Page 80 of Fractured Ties

Entirely unaware.

Content.

Kolya would much rather crawl back into the bed with her than what he had to do, especially if that meant he could wake her up while he was between her thighs … but business called. Someone needed to die, and he hated to make them wait.

One last stroke of his fingertips against Maya’s shoulder and Kolya turned away. He was quiet as he slipped out of the hotel room, and locked the door behind him. He found Anton sitting on the roof of his car as Sumerki sniffed around the dark, quiet parking lot.

At the sight of Kolya coming across the lot, Anton was quick to jump off the car. “Sorry, but he didn’t want to be held any—”

“I can see he’s fine.” Kolya held up a hand. “Idi syuda, Sumerki.”

At the quiet order, the black pup stopped his search of the ground and headed for Kolya, even as his master spun on his heel and headed for the Hummer.

“What about me?” Anton called after him.

“Watch Maya’s door.”

“How long are you going to be?”

“As long as it takes.”

Kolya hit the unlock button on the fob and opened the passenger door. Sumerki had already put on a few inches and some pounds, but he was still feet away from being able to climb inside the tall vehicle himself. Kolya was quick to scoop him up under his furry belly with one hand, and let the pup waddle into the passenger seat where Sumerki sat down happily.

“You be good, yeah,” Kolya said to the pup, reaching in to run his palm over the dog’s head. “We’ve got shit to do tonight, and you need to behave or else I won’t be able to bring you anymore—this is a good teaching moment for you. Be good.”

Sumerki’s ear flicked.

Good enough for Kolya.

He closed the door, rounded the Hummer, and climbed inside the driver’s side. His tires squealed against the pavement as he left the lot—probably not the best idea, considering he was trying to stay under the radar for the night, but what could you do?

He was a little impatient.

He’d put this off only because Maya had distracted him and, frankly, fucking her was a hell of a lot more fun than listening to a man scream until he was dead. Then again … maybe they were both things he liked to do, just for entirely different reasons.

Yes, that sounded much better.

Sumerki perked in the passenger seat and climbed onto the middle section between the seats when Kolya pulled onto the freeway. He swore it was like the dog just knew where they were going because of the direction Kolya took and nothing else. He glanced over at the pup, and smiled.

“Be good,” he murmured again.

Sumerki peered back at him, and his tail wagged.

“You can’t be excitable,” he told the dog. “You have to listen and mind. Stay in your spot. Vashe mesto, Sumerki. Yes?”

The dog seemed to be hearing him, but Kolya would soon find out if the pup actually understood. He listened, for the most part—he was a quick learner, really. Tonight was really going to test that, though.

Maybe it was for the better.

If Sumerki was there … Kolya might not get so entirely fucked up in the act of taking a life that he forgot his own name.

But who was to say?

It was another thirty minutes before Kolya pulled into the Compound, and fifteen minutes of walking corridors and taking a flight of stairs, before he finally set Sumerki to his four paws on the floor again.

“You walk from here,” he said to the pup just outside the door. In his other hand, he’d brought along a fleece blanket from the back of the truck. “And then you stay in your spot.”

Peering up at him, Sumerki flicked his ear again.