race toward it and exit the gym, shutting the door behind me.
She spins to face me. "You can't follow me."
"I know. I just..."
Valentina arches her eyebrows, still upset.
I gather my thoughts and finally offer, "Please tell her I hope she's okay."
"I'll leave out the part about how her brother and you are acting like toddlers," she scoffs.
"He had it coming," I blurt out.
Her gaze darkens.
"Don't look at me like that. I saved his ass, and now I'm in the shit along with his sister. And he changed the course. All of this is because of the choices he and Zara made," I argue.
Her disapproving look intensifies.
"Stop looking at me like I'm wrong," I say.
She steps closer and reminds me, "You chose to give your token."
"To save his ass and Zara's."
"You chose." She jabs me in the chest.
My heart pounds harder. I clench my jaw .
She lowers her voice. "For God's sake, today is not the day to have blood and bruises on your face. How do you think Fiona will feel if your mask comes off and your face is unrecognizable?"
I grunt. "She might prefer it."
Valentina jerks her head back, gaping at me.
Self-loathing swirls in my gut, mixing with the disappointment I feel about relaying my inner thoughts out loud.
"Grow up, Kirill. Don't make this about you."
I grind my molars.
"We chose this life. Fiona's been thrown into it, thanks to Sean's and your choices. She's saving all your asses. And don't think for one minute you aren't to blame. So before you kill her brother, think about what it'll do to her. In fact, why don't you try to make peace with him? Hating Sean won't make this transition any easier on her."
I stay quiet, wallowing in guilt. The last thing I want to do is hurt Fiona further.
Valentina tosses another sharp look my way, spins on her heel, and disappears down the hall.
For several moments, I lean against the wall, considering all she said. I squeeze my fists at my sides, hating that something is going on with Fiona and I'm not there. I finally decide Valentina's right. The only thing I can do right now is try to make peace with Sean.
I open the door and enter the gym.
Sean scowls at me.
"Let's go," I order.
"Where?" Brax questions.
I cross the room and open another door. I step into the hall and then turn my head. "Are you coming? "
Vlad steps into the hallway next to me.
Brax and Sean exchange glances.
I shrug. "Suit yourselves." I take a few more steps.
"Wait up," Brax calls out.
I stop until they're in the hall and then lead them to my royal quarters. I open the door to the main area and pick up the phone.
"Good morning, Your Majesty. May I help you?" a woman's voice answers.
I reply, "Brunch for four, please."
"Yes, sir. Anything else?" she asks.
"No, thank you." I hang up and go to the bar. I pour two tumblers of vodka and two whiskeys. I hand Vlad the vodka, then the whiskeys to Sean and Brax. I grab mine and take too large of a mouthful. It burns all the way to my stomach, and I grimace.
"Pussy," Sean mutters, then downs a large mouthful, trying not to wince himself.
I grunt. "Who's the pussy?"
"You're all pussies," Vlad states, finishing his glass in three mouthfuls and never once making a face.
Brax chuckles. "Vlad's a true alcoholic or has no taste buds."
Vlad grins. "I'm true Russian—a real man."
Brax nods and drinks half of his, wincing slightly.
I point at the table. "Please. Sit."
Brax grabs the back of a chair, turns it, and sits. Vlad sits next to him.
Sean hesitates .
I shrug. "Fine. Stand the entire time." I grab the decanters of vodka and whiskey, set them on the table, and grab a seat.
Sean eventually gives in and takes the last chair.
I refill Vlad's tumbler, then top off the others. I take another sip and lean back, studying Sean.
"If you're going to stare at me the entire time, I'm leaving," he says.
I curl my fists.
Think of Fiona.
I resist the urge to slap him, and uncurl my fingers. I inch forward, tap the table, and challenge, "Do you want to make this harder or easier on your sister?"
Rage fills his features. He barks, "If you lay a hand on my sister, I'll slice you to pieces, then feed you your balls."
"I would never hurt, Fiona. Get your head out of the gutter."
Brax grunts. "Sounded like a threat to me."
I fling the back of my hand against his head.
"Ouch!" he cries out.
I point to him and Vlad. "You and you. Get out."
"What did I do?" Vlad asks.
"Nothing. Keep this one out of my hair. Go in the other room. Watch TV or something," I suggest.
"Come on. I'm hungry," Brax gripes.
"You can eat there. Now, don't make me tell you again," I threaten.
Vlad rises and nods toward the other room. "You heard the king. Let's go. "
Brax leaps out of his chair, shaking his head. He begrudgingly follows Vlad into the other room.
When the door's shut, I turn to Sean. "You and I have some things to work out."
"Like why you're such a prick?" he mutters.
Anger courses through me. I breathe through it, remembering that this talk will either hurt or help Fiona. When I'm calm enough to speak, I declare, "You and I both got Fiona into this mess. If we all walk out of here alive, it's because she married me. That means, she'll have a lot to deal with once the outside world knows she married a Petrov."
"No shit," he snarls.
"Don't you think it's better for her if we get over whatever it is between us?" I ask.
His face hardens. He keeps his disapproving gaze on me.
The bell rings.
"Come in," I shout.
The door opens, and a server steps inside. He bows. "Your Majesty."
"Thank you," I reply.
