(Fyi: The guy in the bottom left corner is Luca)

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Chapter 4

Russian Oligarchs

New York, USA – October 2nd, 2020

"Why are you pretending like you don't know her, Matteo?"

The question sends a shockwave through my body.

"I-"

"Is she not the girl who stayed over in May?"

"Yes, she is."

"Then you know that's her family."

"I didn't know-"

"Didn't you see her with Romeo at the theatre?"

"I did."

"So when I asked you why you want to know who the man is, you lied."

"I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you that I also I wanted to know because she's her father."

"Why do you care if he's her father? That doesn't change who he is."

"Who is he then?"

My father hesitates. "He works with the Russians."

"Does he work for them?"

"No, he works with them."

"Is he their boss?"

"Looks like it. It's either him or the guy next to him."

I look at the screen. "He wasn't at the gala."

"That's Boris Levin, his brother. We don't know who the boss is, but it's one of them."

"Do you think they ordered those guys to go into Francesco's store?"

"I don't know, it's possible."

I suddenly get a flashback from January, when Valentina rode with us in the car after the airport.

"Someone who worked for them got killed. But the weird part is that I think they're trying to keep it secret."

That's what she had said then.

"Do you think she knows?" I ask him.

"I think you can answer that question better than me."

He looks at me with a stern look on his face, as if he's trying to read my mind.

"I don't think she knows what he does, she told me her father was a businessman when I asked her."

"Why did you ask her what her father does?"

"She mentioned that someone who worked for him got killed and that she thinks they're trying to keep it a secret."

"When was this?"

"January this year."

"Hm. I don't think she knows anything; at least, she didn't know anything back then, otherwise she wouldn't have talked about it, especially not with you."

He goes back to being my dad once the meeting is over, telling me to attend class even if it's online.

"And keep an eye out on the girl." He adds when I'm at the door.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

He shrugs. "If she says anything else about her family, let me know."

I feel weird about it, because I'm not sure whether I like the thought lingering in the back of my mind, but I just nod before leaving the room.

Once I'm back at my apartment, I take a seat on the couch and google Boris Levin. I only find some news articles in Russian and his LinkedIn page. After translating some articles, I realize that they all only have good things to say about him; how he helped fund some hospitals and churches, his non-profit organizations on top of his successful conglomerates, and so on.

His LinkedIn page shows his photo; he's a man about my father's age who looks serious. He's the CFO of PJSC Levin Industries, a joint-stock company in Russia with over nine billion dollars in revenue.

After researching the company, I find out that Kiryl Levin is the CEO.

He's her dad

I don't find anything suspicious about them, so I decide to play video games instead.

But then again, you can't find anything suspicious related to my dad's name either.

***

New York, USA - October 14th, 2020

I've had ten different jobs in the past eight days, and I'm fucking exhausted. I've had four hours of sleep in the past three days, and I would have long passed out if it weren't for the cocaine I did with Luca last night.

We have another job tonight, somewhere at a private villa on the outskirts of New York. It's classified as a high-end security job, which has always been code for 'spying on people we don't trust'.

The guests had already arrived by the time we got there, and I don't know what I expected, but I didn't expect a swinger's party.

At some point during the evening, Luca and I go outside for a smoke.

"Why are we here? This seems...private."

"Why are you surprised?"

"I've never been to a swinger's party. Why are you not surprised to see people fucking each other in front of other people?"

He smiles in a demeaning way. "You're new to this."

"This is our third event this week."

"You're new to this type of wealth."

"How is this any different from the Russian gala last week? Those people were uber-rich. Billionaires, even."

"Those were nine figures. We're talking twelve and up in this place."

"What's the difference?"

"Imagine having more money than entire countries put together."

The thought of someone having so much power seems dangerous.

"Still, what's the difference?"

"These people can do anything they can think of. They can literally control people with that much money; they can own everything they desire. Can you imagine that? Being able to do anything that crosses your mind, with no punishment whatsoever?"

"Sounds like a happy life."

"You haven't even seen the beginning of it."

