Chapter 43
That Kind Of Girl
Jade
Iclicked the mouse and opened a new browser window, typing in his name with trembling fingers.
Alexander Martinov
I expected to see his pictures. A whole spread on The Nightcrawlers. Articles from local and national newspapers, maybe some videos of Andrei's arrest. Of course, there would be an interview with my father—his achievements in this case and how he was the one who brought down the ‘Bratva thugs.’
But there was nothing. I scrolled through the first and second pages of Google’s results, anxiously reading every link, but it’s like Alex was a ghost.
Like he’d never even existed.
“Jade? I want you to take the lead on this case.”
My father walked into my office, startling me. He peered over his glasses, holding an open file in his hands. “You need to catch up on this because Justice Rowan is expecting a coherent rundown, not a bunch of crap.”
He dropped the file on my desk and withdrew a page. “You’ve been gone three months, and I felt your absence.” His voice softened suddenly. “I’m glad you’re back to work so we can get this righ—”
“How did Xavier find me and Alex? At that motel?” My voice shook, but I forced myself to speak.
It was my first day back at work and the very first day without a bodyguard, and I had no intention of catching up on anything. My life was splintered, and while I lived in prison, I lost all obligations.
“As I said,” my father continued, ignoring my question. “You’re going to take the lead on this, and there’s a lot to go ov—”
“You already won, just answer my question! How did he find us? Were you following us?”
My father stared at me; his eyes filled with disapproval. His eyes were green just like mine, and I hated that. I hated everything about me that came from him—the color of my eyes, my last name, my stubbornness, my anger.
My whole entire bloodline.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I pleaded for an answer. “Do you hate me? Did I hurt you somehow? Do you like to see me suffer?”
His eyebrows jumped up, and he took a step toward my empty desk, slowly sinking into a chair.
“No, Jady,” he implored, offended I’d ask that. “I love you. I want to see you happy. See you smile and enjoy your life. Marriage…” he trailed off, oblivious to my racing heartbeat. “Marriage is one of the most, if not the most important things in life.”
I tried to catch my breath, unnerved by how composed he was.
“And arranging that for you was my first priority. I understand it might take time for you two to work it out, but Xavier is the life partner you want beside you. He’s smart, rich, and he loves you very mu—”
“Arrange? What does that mean? What did you arrange?” I interrupted, stuck on one specific word. Cold sweat beaded on my palms as I watched my father stand and close my office door, promptly turning back to me.
“Nothing,” he shook his head. “It doesn’t mean anything. Xavier came to me for a blessing, and I gave it to him.”
I gulped, holding back the bitter tears, having no clue what to say, what to think, or how to continue this charade.
“Under one condition,” he suddenly added, his gaze eating me alive.
I understood then.
In the stifling stillness of my office, we looked at each other, both of the same blood and flesh, but the true definition of enemies.
“You promised me to Xavier.” Xavier’s words rushed back to me. I’m entitled to what was promised to me. “You promised that he could have me…if he killed Alex,” I summarized quietly, the last of my heart grinding into dust.
Sebastian Moretti—U.S. Attorney, murderer, the worst father in the world—strolled toward the window behind me.
“You knew,” I murmured. “You knew Alex was with me. And instead of talking to me…you planned it all behind my back.”
“You think you’re so smart, Jade, but you’re just a stupid little girl. I knew who took you right after you came back. Slater told us.”
I twisted my head to my father, not expecting this news.
“Well, he didn’t say it outright, but…he told us they were getting desperate.
Looking for ways to dampen the pressure we were putting on them, and you know what?
” He turned to me, his hands behind his back, and all of him so relaxed and casual.
“It almost worked. I was very worried about you. If they demanded to shut it all down in exchange for you…I would’ve agreed. ”
I sat glued to my chair, stunned by my father’s sincerity. He knew. And he pretended so well.
“When their office burned down, I had very strong suspicions you told them we were coming. And then Xavier confirmed it all for me. And I had to act. You chose him over me—I get that.” He nodded, looking away again. “But you can’t stand up to me, Jade, I’m sorry. I’m always one step ahead.”
I sniffled loudly, the image of dying Alex ever present in my eyes.
“Wh-why didn’t you just t-talk to me?” I whispered. “Why didn’t you s-say something?”
“Talk to you? You would have let him go? No.” He clicked his tongue and chuckled bitterly. “No, it all worked out perfectly. Alex is dead, Pavlov will rot away in prison. I have enough dirt on him to keep him there until his time comes. I’ll pull all the strings to break him down.”
