Page 44

The next morning I was already awake before Sevan.

Surprisingly so.

I felt almost weirdly awake, unable to sleep in the slightest.

So I pulled on one of Sevan's t-shirts and a pair of her sweatpants, deciding to leave the room really quickly to grab something.

Vodka of course.

I needed their worst-burning vodka to start my day.

And then perhaps I grab breakfast to bring up to Sevan.

Which was an odd desire.

I wouldn't normally even contemplate such a thing.

"Top-shelf vodka," I said, motioning behind the bartender to the highest shelf, "One shot."

The man immediately nodded, "Should I put this on your room tab?" he asked me.

I nodded, "Da put it—"

"I'll handle it," a smooth voice suddenly intervened, naturally making my eyes snap to the source of it.

Which turned out to be a man.

He was Korean—his dark hair gelled back and dark eyes pinpointed on me.

"I am into women," I immediately said, raising a brow when he sat down next to me, "Your presence is off-putting."

The man didn't smile.

Or show any emotion really.

He wasn't even offended.

"It was a simple gesture," he said as he grabbed his wallet and slid a crisp one hundred dollar bill from it, "Unless someone has the capabilities to handle this bill for you?" he asked almost purposely.

"Da," I said as I watched the bartender pour my shot, "I handle myself," I purposely said.

The man nodded once, "Fair point," he said as the bartender set the shot down in front of me.

And I didn't hesitate to grab it, throwing the burning liquid back before standing from my chair.

I didn't bother telling the random man goodbye or thank him for purchasing my shot of vodka.

I just slowly backed away and turned around.

Until he said—

"Tell Cortez I send greetings."

I paused my actions almost immediately, turning back around to the man who was now standing from his chair.

"Kairos," was all he said before turning around and walking out of the bar entirely.

Which left me standing there slightly taken aback.

I just didn't show it on my face.

But he might be an old friend.

She claims to be in this city enough.

Perhaps he saw us out yesterday.

So I shrugged the encounter off and focused on making both Sevan and me a plate from the breakfast bar.

French toast, colorful fruit, cheesy eggs, and crispy bacon were all piled onto two separate plates.

Which I carefully carried all the way to the elevator that I rode up to the highest floor.

Where the doors of the penthouse suite waited at the end of the long hallway lined with two other doors to the other suites.

The room was as quiet as I left it, causing me to carefully walk against the marble floors—hoping to not make too loud a sound.

Sevan seems to still be sleeping as I had previously left her.

Or I thought she was.

Instead, she was up—standing out on the balcony with her phone to her ear.

She wore a baggy grey sweatshirt and loose matching sweatpants with her dark hair so perfectly messy.

She seemed nothing but focused on her phone call.

At least until she caught a glimpse of me and immediately ended it—opening the door to walk back inside.

She looked very... mad to say the least.

"Where were you?" Sevan asked, watching as I set the plates down on the kitchen counter.

"I get shot of vodka and breakfast for us," I told her nonchalantly, unsure of why she was making this out to be a big deal.

Sevan blinked almost a few times, "You don't just fucking leave like that, Zinovia," she said, walking over closer to me, "I already had my team starting to look for you."

I lazily raised my brows, "Well, I was downstairs so—"

"Zinovia," Sevan cut me short with a raised brow.

Which immediately made me sigh, realizing that she was... worried?

"I don't do it again," I assured her, running my hands past her waist.

Sevan only remained stiff under my touch, remaining silent for a moment—even as I hugged her tightly to my body.

Which made me purse my lips slightly, staring up into her dark eyes.

That still held such a serious look with me.

"I don't do it again malyshka," I assured her yet again, gently grabbing her chin to pull her face down closer to mine.

And press my lips to hers.

"I don't," I repeated again with emphasis, kissing her lips even deeper.

And finally, Sevan kissed me back, running her hands protectively around my waist.

"Good," Sevan murmured, visibly relaxing against me, "Otherwise I'll have to start handcuffing you to the bed."

I chuckled against her lips, "You would like that very much da?" I teased her as I pulled back.

But not before kissing her cheek.

Sevan raised a brow at my actions, eyeing my entire presence as I backed away to our plates on the counter.

"Yeah... I would," Sevan quickly said, noticeably stumbling over her words as she eyed me.

Which confused me slightly.

Just like the situation downstairs with—

"Oh, da, a man told me to tell you he sends greetings," I told Sevan as I sat at the breakfast bar, opening the packs of disposable cutlery, "Old friend perhaps?"

Sevan tilted her head, "What was his name?" she asked, walking over to sit beside me.

I shrugged as I handed her one of the forks, "K something," I whispered under my breath in thought, grabbing the other plastic cutlery.

But Sevan had beat me to it, opening the other one for me.

"Kairos," I suddenly said, which weirdly made her actions pause, "Kairos was his name."

I furrowed my brows slightly, glancing down at Sevan's hands which had briefly paused.

And then now her face.

It has an unreadable expression.

She almost appears calculating.

Something isn't right about this Kairos.

"What is it?" I asked, blinking a few times as I anticipated her answer.

But all Sevan did was set the cutlery down and stand from her chair before she said—

"We're leaving."

Almost immediately, my brows furrowed deeper, now standing from my chair with her.

But she had already begun walking back into the bedroom.

"Sevan—Sevan, wait," I tried to call out to her, but she was just too focused on the current task at hand.

