by S. C. Daiko
“Have you ever handled a firearm?” I ask Eva quietly while we take it in turns to push Kir on the swing.
Her eyes widen. “No. Why?”
“I think I should teach you some basics.” I meet her gaze.
Her face has turned pale. “You’re scaring me, Gleb.”
I shake my head and apologize. “Nothing is guaranteed in this life, Kiska. I’ve learned that to my cost. Better be prepared for the worst.”
Without warning, Kir squeals, “Down,” and Eva lifts him. She’s about to put him back in his buggy, but he insists on walking. We each take one of his hands and walk him over to some flat rocks by the river. He giggles and starts playing with a couple of pebbles.
I sit beside Eva. “I said I’d tell you my truth, Kiska. I can’t tell you everything, but you need to know a few facts... so you understand the danger you and Kir are in due to your father selling you to me.”
Her fingers grip mine, and I feel them tremble. “You said you came to the U.S.A. when someone you’d met at Harvard made you an offer you couldn’t refuse? Is that why you got involved in organized crime here?”
“He and his boss helped me take down a Bratva that were gunning for my brother in England.” I pause to consider my words. “The Vor in question operates internationally and has the protection of the Russian Security Service.”
A low cough alerts us to the arrival of Yuri. “Ready to set off?” he asks, checking his watch. “You said we’d stop off in Leadville for lunch.”
“We’re ready,” Elousha answers for me. I try to catch her eye, I’m not done with this conversation, but she isn’t looking at me. She’s picked up Kir and is clutching him to her body as if she never wants to let him go. She walks off with him, and I follow her to the car.
Yuri gets behind the wheel again and we continue following Highway 24, crossing a steel arched bridge with awesome views of the river valley below. “It’s beautiful,” Eva exclaims before lapsing into silence. She stares out of the tinted, bullet-proof windows. I’ve upset her by sharing some of my truth with her, I know I have, but I won’t be able to talk privately with her until we arrive back home.
Within an hour we stop at the town of Leadville, famed for its Victorian architecture and historic mining district. My kitten’s attention is mostly taken up by our son and, after eating burgers in a cookhouse, I give Yuri a break and he rides shotgun next to me as I turn north onto Highway 91.
Keeping an eye on Eva and Kir in my rearview mirror, I drive across the Continental Divide at the summit of Fremont Pass, then carry on up to the Copper Mountain Ski Resort. From there, it’s a fast jaunt back to Beaver Creek, via Interstate 70, and we’re home by mid-afternoon.
Eva brushes past me, our son in her arms, as she steps through the front door. “Meet me in the back yard as soon as you can,” I say to her.
She stares at me, and I catch the fear in her golden irises. “So you can teach me how to shoot a gun?” Her voice trembles.
“For yours and Kir’s safety, Elousha,” I bend and whisper in her ear.
I give strict orders to Dmitry not to let anyone disturb us, then I wait for Eva. If she doesn’t turn up, I’ll go fetch her. What I need to show her might save her life.
Hers and Kir’s.
I hope it won’t come to that, but I’ve got to cover all bases to keep my kitten and our son safe.
She exits the back door and walks up to me, wiping her hands down her jeans-clad legs.
“Sorry I scared you again earlier,” I say gently.
“I guess I was lulled into a false sense of security by us playing happy families.” She presses her elbows to her sides. “Are you sure this is necessary?”
“Definitely.” I set my jaw and withdraw my Glock from its holster. “Always treat a firearm as if it were loaded.” I point it toward the ground.
She flinches. “Is it loaded?”
“Of course.” I fix her in my gaze. “You must always keep your finger off the trigger and outside the guard until you have made a conscious decision to shoot.” I pause. “You’re right handed?”
She nods, breathing out a quick shallow breath.
I take her right hand and place the Glock in it. “This is your gun hand, Elousha.”
I take her left hand and wrap all four fingers under the trigger guard with the index finger pressed hard underneath it. “Like that,” I tell her. “Your support-hand.”