"Why do they even need security?"

"The owner thought there might be some people attending who could potentially be dangerous."

"Do we have names?"

"No, he didn't give any names. He said it's just a hunch, and that it's better to be safe than sorry. And he asked for discretion."

"We have something on the host that would get him in trouble with some dangerous people.

We walk back inside after finishing our cigarettes. Not much is happening, but there are naked people walking around and there's a foursome going on in a room with no doors.

"The guy in the far-left corner of the room is Arnold Hicks." Luca starts.

I can barely make out his features, because the main room is the size of a ballroom.

"He's the billionaire who hosts these kinds of parties for the disgusting filthy rich people of New York, once a month."

"Swinging is not disgusting though."

"I've been on some of his yacht parties, in the middle of nowhere."

"How do you know all this?"

"My boss always tells me these things."

"Our boss?"

He looks at me sideways. "We don't have the same boss."

"What do you mean?"

"You work for your dad. I work for Eric."

"Who is Eric?"

"The Capo based in New York. He attended your initiation."

"Oh."

It must've been one of the men I didn't know.

My eyes drift around the room. Another couple is naked now, and I recognize the man instantly.

It's Boris Levin, Valentina's uncle.

He's a big guy, bigger than I assumed from the image, and his body is covered in tattoos, which also didn't show on his suit-covered body in the profile picture. One of the articles mentioned that he's still a bachelor, so I know that's not his wife. Maybe someone else's.

"Who's that?" I ask, wanting to see if he knows.

"Boris Levin."

"He's a Russian oligarch."

"Why is he in New York?"

"He owns a few businesses and hotels along the East Coast."

We both look at him.

"He's Valentina Levin's uncle."

The fact that he knows the information makes me feel uneasy.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I think he was involved in Romeo's murder."

"Why?"

"He was there. I watched the tapes."

The uneasy feeling turns into adrenaline, spreading through my body.

"What tapes?"

My stomach is on the floor.

"I know someone who works at the door of the theatre, and he sent me the tapes from the front entrance."

"Why are you-"

"Romeo arrived with them. He got out of the same car with them, and the girl also knows him personally, because they were laughing together. She must've been with him when he got shot."

"What are you planning on doing with the information?"

"I don't know yet, but I think this guy is a good place to start."

"Did you know he'd be here tonight?"

"I think he's the guy who could cause trouble. It's a funny coincidence that here's here though.

Boris pulls out of the woman and walks over to a marble round table with high legs. I watch him do a line of coke before wiping his nose and turning to look at me.

I don't even have time to reach because he's walking over, not a care in the world about the fact that his dick is swinging around.

"You've been watching me." He states, Russian accent heavy on his tongue.

Luca and I exchange glances, as if to decide who takes this one.

"We're here to supervise that everything is under control." I answer.

"These parties can go on for hours, you look tired."

"I'm alright."

He points over to the table where the cocaine tray is placed.

"Would you like a bump?"

Luca and I exchange glances again.

The coke is right there, and I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours.

"Sure."

The party ends up being twenty hours long, and I spend it mostly walking around with Luca and doing lines with Valentina's uncle.

***

New York, USA – October 31st, 2020

I attend all online courses even if it means sleeping through them. Isabella reminded me two days ago to help her have her birthday at RedLight, so I call one of the bartenders. He used to be my dealer before Aleksi was around, and he agreed to do it for $150 an hour.

Ariana lands at JFK four hours before we're supposed to be at the club, so I pick her up from the airport.

When she had asked me whether she could stay over while in New York, I couldn't think of a reason why not.

We have sex as soon as we get to the apartment, and it's more underwhelming than usual. Maybe it's because we haven't seen each other in so long.

Or maybe it's because I'm not attracted to her anymore.

I've slept better in the last two days than the last two weeks, so at least I'm not too exhausted to drink.

I go through my closet while she's still on her makeup. The devil is always my go to for Halloween, because it's a no-brainer. Halloween has never been a thing for me when I was younger, but I can understand why so many people like to use it as an excuse to party. The scary part is fun.

