Chapter 36
Mikhail
The man doesn’t even gasp, staring at me as the bullet plows through his brain, entering through a neat hole in his forehead and exiting in a flurry of blood, brain matter, and bone fragments through a much larger hole in the back of his skull.
I could have taken my time killing him, but I don’t care enough about him to torture him.
I just need him gone. He was the last member of the Morozovs’ inner circle, the last person who survived the devastating fire of the mansion and could potentially point a finger at me, although I’ve been careful to cover my tracks.
There’s still the boss’ youngest son, who’s been abroad for months before the attack and hasn’t really been a part of the operations, so he’s no threat.
If he becomes one, I’ll take him out too, but for now I need to get back to my Doll.
I’ve been away from her for too long, and it has definitely affected my mood in the worst way possible.
I suppose I didn’t have to kill that drugstore cashier, especially since I’m supposed to be lying low now, but he was such an annoying, whiny fucker I couldn’t deal with him for a second longer.
Really, I’ve done the world a favor removing him from the population.
Besides, they’ll never even find his body, let alone connect me to his disappearance, so there’s no risk.
Still, I need to get back to Grace before my grumpiness gets me in trouble.
My fuse is entirely too short without her around to calm me.
First, though, I need to get the lay of the land and find out what’s being said about the fire and who’s responsible for it.
Since canvassing the streets wouldn’t help me maintain the illusion that I’m dead, I have to get information elsewhere, and there’s only one person in the world I trust.
Cameron picks up on the first ring. I hope that means he’s at home and not working. “Cameron Matthews,” he says, not recognizing the number since I’m calling from a burner phone. “What can I do for you?”
“Are you alone?”
“Well, that’s a weird question to ask… OH MY GOD! Mikhail?! You’re alive!”
I roll my eyes. “I am, but you better be alone and not screaming my name out loud in front of customers.”
“Right, sure. Sorry man. It’s fine. I’m home alone.
But fuck! Mikhail, I thought you were dead.
Everyone thinks you’re dead! They found a body in the Morozov’s basement and matched it to you based on dental records since it was apparently burnt to a crisp.
I fucking grieved you, man! I even started sketching an ink to commemorate my best friend’s death, and you’re alive! ”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t want to drag you into my mess.”
Cameron sighs. “Yes, because you always have to do everything on your own. You Bratva assholes all think asking for help would make you look weak or something, but I swear to you, if you’re hiding from whoever took out the Morozovs, I can—” He pauses, then gasps.
We’ve been friends for a long time, and he knows me well enough to guess what really happened.
“Oh. My. God. It was you, wasn’t it? You single-handedly took down the entire family, didn’t you?
Jesus fucking Christ, Mikhail. You don’t half-ass anything. ”
“No, I don’t,” I say, laughing. “I thought it was time for a change of scenery, and I wasn’t really in a position to quit, so…”
“So you killed everyone. Sure, that’s an absolutely normal reaction,” he says dryly. “Dude, I can’t even… It was about one of your Dolls, wasn’t it?”
He really does know me well. “Yes. She’s perfect.
I’m taking her, and we’ll leave, but I need to know we won’t be followed.
What’s being said about the Morozovs around our circles?
” Cameron doesn’t belong to any of the crime families.
He’s an extremely talented tattoo artist and remains strictly neutral.
He’s probably inked half of the local underworld.
The important half, too. His position makes him the best source of gossip in the area, but he’s known to be tight-lipped, so people don’t have any issues talking to him.
I step back from the widening pool of blood because I don’t want it to get on my shoes. They’re nice shoes.
Cameron hums thoughtfully. “Well, the word is that someone took out the Morozovs, obviously. Most people guess it was the Italians or Brazilians because they also deal in the flesh trade, but everyone is too busy fighting for scraps to really care who did it. Your name was never even mentioned, just that the Doll trainer died in the mansion. How did you manage that, by the way?”
