could hear her sniffles and deep intakes of air that came after a long time of crying.
I listened to her all night in silence, and when she fell asleep, I quietly stepped inside and watched her sleeping form in the darkness. I wanted to hold her and wipe the tears on her cheeks, but she has become a light sleeper and would’ve started a riot if she found me touching her.
So I spent most of the night watching silently like a fucking creep.
The fact that she recalls and accepts most people except for me has been slowly but surely eating away at me like acid.
She was friendly with the fucker Damien when he showed up to visit her. Even though Katia kept quiet, the elite group learned about her being in the hospital, and eventually found out about her amnesia. Sergei and Vlad came, too, obviously. Her only remark to them was that they’ve gotten old.
Sergei asked me about the baby, and I told him everything is fine. He naturally didn’t want to talk to her about it because it would freak her out in this situation. Since she’s not pregnant, the doctor didn’t mention anything about that, so she’s still clueless in that regard, and it’s best it remains this way until she hopefully gets her memories back.
Rai’s accident shuffled Sergei’s cards, and I could see the doubt about the future in his wrinkled eyes. Rai holds V Corp upright, and if she doesn’t remember the last ten years of her life or the education and experience that came with it, there’s no way she will be able to finance the brotherhood’s war with the Irish.
It’s a legitimate concern, but I don’t give a fuck about any of that.
Kirill is now inside with his closest guard, Aleksander. Damien came again, too, even though I told him to stop showing up. He just gave me the middle finger while strolling inside.
Kirill is here to confirm that his greatest foe is indeed out of it and won’t hurt him in the long run. Damien, on the other hand, is being a fucking leech who’s enjoying the fact that she doesn’t remember me a bit too much. Needless to say, I stand at the entrance to eavesdrop on their conversations.
The two leaders are sitting casually on either side of her while Ruslan, Katia, Aleksander, and Damien’s guard stand by the walls.
“What are you doing here, Kirill?” Rai slowly peels the skin off her apple with a small knife. She’s sitting, the hospital table in front of her. Thankfully, she appears healthier despite the brace around her neck. “I didn’t know we were close enough for you to pay me a visit.”
He readjusts his glasses with his middle finger. “We’re not. But you’re not close with Damien either.”
“Hey, motherfucker.” Damien snaps his fingers at him. “Shut the fuck up and fuck the fuck off.”
“He’s tolerable.” She points her thumb at Damien, then directs her attention to Kirill. “You’re not.”
“Wise. Very wise, indeed.” Damien retrieves a cigarette and places it in his mouth.
“No smoking in the hospital.” She scolds then frowns. “When did you get a haircut?”
“Last week. You like it?” He lights the cigarette anyway.
“It makes you look like an old man.”
“If I’m an old man, you’re an old woman, Rai, and Kirill is…ancient.”
She snickers at that before she glances at Kirill. “Are you going to tell me the reason for your visit?”
“I just wanted to make sure you’re fine. Can’t I do that?”
“Did you expect me to fall for that?”
“I can be a good sport, Sokolov.”
“Maybe in a parallel world, and even then, I won’t believe it.”
“Ouch.” Damien laughs. “Give him more, Rai. I’m interested to see how much his poker face can take on.”
Kirill ignores him and his body angles in Rai’s direction. “I heard you don’t remember.”
“I don’t. Not the past ten years, at least,” she says quietly before she chews on a small piece of apple.
“Does that mean you don’t recall the time you came into my club, drank until you nearly passed out, and then danced alone like a lunatic?”
“I would never do that!” She stares at Ruslan, who bows his head.
Wait…she did that?
My fist clenches at the thought that someone other than me saw Rai drunk. She becomes so loose and fucking adorable when drunk.
“Yes, you did.” Kirill tilts his head to the side. “You didn’t leave either and insisted on staying the night. You passed out in one of the rooms upstairs.”
“Yeah? So what?”
He narrows his