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Without waiting for the litany of questions I was sure to get, I made my way to the garage. When Damon saw me, he ordered one of our soldiers to follow my car. I didn’t need the protection, but my enforcer took his job seriously. Just as seriously as I took the claim of some girl that she was Viking’s and Elena Morelli’s daughter. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.
By the time I set foot in Viking’s apartment, most of his anger seemed to have dissipated. The whole place was a mess. Glass trailed down the hallway and was scattered across the coffee table.
Viking leaned against the living room wall. His hands were on his knees and his head hung in exhaustion. I’d clearly arrived at the tail end of one of his rage episodes.
I remembered Yuri’s words about the girl. It was bad enough that Viking had scared an innocent girl who might be his daughter, but worse, he’d lost control. Twice in one day. In our world, that could mean death. I couldn’t let that slide. Not this time.
Viking lifted his head. The second he registered my presence I smashed my fist into his face. He was knocked out cold and I immediately felt better. I went to his wet bar, fixed myself a drink, and waited for him to wake up. By the time I’d finished my vodka and had poured him a shot, I heard him groan.
He was slumped against a wall. I handed him his shot, and he downed it swiftly.
“You good?” I asked.
He glared at me. Then he looked around. “Where’s Vicky? Is she okay?”
Damn Elena Morelli. She’d had the audacity to name her daughter after him. How very slick of her. Perhaps she believed it would save her from Viking’s wrath. It wouldn’t.
“At my place. She’ll be safe there, and Katya could use the company. You have a remarkable daughter. She didn’t cry or get hysterical when you went berserk on her.” Or so I was told.
“I have a kid, Kris. How the hell did that happen?”
“No one told you about the birds and the bees?"
“I’m serious. Her mother…She…Fuck!” He took in a deep breath.
“She kept her secret, I know. Deal with it.” And that wouldn’t be the only thing he’d be dealing with tonight. I needed to nip the Elena thing in the bud right fucking now. “Your daughter kept repeating that her mother is missing. The last thing she heard from her was a text. Some code that told her to run and find you.”
His eyes frosted over. “I’ll find her.”
“You do that, and then get your head together. I don’t care how you handle your personal shit but take care of it before Sokolov and his nieces arrive. I need you on them.”
“You want me to play house with Sokolov’s girls?”
Oh, he would do more than play house. “I don’t give a shit about them. But I need this deal to work. Sokolov is our key to Europe and beyond. He never goes anywhere without his nieces; there are too many people who’d want to eliminate the last of his family when he’s out of the country. Just get it together. Lately, you’ve been unstable. I’ve given this a lot of thought and have come up with a solution.” It was perfect, and I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before.
Viking cracked his neck as he got to his feet. “Yeah, and what’s that? Are you sending me to yoga camp?”
Sarcastic bastard. “I’m giving you a week.”
Viking dropped onto the couch next to me and closed his eyes. “A week to do what?”
“To get married.”
“Funny.” When I stayed silent, he gave me a sideways glance. “You’re not joking.”
I got up and straightened my suit coat. “How long have you known me?”
He smirked. “Too long and not long enough.”
“What happens when I joke?”
“Someone usually dies.”
There were many things people thought about me, as my reputation preceded me, but I never understood that one.
“Marriage will give you stability.” I liked my out-of-the-box solution to the possible Elena Morelli problem. “Even if it doesn’t, it will at least make you look more stable on the outside. I can’t have the Sokolov deal going wrong. Find a woman in seven days, or I’ll find one for you. I heard Sokolov’s looking for high-end Bratva men for his nieces. You’re my second-in-command and fit his profile. Marry one of his nieces or a woman off the street. Whatever. Either way, do it within a week.”
He grunted. “You telling me as my friend or my boss?”
