Chapter 90 Chapter90
CHAPTER NINETY
Dimitri
I walked down the hospital corridor towards Mikhail's room.
My mind was heavy with everything that had happened.
So much had gone wrong today.
But at least everyone I loved was still alive.
That was what mattered.
I reached Mikhail's room and knocked softly.
"Come in," a weak voice called.
I entered and saw Mikhail lying in bed.
He was pale and had tubes connected to him.
But his eyes were open and alert.
"Dimitri," he said. "Come sit."
I pulled a chair close to his bed.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Like I was shot three times," Mikhail replied with a weak smile.
"I am sorry," I said. "I should never have doubted you."
"You had reason to," Mikhail replied. "The evidence against me was convincing."
"But I should have known," I insisted. "I should have trusted you."
"You are forgiven," Mikhail said simply. "Now stop apologizing."
I nodded.
"Thank you," I said. "For saving my life."
"I made a promise to your mother," Mikhail replied. "To always protect you."
"You must have really loved her," I said quietly.
"More than anything," Mikhail admitted. "But she chose your father."
"Do you regret it?" I asked. "Not telling her how you felt?"
"Every day," Mikhail said. "But I had no right to interfere."
"She would have been proud of you," I said. "For raising me and Alexei."
"I did my best," Mikhail replied. "Though clearly I failed with Alexei."
"He made his own choices," I said.
"True," Mikhail agreed. "But I should have guided him better."
We sat in silence for a moment.
"About the war with Viktor," I started.
"You shouldn't go to war," Mikhail interrupted firmly. "Not yet."
"But Viktor..." I began.
"Viktor can wait," Mikhail said. "Right now you need to focus on your family."
"But he will come for us," I argued.
"And when he does we will be ready," Mikhail replied. "But going to him now is suicide."
"So what do I do?" I asked.
"Strengthen your position," Mikhail explained. "Gather allies."
"Who will ally with me against Viktor?" I asked.
"More than you think," Mikhail said. "Viktor has made many enemies."
"Like who?" I pressed.
"Sergei for one," Mikhail replied. "And there are others."
"But will it be enough?" I asked.
"It will have to be," Mikhail said. "Now go."
"Go where?" I asked.
"To your wife," Mikhail replied. "She needs you."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"I am not going anywhere," Mikhail said. "The doctors will make sure of that."
I smiled despite everything.
"Thank you," I said standing up. "For everything."
"Just promise me something," Mikhail said.
"What?" I asked.
"When you do face Viktor," Mikhail said. "Make sure you win."
"I will," I promised.
I left Mikhail's room and headed back towards Irina.
When I entered, she was propped up against the pillows, her face was less pale than before. A small, tired smile touched her lips when she saw me.
“There you are,” she said, her voice still a little thin. “I was starting to think you’d gotten lost.”
“Never,” I said, taking the seat beside her bed. I reached for her hand, and she laced her fingers through mine. For a few minutes, we just sat in the quiet.
Then, her stomach gave a soft, audible growl. She looked embarrassed, then chuckled. “I suppose that’s a good sign.”
“Are you hungry?” I asked, immediately alert. “What do you want? I’ll have someone get you anything.”
She thought for a moment, her brow furrowing. “You know what I would kill for?” she said finally. “Roasted chicken. The kind from that little place near my old apartment downtown. With the crispy skin and the herbs.”
“Consider it done,” I said, pulling out my phone to call a guard.
But I stopped. After everything,the bullets, the running, the fear of losing her, sending a subordinate felt wrong. This was something I needed to do myself. This small, normal act felt vitally important.
“I’ll get it,” I said, standing up.
“Dimitri, no,” Irina protested, her grip tightening on my hand. “It’s not safe. You can’t go out there just for chicken.”
“It’s the only thing that will do,” I said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “And I will be quick. You are the most important person in this world to me. Let me do this.”
She argued, but the look in my eyes must have told her I needed this. Reluctantly, she let my hand go. “Be careful. Please.”
I nodded and walked out.
I moved with a purpose. Two guards shadowed me discreetly as I left the hospital. The café she had described was still open, and the smell of roasted meat and garlic filled the air.
I brought the food back, warm, and the smile on Irina’s face when I returned was worth every perceived risk.
We spread the simple meal on the adjustable tray, eating with our fingers because I’d forgotten to get forks. It was messy and perfect. We laughed when she got a smear of grease on her chin, and I teased her about her ferocious appetite.
“Look at you,” she said, wiping her hands on a napkin and eyeing me critically. “When was the last time you shaved? Or slept? You look like a wild man who lost a fight with a bear.”
I ran a hand over the rough stubble on my jaw. “This is the look of a devoted husband.”
“It’s the look of a man who needs a day at a spa,” she retorted, her eyes sparkling. “A deep tissue massage and a facial. I’m serious, Dimitri. You can’t lead a criminal empire looking like a woodcutter.”
The joke, so ordinary and domestic, felt like a balm. For twenty minutes, there was no war, no Viktor, no betrayal. There was just us, in a hospital room, laughing over chicken and imagining me in a plush robe with cucumber on my eyes.
It was a fragile, stolen moment of peace, and I clung to it. But as I gathered the empty containers, my phone rang, shattering the silence.
It was one of my guards.
"Boss," he said urgently. "I need to tell you something."
"What is it?" I asked.
"It is about the prisoner," the guard said. "Marina."
"What about her?" I demanded.
"She is talking," the guard explained. "She is confessing everything."
"And?" I pressed.
"She says she didn't work alone. Someone paid her to poison Alexei," t
he guard continued.
My blood ran cold.
"Who?" I demanded.
"She says it was..." the guard paused.
"Tell me!" I shouted.
But before he could answer another voice came through.
"Boss!" A different guard yelled in the background. "Boss, you need to come quick!"
"What is happening?" I demanded.
"It is sir, Alexei!" The guard shouted.
"What about him?" I asked.
"Sir Alexei is awake!” The guard said breathlessly.