Page 34 of Kadra: The Unfeeling

Enjoy.

Chapter 12

KADRA

WAR

“His love doesn’t hurt.

On the contrary, it made me whole again.” – K

“I didn’t peg you as the type who is…” I sit down opposite Vitali as he takes the chair closest to the computer system desk where my security detail spends hours monitoring the entire mansion and who comes in and out. I’ve made a lot of enemies the moment I disintegrated the Parisi family and severed all my father’s contract and so I decided to have this house built far away from the city with the best security system. The place has as much security as the white house does and I made sure of that before bringing Azariel here.

The security main room has four long tables set up in every corner and each holds at least six computers with a sea of chords falling behind them and zip ties holding them all in place. There is even a kill button connected to each of them should any uninvited guest decide to be stupid and knock on my door.

I highly doubted it since everyone who knows about this place is here but just in case, we’re ready and with Azariel here I’m not taking any chances. I upgraded the security and have more men guarding the outside perimeters.

A shirtless Vitali hovers on the desk with his dark brows pulled low. My eyes go to his gloved hands as he types quickly on the keyboard. “Brilliant?” He grins.

Brilliant.

Of course, he’s brilliant. Intelligence oozes out of him every time he speaks. Hell, the man even sounds intelligent when he cusses and that’s saying a lot.

I roll my eyes and then gesture toward the computer. “A nerd.” So cocky the damn Russian. Feeling too much when I should feel nothing, I decide to stand and pour myself some tea. The sweet at the same time bitter taste of the liquid always brings me comfort for reasons I’ve yet to understand. Holding the teapot up towards the Russian who is now looking at me with a soft smile on his face, I ask confused, “Do you care for some tea?” I try to act as if that smile doesn’t make parts of me pulse with need. Parts I thought were dead for so long. His eyes fell to the teapot in my hands and I realized my mistake too late.

The look of recognition in his eyes tells me he remembers the tea set he left for me at the cemetery to find on one of the rare occasions he appeared on my birthday.

Feeling vulnerable and exposed, I place the teapot back down on the table and return to my seat as if it means nothing. As if I didn’t save a gift that he gave me all these years. “Your time is almost up, Russian…” I sit back down, crossing one leg over the other then taking a sip of my tea trying to cool the fire that the man in front of me always manages to start whenever he looks at me.

“So impatient, love.” He says in a dry tone but his eyes sparkle. That’s the thing about this man that infuriates me. He sounds detached at times as if he could care less but then his eyes become soft or shine whenever he looks at me. It happened before with Azariel too. That’s why I could never fully get a read on him because no one has ever confused me more than Vitali does. One moment he could be warm and the other cold but I guess that’s what drew me to him so long ago. The way he had full control of his emotions. How he never revealed anything unless he wanted to. He always seemed bigger than life itself and now that I’m a fully-grown woman he still makes me feel like the little girl who was enamored with not only the man but with the power that oozes from him without even trying. With just one single look, he has me second-guessing myself and that is not acceptable yet I can’t seem to help it.

I need him to leave, before I do something stupid like hope or want things that were never written in the stars for me.

The clicking of the keyboard stops, grasping my attention. The Russian is no longer typing on the computer, his eyes are on me now instead of the screen. “Before I show you this I want you to know that if I could spare you I would. I fucking would, kotyonok.”

The way he’s looking at me feels different from all the times before. From just a second ago. There’s regret and pity in his eyes. I hate pity. Feeling a knot as big as my head in my stomach, I turn the screen around and when I do I freeze. Time ceases to stop and not in a good way. The images on the screen take me back to a time I wish I could scrub from my brain and rip from my skin. Unable to find my next breath, I have trouble getting the words out. “Why? Why a–are y–you showing me this?” I finally managed to get something out.

He points a gloved finger at the images on the screen. Images of kids of all ages bound in chains, naked and pale with bruises on every part of their bodies. “Do the rooms look familiar to you?” His voice no longer sounds soft or tender but harsh and deadly. “Look closely, Kadra.”

When I lean forward trying to figure out what he means, I see it.

My family’s logo.

Our hotels.

“No.” I croak out, not caring that I sound weak as I try to get air in my lungs. “How did I miss this?” I whisper to myself, looking at the names on the screen and then at the images of countless kids crying while tied to beds in different stages of undress. If I had any tears left I would cry for them But I don’t so I get angry instead. I let every heartbreaking picture fuel my hatred and I focus on that. Solely on that.

“You couldn’t have known. I just found out and I’ve been behind these fuckers for a long time.” Vitali nods solemnly then turns the computer and starts typing again before turning it my way and tapping the screen.

I memorize all the names in that goddamn list. Names of men and women who rule the underground scene while keeping their perfect facade for the world of the elite. For the scums that fund their multibillion-dollar business and Hollywood careers. I memorize all of them and the two names I know all too well.

Beauregard.

Parisi.

I knew my father was evil and I should’ve expected he would do absolutely anything and sink this low for money and power. What could you expect from a man who hurts his own kids?

The level of depravity.

---