Chapter 25
Maddox
My name was called this morning for a court appearance and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Yesterday was absolute hell not hearing from Kai or even being able to reach out to him.
On the way to the courthouse I hope not to see Kai sitting in the room and that he’s at his and Mel’s graduation.
My only other hope is that someone at least got a message to Zak and that they’re making moves.
I meet Ronnie in the hallway of the courthouse and from the corner of my eye I spot Zak, toothpick planted in the corner of his mouth, casually leaning against a wall at the end of the hall.
While Ronnie rambles on about whatever bullshit he’s spewing, I hold my breath locking eyes with Zak.
Without words he knows what I’m worried about.
He nods and I can breathe again, ‘Kitten is at graduation and safe.’ Feeling the tension drain from my shoulders, I roll my eyes back toward Ronnie, pretending to listen. ‘I can handle whatever comes next. Kai’s good. Tomas and Grigory are at graduation and have eyes on Kai and Mel.’
Ronnie finally shuts up, and I get 5 minutes of silence before my name is called. When I enter the courtroom, Daniels stands and my mouth drops. I panic, “I didn’t do that. Ronnie, I hit him once, not all of that. You gotta believe me.”
Ronnie turns to look at me, getting close to my ear he whispers, “Shut up! You started this, Mack’s just finishing it.” At his words, my blood runs cold.
We make our way to our seats and I look back and look at Zak again. He gestures to Daniels in question. I shake my head no. He nods and motions for me to stay calm. The gavel bangs, the judge calls court into session and I turn back around as Daniels stands to speak.
The lies and venom coming out of his mouth have me scowling at him and clenching my fists.
It takes everything in me to keep me from interjecting, but I do as I was told, reminding myself that I’m not alone, that Zak has my back.
My anger grew as the cops spoke and somehow the whole yard of witnesses disappeared.
When it was Ronnie’s turn, he stood and added to the lies.
His complete lack of defense for me had me floored.
“Your honor, Maddox called me two nights ago asking me to come to the jail because he had been arrested for assaulting his probation officer, Mr. Daniels here,” he says, looking back at me with a slimy grin, ‘Fat fuck is gonna use that to nail me. FUCK, there goes everything,’ I think as he continued spewing his lies.
As he finished his spiel about how we had discussed a plea deal and I admitted to the assault, he said it wasn’t necessary to carry this any further and to skip the trial and go ahead with sentencing. Shaking my head at everything Mack had set up, I turned my head towards Zak again.
I watched from my peripheral as Zak cracked his neck and gave a slight nod with a hint of a smirk.
My brain started thinking over everything, I knew I was going in for hitting Daniels, but with this move and Zak being here, it began to sink in what was happening.
‘Mack has a pissant PO, a drugged out Public Defender and a few crooked beat cops, but Zak has judges and prison officials? He’s here, pullin’ strings, seein’ what Mack has done.
Mack made it worse, and set me up to take the fall…
.Holy fuck! I’m gonna meet the big boss, aren’t I? ’
I was pulled from my thoughts when the judge called my name. “You with us, Mr. Mikhailov?” He asks, staring me down.
I stand, “Yes, your honor. I’m with you.”
“Good! Now, after reviewing everything and your confession to your lawyer here. I’m sentencing you to three years in the prison system, you will serve your time at Pontiac Correctional facility,” he says.
I turn to see how Daniels and Ronnie react to this news.
Daniels white-knuckles the table in front of him, and Ronnie swallows thickly.
Eyebrows meeting my hairline, ‘Interesting,’ I think as the bailiff moves to cuff me, I look back at Zak as I’m led out of the courtroom, he gives me a smile and a wink. Still so much I don’t understand but, I trust Zak, so maybe I’m about to finally get some answers.
Vanya
Standing in the door of the cell and looking at the lump in the bed I can’t help but think that he seems so small.
Glancing around as I lift my hand, knocking on the door frame and keeping my gaze steady as he turns over and sits up.
The look of confusion on his face tells me that he has no idea who I am, or why I am here.
‘Time for introductions,’ I think as I nod for Cas to ensure our privacy. I enter the cell and sit on the stool in front of him, “Do you know who I am?” I ask, eyeing him as he looks me over. His gaze is calculating, sizing me up, wondering why I am here, what I want and what it will cost.
Shifting around, he pulls his knees into his chest and leans back into the wall, resting his casted arm on his knees before he speaks. “No, I’m sure we’ve never met.”
