Merciless Hunter (Dark Syndicate 4)

45

Aiden

Maksim is sitting up today and the tubes have been removed from his face. There’s just two attached to his wrist. One for monitor his vitals and the other for medication.

He’ll be moved in on Friday. A few days out of the week we were originally told, but a necessity neither of us could argue against.

I’m glad to see him looking better, and even happier he’s alive.

I’ve been coming to see him every day and I flew Irina over to take care of Aleksei when I’m not with him. I guess though she takes care of me too.

We’re all feeling the loss of Ilya. I had to wait a few days to tell Maksim because he wasn’t really out of the woods yet. When he asked for Ilya, telling him the truth was one of the hardest things I had to do.

At least today he looks brighter.

“Hello cousin, hope your hospital visits don’t make you go soft of me,” he chuckles weakly.

“Not a damn chance.”

“Good, because soft wouldn’t suit you. Ilya wouldn’t stand for it either.”

“No he wouldn’t.”

Sadness comes into his eyes. “When is the funeral?”

“I was thinking of arranging it for a month. We’re the only family he had left so I’m basing it on your recovery. We go over to L.A then fly to Russia.” I thought that sounded like the best thing to do.

“Thanks, that sounds good. I still can’t believe he’s gone. I feel like I don’t know what to do when I get out of here. It’s always been me and Ilya, even before you picked us for the leadership. It’s not going to be the same with someone else.”

“No it won’t and I don’t anybody else to fill his shoes the way he did.”

He stares back at me and I know it’s because I said that word. Trust.

“And do you trust anyone at all after what happened?”

“I trust you,” I reply effortlessly and it feels good. I told him everything that happened yesterday because he was asking and I felt it was appropriate to share.

He smiles at that. “I’m glad you do, I think you did all along to some extent, but you didn’t want to wholly trust me. I meant what I said about never betraying you.”

“I know and you took the same bullet your father took for mine.”

“You’re my cousin and we are Bratva, the Voirik. That is how we live.”

“And we are the way we are because we grew up like brothers. Only a brother would do what you did for me and I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

He shakes his head. “It’s okay. We can move forward from this and be better, stronger.”

“This is my hope.”

“Have you spoken with Olivia?” he asks carefully.

“No. I won’t be speaking to her. The Syndicate want to catch up with Eric when we get back and I think I have a job for him, but that’s it.”

“What do you mean that’s it? Why the fuck does it have to be it? You loved her. I won’t even say you liked her. You fell for her, and I think the hardest fall is the kind I witnessed in you.”

I take a measured breath and study his face. “And, thanks why I can’t do it. I can’t so I mustn’t and shouldn’t. it’s better this way. I need to focus on Aleksei. I can’t split myself up when I should be focusing on my boy. I can’t include a woman I feel so strongly for in my life.”

That sounds like bull shit even to me.