Hidden Truths (Perfectly Imperfect #3)

“You helped make boys into killers?” I stare at him with disgust. “What kind of person does that?”

“A person who works for the government.” He sighs and shakes his head. “I’m not proud of some of my choices, Angelina, but I’ve tried my best to correct my mistakes as much as possible.”

He walks toward the bowl of fruit on the table, takes an apple, and starts rolling it in his hand, seemingly focused on a single blemish marring its otherwise perfect yellow skin.

“I first noticed signs that something wasn’t right after Sergei came back from a mission in Columbia,” he continues. “During field missions, his performance was impeccable. But when he would get back, he’d just sit down and stare in front of him for hours. Physically he was there. But mentally, he was away. One time, one of the guys from his unit stumbled upon him while Sergei was zoned out. I’m not sure what happened exactly, but I assume the guy tried poking Sergei with the knife we found next to his body later.”

“What happened?”

“Sergei broke his neck,” Felix says. “It got worse after that. He started getting violent every time someone approached him during one of his episodes. He also started having problems differentiating the field missions from everyday situations.”

“How so?”

“Most of Z.E.R.O. unit’s training consisted of extinguishing any trace of empathy or consciousness in the operatives, making them focus on completing the mission no matter what. Some missions, usually those that involved high-profile targets, resulted in significant collateral damage.”

“What kind of collateral damage?” I ask as dread starts to build at the bottom of my stomach.

“If a certain person needed to be eliminated, and the only way to do so was to blow up half of the building, it was deemed acceptable. Those situations were rare, but they happened. Sergei performed the missions without fail, but then, his behavior would turn extreme when he was out of the field. One time, he saw a man mistreating a homeless woman and gutted him on the spot. He didn’t feel he did anything wrong. In his mind, he neutralized the threat and that was it.”

“Petrov said you managed to get him out, eventually.”

“Yes, but it was too late. When Sergei started losing it more frequently, I pulled some strings to get us released. I contacted Roman soon after. He had no idea that he had a brother. Sergei knew about Roman, though. His mother told him that Lev Petrov was his father and that he had a half brother. But Sergei never wanted anything to do with Lev or Roman. I had to do it behind his back, and he almost strangled me when he found out.”

“And why hasn’t anyone tried to get him some help? Counseling? Anything?”

“Sergei is not just a trained killer, Angelina. He’s a top-of-the-line government weapon. The best-case scenario would beSergei ending up drugged and tied down in some institution.” He looks up at me, squeezing the apple in his hand. “The worst would be the government neutralizing him the moment they got him. Sergei knows too much, but as long as he’s a part of the Bratva, they won’t touch him. Roman pays a lot of money under the table to make them look the other way.”

“Has anyone tried to help him? Or does everyone just avert their eyes and wait for a miracle?” I throw my hands in the air with frustration. “He calmed and came back when I spoke to him. Maybe he just needs to know that someone is there for him, damn it.”

“He would kill anyone who gets close to him when he’s in that state, Angelina.” Felix looks down at the floor. “I don’t know why he reacts the way he does around you. I’ve been with him for fifteen years, and I don’t dare approach him when he’s out. You may have awoken some protective instinct in him. When he brought you here that night, he wouldn’t let anyone get close. We barely managed to convince him to let the doctor check you out, and for Varya to bathe you.”

“You think he can get better?”

“I have no idea.” He shrugs. “But you need to keep one thing in mind. If I’m right, and Sergei for some reason thinks he needs to protect you, he won’t be reasonable.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he will kill every person he feels may be of any kind of threat to you. Real or imagined.”

Chapter 11

I track Angelina with my eyes as she leaves the changing room and brings a bundle of silk to place it on the counter in front of me.

“Gold?” I ask.

“Yup. Looks more glam. Have to compensate for the fact I’m going in flats.”

“Not a heels girl?”

“Nope. Regina, my friend from college, once convinced me to wear her four-inch-high sandals when we went out. I almost broke my neck.”

I smile and give the cashier my card, while Angelina fidgets next to me. She’s been nervous the whole day, but pretending nothing has changed. I keep expecting her to mention last night’s kiss, but nothing. She sure as hell was eager, but the kiss was so innocent, I don’t think she has much experience. So, I’ve had to resist making any more moves on her so far today. But, as soon as we get back from that damn fundraiser tonight, we will be continuing where we left off.

“Marlene booked you an appointment for some beauty grooming thing,” I say. “We’re going there next.”

“Grooming?”

“Haircut. Smearing goo on the face. Eyebrow plucking. That kind of crap.”