Page 85 of Innocent Bratva Twins

It’s like my entire life is falling apart, and I’m not even trying to stop it. I’m just watching it happen.

“You keen to join us for a drink tonight?” Arkady asks. I look up and realize everyone else has left and we are the last two here.

Shit. I should get going.

Standing up, I gather my things, slipping my phone into my pocket, glancing at the screen with a flicker of hope that she might have messaged me. She hasn’t though.

“Dude, did you hear me?” Arkady sighs.

“Mm?” I ask, looking up at him. “Sorry, what?”

“For fuck sake.” He chuckles. “You’re losing your mind, man, over a girl. Come for a drink tonight. It’ll be good for you.”

I shake my head. “No, thanks. I’m going over the new lead and then—“

“Fuck off. Youarecoming for a drink tonight. Eight o'clock, at the Lava Lounge. If you’re not there at eight, I will come to your place and drag you out myself.”

“Fuck sakes.” I huff.

“You know I’ll do it.” He chuckles.

“I’ll be there.” I snap, annoyed that he’s putting me in this position. But in the back of my mind, my logic tells me to appreciate my family. To appreciate the effort they are all putting in to try and help me through this.

It’s not working.

But the fact that they are there for me is what counts.

I’ll go for a drink.

I’ll sit there in silence.

I’ll go home.

It will ease their worry to see me out and about and doing normal things. They are worried about me. My sisters have been calling every day, three times a day, to check up on me. My brothers are constantly asking me if I need anything.

If I could find a way to make them believe that I was fine, just so that they’d leave me alone, I would do it. But I can’t fake happiness.

I’m numb, empty, and hollow inside without Sera.

Arkady glares at me one last time. It’s a warning and I nod in response. “I’ll be there, man. I promise.”

“Good.” He says.

I watch him walk away, and when he’s far enough ahead, I leave as well. This way, I can walk down to my car alone.

Another day is dragging by with my eyes on the clock. Time drags when she’s not with me. I wish she were waiting at home for me.

Working on the lead for Andrei doesn’t bring me any satisfaction, and in the end, it’sanotherdead end. Radmir answers the phone with hope in his voice when I call him.

“Hey, Nico, what can you tell me?” He asks cheerfully. It’s funny how people try and sound more upbeat when they know you’re down as though they’re trying to be happy enough for both of you.

“Hey, man. I spoke to Pollock and Denver. They both took a tour of that underground club. It was completely empty.”

“Well, ye. It would only open around one, maybe two in the morning?”

“No, I mean it wasn’t operating. There were homeless guys sleeping in the DJ booth and behind the bar. Broken bottlescoated in dust. It’s been closed for months. It’s not even like we could make the assumption that they saw us coming and made a run for it in the last couple of days. That club hasn’t had people or music in it for ages. Never mind Adrian. Just in case though, they did a full sweep of the whole place, thinking maybe they’d find evidence that he was hiding there at one point. But we came up with nothing.”

“Shit.” He sighs, frustrated. “I really thought this was a good lead. Alright. I’ll go back to the guys and get them to change direction. This fucking guy has to be somewhere. He can’t have vanished into thin air.”

---