“I swapped the dental records with one of the enforcers. Then I knocked everyone out, locked the place down, and set it on fire.”
Cameron whistles. “Fuck, dude, remind me never to get on your bad side. You’re one mad motherfucker. And all that for a Doll. They must be special.”
There’s a wistful note in Cameron’s voice, and I can’t help but feel bad for my friend. “She is. You still haven’t found a new pet?”
“I haven’t been looking. After that last one… I don’t want to go through training someone and getting used to them just to lose them again. Having to put them down sucks.”
Having been the one to “put down” quite a few of Cameron’s pets, I agree, but once they’re broken and withdrawn, they’re no fun to have around.
It’s odd they keep breaking, because Cameron isn’t really a sadist; he doesn’t hurt them that much.
I put Grace through much worse stuff, and she still smiled at me afterwards.
Cam needs someone like her, someone who will truly appreciate serving their Master, but I’m not in a position to go people-hunting right now.
I promise myself to keep my eyes open, though.
Cameron’s the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and he deserves to be happy.
“I’m sorry, man. I’m sure there’s someone out there for you. ”
Cameron snorts. “Pfft. Look at you, all optimistic. Is this Doll of yours a miracle worker? Because no offense, Mikhail, but you’re like the most pessimistic person I know. Or you used to be, anyway.”
“Yeah, being in love changes you. I’m all zen now.”
He bursts out laughing at my faux-sage tone. “You’re so full of shit. So, you’re leaving?” He masks it well, but I’ve known him since elementary school, and I can hear the sadness in his voice.
“Yeah, but once things die down, you can come and visit. I’ll need a cover-up for my forearm.
” I smirk as I look at the writing on my skin.
Dolls are not for you. Yeah, it will need to be covered up because it’s all bullshit.
“I’ll let you know. Just keep your ears open, please, and if you hear any rumors about me—”
“I’ll let you know, don’t worry. Take care, Mike.”
I grimace at that. He knows how much I hate that nickname but still uses it to tease me endlessly, the fucker.
I suppose that’s what friends are for. “You too, camboy,” I throw back at him, laughing as he sputters.
“Stay safe, asshole. I’ll call.” With that, I end the call, lest I start getting all sappy about missing my best friend.
I’m a grown man, after all. It’s bad enough that I’m a sappy idiot when it comes to Grace, but when it’s a romantic partner, I guess some sappiness is warranted.
When it comes to my best friend, it absolutely isn’t.
Even if it’s a best friend I hooked up with once upon a time.
It didn’t work out because we’re both dominant as fuck, and we were happy to go back to just being friends.
I really will have to find someone for Cameron, though.
I know how much he hates being alone, and knowing he’s sad puts a damper on my own happiness.
Or perhaps it’s just being away from my Doll for so long.
Going back to masturbating after being buried deep inside Grace’s cunt sucks, and not in the fun way.
I’m itching to hurt her, to hear those lovely cries and whimpers, to lick her tears and then her pussy, to have those two flavors mixing on our tongues as I kiss her.
Great, now I’ve gotten myself hard. I contemplate jerking off right now, but leaving genetic material on a dead body probably wouldn’t be smart, so I just press the heel of my palm into my aching erection, shifting it in my pants to a slightly more comfortable position where it doesn’t brush against the zipper so much.
In hindsight, I should have worn underwear, but I’m so used to walking around my apartment in nothing but sweatpants that it didn’t even occur to me.
Looking around to make sure I didn’t leave anything other than the body behind, I exit through the back door and slip through the small patch of trees separating the house from the next road.
I’ve already checked there are no cameras here, so once I’m sure no one’s around, I walk down the street looking like I don’t have a worry in the world.
Well, except for the hard-on that won’t quit.
Fuck, I need to retrieve my Doll as soon as possible.
Fortunately, I’ve kept track of her and know exactly where to find her.
Tonight, we will finally be together again. I can’t wait.