Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Milana
The airport is busy, filled with travelers rushing past us to gates, rolling suitcases clattering across the tiled floors. Flight announcements echoing overhead in multiple languages.
I try my best to blend in, composed and normal, but my head is still spinning. I can’t believe what just happened.
If Kirill hadn’t insisted on checking the jet again, we would have boarded. We would have been on that plane when it exploded. We would be dead right now.
My whole body is still shaking, but I force myself to breathe steadily, gripping Kirill’s hand tighter as we walk. He’s the only thing keeping me grounded.
He leads me toward the ticket counters, his steps purposeful. “Next flight to New York?” he asks the woman behind the desk.
She types quickly on her computer. “The next one is boarding in twenty minutes. But I’m afraid it’s full.”
Kirill doesn’t miss a beat. “What about after that?”
She checks again. “The next available flight is at 6 p.m. this evening.”
I glance at the large clock on the wall. It’s just past 10 a.m. That means we’d have to wait here for almost eight hours. My stomach twists at the thought.
Kirill thanks the woman and pulls me away from the counter, still holding my hand.
“What are we going to do now?” I ask, voice low.
“We can’t wait that long,” he says. “We need to get on that flight leaving in twenty minutes.”
“But she said it’s full.”
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he scans the area, eyes sharp. Then he spots an elderly couple a little ways away, holding boarding passes, clearly heading toward security.
“Wait here,” he tells me.
I watch as he walks over to them. They look to be in their late sixties, maybe early seventies. The man is holding their carry-on while the woman clutches two boarding passes.
Kirill offers them a polite smile.
“Excuse me. I know this is an unusual request, but I would like to buy those tickets from you.”
The couple exchange a confused glance. “I’m sorry?” the man asks.
“Your tickets to New York.” Kirill reaches into his wallet. “I’ll pay you for them.”
The woman blinks. “You… want to buy our tickets?”
“Yes.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” the man says with an apologetic smile. “We’re flying home.”
“I understand.” Kirill pulls out a thick stack of bills. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
The man’s smile fades. “No.”
“It’s important.”
“I’m sorry, son, but no amount of money is worth being stranded in a foreign country.”
Kirill’s expression hardens. The warmth disappears from his face so quickly it almost startles me.
“Listen carefully.” His voice isn’t loud. If anything, it’s quieter. Calmer. “I need those tickets.”
The couple stare at him. The old man clears his throat. “I already said no.”
Kirill takes one small step closer. “I wasn’t asking.”
A chill runs down my spine. The elderly woman’s fingers tighten around the boarding passes.
“I don’t want to frighten either of you,” Kirill says evenly. “But my patience is running out.”
The man’s face pales. The woman looks at her husband. He swallows hard. Slowly, with trembling fingers, she holds out the boarding passes.
Kirill takes them. Then he counts out several thick bundles of cash and places them in the man’s shaking hands.
The old man’s eyes widen. “This is…”
“It’s a lot more than your tickets are worth. You can take the next flight in a few hours.”
Neither of them speaks.
Kirill gives a single nod. “Thank you.”
He turns and walks back toward me as though nothing happened. He slips the boarding passes into his pocket before taking my hand.
“Let’s go.”
As we walk toward the departure gates, I glance back once.
The elderly couple are still standing exactly where we left them, staring at the money in disbelief.
I look back at Kirill. He’d gone from calm and polite to cold and intimidating without raising his voice once.
It’s unsettling how quickly he can switch. I squeeze his hand.
“How are we going to get through security with boarding passes that don’t have our names on them?”
He doesn’t even look worried. “Leave that to me.”
Kirill quietly exchanges a few words with one of the airline supervisors, someone who seems to recognize him. The man listens, glances discreetly at us, then nods.
A few minutes later, we stop near the boarding gate. The man walks over to the gate agent.
I can’t hear what they’re saying. My heart pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears.
Passengers continue boarding around us. Every few seconds I glance over my shoulder, expecting airport security to appear.
Or armed police. Or the people who planted the bomb.
The gate agent smiles politely. “You’re all set.”
I blink. That’s it? She scans our boarding passes and gestures toward the jet bridge.
“Enjoy your flight.”
I don’t realize I’ve been holding my breath until Kirill gives my hand a gentle squeeze and leads me onto the aircraft.
Thankfully, the elderly couple had booked business class and the cabin is quiet, with only a handful of passengers already seated.
Kirill finds our row and helps me into my seat before taking the one beside me.
We’re on the plane. But I can’t relax. My eyes keep drifting toward the cabin door. Until that door closes, until we’re in the air I don’t think I’ll be able to breathe properly.
Kirill reaches across the armrest and takes my hand. His thumb brushes over my knuckles.
“Take a deep breath.”
I don’t realize I’m holding mine until he says it.
Slowly, I inhale. Then exhale. Again. My heartbeat steadies just enough for me to think.
“I need to reach my sister,” I say, and he hands me his burner.
I try Calina first. No answer. Then Mikhail. Then Artyom. None of them pick up. My stomach twists tighter with every unanswered ring.
“What if Michael or whoever was behind the explosion already got to them?” I whisper, voice shaking. “What if something happened?”
Kirill shakes his head. “No. I spoke to Artyom while you were in the changing room. Everything was fine.”
“That was over an hour ago,” I say, panic rising again. “What if something happened between then and now?”
He squeezes my hand again. “Nothing has happened. Calm down.”
I want to believe him, but my mind won’t stop spinning. The worst-case scenarios keep playing on loop. My brothers hurt, my sister-in-laws in danger, our family torn apart.
I can’t imagine a life without them. What if they’re gone? What if I never see them again?
The plane finally takes off, and I let out a breath. But even as we climb into the sky, I’m not fully calm. My leg starts bouncing without me realizing it, nerves refusing to settle.
Kirill places his hand on my thigh, stilling the movement. “Stop.”
I try, but the tension is too much. “I can’t. My brain keeps coming up with the worst things. What if they’re hurt? What if Michael got to them? What about my sister-in-laws? Are they okay?”
He looks at me, eyes steady. “How about you try to sleep?”
I stare at him like he’s lost his mind. “Sleep? How am I supposed to sleep right now?”
He doesn’t push. He simply keeps his hand on my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze as the plane levels out and the seatbelt sign switches off.
I take off my seatbelt and stand up. “I need to use the restroom.”
Kirill nods, watching me as I walk down the aisle. The lavatory is empty. I step inside, and splash some cold water on my face, staring at my reflection in the small mirror.
I take a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself.
Nothing is going to happen. My siblings are going to be fine. We’re safe now.
I repeat the words over and over, willing myself to believe them. But no matter how many times I say them, the knot in my chest refuses to loosen. I stare at my reflection, searching for reassurance I can't seem to find.
Please let me be right.