71. Caelia
“I needto take a shower and meet with your accountant.” I squirm in Kaz’s arms, attempting to escape his hold.
He has a knack for distracting me. The day after I asked him, we resumed our training, but he’s pushing me even harder than before. We hit the gym together six days a week, though it feels more like I’m ogling at him than working out. Lately, it seems like he can never find a damn T-shirt around me. Not that I mind. The truth is, I’m not getting as much done as I could. He’s been teaching me self-defense techniques and boxing, and we’ve incorporated target practice three times a week. I didn’t expect this intense training, but I embraced it. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what Kaz is afraid of and what he’s trying to prepare me for.
“My accountant can wait,” he mumbles, burying his face against my neck.
“He really can’t,” I protest. “I’ve been late for every meeting because of you. He’ll never take me seriously.”
“He will, or I’ll put a bullet in his head.”
“I’d rather you didn’t if I could avoid it simply by showing up on time.”
Konstantin is nothing compared to Kaz’s family, but he’s not my biggest fan. He refused to show me any reports until Kaz threatened him to do whatever I said. I’ve even enrolled in an online Accounting and Finance course, as that’s what Kaz wants me to focus on—where his money is going. I have some suspicions, but I’ll keep them to myself until I gather enough evidence to present to him.
Kaz grabs the back of my neck and kisses me until I’m dizzy.
“Do you have any plans for today?”
“Yes, I have to call Dedushka and find out what he’s doing about Sevastyan. I’ve given him enough time, but my patience is wearing thin. I’ve also found out where he is so that meeting will happen soon, or I’m going after him.”
I’m a significant part of Kaz’s life now, which confuses me. I’ve spent my entire life being kept in the dark—by my father and Mattia. I know this isn’t how things usually work, but Kaz has no problem involving me in everything and seeking my help and opinions.
“Just let me know if you leave. And please, be safe if you do. I lo—” I say, my words catching in my throat as I nearly slip up. Kaz watches me closely, raising an eyebrow. “I’d love to go now,” I quickly correct myself, stumbling over my words.
I move toward the exit as if my life depended on it.
“Caelia!” he calls out after me.
“Talk to you later!” I throw back over my shoulder.
I won’t stop until I reach the next floor. I’m lucky Kaz didn’t follow me, demanding to know what I was about to say. What the hell was I about to say, anyway? That I love him? I lean against the wall, trying to catch my breath. Closing my eyes, I sit there, lightly banging my head against the wall. Panic overwhelms me. My heart is pounding in my chest, and my mind is racing. It feels like I’m standing there for an eternity. I nearly confessed my love for him. I take a deep breath, desperately trying to calm my racing heart. I ran away, but I’m certain Kaz saw the truth in my eyes. I’m already running late. I force myself to move, showering and changing my clothes on autopilot.
I find Konstantin in the office, waiting for me with a disapproving look. The translator is present, as we can’t get by without her. She’s a woman in her thirties who isn’t much of a people person. She comes, does her job, and leaves. Yuri, my bodyguard, is also present, never leaving my side. He’s protected me since I moved in, but he doesn’t follow me everywhere. He’s only here for meetings and when I go to the city without Kaz around. He also speaks English, but before Kaz’s arrival, he had never attempted to converse with me, as Vanya instructed him not to.
I must focus on the task and forget that I almost told Kaz I loved him. I can’t help but wonder what his response would have been. He must know that I love him. Lately, I’ve let down all my walls and stopped fighting my feelings. I’m willingly standing with one foot in the grave.
As I thought, Konstantin becomes defensive when I ask him to explain the inconsistencies I’ve noticed. Money has been spent in multiple places for the same things—renovations and suppliers.
“I’m going to keep these,” I say, waiting for Inessa to translate my words.
Konstantin hastily grabs the folders from the desk, his face glistening with sweat. I watch him closely as he starts to panic.
“He says you have no right to keep them. He wants to leave,” Inessa translates his response.
I had already deduced as much from his body language.
“Give me the folders,” I command, rising from Kaz’s chair and waiting. Konstantin shakes his head, eyeing the door. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” I state firmly. I retrieve Kaz’s hidden gun from under the drawer, pointing it at Konstantin. Kaz had informed me that a weapon was in the office in case I needed it. “The folders, Konstantin. Now,” I instruct, with Inessa translating my words.
Konstantin places the folders on the desk and returns to his chair, defeated.
“Yuri, please go and get my husband.”