Ariana is dressed up as Harley Quinn when I return to my room. Her hair is up hair up in pigtails, and she looks younger, maybe even prettier.

She gives me a onceover. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Lucifer."

"From the TV Show?"

"Yes."

She doesn't comment on the fact that I basically just threw a suit on, so maybe Isabella will let it pass as being on theme.

Luca comes over ten minutes before we're supposed to leave. He's dressed as Hawkeye from the Avengers.

"Are you wearing your work clothes?" he jokingly asks.

He's in a good mood; unlike his usual bored self.

"It's a suit."

"He's Lucifer." Ariana explains.

Luca outright laughs then. "Smart."

***

The club looks weird with only 5% of its capacity filled, but Isabella looks happy and everybody's having fun.

Ariana is clingier than usual, coming to me every chance she gets to kiss me or to get me to dance. I play along, because why not, but I can't help but look in Luca's direction every now and then.

He is eyeing Valentina to the point where it creeps me out. Their conversation in the staff room gave me a bad feeling, and now they're talking once again.

When I finally get her alone, I don't even know what I want to tell her. All I know is that I want her to be careful with what she tells him about herself.

I pull her into an unoccupied booth.

"What did you say to him?"

She doesn't understand what I tell her.

She looks hot when she's confused

We can't talk here.

Once we're outside, she crosses her arms and looks around. "Well? I'm cold, be quick."

"What did Luca say to you?"

"He asked me when I moved here. I don't know. We talked about our costumes."

I give her a onceover. She's wearing a dress and she calls it a costume?

Then again, I'm also just wearing a suit.

"Costumes?"

"Are you dissing my outfit? While wearing your work clothes as a costume?"

I want to laugh, but that won't help me in the argument.

"Are you seriously saying Goddess Luna is more on theme than Lucifer? You have a dress and some glitter on, you're not fooling anyone."

"I'm on theme because I'm a Goddess and Lucifer is not a Monster."

"The theme was Superheroes and Villains, not your Lana del Rey whatever."

"Everything is more on theme than a suit, that's for sure."

"I'm the literal devil. That works for both."

"The devil does not look like Lucifer."

"How do you know what the devil looks like?"

"How do you?"

"I think the devil looks human."

"Why?"

"Because we can't recognize him if he looks like us."

"Why do you even want to know about Luca?"

She changes the subject, and it satisfies me to know that I've won this round.

I can't explain it to her, because that would mean having to explain everything. But I also don't want Luca to purposely get close to her so he can find out dirt about her family.

"I don't know. I was just curious."

It's not a lie.

"I don't buy it, tell me the truth."

Fuck, I forgot she's smart.

"The truth is that you're my friend and I don't trust him."

She looks surprised. "Don't trust him to what?"

"I just don't trust him. As a person."

"Why did you ask Isabella if he could come then?"

I also forgot that Isabella and her are best friends.

"His uncle died and my dad asked me to keep an eye on him for a while, make sure he's okay."

I know she's thinking about Romeo, but I'm not going to be the first one to bring him up. She looks skeptical, so I take a step forwards. We're so close now I can smell her perfume, which makes it a little harder to concentrate.

"Can you trust me on this?"

We've been friends for a year now, but I've never thought about this question until this moment.

I see two police cars pulling up on the street by the entrance of the club.

Shit.

"Let's go."

She starts running in the opposite direction, and my first instinct is to stop her. I'm not worried about the police in the slightest, and I know that if we stay together, she'll be okay.

We're outside after government-imposed curfew and having a party in a club on top of that. Worst case scenario is a fine, which is okay.

I grab her arm. "No. If you run, you look guilty."

"What am I supposed to do?"

Her eyes are filled with worry, and I know now that there's no way she's involved in her father and uncle's business. She wouldn't be panicking like this if she knew how powerful her family really is.

"Own up to it."

I can feel her relaxing, so I let go of her arm and we turn around to walk towards the police.

