Page 39 of Owned By the Bratva

She tried to smile as she handed me her glass. She pushed it to Mila and added orange juice and ice before returning it. “Here, drink some with mix.”

Cindy took a sip and breathed out loudly. “Wow, that was hot,” she exclaimed. We were about five drinks strong, and who knew how much food when Konstantin suddenly rose and held up his glass.

“Well,” he said, holding his glass in the air and looking at Cindy. “Now you have no reason to stick around anymore. You’re off the hook, Cindy. You’re free.”

Caught off guard, I didn’t know how to reply. Looking at Cindy, I could tell she was stunned as well.

“Um, yes, I suppose,” she uttered.

“Come now, it’s what you dreamed of, isn’t it?” Konstantin asked.

Smiling at him, Cindy didn’t answer. I haven’t considered what it meant now that the job was done. Konstantin walked up to me and pushed me lightly as he spoke again. “Come on, Leon, tell her. There’s no reason to keep her back. She is free now, right?”

Glancing from Leon to Cindy, I wasn’t sure how to answer. “Yes, yes, of course,” I said. “There is no reason for her to stay.” As the words left my mouth, they felt strange. It was like someone else was talking, and I had no control.

If she wanted to go, I wouldn’t stop her, though. But I hoped she would stay. Cindy got up and excused herself as Konstantin poured us another round. My instinct was to follow her up, but Konstantin grabbed my arm.

“Come now, one more, you can’t go to bed sober. Not after success, you know how it works.” He said, pulling me back to the table.

I watched as Cindy went upstairs and let her go. We had a tradition, and he was right. After every successful job, we would drink until one of us dropped. It seemed silly now, but I loved my family, and there was always tomorrow.

I woke up the following day on the couch downstairs. I rubbed my aching head, trying to remember who fell first, me or Konstantin. The house was quiet, and I headed upstairs. Cindy wasn’t in my bedroom, but I remembered seeing the spare room door closed. I hoped she wasn’t too angry at me.

Taking a quick shower, I decided to wake her with breakfast in bed. Mila was in the kitchen when I returned. The island was set for four, and I stared at her as I spoke. “I see there are only four plates. Who’s not having breakfast?”

Mila glanced at me with a light smile. “She left early this morning,” she said.

“What?” I asked, sitting down. “She left?”

Placing the eggs on the plates, she continued. “You did say she could.”

Rubbing my head, I tried to make sense of it all. “Yes, but…”

“No, buts Leon, you said she didn’t need to stay, and she left. Simple as that.”

My insides suddenly twisted and I felt sick. “Excuse me,” I said, standing from the table. “I’m not feeling too well.”

Moving back to the stairs, I heard Mila calling after me. “Breakfast will make you feel better,” she said.

As I headed to my room, I wished I hadn’t followed Konstantin’s suggestion. I didn’t want her to leave. I only meant if she wanted to go back to her place, she could. I would have taken her today to collect some of her things, but now she was gone.

Chapter 23 - Cindy

Staring at the bowl of noodles before me, sadness enveloping me. It had been a week since moving out of the mansion. I’d been scouting the papers, applying to all the jobs my qualifications allowed. Yet, I still haven’t found any work. I only had a couple of days left on my rent and couldn’t even find a new place to live.

There was a knock on the door as I swirled the noodles around in their sauce, not feeling hungry. I placed the bowl in the sink to dispose of it later and moved to the door. My small two-room apartment was open-plan.

Stepping around the tiny island, the door was within reach. Opening it, I was surprised to find Konstantin smiling at me.

“Hi,” I said in a high-pitched voice. “What are you doing here?”

He was the last person on earth I would have expected to come around. “Hi, Cindy. May I come in?” he asked in a flat tone.

Stepping to the side, I waved him in as I spoke. “Sure, of course.”

He walked past me into the living room. “I was just wondering how you were doing?” he said, facing me.

Glancing at the floor, I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice. “I’m good, thanks.” Moving to the fridge, I continued to speak without looking at him. He may notice the gloom in my eyes, and I didn’t want pity from any of them. “Would you like something to drink?”

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