She swallowed several times, she felt dazed and thirsty, she urgently needed a coke to lift her up a bit. Sugar... Lots of sugar, because she suddenly felt tired and dizzy. Suddenly everything clicked, the lustful way the Italian had looked at her, and the rest made her feel sick. She had gone to collect an old debt, she helped Russian immigrants, she used her brother as a spy for a dirty job and now she hoped to make her his wife to become the kingpin of tutti capi. It was amazing...
She looked around her in a daze as she went for a soda, actually she must have had something stronger to digest so many revelations, but she didn't drink, nor did she want to start.
Then he spoke, after taking half the glass of vodka from her.
—I know this is hard for you to understand and I can't ask you to just accept, but, he has given his word that he will take care of you and you... you will need to be taken care of sister, you need a husband, someone like Massimo because I fear that your life will also be in danger when I must disappear.
Those words chilled her blood and she downed two full glasses of soda, then she turned and faced him.
—You can't be telling me these things Nicolai! It's not you... I don't know YOU, you never wanted me to get involved with an Italian, you said they were opportunistic traffickers, wretches who were just looking for sex and nothing more—she exploded. She was on the verge of tears because suddenly everything began to make sense: Nicolai had made a fortune working in that lab, doing research on something he never talked about, buying expensive cars, that apartment... Maybe he wasn't a millionaire, but he had a lot of money and that... So much money couldn't just come from his salary. Money laundering obtained from illegal businesses, bribery, extortion?
—It's true, I didn't want them to take advantage of you, to hurt you, those Italians are not faithful nor do they treat their women well, they cheat on them. They say that Italy is the country of cuckolds and it's true, but there was another reason. My work sister, my work is secret and contains certain risks, no one was supposed to find out and now...
—We owe him everything, and you owe him your life, Irina, your freedom, and also everything we have. To save us from that network of bloody pimps I had to accept the deal, work for Massimo and his uncle. They were a network of organ trafficking, people, prostitution, we would not have left that place alive. And I wanted to live, I came to this country in search of opportunities, a new life, I had to be part of the scientific team, but...—he paused tiredly.
—But I imagine that you have paid that old debt by spying for that scoundrel, why should I participate in this?
He looked at her intently, seemed to hesitate.
—I worked for him for a while, then I didn't see him again, until I needed his help again. Listen... the less you know about this, the better, I don't want them to question you, to look for you, I want you to be safe and for that you must forget who you are, change your name and forget everything. Stop worrying about Massimo, he's a good man, I know him.
-A good man? But if he's involved in those drug dealing businesses, he can't be a good person, you're delusional. I think you've had too much to drink. Do you expect me to do as he asks, to marry... a high-flying southern mobster? Well, I will never do that, neither crazy nor drunk. Forget that madness please, you must be very desperate or very insane to ask me for something like that and even more drunk if you expect me to accept.
—You're right, I'm crazy... but maybe it's your only way out Irina... he gave his word that he'll save you and you can believe what you want about Massimo, but I'm sure he'll keep his promise of the. Yes, I know he will.
-It's the only thing that matters to you? That the Italian keep his promise to protect me? What about me? He exploded.
—It's for your own good, calm down, I have my reasons and I know that Massimo is the answer.
"Nicolai, you said that we would return to Russia, that we would escape... And what made you change your mind?" Was it that man?
"I can't tell you now, trust me, you know he would never do anything to hurt you." He gave his word and I know he will keep it. He needs a wife, he urgently needs her, his uncle is dying and he has made her promise that he will marry her. You will have to pretend, you will change your name, you will stop calling yourself Irina. He will explain it to you, but don't be rebellious or offend him, don't... Don't resist, if something happens to me you can trust Massimo, he'll take care of you, he needs you and with some cunning you could make him love you.
She thought that this man was not her brother, that a clone or an envoy of satan had possessed her body, he would never have asked her to
seduced the godfather of one of the most important mafias in the south. The mere word mafia scared her, she knew that in every country there were criminal networks, mafias, but according to her brother that southern family belonged to the southern mafia aristocracy, an important family that owed its fortune to the dirty business of the underworld: mainly drug smuggling, prostitution. But he didn't sell drugs, but he was involved in something illegal, that's why he talked about fleeing that country, he was afraid. He was part of something big, her intelligence, her scientific, computer knowledge... And now he hoped to convince her to marry a gangster. She had made a deal with the devil for his freedom, wealth, and safety, and she would be the payoff.
—You can't ask me this Nicolai, that man is arrogant, he is a stranger to me and also... what makes you believe that he will keep his word to respect me, to take care of me? How are you so sure of that? Most of the men in this country live running after skirts.
Her brother insisted, stared at her and told her that she had no choice.
—You'll have to quit your job Irina, the wedding must take place without delay and he asked me to prepare you. He has given me his word and I know I can trust him. There is no alternative, we do not have it.
They didn't have her, he couldn't stop her from being handed over in a deal she knew nothing about, and what would her brother get for her? what the prompted that secret pact?
Irina didn't want to know anything about the matter and give up her job to marry a stranger: well, she wouldn't do it, period. And that night, during dinner she told him, but he didn't listen, she had to leave, something urgent required her attention. It was always like this, she would leave at the most unusual hours and not return until hours later, days later, but she was not left alone: three security agents watched the building and her apartment.
She spent a sleepless night hugging her pillow after devouring a piece of chocolate mousse cake, she felt so lonely and desperate. But she was determined to something: she would not help her brother, she would not accept that hasty marriage with that man or give up her job... she would not abandon what she had: her brother, her family or her freedom...