Page 30 of Blood Mosaic

Love shouldn’t feel like a trap, but Anna wasn’t a sixteen-year-old boy. Anna was her mother. The only parent she had. Anna was the last of her family.

She tossed the dress on the bed before she went to the bathroom to get ready.

This was going to be a long day.

“For how long?”Elene Beridze was clearly not happy with Tatyana’s request.

“I’m not sure, but when I left, she was expecting me back in a week maximum, and it’s been eight days.”

Elene frowned. “Is your mother in poor health? Is she disabled in some way? Does she have a nurse?”

“No.” Tatyana let out a breathy laugh. “Even if she was, we couldn’t afford… No, it’s not that. My grandparents died a few years ago, and that was very hard on her. She depends on me, but I will be able to get her settled if I go back today.”

“Hmm.”

Tatyana was twisting her hands, knowing how unprofessional it looked to show up on your first day at a new job and immediately tell your supervisor that you had to leave.

“As I said, I was only supposed to be gone for one week. We hadn’t prepared for an extended absence, and then this new contract happened so quickly that I wasn’t able to?—”

“Oleg won’t be pleased,” Elene muttered. “But I can’t argue with your logic. Being away from home for a week and being gone for months are very different things.”

A tiny spring of hope. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Go.” Elene waved a hand. “The files are on your desk and we’ve emailed them to you as well. But this is a break to get your mother situated, not a permanent situation. You do need to work from this office.”

“I understand.” She didn’t know how she was going to make it work, but she’d have to think of something.

She would have to.

“You have your advance,” Elene continued. “So if coming back to Odesa means hiring someone to look after your mother or be her companion, take care of it. You’re not doing yourself any favors coddling her like a child, and it’s going to hold you back professionally.” Elene’s frown was severe. “I understand family, but who pays the water bill if you don’t work, hmm?”

“I agree, and I will make my mother understand.” How, she wasn’t sure, but the idea of hiring someone to take some of the load off her own shoulders sounded like heaven. “I’ll work just as hard there as I would here. I promise.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Elene said. “Just go and do what you need to do, then come back and we can focus on following Zara’s breadcrumbs.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Tatyana nodded and grabbed her phone. “Flying is complicated now. Hopefully I can find something this afternoon. I’ll probably have to go all the way to Krasnodar, but?—”

“Don’t be silly,” Elene said. “You can take the company plane. Oleg’s flights always receive special permissions, so you should be able to fly directly. That will be much faster.”

Tatyana froze. “No, I couldn’t possibly?—”

“Of course you can. It’s not efficient for you to spend all that time jumping through governmental nonsense when you could take advantage of SMO’s connections. Besides, the plane is sitting at the airport right now and we’re paying the pilots whether they fly or not.” Elene put her reading glasses on and turned to her computer monitor. “I’ll call them and have them ready for you at three o’clock.”

“Are you sure? Is that… legal?”

“It will be legal when I call them and tell them that Oleg’s plane is coming.” Elene scribbled a number on a note and handed it to Tatyana. “Call this number an hour before you’re ready to go and the steward will give you directions.”

“Are you sure?”

“Tatyana, please don’t waste my time.” Elene was looking back at her monitor, already tapping on her keyboard. “It’s a small jet, so don’t set your expectations on the moon. We’re a shipping company, not rock stars. They will be waiting for you this afternoon. Now please work until noon so I can answer any questions you might have before you leave.”

Sevastopol

Nearly three years before

“It doesn’t addup for me.” Tatyana felt a headache starting in her temple. “And I can’t tell you why. But there is a discrepancy in the numbers and it’s driving me crazy.”

She and Zara were back at the karaoke club. This time they were talking in a corner booth at the back of the club while the regular employees from ZOL took turns on the stage.

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