Aleksei's not dead.

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Calla's POV:

"FREEEEEEDOM!!!" Rachel screamed as she cannonballed into the pool.

"THAT WAS A BORDERLINE MEDIOCRE CANNONBALL!!!!" I yelled at her, paddling over to the side of the pool and pulling myself out of the water.

"You're a liar." She muttered, pulling her hair into a wet bun, "at least you look like a supermodel, damn mama you look good."

I laid down in a chair, pulling sunglasses over my eyes, "thanks cutie."

"This house is fucking huge, it must have its own zipcode." Rachel skipped over and sat down next to me

I hummed in agreement.

"Calla, it's been a week since you moved into this house, and you've had me over everyday. What's up with you and Sin? Is he not satisfying your needs? Do you need me to satisfy your needs? I'm a great lover."

I grinned at her, "No babe. Sinisters just...busy lately."

It's true, ever since we moved into this palace, Sinister had been crazy busy. He'd leave early in the morning and come back late at night. The only sign of him having actually come home at night, was the wet towel he left on the knob each day from his showers.

"Okay" She wrung her hair out "We've already watched all the Harry Potters, Star Treks, Star Wars, Avengers, and we've seen Pretty Woman twice. And we've played golf 5 times, and swum in the pool everyday. Our last resort is the gym, and you know...I'm not about to do that."

I frowned, "And your point is?"

She threw her head back, "I'M FUCKING BORED!!!"

"Well maybe if you actually spent the night here instead of leaving me every day before dinner, I'd say we could do something more fun."

Rachel has yet to sleep over, every day she had been leaving my house early, and would come back the next day. It was really bothering me because I wanted to have a slumber party, and I haven't had a fucking slumber party.

She glanced away from me, "Oh, sorry..."

I stared at her, "Where have you been going everyday?"

Her green eyes flickered to the floor, "I've been seeing a friend."

I frowned, "I'm your only friend."

She adjusted the strap on her bikini, "not true. I have Jesus, and Dr. Phil. And Dr. Phil told me he's always there for me."

I stared at her, "Rachel, c'mon, just tell me."

She ducked her head low, and I watched as her skin flushed into a deep crimson. Her brown hair, now light from the sun, hid her big, guilty looking eyes.

"I'm seeing a guy, sort of." she said slowly, still not willing to look at me.

I frowned, who the hell was she seeing? Rachel didn't really know anybody.

"Who?" I pulled my sunglasses off, and stared, forcing her to raise her wide, green eyes.

"Is it Sebastian?" I asked.

She frowned, "What? No."

"Obama?"

"I wish."

"Jack daniels?"

"Calla, that's a brand of whiskey." She smiled nervously.

I deadpanned, and stared at her, not feeling like playing the guessing game anymore.

She took in a deep breath, her skin flushed, "it's Afanas."

What the fuck.

I went silent, in complete shock.

I should have seen this coming, why didn't I see this coming? Afanas brought her as his date to the ball, and didn't actually seem to hate having her around.

That might not seem like much, but for Afanas, that's everything.

"Are you guys dating...or just fucking....?" My voice was slow.

She shrugged and blushed furiously, I didn't miss the way her eyes glittered in excitement.

"I dunno...I think we might be dating?" she said.

I was silent for a moment, not because I wasn't happy for her, but because I was questioning Afanas' highly unethical personality. Rachel is my best friend, Afanas is a whore, those two don't add up.

She looked away from me, sitting down beside the pools edge and dipping her feet in. I watched, deep in thought, as the water rippled and fanned out into calmness.

"I'm happy for you." I said with a smile. Rachel had been through so much shit recently, and still accepted everything that came her way. I threw her into my chaotic life, and she embraced it. The least I could do, was be happy for her.

She stood up and yanked me into a bear hug.

"Thank you, Cal. I love you."

I squeezed her tightly, smiling as her face was bright.

"I gotta go soon, Afanas is picking me up for date night." She said, looking slightly guilty.

I frowned, "really? You're gonna leave me all alone?"

She pouted, "Noo, don't do that to me, we've been hanging out all day. What time is Sinister coming home?"

I shrugged, "No idea. He comes home after I've fallen asleep, and leaves before I'm even awake. It pisses me off, ya know? I feel like a soccer mom, just waiting for her kids to come home from school, so I can hop in my trashy lil minivan, drive them to practice, and just talk to the other moms about how great my kid is, even though I'm pretty sure my kid has something wrong with it, like, it hasn't scored a single fucking goal this year, not ONE goal. Like SERIOUSLY what is it thinking?!?"

Rachel placed a hand on my shoulder, "Shhh, Calla, it's gonna be okay."

I frowned, "I hate my kid."

"You don't have a kid."

"Good. That little slut didn't deserve me anyways."

She pulled her damp hair into a pony tail, "you need to call Sinister, and lay down the law. He needs to pay more attention to you."

I pouted, "I'm an attention whore. Nothing can compare to being the center of attention, not porn, not alcohol, and not Bojangles. Maybe winning monopoly, but nothing else...not even pizza.

Rachel frowned, "I'm sorry...have you tried pizza...?"

"Yes and it doesn't compare to owning half the board and watching the light die from your friends eyes as you take their money and your friendship slowly deteriorates."

Rachels green eyes lit up with laughter as she shook her head, "Call Sinister. Talk to him, let him know how you feel. I gotta go, I love you."

I flicked her off, "whore!" I yelled as I watched her walk away.

She was right, I had to tell Sinister how neglected I was feeling.

I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.

"Zdravstvuyte?" He answered gruffly on the last ring, speaking in Russian. (Hello).

"Hi Sin..." I said slowly.

"Oh, hi flower, are you okay?" His voice went from gruff to soothing.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Okay, good. Listen, I'm really busy, I gotta go. We'll talk later." His voice was quick.

I frowned. Hell no. He cannot be this dismissive.

"If you hangup on me, I will burn our house down and get a vasectomy." My voice was stern.

He paused, "Calla, you're a girl. You can't get a vasectomy."

"Wanna bet?"

"Fuck, fine Calla. What is it?"

I sighed, pacing around the pool deck. "I never see you anymore, it's like you don't have time for me. I literally just play around  the house like a useless housewife waiting for you to come home. And I hate it."

He was silent for a moment, and I suddenly thought that maybe I was being too needy. I mean, he's a Russian Mob boss, I'm sure he has people to kill and drugs to sell. After all, he bought me this fucking mansion, and all I can do it sit and complain.

"Calla, baby, I promise I have my reasons for working so much. I'm sorry, but it'll be worth it, I have a surprise for you when I get home."

"If it's sexual intercourse, then you are forgiven."

He chuckled on the other line and I relished in the sound of his beautifully dark laughter.

"It can be, but that's not the surpise. I have something else."

"DOUBLE JEOPARDY. I GET TWO SURPRISES?!?"

He laughed again, "Yes flower. Can you just sit tight until I get home?"

"No."

"Calla, I'll only be a few hours. I'll be home by 11 tonight."

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"This house has so many fireplaces, so much stuff to burn..."

"I'll be home in 30 minutes."

The phone went dead and I collapsed on the pool chair, grinning to myself.

I wonder what he's planning...