Again, she nods. It’s as if she can’t trust herself to speak.
“Now stand with your feet and hips shoulder width apart. Bend your knees slightly. It will allow you to shoot the weapon with stability and mobility. Raise the firearm toward your target.” I point at a watermelon I’d balanced on the garden table earlier.
Eva does as I ask, and I go on to explain how to aim the gun and how to fire it properly. All that’s left for her to do is to shoot the piece. “Ready?”
She nods for the third time. I pop some plugs in her ears. “Just press on the trigger.”
A shot rings out and the watermelon is pulverized.
Trembling, Eva hands the Glock over to me. “I did it, but I didn’t like it,” she shudders and removes the earplugs.
“Good girl. I’m proud of you.” I smile briefly and holster the piece. “Come with me and I’ll show you where the firearms are kept. I’ll also give you a key to the cupboard.”
I take her hand and lead her upstairs to my office. After pointing out the appropriate cabinet, I hand her the key I retrieve from the middle drawer in my desk. “This is a worst-case scenario, Elousha. I will guard you and Kir with my life.”
Without warning, she lets out a sob. Tears stream down her face, and she gulps them down. “Sometimes I wish I’d never met you.” She hiccups. “But then I wouldn’t have Kir.” Another sob. “Now I’m worried I’m gonna have another melt-down. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to handle all this.”
I rock her against me, kissing the top of her head and breathing in the green apple scent of her beautiful hair. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve met.” I walk us backwards to my executive chair, sit and gently pull her into my lap. “I love the way you stand up to me, Elousha. Never had a girl do that before.” I kiss the tears from her cheeks, lift her chin and kiss her sweet lips.
She breaths out a soft sigh before opening her mouth so that I can deepen the kiss.
I love her.
I love everything about her.
My chest aches and the lump in my throat threatens to choke me.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Eva
As a surprise, Gleb booked Catrin and me a spa day while he, Brash and Daniel have gone fly fishing for trout in Gore Creek. We’ve left Kir at home with Mama, Olga and Dmitry; Yuri has gone with the men, of course. Security at this luxury Beaver Creek hotel is first-rate, apparently. I’m enjoying not being watched over by a bodyguard for the first time in what seems like ages.
Daniel’s wife pushes her blonde bangs off her forehead as she relaxes into the foaming waters of the jacuzzi. “This is bliss.”
“Sure is.” I close my eyes and let the swirling water ease the stiffness in my body.
I’m still affected by what went down yesterday. Silly of me, really. I mean, Gleb is a beast; he needs to be bestial to survive in the world of organized crime. Teaching me to fire a gun was totally in character.
I shouldn’t have let it freak me out so badly.
I catch Catrin staring at me. “Penny for your thoughts?”
I give her a confused look and she flashes me a warm smile. “It’s what we say when we want to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another person, especially when they appear pensive.” Catrin’s tone is soothing. “Your English is so good I forgot it isn’t your first language.”
I angle myself away from her. How much does she know about Gleb, and how much should I reveal?
Catrin shakes her head. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
I struggle to find the right words. “So many chan
ges in such a short time, I’m a tad overwhelmed.”
She lightly strokes my forearm. “I saw a different Gleb this morning. I’ve known him for over twelve years and I’ve never seen him this happy.”
I sit up straight and clasp my hands to my chest. “He’s a challenge,” I blurt out.
“So is his brother,” Catrin snorts out an ironic laugh. “Daniel’s nickname was Brute.” She stares at me, looks away, then meets my eye again. “Can I be candid?”
“Sure.” I swish the warm water through my fingers.
“The Sokolov men are dark. I see the characteristics in my own sons, Andrej and Nikolai.” A frown clouds her face. “Even Brash can be volatile at times.”
“Wow, Brash hasn’t shown that side to me.” I hear the disbelief in my voice.