The way the police grope her as they body search us makes me angry.

"She clearly doesn't have pockets."

The female officer bends down and picks up a small baggie from the ground. I don't even have to wait for them to test it to know that it's probably cocaine.

"What do we have here?"

I look at Valentina's face, hoping for her sake that it isn't hers.

***

They take us in separate cars to the station, but we find each other again in the reception of the police station. We're both handcuffed and sobered up.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"No talking." One of the police guys snarls at me.

"Says who?"

He puffs his chest and walks over to me, hands on his belt to accentuate the fact that he has a gun.

"Says me."

The female officer comes over then, grabbing Valentina by the arm and guiding her to the desk of the custody sergeant.

"Name?"

"Valentina Emma Levin."

"Have you consumed drugs or alcohol in the past twenty-four hours?"

I see her pulling her head back. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Don't be a smartass." The woman says to her, tightening her grip on Valentina's arm. "Do you want to be taken to the hospital and tested?"

"You can take me wherever you want, but it would be a waste of time and resources."

I smirk at myself.

We reunite in the small cell in the basement of the police station.

"What's going to happen now?"

She still looks worried, and I feel sorry that she has to go through this.

"Why are you asking me?"

"You've been taken into custody before, right?"

"Usually, you post bail and then you're out."

"Why didn't we get a phone call?"

"I don't know, I think it has something to do with the drugs-"

"Valentina Levin, get up. Who put these two together? They're not supposed to be talking to each other."

The female police officer comes into the room and opens the cell. Valentina looks at me for help as her hands are cuffed again.

"I won't leave without you." I tell her, trying to reassure her that it's going to be okay.

She doesn't look convinced as she's being pulled away.

A few minutes later, a guy in a suit shows up.

"Matteo Giudice. I'm detective Parker from the DEA."

Detective? DEA??

He opens the cell and guides me to a room down the hall, not bothering to cuff me.

There's a large table in the middle with two chairs sitting across from each other. One of the walls is made up of a giant two-way mirror.

"Why am I being interrogated?"

"Sit down."

I take a seat on one of the chairs.

"Who does the bag belong to?"

Is he using slang to see whether I know it or not?

"What bag?"

"The cocaine."

"I don't know if that's cocaine, I've never seen that bag before."

And that's not a lie; it's not the same one he has in his staff room – that one is blue.

"You are Matteo Giudice, right?"

"I am."

Really? That's how he's known by the police in New York?

"I am, but what does that to do with anything?"

He looks like he just said something he shouldn't have.

"He's been...linked to other cocaine busts."

"How exactly?"

"They were found on properties owned by his company."

"Was he there or did he rent them out?"

"There's a connection-"

"So? Is it his fault that he owns many properties?"

I'm hungry and definitely sober right now, and this guy is getting on my nerves.

He obviously doesn't like my very reasonable logic and he knows I'm right.

"Speaking of my dad, I want to call him. The law says that I'm entitled to one phone call, and you failed to tell me that when you brought me in here."

He huffs and puffs but brings me my phone.

"Was it Valentina Levin's cocaine?"

I roll my eyes. "I already told you; I don't know where it came from."

I know that it wasn't mine because I never carry it outside the club with me in fucking baggies, and I also know that Valentina has brought her own before. It most probably is hers, but I'm not going to tell that to a detective.

My dad answers on the second ring.

"What happened?"

"I'm at a police station being interrogated because I was out."

"Which one?"

"Near the club."

"I'll send someone. Don't talk to anyone."

He hangs up so I hand over the phone.

"What were you doing with her?"

"We were just talking."

"About?"

"How is this relevant? Do I need to get a lawyer? Are you arresting me for something?"

"I could arrest you for breaking government-imposed curfew."

"Then do it already, I've told you everything I know."

Someone bangs on the door, and Detective Parker leaves the room. He walks back in ten minutes later, followed by Franco, Isabella's father.

"You can leave, Matteo."

"He had a bag of coke on him." Parker tries to argue, but I'm already out of my seat.

