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Once the book was finished and Max had the blankets tucked up to his chin, Nickolay left the room, leaving a dinosaur night light on for him. He usually stayed up for a while after Max was down, watching TV or having a few drinks, depending on how stressful his day was, but tonight, he had something on his mind, and he needed the privacy of his bedroom to deal with it.
Closing his door, he stripped out of his clothes, tossing them on the floor at the foot of his bed. It was a bad habit that used to drive his mother crazy when he was a teenager, but as a single man, he had no one to answer to when he let his private space get messy.
Once he was naked, he turned out the lights and got into bed, relaxing as he let his mind drift to earlier that afternoon. He’d left Alek’s house while Chloe was going over the schedule with her new housekeeper, and he’d been busy with Bratva business and Max for the rest of the day, so he hadn’t had time to allow his thoughts to linger for too long on the beautiful woman. He didn’t expect to meet anyone when he walked into the kitchen at Alek’s house, but the moment he walked into the room, he could barely take his eyes off of her.
She was pretty, with soft features and big brown eyes, but there was more to it than that. It was the intelligence in those eyes and the way that her smile seemed almost secretive. It made him want to uncover the mystery of her right away. Then, she smiled at him, and he felt his dick punch against the front of his pants.
So, he flirted, not expecting anything to come of it until they shared a heated look, sexual tension hanging thick in the air between them. Her skin was flushed as she looked at him with parted lips, but he nearly leaned in to kiss her, desperate to see what she’d do.
Now, as he lay in the dark, he gripped his cock and played out a fantasy in his mind. He imagined that he wasn’t interrupted by Alek, that no one was even in the house. He kissed her heart-shaped lips and she melted into him, their tongues tangling together. She was bold in his imagination, tearing his pants open and reaching inside to stroke his erection just as he was doing now.
Biting his bottom lip, he moved his hand faster as the fantasy shifted in his mind. Alice was on her knees in front of him, her lips wrapped around his cock as she looked up, desire burning in her eyes. He would grab a fistful of her silky brown hair, guiding her up and down as his hips thrust just enough to take him deeper into her mouth without choking her.
In real life, Nickolay gripped the sheets with his free hand, his breathing growing heavy. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman on her knees in front of him, but he could remember how good it felt to be taken into someone’s mouth, to feel a tongue swirl around the tip of his cock.
It would be even better if it was the mysterious Alice, he was sure of it. She’d swallow everything he had to give her, and afterward, she’d give him that sweet, satisfied smile.
The fantasy proved to be too much for him, and he came hard, spilling his release onto his stomach as he forced himself to stay quiet, his hips bucking and his muscles tense. Afterward, he laid on the bed for a long moment before cleaning himself up, letting out a deep chuckle in the darkness of the room.
He hadn’t masturbated in a long time. It wasn’t necessary. When he felt the need to scratch that itch, he found a woman to share a casual fuck with.
But this urge was different. Not just anyone would do to provide relief. Alice had made an impression during their short meeting, and he wanted her more than he could remember ever wanting a woman. The attraction felt almost like a physical connection, a tether that drew him to her and made him glad that he’d be going back to Alek’s house tomorrow.
* * *
The next day, he found himself in Alek’s office again, but it was much more crowded this time around. Alek had called in the leaders of the Bratva, including all four Brigadiers, men that ran crews known as Brigades. They were responsible for keeping business flowing in the city, whether they made sure that the Bratva’s drugs and weapons were supplied to the right people, running underground gambling rings, or even keeping the legitimate businesses going so that all money the Bratva made could be laundered.
Nickolay was sitting on a couch against the wall next to his brother, Vlad. The two of them had started out in the Bratva at the same time, about fifteen years ago. They were foot soldiers that worked their way up to Brigadiers when Alek’s father was Pakhan. Then, when the old man went to prison, Alek took over and made them his spies. It was an honor to hold such a position. They were powerful and wealthy because of it, but they also had heavy responsibilities.
“The FBI aren’t just investigating us,” Sam, one of the Brigadiers, said. Alek had already filled them in on the trouble with the vigilantes in the city, and now they were discussing the bigger threat, the damn feds. “They’re looking into Calloway’s disappearance.”
Nickolay’s eyes darted to Alek, whose face had turned to stone. Agent Calloway was a touchy subject for Alek, since the man had tried to kill Chloe. As a dirty cop, he’d already committed murder at least once decades ago when he took out Chloe’s father in an act of petty revenge. When Chloe found out the truth, he’d attacked her, managing to put a bullet in her shoulder. Alek killed the FBI agent for it, and he truly had it coming. The problem was that Calloway had been investigating the Bratva when it all went down, which catapulted the syndicate to the top of the suspect list.
“So, we need to find a way to get them off our back,” Vlad said, rubbing his hand over his buzzed head, the way that he always did when he was thinking. “Maybe paying off the people would do the trick.”
“Not the man in charge of the investigation,” Nickolay cut in. “I’ve looked into him. His partner might have been dirty, but Roberts is legit. He’s been in the FBI for three decades and has a flawless record. I don’t think he can be corrupted.”
“Someone else then,” Roman, another Brigadier, said. “Someone above him.”
“Sam, you look into that,” Alek said. “Find someone to pay off or blackmail. Whatever it takes. We need to kill this investigation, especially since Calloway was trying to use Chloe to get to us. Roberts hasn’t tried to talk to her yet, so I think he kept it off the books, but if anyone makes the connection, she’ll be a suspect as well. I won’t have that.”
His voice took on a dangerous tone, and Nickolay respected his protective instinct. He might have a woman to fight for like Alek did, but he’d do anything to keep his son safe, so he understood the determined light in his leader’s eyes.
“What about the vigilantes?” Roman asked.
“I’m putting Nickolay and Vlad on that.” Alek’s attention turned to the two brothers. “Top priority before they kill some of our people. I want you to track down these bastards. Find out who they are so that we can bring an end to them once and for all.”
“You got it,” Nickolay said while Vlad gave a curt nod.
The meeting broke up after that, and everyone filed out of the room, leaving the house and knowing that there was probably someone working for Roberts out on the street, watching. Roman had already been followed just a few weeks ago.
Nickolay lingered, and he was the last to leave the room. As he stepped out into the hallway, he wasn’t thinking about leaving. His mind was on Alice, and as if his thoughts had summoned her, she suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway. At least, he was pretty sure it was her. There was a big stack of towels in her arms, blocking her face from view. She was headed for the bathroom across the hall from Alek’s office, and she was moving too fast to allow him to get out of the way.
“Ali-”
He didn’t even get her name out before they collided. Alice dropped the stack of towels that she’d probably just washed and folded, letting out a gasp as she stumbled backwards. Nickolay’s hand snapped out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her upright a little too forcefully, causing her to fall into him. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, their hips lined up and her hand on his bicep. He felt her squeeze it before she quickly pushed herself away.
Her brown eyes stared at him with shock and desire flashing in their depths, and he couldn’t but smile. He gestured to the mess of towels on the floor and winked at her.
