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CHAPTERFOUR
Elena
Iknew better than to return to my father's office two days after my victory. Viktor would be too preoccupied with his men in the war room or smashing up his office. I'd waitfor him to calm down before telling him what I'd done. Plus, if I'd messed up or made a mistake, I'd wanted to give myself at least 24 hours to ensure that nothing was reversed, tracked, or re-stolen.
In short, I had to make sure my thievery would take.
So, I had set up a temporary account to move the funds into, and once I spoke to my father, I’d add the funds back into theirs.
Striding into Daddy’s office now, his men standing up and nodding at me, I smiled around the room, but beamed when I saw Viktor. He frowned at me, his hands flat on his desk as he stood and looked me over. A wiry, gray-haired man with a thick mustache, his suits hid his strength and scars, and his middling height made him seem more like a polite banker than Bratva.
Until you saw his eyes. As cold and gray as the Mongolian tundra.
But not for long.
My father raised an eyebrow at me and came around the desk. I sensed Erik in the periphery, glaring at me, and happily ignored him as my father kissed my cheek.
“Why do you smile so, daughter?” Viktor asked, his thick Russian accent familiar and rich as Borodinskiy bread. “And why are you here, of all places?” He shot a glance toward Erik. “We are quite busy, Elena, I’m sorry.”
“I know,” I said. I glanced down at my phone, hands shaking a little as I transferred the amount to the Bratva’s offshore accounts, then tucked my phone away and took his hands. “Papa, I’m here for a good reason. Please, check your accounts.”
Viktor stiffened as he stared down at me, white indents appearing next to his nose, and his gaze became colder.
“Don’t be mad,” I said. “I got back everything the Scarfone family stole—and then some.”
“Mal’chik,” Viktor growled.Boy.Yikes, I hadn’t heard him call Erik that in a long time. “What is the meaning of this? Didn’t I tell you to take care of this simple thing—to tell Elena to stay away?”
My gut twisted, hating that Viktor was speaking about me as though I wasn’t there, just a task to hand off to Erik. I’d forgotten how often he did that.
“I don’t know, sir,” Erik said. His green eyes burned into mine, a muscle jumping in his jaw, and I rolled my eyes. “I made it clear to your daughter two days ago—”
“Blyat,” one of my father’s men suddenly yelped, cracking through the tension, and everyone spun to him. “Ah, oh. Apologies. Butshef,you-you should see this.”
My father threw Erik another furious look, squinted at me, and then stalked over to where his man sat at the end of a small table. The man pushed over his laptop and gestured at the screen, saying something in soft Russian.
As they spoke, I cast a quick and cursory look around my father’s office. I didn’t see any smashed-up objects littering the ground by the walls, but several shelves looked half-empty, and then I heard my father make a shocked sound, and ask, “Are yousure?”
The other man let out a strange, choked laugh. “The numbers don’t lie. Little Fedulova— no wonder she smiled so. She saved us. ”
I turned and saw my father slowly straighten to his full height as other men crowded around the table and talked in urgent Russian, too fast for me to catch more than every other word.
“How did you do this, Elena?” My father asked in a hushed tone. It was as though seeing me for the first time, his expression open, filled with amazement and shock. “This is—well, Boris didn’t exaggerate. You saved us.”
I lifted a shoulder. “You know me. Good with computers.”
Viktor pressed a hand under his chin as he looked me over and the gray of his eyes softened, starting to twinkle as they did when we were at the stables. “Yes, ever since you were small, you’ve been excellent. How I worried for your eyes.” To my surprise, he strode forward and took me by the shoulders, grinning down at me. “My girl. I am beyond proud of you.”
Next thing I knew, my father had given me a rough hug and a whiskery kiss on the forehead. “Aw, Dad. It was nothing.”
My father shook his head. “I know that isn’t true. I can’t pretend to understand all this hacking.” He waved a hand at my phone. “I know you are careful, but I also know the Scarfone family. You must be even more careful than before,umnaya devushka.”
Smart girl.I made myself nod, even as I lit up from head to toe at my father’s praise brimming over with such affection. Nothing felt better than Viktor’s approval. No wonder his men were so loyal.
“You know, I have always made sure to keep you far away from my work, this world, but…” My father clasped his hands behind his back. “I see the potential in you, my girl.”
I smiled at him, my heart overflowing, as I said softly, “Thank you, Daddy.”
Behind him, I saw Erik move into view. He sat heavily against my father’s desk, staring at me with a look I could not fully read—save for the stark amazement in his eyes.
