Valerian
I yank open the door to the lawyer’s office and invite myself inside. The meeting isn’t for another four hours.
But I don’t have time to wait.
I don’t know. It’s not important.
Memorizing names isn’t how I’ll free my father.
“Your meeting with me isn’t for another—”
“Four hours. Noted.” I pull up a chair, taking a seat opposite his desk. “My father is in custody and they’re pressing charges.”
“I know. And I really want to help you out here—”
“Then do something. He hasn’t murdered anyone.”
“I know. And I believe you,” says Mikhail. He takes a seat at his desk. “But we don’t have any evidence.”
“I do. Just not in writing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Siguard Volkov.”
Mikhail bursts into laughter.
I pin him a glare across the desk. Nothing about this is funny.
“Siguard is one of Moscow’s most trusted politicians.”
“Well aware.”
“Why would he kill a young boy?”
“I don’t know. But he’s been messing with my father for years now. It all started when my father fucked his ex-wife.”
“Valerian—”
“They divorced. Two weeks later my father was caught with his pants down, fucking her in the back of a stolen car. I know how it all sounds. But I’m not making it up. Since then, Siguard has had a weird vendetta against my father.”
“Interesting,” says the lawyer, shuffling some documents around. He finds a pen. Starts jotting down notes. “But why did Singuard kill an innocent twelve-year-old?”
I shrug. “Power.”
Mikhail glances at me, reading every detail on my face like he’s actually curious to hear what I have to say. The rest of them call me crazy.
He’s the first person to actually listen.
Which is what I need.
I’m blowing all of my savings on this lawyer.
He’s one of the best in the city.
“Okay,” says Mikhail, clicking off his pen. “Here’s what we’ll do—I’ll arrange a meeting with the police and raise this to authorities.” The wooden chair creaks as he leans forward, catching my eye. “What you’re saying is very serious. You understand that, right, Valerian?”
“Right,” I answer. “But I’m spending a lot of fucking money to be here. I can’t afford to lie.”
“Let’s hope not,” says the lawyer, lifting from his seat. “And because you turned up four hours early, there will be an extra thirty-thousand rubles added onto your bill.” Mikhail sees me to the door. “I’ll speak to you later, Valerian.”
I clench my jaw. I could punch him straight in the face.
But it won’t help my case.
“Thanks,” I tell him as I leave his office.
I turn the corner and collide into someone.
I lock eyes with him. Singuard Volkov.
What the fuck is he doing here?
Mikhail is the only lawyer working today at his law firm.
Which means he’s here to see him.
“Ah,” says Singuard, flashing me a grating smile.
He’s thirteen years older than me. And I’m way taller.
“Mr. Sokolov. You’re the last person I thought I’d see coming out of a lawyer’s office.” He flashes me another smile. You can tell he works in politics. He looks like he hasn’t seen the sun for the last decade. “You’re the reason I was kept waiting five minutes for my appointment.”
“I know what you fucking did.”
Singuard raises his eyebrows. Bylat. He’s so professional and proper. He needs roughening out a bit. I’ll be the one to show him you can’t hide behind suits and white-collar jobs forever.
We’re all animals at the end of the day.
Especially him.
“I know you killed that twelve-year-old boy.”
Singuard frowns. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re—”
“My father’s innocent. And he will win. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Are you sure about that?” A horrible smile crawls onto Singuard’s face.
“Yes. Mikhail knows the truth.”
“Maybe he does,” says Singuard. “But lawyers tend to be selective, depending on how much money their clients are paying them.” He flashes me a wink.
“If I were you, I’d be making the most of your father’s custody, paying him visits instead of trying to make amends.
Let me give you a word of advice.” He steps closer.
“What you’re doing here is a waste of time. ”
Nausea rolls through me, anger following. He did it. He fucking slaughtered that twelve-year old boy and had my father arrested for manslaughter.
“When your father goes under trial, you won’t be able to visit him.
” Singuard steps closer. “And then, when he’s found guilty, he’ll be serving time in Kharp.
Yes.” He smirks. “You heard that right. The village is sixty kilometers away from the Arctic Circle. There’s no transport in and out.
Even if there was, you wouldn’t be able to visit him— visitors aren’t allowed.
” Singuard smirks. “Your father will be found guilty. He’ll be sent to Kharp, serving time in the freezing cold for years.
By the end of it, he’ll be begging for a bullet in the head to end his suffering. ”
White-hot anger flashes through me.
“You won’t get away with this.”
Singuard brushes past me, the smile widening on his face as he heads into Mikhail’s office. “I have already gotten away with this, Valerian.”
I wake up the following morning, the dream receding from my memory. Sweat drips down my forehead. I feel the anger from that day in my sleep. I still relive it like it happened yesterday.
Along with that rainy afternoon when Father was sent away to Kharp.
The last image I have of him was his hand waving goodbye through the car window. He couldn’t even raise it all the way because of the handcuffs.
“I’ll make the world pay.” Those were my final words to him before the police shoved him into the back of the car. “I promise.”
I tear the sheets away from me, getting ready for the day.
I grab my phone, scrolling through real estate emails and other notifications. Nothing from Igor yet. It’s been two days since I took his apartment. One day since I married his girl—who he was hoping to use as a vessel to steal money from me.
He must still be trying to do that if he hasn’t been in contact yet… He’s not even been back to his apartment.
I’ll wait for him to realize it no longer belongs to him.
Sometimes it’s more fun when they find out the truth on their own.
I stuff my phone in my pants pocket, heading downstairs.
I won’t be taken advantage of again. Not by politicians who think they can get away with everything. Not even by my own son.
The Bratva is how I remain on top.