Franco turns to look at the guy. "It was on the ground, was it not? Do you really think, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the only way that bag could've ended up on the ground in that alley is from my client?"

The guy stutters, and by the time I walk out the door he's already accepted his defeat.

"Who were you with?" he asks me once we've climbed in the back of the car he came with.

"A friend from school, Valentina."

"Is she Isabella's friend?"

"Yes. The police have no idea about the party, Isabella's safe." I assure him.

The driver starts the engine as I turn to face him. "Wait, what about her? Is she still inside?"

"You've already been let go, but I can't take care of her as well."

"You can't or you don't want to try?"

"Both."

"I can't just leave her here; she had no part in this. She's the innocent one in all of this."

"And you're not?"

"I was the one who asked her to come outside."

"Doesn't she have parents?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"They can come bail her out."

"Was she arrested?"

"No, don't panic."

I roll my eyes. "I'm not panicking."

"She'll have to take care of herself. Do you understand why you must let it go?"

I hesitate, but I nod. "I understand, but I disagree."

"Then let's go."

The first few minutes of the ride are silent, and all I can think about is whether she even has someone in New York who could take care of her.

Franco must notice that I'm not satisfied with his decision. "She's not your responsibility."

"She is my friend. She's your daughter's friend."

We make eye contact. "We can't extend and overplay our authority with the police when it comes to the States. If we were in Italy-"

"It's okay, I understand."

I really do understand the technicalities, but I don't agree with them on a personal level.

"I just hope she doesn't have to spend the night in jail."

"Do you trust her?"

"To do what?"

"To not say anything that might incriminate you or Isabella."

"Yes."

I'm not sure whether I believe myself or not, but I know it's my only option right now. She didn't answer me when I asked her if she trusted me about Luca; she didn't even have time to think about it.

"Then she's probably going to end up in jail overnight."

"Why?"

"Because they won't let her go tonight unless a lawyer comes. I know how these guys work; they threaten with jail and prison unless she gives you up."

"Maybe she won't spend the night."

"If she didn't, it means that she's more powerful than you think."

"It means that she knows someone in New York who can help her. That's good, isn't it?"

"I guess so."

He takes me back to my new apartment, where my dad is waiting for me in my living room.

I tell him everything from start to finish, leaving out the part where she wanted to run away, because I know it would make her look guilty in their eyes.

"What were the drugs doing there?"

"They weren't mine."

"Were they hers?"

"I don't know."

He's silent for a few seconds.

"You need to be more careful, Matteo."

"Nothing happened though."

"Until the government lays off the restrictions and people are back on the streets, you can't go to anymore parties. Nor host any." He sees my face. "I'm serious, Matteo. The police won't forget it and they'll use it against you in one way or another."

"Fine."

"I mean it. This isn't Italy. We're guests here."

"You do know someone on the police though."

"Yes, but not someone who could do for me what we did in Italy with Romeo."

I understand what he's saying.

There are people in the game more powerful than he is.

"Are you telling me that Italy is more corrupt than the United States?"

He wants to laugh; I can see it on his face.

"No, we just don't know as many people here."

"Okay, I get it. I'll be more careful with the police."

"You need to be more careful in...general."

"Do you mean being more careful with Valentina?"

The two of them exchange looks.

"She can be Isabella's friend and not mine?"

"You can be friends with her, Matteo."

His tone rubs me the wrong way. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What were you doing outside with her?"

"I already told you."

My patience is running thin and I'm tired.

"Where is Luca?"

I shrug. "Probably still at the club, I don't know."

"Did you invite him?"

"Oh, right. He thinks Boris Levin had something to do with Romeo's murder."

I realize that Franco might not now about the whole thing when it's too late.

My father doesn't seem phased. "What did he say?"

So, Franco does know.

I tell him everything Luca told me, including his intention of weaseling his way into Valentina's life. I also tell them how we met Boris Levin at one of our security jobs.

"That's good to hear."

His response takes me aback.

"Why?"

"Because the closer he gets to her, the farther he is from you."

