Enigmatic | ✓

07

A ring woke Blisse up early in the morning the next day. It was still dark outside. Faron slept behind her, snoring softly. Rhea had left a couple hours earlier, but she promised she would be back to help her get ready for the annual ball.

"Hello?" she asked once she picked up the phone.

Low breathing echoed from the other side, then the soft voice she hadn't heard from a long time answered. "Hello, sister."

Luiza.

Blisse shot out of bed and walked to the balcony. "I have to say it's a little suspicious for you to call me all of a sudden. You wanted nothing to do with me. How long has it been?"

Luiza sighed. "I didn't call you to fight, sister."

"Then why did you call? Do you have any idea what time it is here."

"I got word you'll be attending the annual ball this year."

You have someone watching me, don't you.

"OK...and?"

"I'll be attending this year as well. Someone invited me as his date. He's a Russian mafia boss. You guys might connect."

She had to be talking about the Russian leader that was suddenly up her ass.

"How long will you be staying in Russia?" Hopefully not long.

"Maybe permanently. He wants me to move in with him, and hopefully I'll-"

An explosion blasted in the mansion. Everyone came out of their rooms alarmed, hands on their guns. Jacinto ran up to Blisse and took her hands. "Are you alright, Blisse?"

A fire started up at the end of the hallway, catching onto the walls and burning everything in its path. Blisse watched it carefully though. Nothing was at the end of that hall except for a small table with a flower vase. The fire seemed to be following a path, and that's when she smelled it.

Gasoline.

Blisse turned to her soldiers. "Get your things and get out quickly. Someone call Volkov."

You're awfully calm for a situation like this, the voice in the back of her head told her.

She ran downstairs, her crew following in suit. A white folded piece of paper at the bottom stairs. Unfolding it, she found two simple words written inside.

Knock, Knock.

"Knock, knock?" Faron questioned behind her, reading over her shoulder. She turned her gaze to the front door. She knew exactly what it meant.

"Get away from the doors!"

The door exploded, sprinkling the main room in pieces. Three armed men entered the room dressed in all black. One man fired a shot in the air, hitting one of Blisse's soldiers in the arm. Faron fired back, shooting one in the head and another in the chest. Blisse shot the last man's arms and knees, making him drop to the floor.

This is all too easy. They're not even trying.

She walked up to him with a knife in her head. As her men quickly exited the burning building, she crouched down in front of the man's face and peeled off his mask. A Russian branding stood out to her immediately. He must be one of that Russian leader's men.

"Why did he send you here?" she asked.

He smirked at her and let out a light chuckle. "Go ahead and kill me. More will replace me. You can't get rid of us." He bit down on a white pill

A suicide pill.

He began to choke. As his life began to drain from his body, he uttered his final words. "Long live Sokolov."

"Ms. Neves!" Konstantin ran up to her as she stepped out of the burning mansion. Dimitri was also there waiting with her men. "Are you ok?"

She didn't answer. Instead she walked over to Faron, who handed her a tracking tablet to search up any Sokolov's in the area. Konstantin spoke in the background about setting up a new residence for her crew. He might know a little information about Sokolov, and probably conversed with him a few times.

One match came up in Russia: Ruvim Sokolov. Black hair and blue eyes. Very strong build with a height of 6'3. He was known for conquering mafia's. He wasn't big on forming alliances, so if he built an alliance with Ciro she was probably a big enough threat that he knew he couldn't take down himself.

"For the meantime, you can stay where I'm residing. I'll have my men rebuild right away," Konstantin was saying. Her crew entered the SUVs waiting for them, leaving Blisse, Konstantin, and Faron outside the now burned down mansion.

Faron crossed his arms in frustration, looking at the mansion. "I checked the security footage and it looked like they came from the back of the mansion. No cars or anything; they just walked from behind the trees with guns in their hands. I'm only wondering where the guards were at the time."

Probably knocked out.

Blisse turned her attention to Konstantin, who already had his attention directed at her. "Do you know anyone named Ruvim Sokolov?"

Konstantin scratched his chin in thought. "Not really. I've only heard that name pop up in meetings with the other leaders. I'll have my men look into him."

"Don't bother, I already tracked him down. He's in Spain at the moment, but he'll arrive here two days before the ball."

"We'll be ready for him." Konstantin checked the time in his watch and gestured for Faron and Blisse to follow him. "For now, we all need some sleep, let's go."

Silence filled the car while on their way to Konstantin's house. Once they arrived, his men helped her men with their luggage. DImitri walked up to Faron, Bilsse, and Konstantin who were standing by the double doors to the mansion.

"There's enough room available, Mr. Volkov," he stated. "But your men's living quarters have enough room too for Ms. Neves men. Do you want me to set them up there?"

"Go head," Blisse told him. "Me and Faron will stay here."

Konstantin led them up to his room set apart from the other rooms in the hallway. Two rooms next to his were adjacent to each other. They were just as big as the other rooms back in their mansion. Konstantin watched as they set their luggage down.

"I'm not sure if you both are still tired, but I'll be heading downstairs to complete some documents. There's a button in your room next to the light switch; press it if you need any assistance. One of the maids will help." With those words, he strolled down the stairs leading to the living room.

Faron yawned and stretched. "I'm still tired so I'm going to bed. Unless you want me to stay up with you."

Blisse shook her head and gestured for him to leave. She changed into a black tee and black biker shorts. She had to find information on relations between Sokolov and her sister. She was only 17, why would she be involved with him. She didn't want to be affiliated with anyone from the mafia.

A ring brought Blisse out of her thoughts. It was the same number that called her earlier. She really didn't have the energy to speak with her again.

"What now?"

"Change of plans, I'll be arriving in Russia tomorrow."

♘♘♘