by S. C. Daiko
“Sounds good to me,” he snickers. “What’s the catch?”
“I’d like you to watch the building where Eva lives with her parents.” My tone is serious. “Follow her if she goes out. I’ll send one of my security team with you. But I’d like it to be you who reports back to me.”
“Why? I mean, is there some issue that you need to stalk her?”
Frank as ever.
“Just making sure she’s safe.”
And hopefully find out whatever it is she’s hiding from me.
He chuckles. “Over-protective Uncle Gleb.”
I bark out a laugh.
I sit slumped in an armchair the following evening. Brash has been on stake-out duty since early this morning. He’s reported in periodically, complaining this is the most boring job he’s ever been given. Apparently, Eva hasn’t set foot outside, not even once. The only people who come and go are what he presumes to be her father’s dance pupils. On a long exhale of breath, I tell him to come home.
I rub a hand through my short beard, remembering how powerless I’d felt at the time my brother stirred up a hornet’s nest of trouble when we were both working for my father in London. After the shit hit the fan, and Daniel’s first wife was murdered, he went into hiding and I spent three fucking years searching for him. He and his kids are the only family I have left. I’ll protect them to my dying day. I’ve learned from my mistakes of the past, from not ensuring Mama and Papa’s safety.
Even though fifteen years have since passed, the pain of losing my parents still cuts deep. I’ve covered up that hurt, kept it buried inside me, but it’s not far below the surface of my thin-skinned veneer. The steps I took afterwards sent me spiraling into the world I now inhabit, where violence and death are commonplace.
Brash calls me over-protective, but he has no clue the danger looming. Against all expectations, I’m developing feelings for Eva... I fucking like her and want to keep her as well as everyone else safe. I sigh and touch my forefinger to my handgun; I haven’t taken off my holster all day.
The front door swings open and Brash steps into my open-plan living space. “Hey,” he calls out.
“Hey,” I respond, pointing to the sofa opposite where I’m sitting. “Tell me exactly what you saw at the Petrenko building today.”
He plops onto the couch, legs apart. “As I said, nothing much. Mostly women going in and out.” He frowns, momentarily, his gaze on mine. “There was a weird delivery. A big box of diapers.”
I narrow my eyes. “Petrenko didn’t mention he and his wife have a baby. They must have gotten the wrong address.”
Brash shakes his head vigorously. “Not that I could see.”
“Hmm. How strange. Are you sure they were diapers?”
“I looked through the binoculars you gave me. The lettering was on the side.”
“I’ll ask Eva if she has any siblings next time I see her,” I dismiss the subject. “It’s never come up before. Her mother might have had a late pregnancy.” I smile, remembering my sister-in-law, Catrin, sending Daniel to get a vasectomy after their third baby was born. Looks like Mr. Petrenko hasn’t had the snip.
Brash stares at me, chewing his lip. He seems about to say something but changes his mind and simply nods.
It was a mistake letting him come work for me this summer, I suddenly realize. Trouble with Vadim has been building up for weeks, if not months. I’ve loved having Brash here, he’s great company, a surrogate son, but I’m going to have to bring forward the date of our fishing trip.
I lean toward him, decide to go all in. “I want us to travel to Colorado sooner than I’d initially planned. We’ll go a week on Monday.”
“Aw,” his shoulders slump. “I thought we weren’t due to fly out until the end of the month?”
“I have an urge to catch a few fish,” I lie. “And to see my bro’.” The last statement is the truth. “I’m sure there are some girls back home who are missing you.”
His face brightens. “Becca has Olivia staying for the summer. But my step-sis’ bestie is off-limits.”
“I thought Becca and you were besties?” I raise a brow.
“She knew Olivia before, so she lets Olivia think she comes first. In any case, Olivia lives in England. Her dad is an Earl which makes her a Lady. She looks down her nose at me.” Brash’s mouth forms a straight line. My guess is he has the hots for the girl in question and she’s rejected him, which would be a first for my nephew.
