He drives off. I tail him, staying two cars behind him when possible before I realize he’s going to Josie’s place early. He parks outside her place and doesn’t move to get out. Picking up my phone I call Michail, it’s early, but the man gets up well before dawn.
“Kotov.”
I lean my head back against the headrest. “It’s me. I’ve been tailing him for three days. He’s not only working for the cops but Burgrass and Petrov as well. I don’t think he has a home, or at least he never goes to it. The only schedule I’ve been able to make out is when he’s with your daughter. Obviously, I can’t kill him while he’s with her. I need your help. We need him to think he has a shipment to take in at the bakery after it closes. It’ll be dark in the back. I can easily take him out and clean up the cement back there. Josie will never know. It’s the only option I see right now with how flighty he is.”
“Get ready for him tonight at 10:45. By then she’ll be safe at home and he’ll be forced to come back. Don’t fuck this up, it’s the only chance you’ll get.”
He hangs up and I lower my hand. I never fuck up a kill. I’m not the best out of my family for nothing. Porter likes to think he’s good, but he’s not as good as me. Speaking of him, he had a job tonight, a pimp who’s been going too fast. If it’s one thing Bancroft men can’t stand, it’s men who enslave women for sex. It’s one thing if the woman is escorting for herself, it’s another thing when they’re forced to work for a pimp that never gives them the money and keeps them hooked on drugs.
We regularly take out the big ones, so no one around here can think they can become the next Kingpin. I dial him next. He picks up on the second ring. “Yeah?”
I frown, not liking his tone, I’m older than him and he needs to keep that in mind. “Don’t use that tone with me. Did you get it done?”
“Of course.”
“Witnesses?”
“Do you think I’m a moron, Cason? I know how to do a hit. I’m getting it cleaned up now and disposing of him.”
“Did you send the pictures to Dad for confirmation?”
“Yes. Stop managing my ass, Cason. I’m just as good at this job as you are. I’m hanging up now, this body isn’t going to dispose of itself and I need sleep after. I’ve been up for two days.”
The line goes dead and I sigh. “Join the club,” I mutter to no one. I haven’t slept much either. Not with this guy never sleeping. How can anyone not have a personal schedule after work? He’s a strange asshole.
My gaze goes to Josie’s apartment window. It’s still dark inside. She hasn’t gotten up yet to get ready for the day. I can just picture her in her bed, looking like an angel as she sleeps. What I wouldn’t give to have her fall asleep on my chest and get to hold her and keep her warm. I’d wake her up either by going under the covers and licking her sweet folds or by bringing her breakfast in bed.
Why did she have to go and make me fall in love with her after she came back from college? I was blindsided by it. One moment she’s a kid and the next she’s a woman and my brain still can’t wrap my head around the fact that they’re the same person.
Well, it doesn’t look like he’s going to move again until she’s ready to go to the bakery. I tilt the seat back but leave the window open so I can hear when his clunker of a car roars to life. I shut my eyes. Remembering the last time I saw her before she left for college. I’d brought some chick with me to a party, and Josie had greeted me with such enthusiasm hugging me and saying how glad she was to see me.
Lauren, Lainey, Lexi? I can’t remember her name, had gotten all possessive over me acting as if she owned me or something. I thought it was dumb that she was jealous of a kid. I told her Josie was seventeen and to stop being threatened when Josie ran off to get us drinks. What’s her face didn’t care. She got me all hot and bothered, and I had no choice but to drag her off and fuck her. After, I didn’t see Josie at the party until it was time to leave. She hadn’t even been around for the fireworks. I’d been bummed. I’d wanted to catch up with her and let her know that if any guys broke her heart I would beat them up.
I do remember that when it came time to say goodbye she hugged me extra long as if she didn’t want to let me go. I hugged her back and told her to be good at college. Life and other things happened, and she didn’t come home most holidays, so I didn’t see her again until the Christmas party last year.
Entering the Kotov mansion, I’m alone having not gotten a date before it was too late. I hope that there will be some extended family of the Kotov’s here. As long as they don’t have the last name Kotov, they are fair game. It’s not like I plan on letting it turn into something. I just want to get laid for Christmas.
The Kotov estate is massive with over thirty rooms. I’m pretty sure, even after all these years and parties I haven’t seen all of it. I walk into their ballroom and beeline for the bar. Not bothering to look at the massive Christmas trees in the corners or the fancy decorations. A woman in a skin-tight red dress stands there with her back to me. I grin, just my kind of woman; she has a full ass and shapely legs. I like women who look like they can take a good fucking and I don’t have to be afraid of breaking them if I’m too rough.
Her ass sways back and forth as she leans on the counter talking with the female bartender. A deep V cut down the back of the dress shows the line of her spine, and it looks so sexy. I want nothing more than to follow it with my tongue down to her ass.
I lean onto the counter, I have to find out if this is a second cousin of the Kotov’s or not. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at one of these parties before.”
She turns her head and her blue eyes widen. “Oh my gosh, Cason!”
I blink at her in surprise, it takes me a moment to place her. She sounds like Josie, but she barely looks like her. “J-Josie?”
She stands, turning to me. Her dress has a high collar, keeping her breast covered, but there’s no hiding the fact her breasts have doubled in size.
I swallow hard as I try to wrap my mind around the fact this is the same little girl I used to babysit. There’s no way in hell this is Josie Kotov.
She flies toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck as she pulls me into a hug, standing on her toes. I wrap my arms around her, but I’m hesitant as her father isn’t too far away and I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“I’ve missed you so much! It’s been so long since we saw each other. How have you been? I heard you took over your father’s security firm.” She pulls back and I kind of miss the way her body felt against mine.
I stare at her. Her dark hair is done up elegantly, curled tendrils fall to frame her face. She’s wearing some makeup but it’s light. How does she look so much like a woman?
I blink at her and then look over at the bartender. “I’ll take a double scotch.” My gaze goes back to Josie. “What are you doing here? You’re not old enough to drink, your dad would kill you.”
