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“Where did you get these? Did you steal them?” He holds up the cell phone and earbuds that Andrei gave me yesterday. I left them here because I needed to read the directions as I’ve never had a cell phone before.
“They were a gift. Why were you in my room?” I move toward him to take them from him, but he backhands me. I step back in fear he’ll hit me more. I drop my head as he and my father programmed me to do. I fear most men because of them.
“They are mine now.” He pushes past me and heads out the door. I’m so upset. I should have put them in my backpack instead of leaving them here for him to find.
I move to my room and find it destroyed. Brett overturned the mattress and dumped all my clothes out of their baskets. Besides that and a threadbare blanket, that’s all there is to my room. I take a deep breath and start cleaning up the mess. When I’m finished, I take a shower and head to bed so I can start all over tomorrow.
Two
SPARROW
“Sparrow, how are you doing?” Lennon says as she joins me on the carpet where I’m sitting with several kids playing games. I love coming here and spending time with them. I found Clare’s House, a women’s shelter, one day as I walked past it on my way to my night cleaning job. Lennon was sitting out front with some of the kids and stopped me. She asked if I needed help and our friendship grew from there. Little by little, I opened up to her about my family. We have a lot in common, except that my father was a gambling addict and hers isn’t.
She’s beautiful. She has long brown wavy hair, like mine, and deep brown eyes. She jokes with me all the time that we could be sisters. I just smile at her and laugh.
“I’m doing okay.” The hitch in my voice gives me away, and she knows I’m lying.
“What’s the matter?” She helps me up off the floor and wraps her arm around me. She’s taller than me by five inches. Normally, she’s dressed in designer jeans, heels, and a nice shirt. I envy her clothes. She’s offered to take me shopping many times, but I don’t want to take a handout from her. Lennon has money, and she runs this shelter.
Her father is some bigwig who owns a casino. She didn’t go into his business but instead studied social work. She started Clare’s House in her late mother’s honor. Clare was her mother’s name. Lennon’s father didn’t know about her until after her mother’s death. Lennon and her mom had lived in bad situations until her mom was killed by a john. When her father found out about her, he came into her life and took her away from all that. But she never forgot where she came from. She wished there was a place like Clare’s House when she was young. A place that helped women get out of those situations and helped them learn new trades that didn’t require them to sell their bodies. Lennon’s shelter helps women find jobs and takes care of their children in the process.
“You’re really dressed up.” I wave my hand down her body, hoping to distract her. Today she’s dressed in a trim white pencil skirt, a brown-and-white top, and a white jacket. Her high heels are expensive looking and pretty.
“I have a meeting with the board of directors today.” She pauses and turns to look down at me. “I’m worried about you, Sparrow. You’ve lost weight and look tired. Has Brett been gambling a lot again?” Her voice is quiet so others don’t hear her. She takes my hand in hers.
“He’s been on a kick for more money. He stole things from me.” I didn’t tell her about Andrei or the gifts. As it gets closer to my birthday, I wonder if it’s time for me to just leave and let Brett be. To finally get away from him and the mounting debt.
“Idiot.” She sighs, and we move out of the house to the front walk. I don’t notice any cars out of place as I look around us. I haven’t seen Andrei or his guards in a couple of months. Not since June. My birthday is in a couple of weeks, and I wonder if he changed his mind.
As we stand on the sidewalk talking, a long black limo pulls up, and a man steps out of the back. He has dark hair just like Lennon’s, but his eyes are a bright green like mine. I smile at him, somewhat at ease that he is obviously her father. I extend my arm to shake his hand, but his jaw tightens, and he looks between me and Lennon.
“Who are you?” His voice is demanding and gruff, and I don’t answer him right away. He repeats his question, but he doesn’t look angry, just curious.
“I’m Sparrow.” My voice is quiet, and I look down like I’ve been trained. This man intimidates me, and it’s not just the money, there is something else about him.
“Daddy, this is my friend, Sparrow. She comes and volunteers with the kids.” I look up as Lennon takes her dad’s arm, and I see the resemblance between the two of them. “Well, come on, we don’t want to be late.” She moves to the limo door and climbs in, but her father remains in his spot on the sidewalk. He keeps looking at me. His eyes move all over me, making me nervous. I reach into my shirt and play with the locket my mother gave me. His eyes shift to it and flare wide when he sees it. “Daddy, come on.” Lennon sticks her head out of the limo. Her father shakes from his stare and turns his back to me. He glances back one last time, and something in his eyes calms me. There’s something so familiar about him, but he’s gone before I can put my finger on it. I head back into the house to get my backpack so I can head to work.
Dinner is waiting for me when I arrive, and I smile. Andrei’s still trying to woo me.
* * *
Andrei
Ihate being away from her. My body has been rebelling against the distance I’ve put between us. Sitting in my office on the second floor of the Russian Cardroom and Yelena’s, I lean my head back and look at the images my bodyguards took of her today. She’s looking thinner. It’s why I sent her food again. I hate her brother for starving her so he can play a game. I notice there aren’t as many pictures as usual, and they stop with her walking out of the shelter. I’m about to go out and ask why when my office door opens.
“Boss.” Mikhail’s deep voice is loud, almost a yell. I watch as he walks across the room toward me. I nod my head, indicating for him to continue. “We have a problem. Sergei saw Bronwyn with your girl. This is getting complicated. Are you sure you should continue this?” I hold up a hand to stop him. He and I have discussed this numerous times. I know he’s not into relationships because every woman he’s ever been with is only attracted to his status.
“I will have Sparrow. One day you’ll understand.”
“But Bronwyn is Grayson’s competition, and he’s as connected as we are. The Italians and Irish give him respect.”
He’s correct. Mac Bronwyn is not only a casino owner, but it’s rumored he’s a former hitman for the Irish mob. His casino, just like Grayson’s, is legit. His daughter runs the shelter Sparrow helps out at.
“How do we think he’s connected to Sparrow?”
“I’ll do some digging, but what I’ve found out so far is nothing. Her father owed lots of money to different people before she was born. It was wiped clean for a bit before he buried them in debt again. Her mother died when she was young.” He gives me all the information I’ve already read in her background check.
“That’s good, but look again, just in case. I’m going to go downstairs and have dinner withBabushka.She should be here soon.” I stand from my desk and grab the jacket over the back of my chair. I slip it on, covering my shoulder rig, and move out of the room. Dmitri walks into the office waiting area.