I smile self-deprecatingly. His circumstances, if so, wouldn’t be far from my current situation with Eva, although I don’t say anything about that to Brash.
“Right,” I groan, pushing myself to my feet. “Got to go get ready for work. Catch ya later.”
Jaw clenched, I make my way upstairs to take a shower.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Gleb
The following Friday evening, after putting on my sharpest dress suit, I call Yuri to meet me with my Mercedes SUV. Cars are a weakness of mine; I have more than I should but what the heck; not like I have a wife and kids to support.
We pull up outside Vadim’s swanky restaurant. Yuri gets out of the Merc with me and hands the keys to a valet. A woman comes to stand in front of me, a beautiful woman in an elegant white halter-neck evening dress, nipped in at the waist with a full skirt that reaches just below her knees. Her long, dark hair has been styled in a classy chignon; she looks like she’s stepped out of the pages of one of those glossy fashion magazines.
Holy shit, it’s Eva.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I jerk my head back and glare at her. “Shouldn’t you be at Lure?”
“I came to this dinner because I was invited.” Her voice is calm, as if she’s explaining something to a child.
“You are not going inside.” I flex my arm muscles. “I call the shots, remember.”
She shakes her head. “Only in the club.” Her smile is so fucking annoying I want to shake the living daylights out of her. “What I do with my own time is my business,” she adds.
I snap my fingers and Yuri appears from the shadows. “Escort Ms. Petrenko back to Lure. She’s contracted to work tonight. I’ll manage alright on my own.”
“No,” Eva says sharply. “Please, listen to me.” She goes on to tell me she’d like to pretend to be my girlfriend. That Vadim will be reassured, after which she’ll befriend his woman and wheedle information out of her.
“It’s a stupid idea. Far too dangerous. I can’t let you do it.” I pause. “And why would you want to, anyway?”
She leans in close, so close I breathe in her fresh apple scent. She opens her pouty mouth, clearly about to give me more sass.
Except, before she can say a word, Vadim steps out of the restaurant.
Dammit!
I guess I’ll have to play Eva’s game for now.
Whatever that is...
She loops her arm through mine and beams a mega-watt smile at the fucker.
“Come with me,” he says, leading us through double doors, through the main dining area, to a private room at the back.
The table is set for four. White linen cloth, starched napkins, silver cutlery and crystal glassware.
We leave our guns by the door and take our seats. Natasha, wearing a low-cut black gown, joins us and shoots Eva an appraising look.
Kiska moves her chair closer to mine, takes my hand and lifts it so everyone can see our fingers entwined. She leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek. I just sit there like a damn fool, feeling regret this isn’t for real but, at the same time, unable to stop my dick from throbbing.
Eva is only play-acting. She still hates me. Fuck knows why... I’ll get to the bottom of it eventually... and in the meantime we need to get through this damn dinner together.
It begins well, we make small talk while we eat, starting off with Beluga caviar served with Blinis and washed down with Vodka, which I notice Eva drinking with relish. Borsch follows, and I admit it’s delicious, almost as good as Mama
used to make. Beef Stroganoff arrives as the main course. Eva has already reached her limit with respect to food intake, she barely touches it, but Vadim’s waiter leaps forward to refill her glass with rich red wine. I’m not sure she realizes how much she’s imbibing. Before coffee, the ladies disappear to the rest room and I’m left alone with Vadim... except for our men, of course, both of whom are in position behind our respective chairs.
Time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
“Ten years ago, when I set up in this city, you were more than happy to split the turf 50-50. We both know why.” I fix Vadim with a firm look. “Nothing has changed now,” I lie.
Vadim points to his man, a burly dark-haired monster built like a Sumo wrestler, and sends him out of the room.
I rub my chin, eyebrows furrowing and releasing.
Sumo man returns with a small, middle-aged guy I recognize immediately. It’s Oleg Vasiliev who came to me a couple weeks ago for a loan to meet his repayments to Vadim.
