The Russian Roulette [The Mafia Chronicles #2]

Chapter VIII

Thank God Ivan existed.

A few hours after Alexi left Sophie, Ivan was patrolling the hallways of the west wing when he found his Donna sitting on the floor playing a game with a chicken learning to cross a road on her phone. Not knowing his Don was the one who left her there because of his quick temper and insensitiveness, he called guards to inform him while a complete medical room was prepared for her.

Alexi, who was sitting in his office handling paperwork, was confused as to why his guards rushed to tell him his wife broke her ankle. They didn't need to tell him because he saw it happen. I blame it on her lack of balance, if she had an ounce of that, she wouldn't have fallen in the first place. Alexi automatically blamed others for his faults even though a twenty-five-year-old man shouldn't probably do that. "Принесите Марию в мой офис." Alexi ordered one of his guards.

[Bring Maria to my office.]

Remaining by Sophie's side guarding her, Ivan was bombarded with many of her failed attempts at signing in RSL. "Ask me something, and I'll reply to you in sign language!" She proposed. Ivan took out the notepad he started keeping from his pocket. Despite having the ability to understand him using handwritten notes, Sophie was adamant on communicating with him using sign language. Maybe it was because she was curious or because of something else; but Ivan didn't care. He liked that someone was interested in speaking to him in his language.

RSL wasn't the same as Russian or English. Some words can't be translated, and some phrases don't even exist. So having someone who can speak in both verbal and sign language would make his life a hell lot easier. Most of the soldiers did not bother to speak to Ivan because he could not speak back. He was mute since birth and learned to deal with moments like that where he felt helpless.

Ivan started writing on his notebook and turned it towards Sophie, who was sitting with a silly smile on her face and a broken ankle. The word 'Ладно' was written on the note. "You want me to sign 'Okay'?" Sophie raised a brow, and the head of guard nodded his head. She shrugged her shoulders, "This one is easy." Sophie held her fingers in an upside down 'okay' position. Her pointer and thumb were touching each other to form a circle while her pinkie, ring, and middle finger were placed under the circle.

Ivan's eyes widened before he turned away from his Donna to hide his laughter with a cough. "Hey! Did I not do it right?" Sophie's lips formed a frown as her guard tried to hide his laughter from behind his protective mask. Ivan quickly signed in RSL which Sophie only understood the word 'no' from.

"What did I sign then?" Ivan was confused as to how she understood the gist of what he signed but shook his thoughts aside and took out his notebook and wrote 'ты сказал мудак.'

[you said asshole.]

A gasp left Sophie's lips before she threw her head back in laughter. "I'm sorry! I thought I got it right." She hid her reddening face and continued laughing. The notebook fell into Sophie's lap with the next word he was going to teach her written on it. "You know, I don't think Alexi would appreciate you teaching me cusses in sign language." A sneaky grin was plastered on Sophie's face.

Ivan raised his hand towards his face and rested it on his chin horizontally. "So," Sophie imitated Ivan's movement "this means bitch?" She could see her guard's eyes wrinkle, uncovering that he had a smile under his mask. From the moment she met Ivan, she has never seen his full face because of the mask that was a mandatory part of the guard's uniform.

Cutting their conversation short, the medical room's door opened with Alexi strutting inside. A woman wearing doctor's apparel followed close behind him. "I didn't need your delivery services so I could move, Ivan helped. Let's see who'll help you when you break your ankle!" Sophie glared at her husband and signed the newest word she learned in sign language.