Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Dmitri
The soft night breeze lifts my hair as I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees.
I'm out on the terrace of my father's cottage with him, Yuliana, Uncle Eric, and his wife Vanessa.
My father is sitting in the wicker chair by the fire pit. I'm across from him, sitting on the wall. He's been casting daggers at me all night.
I've been mostly ignoring him. My aunt and uncle have been carrying the evening and this get together as if this is their home and we're the guests.
Eric is talking about his latest climb to Mount Everest.
I call him the Fun Uncle.
He's my father's older brother. He manages the business in Russia but he takes a couple of months off during the year to go on these extreme adventures. Sometimes he takes Vanessa with him so she’s been joining in the adventure talk too.
As they don't have kids they've taken every opportunity to spoil me. When Tommy was alive, they spoiled him too.
“The best thing about Everest is the view when you get to the top.” Eric beams. “It's like nothing else. It makes the whole journey up there worth it and it's like staring into heaven.”
He smiles, looking exactly like my father, or rather a version of my father that smiles. Usually when my father smiles it's for something sarcastic or cynical. So it's never really a real smile.
“It sounds amazing,” I say, smiling back at him.
“It truly is, son. I guarantee you’ll never experience anything quite like it.”
I appreciate his excitement and zest for life. I'm into adventure thrill seeking activities too, but it's been a while since I did anything. Football has taken up a lot of my time since I started at Raventhorn.
“Let's go check on that cake, Vanessa and leave the guys to talk,” Yuliana suggests, glancing at me.
Like always, she’s probably senses that I need Eric's good natured presence to drown out the dark cloud hanging over my father. It's a good step mom move on her part. So I appreciate it.
She and Vanessa leave and as Eric delves back into his talk about Everest I think back to this morning when I was with Mackenzie.
I may have no plan to speak of but I feel like I have an ace up my sleeve. The ace of hope. Sometimes things have to fall in place in dribs and drabs to work.
I hope that happens for me.
Eric laughter pulls me back to the conversation. The way he talks about his adventures would make anyone would think that was his job.
I've seen him in action at work, too at the company in Russia. He’s serious as fuck there and people are shocked when they find out about his obsession with the great outdoors.
He's the type of guy who can nail a deal, get any investment, and multiply it tenfold. He's renowned through Europe, and I often wonder if my father resents that.
He's never been like Eric. By the same token, Eric has never been like my father.
My grandfather was clear about splitting the duties in our family, so one son would rule Europe and the other would take care of business in the States.
They're both Knights but my father has gone up in rank more than Eric could have ever dreamed of. That gives him power over him.
“You guys should come with me next time,” Eric says looking from my father to me. “When was the last time we climbed anything Maxim?” He looks at my father again with a smirk.
“Several moons ago,” my father replies, his voice thin with displeasure.
“Then it's about time we change that, don't you think?”
“I'm afraid my climbing days are over, brother. But I'm sure Dimitri will oblige if he still values his family.”
His sarcastic sting bites, but I push it away.
“I'll be happy to join you,” I tell Eric.
“Wonderful. I'm thinking of Mount Kilimanjaro next fall. I think the weather would be perfect for you. It's all so beautiful at that time of year.” He glances at my father. “I think my climbing days might be over soon too. So let's take advantage of me while I can still do it.”
“Of course,” I say.
“Tell me about football.” Eric smiles, tossing me a marshmallow from the dish on the table. I catch it and eat it.
“Football is going good,” I reply. “I'm hoping to join the Patriots after graduation.
“Listen to you, I'm so proud of you. I'm sure your father is too.” He glances back at Father, who looks from me to him with that same sinister expression.
“Indeed,” he says eventually, but it's clear his words are forced. He doesn't feel anything close to what he's saying.
“Go on then, bring me up to speed,” Eric says and I do.
I talk about all my plans and fill him in on the upcoming championships.
While I talk Father watch me as if he's trying to catch me out in a lie.
Eventually a call comes through on his phone and he excuses himself.
The tension leaves when he heads back into the house.