“I believe you two know each other,” Vadim gives me one of his vile smirks. “What you don’t know, however, is this piece of shit, who borrowed money from you to pay me back, has not given me one penny.”
“Is that true, Oleg?” I make strong eye contact with him.
“Y... y... yes,” he stutters. “I had to cover the rent.” He gulps in a shaky breath. “I lost my job, my wife is sick, and our kids needed new shoes.”
I’m about to tell the poor man he should have come to me, I’d have helped him find another job, but Vadim gets in first.
He signals his boyevik.
Without warning, Sumo man grabs Oleg’s hand.
Before I can do anything, he bends Oleg’s index finger back against the joint, touching it to the top of his wrist.
Oleg releases a howl of pain.
I leap out of my seat, ready to go to his aid. The man is an innocent; he doesn’t deserve this.
Yuri places his hand on my arm. “Not now, Boss.”
He’s right. Vadim’s agenda isn’t just to intimidate Oleg, but also to intimidate me.
I sit down again, and Vadim indicates to his henchman to remove Oleg from the room.
My fingers itch to grab hold of my piece, but it’s where I left it by the door.
“You will not poach my clients,” Vadim’s voice is a low growl in his throat. “I can take you out any time I choose.”
I nearly laugh out loud. Not going to happen, motherfucker.
He squirms forward. “I would be prepared to cut you some slack, however,” his tone has turned smarmy, “if you sell Eva to me.”
I’m out of my seat again, ready to launch myself at Vadim and throttle him. But, instead, Eva and Natasha come through the door, smiling and chatting like they’re suddenly besties.
No doubt about it, Kiska has worked her charm like she said she would.
She sits next to me and pecks me on the cheek.
I push back my chair and take her hand. “I’ve remembered there’s something I need to check on at the club,” I say to Vadim. “Thanks for dinner. It’s been... interesting.”
He waves us off, saying he’ll be in touch.
Asshole.
I collect my gun and keep Eva’s hand in mine as we exit the restaurant. She doesn’t pull away while we wait for my car. Instead, she allows me to put my arm around her. She’s still play acting, of course, but I don’t give a fuck. Just holding her close has a soothing effect on me.
I fully expect her to move away when we get into the Merc. Only she doesn’t. We lock gazes and I could drown in her golden amber irises they’re so beautiful. Her breathing is ragged, her tits rise and fall with it. “Natasha wants us to have lunch together soon,” she grins like the cat that’s gotten the cream. “Is that okay with you?” Her words slur slightly.
Christ, she’s more than a little tipsy. Even so, I want to get some things straight with her. “This shit is real, Elousha. Fucking dangerous. You have no clue what you’d get yourself involved in. And I still don’t get why you even want to do this.”
She lifts her hand and places it on my mouth. “Shush. It will be fine.” Again, the slight slur. “We’ll meet in a public place.” A flush blooms up her lovely cheek.
Fuck it, I’ve got to kiss her.
I bend and nuzzle my way up her neck, enjoying the softness of her skin and the scent of apples. I nibble her earlobe and whisper, “If I don’t fuck you again soon, Kiska, my balls will turn blue.” I kiss the left-hand corner of her pretty lips. “You don’t want that to happen to me, do you?”
Her laughter rings in my ears as she turns her head to face me. “Don’t exaggerate, Gleb.”
“A known medical condition, my sweet.” I assume a serious expression. “My balls could swell to the size of coconuts. It would hurt like hell.”
She extricates herself from my arms and moves over to the other side of the back seat. “Sorry, Gleb. I’m not a cock tease.” She giggles. “I’ll keep my distance from you in the future.”
Christ, how I want to make a grab for her. Except, I don’t. It wouldn’t be fair to Eva; she’s had too much to drink.
She sits staring out the window, twirling a lock of hair that has come loose from her chignon.
Suddenly, she releases a frustrated groan and slides back across the seat toward me.