“He went through a bad patch when he and Daniel moved to the States.” Catrin’s mouth twists. “The Sokolov men also love deeply.” She meets my gaze. “Gleb has fallen for you as well as his son.”
Fallen for me?
I take a deep, calming breath. It would be outta line to tell her how the Beast bought me from my father and how he made me wear a revealing uniform in his club. He only changed his demeanor when he found out about Kir.
My heart stutters. “You’re wrong. Gleb loves his son, but he doesn’t love me.”
“What makes you think that?” She turns her head to the side.
I stare down at my hands. “He hasn’t told me he feels that way.”
She huffs. “If I know Gleb as well as I think I do, he’s just being protective. Another Sokolov characteristic...”
“He said our living together is only temporary.” I lift my chin. “I’m okay with that, really I am,” I lie. I shoot her a questioning look. “How much do you and Daniel know about his businesses in New Jersey?”
She purses her lips. “We know they aren’t strictly legit. Also, that he’s a mobster. Obvious from the fact that he’s surrounded by security all the time and drives a bullet-proof car with tinted windows. And the fact that he sent Brash home to us earlier than intended made us think something was up.”
It’s clear she and Daniel don’t know the full story about Vadim or Moscow, and I’m not going to be the one to spill the beans. Thankfully, we’re interrupted by the arrival of one of the spa attendants. “We’re ready for your treatments, ladies.”
Catrin and I spend the rest of the day being pampered. We both enjoy a relaxing facial followed by a revitalizing massage. After a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant, during which we get to know each other better by sharing information about our backgrounds and families. I steer her clear of any talk about my relationship with Gleb. Our hair is washed, trimmed and styled in the salon, and then finally we’re treated to a manicure and pedicure.
“I feel like a million dollars,” Catrin’s smile crinkles her mouth while we stand waiting for the parking valet to arrive with Daniel’s Range Rover. “I can’t wait to arrive back at Gleb’s, so I can give a cuch to that cute little boy of yours.”
“Cuch?” I lift a brow.
She laughs. “Welsh word meaning cuddle.”
I laugh with her as she gets behind the wheel of the car. I like Daniel’s wife, I’ve already decided.
Shame this is probably the first and last time I get to hang out with her.
Back at Gleb’s place, Catrin and I decide to take Kir for a walk in his buggy. We stroll up the road outside the house with Dmitry keeping a discreet distance behind us. I breathe in the crisp mountain air. “It’s so beautiful here,” I gush.
“Wait until you see it covered with snow. It’s incredible.” Catrin grasps my hand. “Do you know how to ski?”
I tell her I don’t, resisting the urge to come clean and say I won’t be returning to Colorado. A shiver goes up my spine as I think about what Gleb will have to face when we go back to New Jersey; there’s a tight sensation in my shoulders.
He’s so freaking confident he has what it takes to win the war, except what if he doesn’t?
What if he’s killed?
I know I shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts, but what would happen to Kir and me then?
My breath bursts in and out and I clutch at myself. I was supposed to have lunch with Natasha. I should have tried to contact her, but I didn’t. I was too wrapped up with moving in with Gleb.
“What’s wrong?” Catrin asks.
“N... n... nothing,” I stutter.
A sudden sound of snapping twigs and branches, and belly freaking lurches.
Dmitry runs up from behind, gun raised.
Shit!
I bend and shield Kir with my body.
Catrin lets out a sharp gasp.
“It’s an elk,” Dmitry shouts, holstering his weapon.
Relief floods through me as a large bull, with antlers at least three feet wide, breaks out from between the aspens.
“A young one,” Catrin says, releasing a relieved breath. “It’s the rutting season, and he’s probably following a mature bull and his harem.”
The elk stares at us and turns to go back into the trees.
“Let’s go home,” I say, suddenly feeling the need to be behind closed doors. “It’s a little exposed out here.”
It’s an easy walk down the road and presently we’re going through the front door of Gleb’s house. I call out, “Mama,” fully expecting her to appear and greet us.