Us leaving.

But why?

"Kairos is one of The Executioners, Zinovia," Sevan pointed out as she walked over to the closet.

I blinked a few times, "Okay so maybe it is very natural coincidence," I tried to reassure her.

But even I knew this felt far from a coincidence.

There are never coincidences in our world.

"His assignment is San Francisco—I know that for a fucking fact," Sevan said as she unzipped the half-unpacked suitcase, "If he's here, they sent him here."

I drew in a deep breath before letting it back out, trying to piece together my thoughts, "Maybe he is just checking up on you," I said, still trying to figure out why he was here.

But we both knew the real reason why.

It's because of us.

"They suspect something," Sevan said as she walked past me to the bathroom with the toiletry bag in hand, "There's no solid proof if they had to send him."

I nodded, "Exactly so everything is fine," I determined.

Which made Sevan immediately shake her head, "We have to leave," she said, grabbing the different things on the sink and putting them in the leather bag, "They don't have anything and we aren't giving them anything."

I furrowed my brows, "But you are leader," I pointed out, feeling my stomach weirdly twist as she continued packing our stuff away.

I don't think I want to leave yet.

I like it here very much.

"It's not like that, Zinovia," Sevan immediately shut my assumptions down as she grabbed the different soaps from the shower, "The Executioners are there to keep me grounded—to ensure that everything I do is fair to everyone beneath me."

I remained silent as she walked past me toward the closet, processing the bare bathroom.

Until I forced myself to snap out of it, blinking a few times as I turned around and walked back to the closet.

Where Sevan seemed to have both of our suitcases ready to go.

"Ettore wasn't here so that's good," Sevan determined as she rolled the suitcases past me.

I furrowed my brows, "Ett...ore?" I hesitantly pronounced his name.

"He's the one we send when there's a high-level problem," Sevan explained as she walked over to the bed and slid her slippers on, "Kairos is bad, but not as bad as Ettore."

I nodded almost a few times, watching as she set down the other pair of slippers for me to wear.

Which were provided by the hotel in my size, but I assume Sevan will charge them to the room.

It seems she actually wants to leave in this moment.

Very odd.

I have never seen her in such a way.

Even as we walked out to the running SUV, she ensured we both wore hoodies and exited through the back doors.

It was deadly silence between us—so much so that I nearly held my fucking breath during the entire car ride.

I was unsure what to say to her, especially with how anxious the air felt around us.

Even as we settled on the plane, it seemed to feel worse.

It almost felt like it didn't matter that we made it out of New York.

That felt like the first speed bump.

And Sevan seemed to plotting our way over the second given her laptop and phones were out as soon as we were up in the air with wifi.

I watched how her eyes traced the different screens—how she rolled her sleeves up or let out a deep sigh every so often.

Until finally—

Her dark eyes snapped to me.

And it felt like everything had faded.

The anxiousness.

Kairos.

The man named Ettore.

And the possibility of being caught together.

Sevan's face had softened away from it all, immediately motioning me over, "Come here," she whispered, setting her phone down beside her laptop.

And for once I did what she said without a single fight or hesitation.

Weirdly feeling her previous anxieties breathing into me.

But she is being dramatic.

Everything is okay.

Right?

"I'm going to handle this baby," Sevan said as I hesitantly straddled her lap, causing her to guide me down the rest of the way.

I nodded almost wordlessly, sliding my hands up her arms.

Until I suddenly leaned down to... hug her?

I buried my face in her neck, holding her tighter to my body.

"And you're right—everything is good," Sevan assured me, rubbing and kneading her hands into my lower back, "There's nothing to worry about really."

I hummed skeptically, "You only say that to reassure me," I pointed out in a soft murmur.

I heard Sevan let out a deep sigh, "No because I'm going to handle all of this," she pointed out, shutting down my assumptions, "I'm going to put some distance between us for a little while and—"

"Nyet," I immediately cut her short, pulling back from her neck to meet her dark eyes, "I do not want distance."

It was something I felt this weird strong opinion on.

All I knew was I wanted to be near Sevan.

That is all.

Sevan tilted her head as she eyed my face, "You don't want distance?" she clarified.

I shook my head two times, running my hands up to cup her soft cheeks, "I want to..." I trailed off in search of the proper words, "We spend more time together," I forced out hesitantly, tilting my head at my own words.

This feels so fucking odd.

Sevan's lips twitched up slightly, "We do baby," she whispered, running her hands up my back, "Just after this whole thing blows over yeah?"

I furrowed my brows, feeling my lips naturally form into a pout.

Which caused Sevan to close the gap between our faces, kissing my lips formed into the subtle pout.

"Just for a couple of days while I figure this all out," Sevan assured me, kissing my lips again.

But all I could do was sigh—nuzzling back down into her neck away from her soft lips.

And her eyes that would read how weirdly emotional I feel over this.

Very annoying.

"I think time away will do us very good," I forced out the lie, my tone sounding as stoic as I wanted it to.

"I disagree," Sevan said, easily making the knots burning all in my stomach and chest grow worse, "But this is necessary," she added almost reluctantly.

As if she feels the same way.

But I truly doubt she does.

Or she would hide away with me.

She would find a way to stay in Moscow.

But maybe—somehow, this is all necessary.

She can fix whatever is going on behind the scenes and I will attempt to focus on myself.

I do have an empire to continue to watch over and build.