Chapter 46 #3
Crouching down beside his head, I stare at his ruined face.
"Getting in the bag is the easy part, Levan. You should've cooperated earlier." I pat the dark plastic right over his chest, feeling the wet, soft places that should remain solid. "You said you wanted to die. I'm a man of my word. Consider this my final act of generosity."
His lips move to speak, but he produces no sound. Thick blood spills between his teeth.
"Head on down to hell and take a seat," I whisper.
"Get comfortable. It's a long stay. All-inclusive with no checkout.
" Standing up to tower over him, I shake my head.
"I'd love to chat more, but I have a grocery list to fill.
My wife is waiting for pizza, custard pastries, and a specific fizzy peach drink in a glass bottle that has to come from one particular store. "
Pressing the hot barrel of my gun against his forehead right through the black plastic, I hold it steady. "Enjoy the heat down there. I plan to visit eventually. But not for a very long time."
I pull the trigger.
The heavy bag muffles most of the gunshot. His body jerks one final time and goes completely still. That marks the permanent end of Levan Janelidze.
Holstering my gun, I take a step back.
"Zip it shut," I command. "Dispose of him along with the nephew upstairs. Burn both bodies to ash. Leave absolutely nothing left of them."
"Understood, Pakhan."
Walking out of the ruined panic room, I head back up the dark stairs.
Bohdan meets me outside at the armored SUV, pulling the rear door open for me. Sliding into the leather seat, I pull the folded grocery list from my pocket and hand the bloody paper to him.
"We need to stop at three different places. Pizza first. Then the 24-hour market on Kirov for the drink, the chips, and the massive tub of ice cream. Then we hit the bakery next door for the pastries. Custard and raspberry, but buy the raspberry only if they look fresh."
Bohdan stares down at the blood-stained paper. He looks back up to meet my eyes.
"Right away, Pakhan."
The heavy engine roars to life. The burning compound disappears in the rearview mirror behind us, the morning sky beginning to turn gray along the eastern horizon.
Pulling out my phone, I type a quick message.
On my way home. Pizza secured. I got everything on the list. Don’t start the movie without me, or I’ll be upset.
Read
Three typing dots bubble on the screen before her reply appears.
Vedma
I would never. Hurry up. I miss your stupid face.
Pocketing the phone, I lean my head back against the cool glass window and close my tired eyes. She'll probably eat the entire massive tub of ice cream and blame me for the missing food.
A soft smile touches my lips. I keep my eyes closed and let the dark streets of Moscow carry me home.
The car pulls up to the estate just as the sky starts turning a pale pink along the horizon. Bohdan opens the heavy door, and I step out onto the gravel with three plastic bags of groceries in my arms.
"Take the rest of the day off," I tell him. "You've earned it."
"Thank you, Pakhan," he replies with a firm nod.
I walk straight through the front entrance, navigate the long main hallway, and push through the heavy door that hides the narrow staircase leading down into the basement. I take the steps fast until I hit the reinforced steel bunker door.
I knock twice. Viktor opens it from the inside and immediately steps aside to let me pass.
I hear her before I even make it fully into the room.
"Alexei!"
Zoya jumps right off the cot. "You're back! Come here!"
I set the bags down on the concrete floor by the door and glance down at my hands. Dark, dried blood coats my skin, caked deep under my fingernails and cracking across my knuckles.
"Give me one second, Vedma," I say, keeping my distance. "I need to wash up first."
I walk over to the small metal sink in the corner and crank the hot water.
I scrub my hands with the bar soap, watching the water turn a muddy red before it swirls down the drain.
I have to scrub hard to dig the dried flakes out from under my nails, rinsing and checking the skin over and over until the water runs clear and every trace of the violence is gone.
I dry my hands on a rough towel and turn around. She's standing right where I left her, waiting for me.
I unstrap my heavy tactical vest and drop it onto the floor before pulling off my shoulder holsters so they clatter onto the concrete next to it. I pull my ruined shirt over my head, kick off my boots, and close the distance between us.
She laughs, opening her arms wide to catch me.
I force myself to slow down just before I crash into her, keeping my movements careful and gentle. I wrap my arms around her shoulders and pull her close, leaving enough space to keep her pregnant belly safe between us.
"I'm so happy you're back," she murmurs against my bare chest.
"Yeah," I breathe out, burying my face in her hair. "Me too."
I just hold her there in the quiet bunker, letting her wrap her arms tight around my waist while the baby kicks against my stomach.
"I brought everything on your list," I tell her.
She pulls back enough to look up at me, a soft smile on her face. "You're such a darling."
I kiss her, keeping it soft before pressing harder when she immediately kisses me back. Her warm hands slide up my bare chest while I bring my hands up to cradle her face. When I finally pull away, I just rest my forehead against hers.
"Pizza's getting cold," I remind her.
"I don't care."
"You will in five minutes when you start complaining about eating cold pizza."
She laughs softly. "Fair point."
I grab the bags from the door and set them on the small table in the center of the room. I pull out the warm pizza box, the cold fizzy peach drink, the chips, the ice cream, and the box of pastries. She flips the cardboard lid open and inspects every single slice.
"No onions," she confirms.
"As promised."
"No pineapple."
"Never."
She takes a bite and closes her eyes with a quiet groan. "This is perfect."
Sitting beside her on the bench so she can lean her weight against my side, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her flush against me.
"Are you okay?" she asks quietly, looking at my face instead of the food.
"I am now."
"Did you…"
"It's done," I tell her, cutting off the question. "All of it. The whole thing is over."
She nods, accepting the answer before taking another bite of her pizza.
She hands me the fizzy peach drink, and I take a long sip before passing the cold bottle back to her.
We sit together in the underground bunker, eating food and drinking while she rests her head on my shoulder, and I keep my hand flat over her stomach.
The war is over, and I'm home.
"Alexei?"
"Mm?"
"Thank you for remembering the raspberry pastries."
I smile, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Anything for you, Vedma."
She tilts her face up, and I kiss her again, keeping it slow and sweet. For the first time in ten long years, I feel peace.