"And when he finds out it wasn't her uncle?"

"Her uncle or her dad; either one really." Franco butts in.

"Why?"

Valentina's dad didn't seem like a bad guy at all. He was nice and even cracked some jokes during that poker game. Her uncle on the other hand had something evil in his eyes.

Franco checks his watch.

"It's nearly five in the morning. We have a meeting at ten with some private equity investors. We should get some sleep."

My need to know more is through the roof, but they're already standing.

"Oh, and you should start looking for a new apartment next month."

"Why?"

"Because Aurora will be moving in here."

He's dropping unexpected bombs all over the place today huh.

"And why is that?"

"She got into NYU and they're going to start live classes soon."

"Since when? She didn't even have a graduation."

Dumb question. Everything was online.

"Why can't she move in by herself?"

"Because I want her to live with one of you, to be safe. Do you want to live with her?"

"Not really. I'd like living alone for once now that I think about it."

"I'll send you a link to our listing tomorrow, you can pick one out. Make sure it's close to the office."

I follow them to the door.

"What's the deal with Valentina's uncle though? Why would Luca have reason to believe they'd kill Romeo? He's been working for them; he was their housekeeper in Capo. It's been going on for longer than just a few months. They'd have no reason to kill him."

They look at each other, and I can tell they're having a silent conversation right now.

My dad opens the door, already taking a step outside.

"It's getting late. We'll talk about it another time."

It's almost six when I finally get into bed and check my phone. Ariana hasn't come back yet, which means that the party is still going.

I don't realize how tired my body is until I finally lay down and I get to feel my legs again. I have fifty missed calls from seven different people, and there are more than a hundred unread messages.

It's too much to handle, so I choose to only respond to Vinnie for now.

Matteo: got taken by the police with valentina, long story. Talk tmrw

I also send a text to Valentina, asking her if she's okay.

***

New York, United States - November 1st, 2020

Someone from the police station calls me around noon the next day. They want me to come back and sign an affidavit that the police did not use any excessive force.

Ariana is sleeping in my bed when I leave the apartment, and I don't bother leaving a note to tell her where I am.

The station looks different during the day, and a lot of faces from last night are gone.

I walk over to the front desk.

"I'm here to sign an affidavit?"

He looks at me before typing something on his computer. The printer next to him starts buzzing, and he slams the piece of paper in front of me.

"Pen is on the right."

"Matteo?"

I feel relieved to hear her voice as I turn around. She looks happy to see me; surprised even.

"You're alive." I half-joke and go in for a hug without even thinking about it. "How did you get out?"

"My dad. I called him and he came to get me. You?"

"His- his lawyer came."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to sign the excessive force affidavit?"

She scrunches her nose. "Me too."

"You were kinda roughed up tho-"

She waves it off, her bracelets jingling as she does so. "It's just not worth the effort, honestly."

"Can I help you?" the guy asks.

"Yes, I'm here to sign an affidavit."

He looks at her over his glasses. "Name?"

"Valentina Levin."

"Pen is on the right."

We walk outside after the guy mutters a 'that's all you're free to go'.

I take out my comfort cigarette as soon as we step outside.

"I'm sorry I left-"

She smiles. "You don't owe me an explanation, Matteo."

"I know, but I want to give you one."

"It's fine-"

"No, it's not. I told you I'd be there and I wasn't. If this trust thing is going to work, I need you to know that I couldn't control it, and I'm sorry I left you there."

"I understand, but it's okay because my dad came to bail me out."

"Were the drugs yours?"

"No. Weren't they yours?"

"No."

"So it was just a random bag that someone dropped?"

The question whether she told them they were mine or not is pressing on my chest.

She looks at my face and her eyes soften. "I didn't say they were yours. I told them I have no idea how it got there, and it's the truth."

"Did you say anything to them about the party?"

"No. Did you?"

I shake my head.

"How did you come here?" I ask her when my eyes fall on my parked car.

"Subway."

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Sure."

We get into my car, and I turn to look at her. "Where do you stay?"