Except she doesn’t.
My heart hammers in my chest.
With trembling hands, I unstrap Kir from his buggy. Balancing him on my hip, I start going from room to room with Catrin and Dmitry, calling for Mama and Olga.
Every room is empty.
Nausea grips my stomach muscles.
What the hell is going on?
We go upstairs and try the room Mama shares with Kir. The door is locked, and I rattle the handle.
“Mama,” I shout.
“Thank God you are back,” her voice comes from the other side of the door. “We saw someone snooping in the back yard. It scared us, so we ran up here.”
Blood drains from my face. I hear the lock turning, and she opens.
“Why didn’t you call?” I ask, hugging her close.
She stands back and gives me a sheepish look. “I left my phone in the living room.”
“And I forgot to charge mine,” Olga murmurs.
Wide-eyed, I stare at Dimitry. He’s already pulled his cell from his pocket and has pressed speed-dial. “Boss,” he says, “you’d better come home asap. I think we might have an intruder.”
I strangle the sob that has risen in my throat.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Gleb
Dread clutches at my entrails, but I steel myself not to show it. “Put the house on lock-down,” I bark. “Take the women to my office. It has a bullet-proof door and windows. Pass Eva onto me.”
I hear a hubbub of muted voices as the phone is transferred to her.
“Gleb,” she says, and I hear the fear in that one word. “How long before you can get here?”
My pulse thumps. “About forty-five minutes. Try to stay calm. No one will hurt you.”
Kir sets up a wail in the background.
Dammit!
There’s a pain at the back of my throat and I have difficulty swallowing.
“I’ll be with you asap, Elousha.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Give Kir a kiss and a hug from me.”
I end the call and quickly explain the situation to Daniel, Brash and Yuri. We’d returned all the trout we caught to the river already, so the only thing we need do is take off our waders and race for the Merc. No time to pack away our rods; we leave them where they are with the cool box.
Tension gripping me by the balls, I take the wheel. Daniel rides next to me with Brash and Yuri behind. The tires spin as I head out of the parking area.
“I’m getting a sense of déjà-vu,” my brother’s voice rasps in my ear.
“This is nothing like t
welve years ago,” I growl. “Everyone is safe.”
My words sounded more confident than I felt. What if Vadim has found out about my Colorado bolt-hole? I thought I’d covered my tracks, buying the place with a fake ID, using cash to purchase my car and keeping a low profile whenever I’m here.
Maybe I shouldn’t have taken Eva out for dinner the other night?
I’m a fucking idiot...
My gullet burns and heat spreads through my stomach.
Traffic is light in Vail, thank God, and within minutes we’re on the final leg of the ride home. I step on the gas. Silence reigns as I drive like a bat out of hell. I sense the strain in the atmosphere. We’re all shitting ourselves but not admitting to it.
Finally, we’re home and I slam the SUV to a stop. I leap out and punch in the security code to unlock the front door, then run upstairs, calling out to Dmitry.
He’s standing outside my office, gun in his hand.
“I took a shot at him,” he points to a window at the end of the corridor. “Don’t know if I got him or not, but all has gone quiet since.” He pauses for a beat. “I checked the intruder detection system and discovered the fucking wires had been cut.”
Shit!
The door bursts open, and Elousha rushes into my arms. “You okay?” I ask, stepping inside and scanning the room for my son. Thankfully, he’s asleep in Ludmila’s lap, pacifier in his mouth, oblivious to the mayhem going on around him.
“We were so scared,” Eva breathes. “Especially when we heard Dmitry fire his gun.”
I stand back and hold her by the shoulders, making firm eye contact. “You need to stay in here a little longer while I check around. Can you do that for me, Kiska?”
Face pale and eyes wide, she bites at her bottom lip and nods.
In the periphery of my vision, I catch Daniel and Brash with their arms around Catrin. Ludmila is making whimpering sounds, but Olga, a true Bratva wife, is simply standing stoically behind Eva’s mom.
