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Annika grinned at him. “I would love to seeyouin a cowboy hat.”
He shook his head, fighting back a smile. “I bet you would.”
“Ooh, with a lasso, too. Do you think you could rope me, cowboy?” she taunted.
Mikhail smirked at her sideways and reached over to squeeze her thigh with his hand. She was wearing a flouncy, flirty blue and white checkered sundress with Reno-appropriate brown boots, designed to look a little rustic. Her straight black hair was pulled back into a neat French braid down the back of her head. She wore no makeup, though the pair had done a little light shopping and picked out some basics for her at another Russian-fronted shop that morning. Mikhail thought she didn’t need it, though. She was brilliantly stunning in the bright Reno sunshine, and Mikhail could hardly keep his eyes on the road.
“That depends,” he began, “on how tight you’re willing to let me tie you up.”
Annika giggled. “Better be pretty tight, or I might bolt.”
Mikhail opened his mouth to give another witty comeback, but he was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He received a lot of intel throughout every day. That was part of being Pakhan. But it was rare to receive a call out of the blue like this. Mikhail instantly picked up.
“Da,” he answered, his tone turning more solemn.
“This is Officer Gold. Sir, there’s a situation over here at theShooting Star Casino.”
The man on the line was whispering. Mikhail frowned. He vaguely recognized the voice and name. The man was one of the Sokolovs’ cops on payroll. Corrupt by law, but loyal to the brotherhood and eager to enforce Mikhail’s will, while toeing the line and keeping the real police off their backs.
“What kind of situation? Why haven’t you called my second, Andrei?” he pressed.
Officer Gold murmured, “I did, sir. He isn’t picking up. It’s my partner. He’s gone off the deep end lately, talking about going straight. Well, today he showed up to our shift here saying he was going to turn you all in. He says he’s going to give evidence to our commanding officer. He’s caused a bit of a scene. I’m doing my best to contain him on the VIP floor, and I’m slowly getting civilians out of here, but I don’t know how long I can hold him without making him suspicious. I’m calling from a coat closet right now.”
“Shit,” Mikhail swore. He immediately turned the car in the direction of the casino.
“I’m sure you’re busy down in Vegas, but if there’s anyone you could send—”
“Lucky for you, I’m in Reno today.”
“Oh. Really? Th-this could get a little dirty, sir,” the officer waffled.
Mikhail understood his hesitation. It wasn’t that Officer Gold thought Mikhail couldn’t handle it. But graduating from the main Avtoritet to the Pakhan came with some changes. For one, he was now perhaps too important to risk his life with dirty work. His leadership was vital, especially so soon after Vasili’s passing. There were plenty of loyal, tough guys Mikhail could send in his place. He even considered that option for a moment, not because of any concern for himself, but because he had Annika with him. He didn’t want to risk her safety.
But on the other hand, he was determined to make a solid, strong impression as Pakhan. He wanted to be known for his courage, his ruthlessness, and his skill in the field. Besides, he had dealt with troublemakers like this before, most recently at theCathouseand, further back, theDesert Pearl. Mikhail saw no reason why this couldn’t go the same way. His desire to stand out and be a shining example to his men won out. He’d keep his security team out of it.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hold him until I get there, and don’t give him any reason to panic,” Mikhail assured him. He hung up and kicked the engine into gear, speeding across town toThe Shooting Star.
“Whoa, what’s going on?” Annika asked.
“Seems one of our corrupt cops is getting cold feet at theShooting Star,” he explained grimly. “Wants to tattle-tale on his boss.”
“Tattle about what?” she pushed.
“There’s a lot more than just slot machines and blackjack going on in that casino, and most of it isn’t legal,” he said.
“Uh-oh,” Annika said.
“Exactly,” he agreed.
“What are we gonna do about it?” she asked.
“I’mgoing to handle the situation,” he said, turning the corner.
TheShooting Star Casinoloomed before them. It was a two-story building in the typical Old Western style, complete with a neon sign containing a flashing cowboy hat and horseshoe out front. Mikhail parked a couple of blocks down and turned to Annika with a serious expression.
“You stay right here, understand?” he impressed upon her.
As expected, she balked a little. “What? No! Let me go with you.”
