“He?” I know who he means, I just want to test where his loyalties lie. If they’re with Vladimir, he’ll die even with witnesses. If they aren’t, I’ll save his death for a few more days.
I can’t say weeks as that’s not a guarantee I can give a man as worthless as Sergei.
Sergei’s life is spared for the night when he mutters, “Vladimir. He doesn’t believe Trey’s recollection of events. He sent me here to check.”
“What did Trey tell him?”
He gasps in another breath before releasing it with half-truth. “That you’re hiding out until Terry Lennox’s homicides dies down.”
It takes me a few moments to recall who Terry Lennox is, but when I do, I can’t help but smile.
Dion must have had plans because Officer Lennox’s death was even quicker than I anticipated.
I fold my arms in front of my chest, fighting the itch to kill while also acting ignorant to the numerous pairs of eyes on me. My face is well known in this town. It’s almost as infamous as my reputation. “Why didn’t Vladimir believe Trey’s story? He encourages silence after punishment.”
I know this firsthand. It’s what he did after sentencing me to be beaten to death at the tender age of sixteen. Ignorance is very much Vladimir’s strong point.
When Sergei kicks the monitoring bracelet on my ankle, I work my jaw side to side. “Daniil is on Vladimir’s payroll.”
I’m not asking a question. I’m stating a fact.
Sergei is too dumb to know that, though.
“Yep. Had him trace the device when you failed to show up at the compound after dusk.”
Now I’m even more grateful at my inability to deny my cock its every wish. If I hadn’t, Vladimir may have discovered the Popov compound isn’t the only facility I’m working. He doesn’t know about Clarks, my off-site complex. No one outside of my inner circle does. Not even Sergei, and he’s technically family. His mother and my mother were cousins.
I say ‘were’ because they’re both dead—victims of the same man. Vladimir.
“How long do I have?” When Sergei appears stumped by my question, I simplify it for the dumb-fuck. “In other words, how many lap dances do I need to organize for you at Cliché’s before you run back to Vladimir with your tail between your legs?”
When he smirks, I’m enticed to lower his grin by several inches. “Come on, Niki, even I know she’s worth more than a handful of lap dances.”
Calling me ‘Niki’ already has me wanting to slit his throat, not to mention the gleam his eyes get when they rocket to the glass sliding door of Justine’s bedroom. Since her curtains are made out of lace, and her bedroom light is on, we can see her moving around her room, preparing to go to bed.
If hate wasn’t holding my emotions hostage, I’d smile at the flimsy chair Justine notched under her door handle. Alas, it’s rare for pleasure to come before business—even with my night starting out as a bit of both.
After stepping to the left, blocking Justine from Sergei’s impish glare with my brooding frame, I ask, “If you don’t want the star treatment at Cliché’s, what do you want?”
A gleam I know all too well shines in his soulless eyes when he rubs his hands together. If he thinks he’s getting a slice of Justine, he’s dead fucking wrong. I don’t share my favorite whores, so there’s no chance in hell I’ll share Justine. For one, she isn’t a whore, but even if she were, I’d never share her with avyperduschlike Sergei.
My outer appearance doesn’t give away my shock when Sergei growls, “Nina,” a few seconds later, but my insides sure do.
Nina was my favorite whore—wasbeing the prominent part of my reply. I haven’t tasted Justine yet, but I have no hesitation in saying she’ll make Nina’s loss worthwhile. I wasn’t lying when I said my cock grew bored years ago. Nina is the equivalent of every Russian man’s wet dream; however, my dick doesn’t twitch at the thought of her lips circling it. Justine’s pillowly lips, though… I’m hard now just recalling how delicious they tasted, much less the idea of them sliding down my shaft.
“Consider Nina yours.”
Sergei steps back, shocked, aware Nina was once off limits. This is different. I’m not sharing Nina. I’m giving her to Sergei.
“I’ll have her delivered to you within the hour. But…” I step closer to him, chest to chest, eyes to eyes. “If she shows up dead tomorrow, you’ll be buried alongside her tomorrow afternoon.”
His smirk reveals how stupid I am being. I’ve always believed it is better to risk everything than walk away with nothing just to play it safe, but it isn’t solely my life at stake here. It is the woman I’m endeavoring to protect after she’s already been hurt, the one who doesn’t appear to trust anyone.
It’s all about the angel who walked through the gates of hell unscathed. Because if she can do that, perhaps she can show the devil the right way out.
I wait for Sergei to enter the elevator at the end of the outdoor corridor before yanking my cell phone out of my pocket. It’s cracked like an Easter egg, compliments to my arrest, but it will get the job done.
My boiling anger dulls to a simmer when Trey answers my call two rings later. “If you’re hoping to send me on a grocery expedition like Roman, you’re shit out of fucking luck. I’m not your lacky.”
