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“You’re welcome, Noel.”
* * *
“Do you have to go?” Noel asks me. His anxious energy is palpable, and I frown. I hate seeing him like this.
“Yes, I do. I can’t ignore a summon from the Pakhan. I’ll be home before you know it, and will keep you up to date.”
He gives me a hug, kissing me on the cheek. I love touching him, but when he touches me, it makes my stomach flutter. It means he’s falling for me. Maybe just as hard as I’m falling for him.
Once little Ani is all settled in at the cabin and Olga is making dinner for her and Noel, I head out, praying that Noel doesn’t escape into the night. I think I’ve convinced him that the safest place for him and Ani right now is tucked away in the mountains.
No one knows of my cabin. I bought it under a false name, ensuring it didn’t link back to me, but the thought of someone finding and hurting them has me activating the security system I usually leave unarmed. It’ll alert me of any movement within the area and from there I’ll be able to put the house on lockdown. Olga will see them to the safe house until I can neutralize the hostels.
Now, I have to sweet talk my way out of the hole I dug myself. I climb the stone steps to the Pahkann’s home, one heavy step at a time. I don’t have to knock. The door swings open, a scowling Alexander glaring at me.
I offer a devilish grin before giving him a firm handshake and turning it into a friendly hug.
“I’ve talked him down from a boiling rage to a simmering heat,” he murmurs before pulling away. “But there are no promises, Tomas. He doesn’t like anyone trying to sway his opinion, and while he takes mine to heart, he knows we’re close.”
I dip my chin in a silent thanks. Alexander took me under his wing when I was a young boy. My father had left my mother before I was born, and when my mother died, I’d been alone. Until Alex took me in from the cruel Russian streets and brought me to the United States. He molded me into the stone-cold killer I am now, and though he has always been tougher on me than the others, he still has a soft spot for me.
Once I deposit my gun into the safe in the foyer, he guides me wordlessly down the hall and toward the formal dining room. Konstantin Petrov sits at the head of the table. His wife sits to his right, her head bowed as she sips the soup in front of her. I stifle the outward cringe that threatens to show on my face.
This meeting is a power play. I’m to rush to his side, kneel before him, and beg forgiveness. The act will remind his wife just how powerful he is while also knocking me down a notch or two. Meanwhile, the only man I want to be on my knees for is sitting two hours away in a secluded cabin with his daughter, waiting for me to make things right for him. To make it safe to leave the cabin, so he can win his cookie competition. I haven’t had the heart to tell him that may not happen.
Konstantin doesn’t acknowledge me as I enter, heading for my seat. He sips vodka from a tumbler, and when I approach, he continues to ignore me until I drop to my knees. The current Pahkan in the States is so full of himself that all this will take is some apologizing and a lot of telling him how amazing he is.
Power has gotten to him.
I wait patiently—despite the burning in my chest—until his hand drops and he spares me a glance.
“Stand, Tomas.”
“Yes, Pakhan.” I do as I’m told and he nods to the seat beside him. My throat clears as I slide into the chair and then turn to his wife. “Good evening Mrs. Petrova. I hope all is well for you.”
The corners of her lip tug into a smile and she nods. “Yes, Tomas. Though I hear the same can’t be said for you.”
The evil bitch always did have a thing for watching the soldiers fuck up. Konstantin’s punishments can be cruel because of hiscreativity. My Noel would never be as vindictive, would never get off on seeing others tortured or punished.
“I’m well, thank you,” I say, despite the gnawing feeling in my gut and the strong urge to return home.
Alex takes up the seat next to me while Konstantin snaps his fingers and servers approach with a plate ofkartoshka. They’re little chocolate cake balls that look like potatoes. Not the prettiest, but surely the most delicious dessert from the motherland.
“I’m afraid you’ve missed dinner, Tomas. Your time management is exceptional,” Konstantin says with a dry tone.
I dip my chin, a silent apology, and reach for my wine glass once someone fills it. “Traffic was tough,” I lie.
“Where is the witness?” he asks, cutting to the point.
My teeth grind together. “Secure.”
He draws a brow as if to ask why I have the audacity not to give him a real answer. I don’t fear him or his punishments, though. Sure, there is a certain order to things, but I’m not above murdering the person at the top of the food chain to protect what’s mine.
It would mean chaos for the Bratva, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Noel and Ani safe from my mistakes. I should have double-checked the shops. They were all dark from the front street view, so I just assumed no one was there. Now, Noel and Ani are paying the price—myfamily.
I fold my hands in my lap and turn my attention to him. “The witness is in a safe location, isolated from everyone. I have his word he won’t go to the police, and that’s all that matters.”
“No, Tomas. What matters is that you made a mistake.” Konstantin’s voice raises, his bass tone deepening. “You left us vulnerable, and instead of neutralizing a weakness, you’ve taken him back to your cabin for what? To keep him as a pet?”