My father turned back to me, the spark in his eyes making me cry harder. The bitterness on my tongue, the fluttering of my battered heart, the pain inside me…it was all his. He stood there and watched the way he squished me into nothing.
“I’ll make Pavlov sign anything I want,” he continued, his voice cold and cruel.
“He’s still refusing, but I’m playing hardball too, and mark my words, Jade—” he pointed his finger at me.
“He’s close. And I got what I wanted—the perfect resolution to The Nightcrawler's case.
One dead, one behind bars for life. Better than I could have ever imagined. "
He stepped back then, slowly walking toward the door, leaving me in my chair—empty and crushed like never before.
“Get started on the case and take the weekend to go over it. You can lead the Monday morning meeting."
Just like that, he walked out, leaving me in the suffocating silence of the information he dropped on me.
You would have let him go? No.
No. I would have never let him go.
The guilt flooded me again. Alex proposed we should leave—just hop on a plane and leave, but I was the one who said we shouldn’t run. That we should stand up to my father. Crush him.
Instead, he crushed us both.
“Miss Moretti, these are the files—oh,” Cindy, my father’s secretary, stood in the doorway, her worried eyes taking me in. “A-are you alright?” She stepped inside the office, cautiously approaching me.
I sniffled and wiped my nose with a sleeve, unable to quell the tears. “Y-yes. S-sorry, Cindy.”
“Did you want—here.” She passed me a box of tissues and stood there, looking me over like I was about to break into a thousand pieces.
“I-I’m sorry, Cindy, what do you have for—”
“Do you want to talk about it?” She interrupted and quickly sat down on the chair in front of me, her eyes shining bright.
Talk about it. There weren’t enough words in the world to ever explain my pain.
“Is it…is it work? I know you’ve been gone on medical leave, and please, don’t think I’m prying, but may—”
“My father ordered to k-kill Alex M-Martinov,” I squeaked, descending into sobs again. I gasped for air, the pain of saying it paralyzing me. “We-we were in love. And my father, he…”
Cindy sat in front of me like a statue, blinking and trying to take in my incoherent blabbering.
“The Nightcrawlers…they—they kidnapped me. And Alex and I fell in love, and…”
And there was nothing more to say. Nothing more to cry over.
“I’m sorry, Cindy.” I sniffled, staggering to my feet. “I’m s-sorry, I’m just—I have no one to t-talk to! I live with a monster! A man who thrives off my pain and my father—” I choked out, my head threatening to explode. “He—he arranged it all! Promised me to him!”
I couldn’t see Cindy anymore. Couldn’t see or hear or feel.
“Miss…”
I stood from my chair and swayed in front of my desk, trying to figure out what to do next. I couldn’t stay at the office, couldn’t look at the man who betrayed me in the worst possible way.
“Take care, Cindy. Thank you for your help.”
Cindy was crying too, but I had nothing else to say. One foot in front of the other, I walked out of my office and headed to the police station.
Julian’s office looked just like the last time I was here.
"Jade!" he exclaimed with happiness. "It's so nice to see you! Where’ve you been?" For some reason, he threw his arms around me and pulled me into an awkward hug, like we hadn’t seen each other in years.
It lasted only a few seconds, but for the first time in a long time...a positive feeling sparked inside me. It felt great—to touch a human being and to see a face that wasn't Xavier or his security.
“Do you want coffee?” Julian welcomed me to his desk and took a seat in front of me. I shook my head, knowing that I couldn’t keep coffee down.
“I’m okay, thanks. I’m just dropping by for five minutes, but I’m hoping you can help me.”
Julian beamed, nodding eagerly. “Yeah? What do you need?” He seemed more confident than before. Wrapping up The Nightcrawlers case really pumped some energy into him.
“I don’t work for my father anymore,” I lied, and Julian’s face dropped. “I’m Andrei Pavlov’s defense attorney, and I know he’s been denied his rights. I need you to tell me where he is and how to see him.”
Julian didn’t blink. He just sat there like an idiot and watched me with apprehension; the humming of the air vent the only sound in the room.
I waited. Forbade myself from saying anything else lest I spooked him while he was thinking it over.
“I-I’d have to verify if I can—”
“You don’t have to verify anything. You know he’s being detained on false charges.”
Something akin to confidence spouted inside me. Alex was dead. I couldn’t save him, no. In fact, his death was my fault, but maybe I could still fight for Andrei and reunite him with his family.