I chuckle softly, “Da. Considering you were around two, maybe three, when I enter the system. We do not know each other but I am man that can make your time here very easy or can make very hard. Choice is yours.”
I watch him take in the info, seeing the realization hit him as he spots the dice on my hand, a five and six. Looking back at me, he asks,“What do I gotta do for easy? I have to do time and I don’t want a hard time. I just wanna talk to Kai, I need to talk to Kai.”
“You are already smarter than your Otets. You talk to Kotenok tonight, brief talk, but talk tonight,” I say, watching his reaction to the Russian.
Dax shifts forward, sitting on the edge of the bed, the knuckles of his good hand white from gripping the bed to keep from lashing out, “At the risk of sounding disrespectful, can you please not refer to my Kitten as Kotenok? That’s only for me.”
I cock my head sideways thinking, ‘Protective and possessive while being respectful? I like this kid. I see why Zak took to him.’
I let a slight smile show, bowing my head, “My apologies. I will refrain from that in the future. Now before you call Kai, I need to ask a few questions.”
Maddox relaxed and cracked his neck, “Shoot.”
I snorted, “First, why the fuck are you here?”
Dax takes a deep breath, “I fucked up. My PO showed up to violate my probation, I lost my temper and hit him after he put his hands on Kai. But I’m confused why he showed up to court beaten so badly. I only hit him once and then surrendered. I only busted his nose. I swear!” he says in a rush.
This information confirms what Zak told me when he came to see me after Dax’s sentencing. Stroking my chin, I continue with my questioning, “Why were you on probation?”
“Because Dad made me take the fall for him on some dumb drug charges a couple years ago, I got 18 months and 6 months probation. I was almost 3 months into probation, only had to keep my nose clean for a few more months. He wanted to violate me for not informing him of my moving, but then he touched Kai and that set me off. I tried to behave, Dad said it was ordered from somewhere for me to help him by taking the charge,” he explains.
‘That Sukin Syn twisted my words and made his kid think that was sanctioned by us?’ I think as my vision goes red with this new information.
“That is not what I tell him to do. He was to be in here. You were never to be involved,” I say, trying to keep my anger at his father from leaking out to him.
By the time I finish speaking, Dax is on his feet, pacing the cell and mumbling under his breath, anger radiating from his very pores. “Now I get why Anton call you Tiger,” I say with a chuckle.
He froze and the cell went completely silent, “What did you say?” he asked, turning slowly to look at me.
I held his gaze, calmly explaining, “Anton is grandson, Zak my son.”
His wide-eyed expression and his jaw dropping in shock reminded me that he was not educated on the flow of things, “I am head of Seem'-Yá. Your father was one of my soldiers. Nothing more,” I explain.
I wait patiently as the information sinks in. He eyes me, as he slowly makes his way back to the bed, slow-nodding as he accepts what he has learned and who he is talking to. He takes a deep breath and asks, “So, he shouldn’ta…wait…you said was a soldier?”
I nodded, smirking at how smart he is, “You are perceptive. Yes, was. He just is not aware. Yet. Too many mistakes, starting with the one that landed me here.” At his curious look, I wave him off, shaking my head, “That is story for another day. But I have plans and an idea. But for this to work I need you to…how you say?... fly straight? Do as you are told. Maybe get GED? Anger management? Stay out of trouble or it will never work. Ponyatno?” I ask as I stand and head for the door.
I hear it, barely there, a soft whisper, so soft I almost miss it. “Da.”
He responded in Russian, he understood what I said. Anton must have taught him some during their time in juvie. What we would do with him was still to be seen, but for now I was satisfied knowing he understood what I was asking of him.
“Cas will bring you phone later. Call Kai, tell him come this weekend. I am fast tracking your visitors as we speak. It is limited to Ollie, Kai, Mel, and Zak. That is all you need for now. Talk soon, Vnuk.”
Looking back one last time as I step out of his cell, I see he is lost in thought. Dax didn’t notice what I called him as I left. Walking away, I flagged down Cas and reminded him to get Dax a phone at lights out so he could call Kai.
Kai
Graduation felt hollow. I accomplished it, I got through high school, but Dax wasn’t there, he was in prison.
We got home, and everyone wanted to celebrate, but I retreated to the van.
I was curled up on the bed, wrapped in one of Dax’s hoodies when his phone rang, an unknown number flashing on the screen.