Holy shit!
She cups the sides of my face, her thumbs stroking my beard, and presses her lips to mine.
Hard.
Her mouth opens, and I dart my tongue inside. Our tongues tangle together; the kiss turns brutal and needy as we moan, biting and sucking. I pull her into my lap, and she straddles my erection, her knees resting on the leather seat each side of my hips. She grinds against me, her fingers threaded into my hair, her lips parted with lust. I place my hands on her ass cheeks, and I could come right now I’m so fucking hard.
I stare down at the pucker of her nipples under the soft silk of her dress. “Jesus, Eva,” I lean into her. “When are you going to get the message that it’s me who calls the shots?”
She smirks mischievously, then lets out a gasp as I lift her and spin her around. I press my chest against her back and circle my hand around her tiny neck. I feel her throat bob as she swallows, but she doesn’t beg me to stop.
She’s at my mercy.
Good.
This is where she should be.
The Merc is slowing down as Yuri pulls up in front of her parents’ building. I release my hold and she shuffles from me. “Good night, Gleb,” she says smiling a smile that tells me more than words ever could. Maybe the drink gave her Dutch courage, but she’s orchestrated everything that happened between us this evening.
Me, Gleb Sokolov, also known as the Beast.
I’ve heard what they call me, and I do everything I can to keep my bestial reputation intact.
When I arrive home, I’ll need to check if I still have any balls... blue or not.
It’s only when I step through my front door that I realize I forgot to ask her if she has siblings.
Fuck!
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Eva
My eyes pop open to bright sunshine streaming through a gap in the drapes and the sound of Kir babbling to himself. I lever myself upright and try to get out of bed.
Ouch!
I flop back on the pillows.
My entire body aches, as if I did CrossFit yesterday and maybe also got punched; my head feels like someone had a go at it with a freaking sledge-hammer, and my mouth is dry as desert sand.
Breathing out a deep groan, I reach for the bottle of water on my nightstand. The liquid hits my stomach with a rush, making it churn.
Urgh!
Slowly, I swivel my legs from under the sheets.
The room starts spinning around me.
With shaky steps, I make my way to the ensuite. My reflection stares back at me, panda eyes indicating I didn’t even use makeup remover before I went to bed.
I bare my teeth.
Stupid bitch!
But I was so freaking scared.
Scared of Vadim.
Scared of the situation in which I’d deliberately placed myself.
I drank to ease my nerves, the nerves threatening to rip my performance apart.
I’m a good actress if I’m not nervous. When I was studying dance, I got amazing grades for my acting skills; I was able to interpret the story, evoking the emotions of the characters I played in my routines so realistically it was like I became them.
Last night, no one would have guessed I was practically pooping my panties.
Except I needed the crutch of alcohol to help me, especially before going with Natasha to the rest room.
I close my eyes, a sour taste filling my mouth.
We’d stood fixing our makeup after using the facilities. Natasha took her lipstick from her purse and asked, “Has Gleb got any other properties besides his place in Fairwood?”
The question had come out of nowhere, and I was immediately suspicious. I mean, why would she want to know something like that unless Vadim had primed her to ask me?
“He has no connections with anywhere else in the States but here,” I’d lied, swallowing the lump of anxiety in my throat. “Gleb was born in Russia and used to live in London.”
“When did you and he get together?” She turned and stared at me, looking me up and down.
I’d taken a deep breath to calm my thudding heart.
Vadim must have spies everywhere. He’ll know Gleb and I haven’t been dating.
You gotta give the performance of your life, Eva, I’d said to myself.
Act like you’re aiming for an Oscar. Maybe Vadim has cameras in the restrooms.
I’d fluttered my eyelashes and composed my face into a dreamy expression. “It only happened a week ago. After my shift ended. We kissed, and one thing led to another...” I’d caught my lip between my teeth. “He’s incredible,” I’d sighed, “like an animal in bed and so damn hot.” I’d fixed her in my gaze.