Yuri nods and leaves the office. Konstantin was thoroughly searched before entering, so the only threat would be if he tried to overpower me. But I can react faster and pull the trigger more quickly than he could launch an attack.
“Do you still need me, Mrs. Mordvinova?” Inessa’s voice trembles.
“No. Thank you for today.” I respond with a smile, my eyes fixed on Konstantin.
She follows in Yuri’s footsteps. I can sense Konstantin’s mind racing, desperately searching for a way out. This is not how I wanted things to unfold. All I wanted was an explanation for where the money had been going.
“Не думайте об этом.”
I warn him not to think about whatever he plans to do. Kaz walks into the office a minute later, accompanied by Yuri, who most likely briefed him on the situation. Kaz licks his lips. His gaze is focused on me, paying no attention to Konstantin.
“It seems like you found a use for my gun, zhizn moya,” he comments.
“I did. Thank you for coming.”
I don’t risk lowering the gun, not until Yuri draws his own and Kaz comes to stand behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist. Kaz demands an explanation from Konstantin. I observe how quickly Konstantin’s demeanor changes. I’ve told Kaz that Konstantin would never take me seriously. Fear sparks in Konstantin’s eyes. He fidgets with his hands and looks as though he’s about to flee any second now. I can partly understand what he’s saying. He accuses me of lying, claiming I don’t comprehend his accounting reports. Being in his fifties and having worked for the Mordvinov family for so long, you’d think he knew better than to attempt something like this. Kaz interrupts him, saying he’s heard enough.
“What did you find?”
“I believe some of the accounts are fake,” I explain. “I think he approved contracts and payments to nonexistent businesses. You have contracts listed for multiple suppliers bidding on the same project, which led me to question why you would need three renovation crews for the same job, for instance.” Kaz is paying closer attention to me than he did to Konstantin. “He didn’t record all the expenses separately in the records. Entries list large sums, like one hundred thousand dollars, as weekly expenses, but there’s no explanation of where the money went.”
“Can you clean this up?”
“Me?” I scoff. “No, Kaz, I … I’ve discovered these inconsistencies, but everything will need to be re-entered. Switching to a software system instead of relying on paper would be best. I know nothing about accounting. You’ll have to verify everything and ensure you have legitimate entries.”
“If I find you someone who can help you, would you be willing to do it?”
His trust in me makes me weak.
“I would need access to all bank account statements. I’d have to cross-check every invoice paid against those bank statements, create new entries, and ensure that you filter out the illegitimate ones. It’s a lot of work.”
“This is not what I asked, solnyshko.”
It would likely take me the remaining time to fix this mess. And even then, I’m not sure if I could do it. Kaz doesn’t trust just anyone at the moment.
“Can we discuss this later?”
“Do you still need anything from Konstantin?”
The accountant is watching us intently. All the color has drained from his face.
“I don’t think he’ll ever admit to it. And I don’t believe he’ll be of any help to us, either.”
“Good.” Kaz nods.
He takes the gun from the desk, points it at Konstantin, and shoots him in the head. I cover my mouth, muffling a scream. I feel Yuri’s eyes on me, and I try to maintain a composed fa?ade, even though I’m anything but composed. I’ve heard Kaz speak about killing people before, but I’ve never actually witnessed him cold-bloodedly murder someone. I saw bodies fall when Mattia planned to sell me to the Spanish men, but I was too broken, beaten, and bruised to comprehend what was happening around me. I saw the bodies drop, but I didn’t see who pulled the trigger. I know he killed Ermanno. Mattia. The men who hurt me. But this? I don’t know how to process it. Kaz returns the gun to its hiding spot under the drawer and rubs his temples.
“Get someone to clean this up, Yuri,” Kaz instructs.
I swallow hard, avoiding looking at Konstantin’s body. Kaz finds himself in a precarious situation. I understand that his uncle managed his business while he was in prison, and afterward, Kaz pursued Mattia, spending months in New York. Even upon his return, some still believe they can defy him. Perhaps some remain loyal to his uncle. I don’t need a reminder of who Kaz is.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
“I’ve seen dead bodies before,” I reply, my voice steadier than I expected. I place my hand on his arm, drawing closer. “We’ll figure this out, I promise.”
He grasps my chin with the same hand that pulled the trigger, tilting my head. I smile as his warm and soft lips meet mine, reminding me of who he is when he’s with me. It’s foolish of me to let down my guard like this, to try to justify his actions and to overlook all the warning signs, but it’s too late to fight it.