Eric focuses on me, seeing that things are not well between my father and I. He comes over and sits next to me on the wall, levelling me a hard stare.
“Is everything okay between you two? Your father mentioned something about
your little friend from next door.”
The fact that Eric is even talking about Mackenzie makes me think that my father said so much more than just mentioning her. Knowing him, he ranted and raved.
“Yeah, everything's fine.”
“He said you were seeing her.”
“I was.”
“But not anymore,” Eric fills in.
“Yes, not anymore.” I hate lying to him, but I need to lie right now to protect my plans. I trust him, but I know his allegiance will always be to my father, meaning there's only so much I can say to him without revealing myself.
“Your father is still grieving, Dimitri. Losing Tommy was like nothing else for him. Be mindful of that. He may look like he doesn't care or, like, he's being over the top, but I know he cares for you.”
“I think sometimes he needs to be reminded that the same blood flows through our veins.”
“I can't argue with that. Your father can be difficult at times. Regardless try to fix whatever is going on between you two. It's not good to be at war with each other, especially when you're around each other all the time. He’s your Lord Chancellor.”
“I agree.” I say that to humor him because I know my father in ways Eric doesn’t. With all his ranting I'm sure Father didn't mention that he held a gun to my head.
Father returns outside and our conversation ends. Eric talks about his plans for Mount Kilimanjaro and the night wears on.
Soon we're back in the living room for ice cream and cake at Yuliana and Vanessa's request. The women in our family always seem to cushion the blow of the abrasiveness that comes from my father. I'm glad when it's time to go. The night was a struggle, but not as bad as I expected.
The only thing I don't know is if coming here tonight helped my pursuit to know my father’s plans. I know he's still pissed. The rage is practically rippling from him in waves. But I think coming here tonight might have pacified him in some way.
He catches up to me as I'm getting my coat on to head out.
He pulls me aside, away from everyone. “You're not seeing her, are you?”
I don't need to ask him who he means. I know he's talking about Mackenzie. “No, I haven't seen her.” I lie again. This time, I feel no shame to lie to him. In fact, I take pleasure in the conflicted look on his face.
It's a look that tells me I've shoved him into that gray area again where he doesn't know if I'm lying or telling the truth. Good. I won't be his dog.
Let him stew with the worry of what I'm up to.
I know him. He'll think I won't risk getting Mackenzie in trouble or her family. So he'll believe that fear will scaremonger me into doing what he wants me to do.
Little does he know, I'm biding time.
Like I said to Mackenzie yesterday, I don't have a plan yet. But I realized that sometimes the plan is to just keep your eyes open and your mind in a position where you see an opening that you take it. That’s when you strike.
“See you later,” I tell him. Then I leave.
I walk across quad, know eyes are following me. Not his anymore. These eyes belong to his henchmen, the guards, who've been watching me constantly since the blow up on Sunday.
I throw them off by going to the stadium, then I hang out at Erebus for a while, until I think they've stopped watching me.
An hour passes and I go under the secret passages that lead to Raventhorn Hall. I turn off by the bridge that will take me opposite Mackenzie's apartment.
I find my usual spot in the shadows and blend in.
She's awake. I'm glad she's awake, but it's late. She should be asleep.
The selfish part of me, however, is glad to see her practicing her dance moves. Watching her do ballet has always soothed something inside me.
It does so now, filling me with new hope that I'll get the girl one day.
Something shuffles in the bushes across from her apartment. I look over and I
see a shadowy figure by the trees, right within the line of sight of her room.
I realize, the quick start that person is watching her too.
Fuck, who the hell is it?
I pull out my binoculars and zoom in getting a clear view of Ryan Konstantin.
Fuck. That bastard.
This is exactly the sort of psycho behavior I was worried about.
He leans against the tree smoking and watching Mackenzie. And I stay right where I am making sure that's all he's doing.
I want to walk up to him and knock his teeth down his throat but I've learned in life that when you come across predators like him you have to watch them, or you'll become their prey.
He doesn't stop watching her until the lights go out. Then he walks away.
I stay.
I stay to make sure he doesn't come back.
And I stay to make sure she's safe.