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“I’ll see you soon?” I murmur, relishing the strong beat of his heart beneath my palm.
“I’ll see you soon,” he promises.
And before I’m tempted to stay longer, I slip out the back door of his 4Runner and tiptoe up the sidewalk to my house. Keeping my fingers crossed that the coast is clear, I ease the front door open just enough to squeeze inside.
Shutting it quietly behind me, I throw the bolt home. Then I race up the stairs to my room before anyone comes to investigate. Breathing hard, I press my back against my bedroom door as I close myself inside. And only then do I allow myself to think back on my time with Mishka.
A grin splits my face as his face appears in my mind’s eye.
There’s no doubt in my mind.
I’m falling for him—fast and hard.
24
MISHKA
Nerves buzz through my body as I head toward Plastique several hours before the club is set to open. But Viktor’s orders were clear. I’m to meet Sergio there to begin my new role in the Sakharov Bratva.
It’s shocking how suddenly, my nearly impossible goal of getting close to the Pakhan is just within my reach. From our meeting after I brought Alina home safe and sound, I got the gist that my new job is going to be far more extensive and instrumental to the clan’s operation.
Which means my meetings with Sergio Sakharov are going to become far more common.
I park in the alley behind Plastique, as Viktor instructed, and when I head toward the service entry, a man already stands waiting for me, his arms crossed in front of him in what might be deemed an intimidating stance.
But seeing as I’m nearly the same size as him, and well-versed in hand-to-hand combat, it doesn’t take much to maintain my casual stroll.
“You’re Mishka?” he asks, his gaze flat.
“Da,” I confirm, stopping in front of him.
With a curt nod, he opens the door to let me enter, then closes it firmly behind me.
I’ve been inside the club enough times now that I’m fairly familiar with its layout, but this will be the first time I head to the back room where Sergio holds his top-secret meetings and entertains his business partners.
Today, it’s the former, and I’ve been instructed that I’ll be participating.
“Ah, there he is. The man of the hour,” Sergio booms as soon as his guards allow me to pass.
The double-door entrance feels rather grandiose for a man of my humble origins, but what bothers me is that the conference table is already full of burly, bearded Russian men. All eyes turn to me, and the hair raises on the back of my neck as I get the haunting sense that I’ve come face-to-face with a pack of ravenous wolves.
It’s a strange sense of relief when I find Viktor in the crowd. I never thought I’d live to see the day when I would consider Sergio Sakharov’s heir apparent as my greatest ally.
“Am I late?” I ask as the behemoth of a Pakhan gestures me toward the last remaining open chair.
“Not at all. We were already conferring when I had Viktor contact you.” Sergio’s sharp eyes follow me as I settle into the seat beside his son. “Welcome to the bigtime, Mishka,” he says, opening his arms to encompass the men around the table.
“Thank you, Gospodin.”
“This, gentleman, is the man responsible for bringing Alina safely back home to me. Mishka has proven invaluable to my family on more than one occasion recently. He will be working closely with you and your men, Rasputin, starting with your task to hunt down the remaining men who ambushed us on the road. I want them brought to me. Alive.”
“Gospodin,” acknowledges the rather formidable-looking Russian.
His heavy brow and hooded eyes give him an almost gaunt appearance, though his neck and shoulders are thick enough to bench a horse. Long, black hair is pulled into a top-knot at the back of his head, the close-cut fade beneath reaching to his temples. His dark, well-trimmed beard adds to the menacing vibe. In all, his appearance screams, “Don’t fuck with me.”
“Mishka, this is Rasputin,” Sergio continues, turning his gaze back to me. “He will be your new captain. You will answer to him in all things and obey his every command.”
“Gospodin,” I agree with a tilt of my head.
