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Luka stalked out into the pale light of dawn and disappeared.
* * *
Three days later,Kira was puttering around her house in a flurry of excitement. After nearly forty-eight hours of radio silence, she had finally received a brief text message from Luka earlier that day. He’d informed her that he would be coming to her house for dinner tonight. Kira had lit up as soon as she saw that text. She had been watching her phone like a hawk, and she didn’t even dare leave the house in case Luka dropped back in unannounced.
Besides, now that he had convinced her to quit work for the time being, Kira was rather enjoying the first real time off she had experienced in years. For once, she could spend as many hours as she wanted flipping through romance novels, writing in her journal, and looking up Russian recipes to try with Luka. She called her parents and talked to them for almost three hours until Sonja needed a nap. Kira lay in bed and stared out the window, enjoying the slowed-down pace of life. There was no need to rush. The only thing Kira anticipated was Luka’s return.
All afternoon she had been cleaning the house and gathering together ingredients for a simple but romantic dinner together. A rare rainstorm had settled over Las Vegas, and she was enjoying the patter of raindrops on the roof. The world outside her window was dark and ominous, but she felt cozy in her dry, warm apartment. She was looking forward to a night of lovemaking and snuggling with her hero fresh from the battlefield.
Kira was just lighting a couple of white pillar candles on the table when she heard a knock at the door. She startled, thinking it was a little early for Luka, but she rushed to the door anyway. She excitedly stood on tiptoe to peer through the tiny peephole. Her heart sank when she saw that it was clearly not Luka. The man on her doorstep was much shorter and rounder, with a slightly bent posture. He was dressed in plain street clothes with no coat even as the rain pelted him. It was hard to tell in the rain and darkness, but he looked much older than Luka.
Kira waited a moment, and the man knocked again. She bit her lip, wondering what she should do. She wasn’t expecting anyone, especially not an old man. She peeked at him with her other eye at the peephole and it dawned on her that he was familiar. It was difficult to see his features well, but she finally pieced together that he was the old man from Cal’s Corner who’d first hired her. The one she had just worked with on her final shift.
He knocked again and shouted, “Kira, I have your paycheck. Open up!”
Kira was stunned. Why in the world did he need to bring her the check tonight in the pouring rain? Why did his voice sound so… odd? Like he was choking back tears. He banged on the door harder this time.
“Please! Miss Rudavin, open the door!” he called out.
Kira’s heart thumped. What was wrong with her? The man was desperate to get out of the rain. He just wanted to give her a paycheck. He had never crossed Kira in any way.
So why was she so reluctant to let him in?
“No, thank you!” she called back through the door. “I-I can’t have visitors. I’m sick!”
It was a lie, and he didn’t buy it. “Please. Just open the door!” he begged.
Kira looked at him. He looked so defeated, with bags under his eyes and tears welling up in them. Kira thought for certain there had to be another reason he was here. He’d certainly never seemed to be a threat. If anything, she thought he was an innocent victim of the shady management at Cal’s Corner.
Maybe he was also putting together how sketchy the whole thing was. Maybe he was figuring out he’d been used, and Kira was the only fellow non-criminal he could turn to.
Her heart ached for him. He’d been so kind the first time they met, and so quietly broken the second time. Now, a third time, she just couldn’t just turn him away. He was a dejected, worn-out old man weeping on her doorstep in the pouring rain. To come to her like this, he must have had a good reason.
And so, reluctantly, Kira opened the door. The rain instantly began pelting her bare feet. The old man’s eyes went round with surprise when he saw her. He shook his head. His chin trembled and his mouth fell open in a soft, sorrowful, “I’m sorry.”
Kira didn’t even have a chance to process his words before she felt something wet and cold press over her face. Her final thought as she dropped to the wet pavement was of Luka, and the empty home he would find when he came to dinner that night.
CHAPTER19
LUKA
Luka acheddown to his very bones. His hands felt cramped into position over the steering wheel as his eyes watched the road. He was coming off a nearly three-day-long training mission with the remaining top dogs of the enforcer program. They had spent hours on end running, jumping, climbing, and practicing firearms out in the desert. Luka required himself to carry out whatever drills he put the trainees through. It was only fair, plus it made him a great example for his trainees, and the added practice kept him in perfect condition for the job.
Now, though, he was hungry for dinner and an evening of leisure. He was ready to shed the burdens of the trade and bask in Kira’s warmth and adoration until it was time to leave her again. He hungered for more than just her cooking, though. He wondered if he would be able to make it through dinner before taking her into his arms. She was more satisfying and nourishing for his soul than any meal could be.
But he would be patient. After all, Kira was bubbling over with excitement to cook Luka a traditional Russian meal. He pondered bemusedly if she would get it right. She hadn’t grown up in Russia, and the cuisine was still mysterious to her. But even if it didn’t end up tasting like his mother’s cooking, Luka just felt incredibly lucky to have a beautiful, sweet, adoring woman to cook for him. He looked forward to returning the favor however he could; he was eager to protect and provide for Kira, as well as her family. Luka was relieved to know that it was only a need for money that motivated Kira to accept questionable work. She had a fierce independent streak, to be sure, but she was willing to let him care for her, which was exactly what he craved.
Eventually, Kira’s family and the Sokolovs would find out about their blossoming romance. But for now, Luka was happy to keep her his little secret. He loved knowing she was at home waiting for him, safe and sound. It gave him something even more rewarding to come back to after a long, arduous mission.
And yet, as Luka pulled into the driveway at her house, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. His heart beat a little faster. His instincts told him something was amiss. Instead of relief, he felt dread. The property was not welcoming; it was foreboding.
It was dark outside, especially since Luka had advised Kira not to leave the porch light on for him. He was used to moving in darkness, and he preferred that unsavory people not be tempted to linger. The rain was still drizzling and starting to puddle up in the yard. Through the front window, Luka could see most of the lights were off except for some flickering candlelight and a single lamp in the kitchenette area, but there was no sign of movement.
Kira’s car was parked in the driveway as usual, and she wouldn’t have gone anywhere alone on foot in the rain. As far as he knew, Kira didn’t have any friends close enough to come pick her up on a whim, and her parents were in no condition to drive her anywhere at night.
So where was she?
Luka got out of his vehicle and rushed up to the front door, using his phone for light. Water was pooling around the doorstep and he nearly tripped over two small items in a puddle. There was a long electric lighter and a single bedraggled fuzzy slipper. With his heart pounding, he knocked at the door.