He rises, then wheels a large cart inside. The scent of bacon, sausage, pancakes, and cinnamon fills the air.
My stomach growls. I point to the door, directing, "Set it up in the other room, please. You can leave through the southern exit."
"Yes, sir." He disappears through the door.
Once it's shut, I continue, "Is staying pissed at me worth hurting Fiona?"
Sean's jaw twitches .
"Well?" I push.
He sighs. "No."
"Good. I don't think so either. So besides the fact I'm a Petrov and marrying your sister, what else is the issue?"
"Isn't that enough?" he questions.
I shrug. "I don't know. Is it?"
He stays silent.
"Something tells me you're upset with me for more than that," I push.
"More than just that? Like that isn't enough?" he bites out.
I hold my hands in the air. "I'm just trying to get to the root cause of our issues so we can get past them."
He glowers.
I add, "For Fiona's sake. Eternity is a long time."
He grinds his molars.
I finish my vodka, then say, "Fine. Have it your way. Don't say I didn't try when your sister is suffering worse than anticipated." I rise and take a step toward the door.
"Wait!"
I slowly turn back around.
He points to my chair. "Sit."
I don't move.
"Don't make this harder for me," he warns. He finishes his whiskey and then taps his tumbler.
I return to my seat and wait for him to speak .
Hatred looms in his expression. "Your family is the lowest scum on Earth."
The pit in my stomach grows. I reply, "I'll agree that many of my family members are what you claim."
He grunts. "I'm supposed to believe you aren't?"
"I don't know. You tell me. I don't rape women, force them into brothels, nor do I mutilate females or children."
He sits back, crosses his arms, and puts his ankle on his knee. "I'm supposed to believe you when generations of Petrov men before you tortured too many women and children to count?"
Bile rises in my throat. I fight it back and say, "Your father did."
"Why did he?" Sean questions.
The numbing pain over the night Sean Sr. discovered I wasn't like my father emerges. I push past it and answer, "He saw I was different."
Sean stares at me.
"You have to choose whether or not to give me the benefit of the doubt. But I promise you, over time, you'll learn I'm telling you the truth," I state.
The tension in the room builds again. Neither of us flinch.
I add, "Your sister will be queen, and you have my word she'll always be treated as one."
"So was Anne Boleyn until King Henry VIII beheaded her," Sean notes.
"He was paranoid and psychotic," I point out.
"And you're not?"
"No. I'm not," I refute in a stern tone.
A heavy silence falls between us .
I cut through it. "Let's assume you give me the benefit of the doubt on this topic. What else upsets you about me marrying your sister?"
He pins his eyebrows together, then looks away.
The hairs on my arms rise. I swallow down years of loathing and lower my voice. "Ah. I see. It's my scar, isn't it?"
He meets my gaze. In a sympathetic tone, he says, "I don't mean to be a prick, but you're not the type of guy my sister dates."
"I know."
He taps his empty tumbler again, continuing, "Don't you think it's cruel to subject her to marrying a man she'll never find attractive?"
Never.
She will never find me attractive.
His words slice through me like the knife that slid over my face and body. It's not a new realization, but hearing him say the truth out loud hurts more than I thought it would. I work my hardest to keep my neutral expression, and wait until I know my voice will come out strong before I confess, "Yes, it's cruel. However, I didn't pick her to marry me."
"You should consider yourself lucky they chose my sister for you!" he hurls, his face turning red as he lowers his foot to the floor.
I hold my hands in the air. "Calm down. I didn't mean it like that."
He breathes harder, scowling.
I let him cool off a bit, then continue, "I meant that I wouldn't have ever chosen to put her through this. I'm aware of my flaws, and understand I'll never be the type of man she would willingly want to marry. Yet here we are, in a situation where everyone does what the Omni wants or we all die. So are you holding my scar against me for the rest of our lives? "
He ponders my question and then replies, "No. I guess that's not fair." He shifts in his seat and admits, "I'm not mad about your scar. I'm pissed at myself for involving my sister in our mess."
"You and me both," I agree.
He nods. "We fucked up, didn't we?"
"I don't know. Do you regret that you and Zara are still alive?" I ask.
He scrubs his face. "No. Of course not. But we shouldn't have tried so hard to get our seat at the table."
I pour another glass of whiskey for him. "I disagree with you on that point."
"Why?"
"Your father wanted both you and Fiona at the table. It was important to him," I insist.
Sean shrugs. "I don't even see the point. I feel more powerless than ever since we took our seats. Zara does too."
I refill my tumbler. "My guess is you won't forever."
"Why? What's going to change?"
I take a drink, set it down, and lean closer. "I am king. Tonight, your sister becomes queen. Our debt will be cleared, and things will return to normal."
"What does normal even mean?" Sean asks.
I drink more vodka and rise. I go to the desk, hold my hand over the paper to shield it from cameras and write, You and I are going to clean house. The Underworld will be what your father meant it to be. I promise you.
I walk over to Sean and put it on his lap, strategically blocking the cameras .
He reads it and looks at me in question.
I crumple the note, go to the fireplace, and toss it inside. The edges curl in the flames, and I don't take my eyes off it until the entire piece is incinerated.
All I hope is that I'm making some progress with Sean.
For Fiona's sake, I have to.