"Tribeca. I finally have my own apartment."

I start driving in that direction, even though it's way further from the police station than my apartment.

"Yeah, you mentioned that yesterday. How come?"

"I'm doing the mandatory internship for credits."

"We have a mandatory internship?"

"Yes? Every degree has a mandatory work experience or whatever."

"And where did you find an internship when everything is closed?"

"My dad's investment company."

She doesn't look too proud to admit that.

"Doing what?"

"Financial advisor trainee."

"Oh, wow."

It's not at all what I expected.

"What?"

"It's...unexpected."

"Why?"

I shrug. "I guess most of the girls I know who are studying business choose something in marketing."

"That's fun too, but this was available."

"What do you have to do?"

"I actually don't know; I'm starting my first day tomorrow."

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

I smirk. Of course she isn't.

She crosses her arms. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"I don't know. You're amusing."

She takes my phone from the cup holder.

"What's the code? I want to type in the address."

"0707."

She types her address in, then places the phone on the support taped to the windshield. It's still thirty minutes away from where we are, even though we've spent the past twenty minutes in traffic.

"Forty-five minutes for ten kilometers? I feel like I'm back in Russia."

I think about her moving to New York instead of living in a dorm.

"What will you do if courses go back to being on campus?"

"I'll figure it out when it happens, I guess. I don't even know how long that's going to take, but I enjoy living by myself already."

I look at her again after I brake at a red light.

"I've never lived alone."

"Really?"

"Not alone alone. My siblings have always been around."

"I think people get to know themselves better when they are on their own." She pauses to look at the windshield and I take it as an opportunity to loo "The light's green."

I turn my head back to the road, but the frustrated jerks behind me are already honking.

"New Yorkers are so frustrated." She observes.

"Americans in general are."

She turns to look at me. "Riiight?! I thought people in Moscow traffic were insane, but New York is just a whole other type of jungle."

I laugh, nodding. "Yeah, exactly."

We spend the next ten minutes in comfortable silence, listening to the radio.

The music abruptly stops and my ringtone rings through the speakers of the car.

Ariana Milanesi calling

We both look at the screen, and I think about dismissing the call for a second.

"Hello?"

"I woke up and you weren't here. Where are you?"

I spare a look in Valentina's direction.

"I was at the police station, I had to sign something...long story."

"What happened? You and Valentina disappeared out of nowhere, and she wasn't at your place when I got there."

Valentina looks at me. I know she doesn't understand what we're saying, but she caught her name being spoken.

"We were talking outside, and the police caught us. It's not that important; breaking government-imposed curfew or some shit. I'm driving her home now. I'll be back in...I don't know. Depends on traffic."

"Hm, okay."

"Bye."

The music comes back.

"You have a girlfriend now?"

I can tell she's smirking just by her tone, without even having to look at her face.

"I-I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"We haven't talked about it, and she hasn't brought it up."

Why is it so weird to talk to her about Ariana?

"Aren't you going to ask what she said about you?"

She shrugs. "I figured she asked where we disappeared last night."

Once again, I forgot how well her brain works.

I stop when the GPS says we've reached the address. It's a four-story townhouse on a quiet street.

"The building looks nice." I observe as she unbuckles her seatbelt.

"I love it. I get to see the trees and hear birds chirping. It's better than living with Adrik, that's for sure."

"You lived with your brother?"

"For a few weeks while I found this apartment. It was enough for me."

I snicker. "I get that."

She opens the door to get out. My eyes unwillingly go to her ass. She turns around again and we make eye contact. She's smiling because she caught me looking.

"Thanks for taking a forty-minute detour to take me home, I know you live close to the station."

"No problem."

She waves and closes the door, turning around to walk over to the house.

Yeah, there's no way she won't find out about her family eventually.

She's way too smart not to.

-----

Hope you enjoyed :D

I hope to get the next chapter in maximum 2 weeks, but I'll also be going on vacation so we'll see

See you in the next chapter; thanks for reading :)

xoxo,

Ronnie