by Roxie Rivera
It was bad enough that Nikolai had sprung a new bodyguard on me. I couldn't imagine how angry I would have been if he'd announced a new houseguest. "Yeah, you should have."
Ivan picked up the napkin and placed the knife in the dishwasher. "It's not a mistake I'll make again."
Another thought occurred to me. "Is it the new sleeping arrangements that have her pissed off or is this about Ruby?"
Ivan moved closer and placed his big, scarred hands on the counter. I had seen those intimidating hands gently embrace Erin and stroke her cheek so softly. "It's always about Ruby. She'll get out of prison eventually, and if she comes into our home, she'll hurt Erin. She always hurts Erin. You and I both know the odds of Ruby staying clean are close to zero."
"That's true, but I also know the odds of a guy like Ten not re-offending are equally as small."
Ivan didn't speak for a long moment. Eventually, he turned toward me. "I stopped. Alexei stopped. It can be done."
"You got out. Alexei got out. Ten? He's still in."
"Yes, but he's on the outside. He'll be on probation for years. He'll have to walk the straight and narrow or risk going back inside. By the time he's free and clear, he'll have lost the taste for it."
Ivan wasn't the most loquacious man so when he spoke like this I made a point of listening. I stared at the platinum wedding band circling his ring finger. I had been at Kazimir's jewelry store the day Erin had chosen the design and the inscription on the inside. Reaching out, I tapped the wedding band. "That's a good look on you."
He smiled, his hard face lighting up and softening. "I'm luckier than I deserve."
"We make our own luck. You've earned Erin's love."
"And her forgiveness," he added quietly. "She isn't thrilled about Ten sharing our home, but she's agreed to give him a probationary period."
"Let me guess. You started calling her angel moy and she just melted?"
He snorted with laughter. "I wish! It's not that easy anymore."
"Sure it's not." I loved teasing this great big bear of a man, especially when it came to Erin.
Nikolai sauntered back into the kitchen with Ten and Arty on his heels. He picked up his tie and flipped his collar. Stepping toward him, I took the tie from his hand and looped it around his neck. "Pratt? Windsor?"
His sinfully sexy grin made my belly flutter. Was he remembering the morning he had taught me to tie the different knots he liked? What had started as a simple lesson in men's fashion had ended in Nikolai calling off work and us spending the day in bed…and on the couch and his desk and the shower. "Lady's choice."
While I expertly fixed his tie, he talked to the men surrounding us. The rapid-fire Russian being shot back and forth over my head was all above-board business. I caught a sly remark about Ten's welcome home party but one look from Nikolai silenced that talk. Considering Arty had brought me a payment from Besian, I didn't have to think too hard to fill in the blanks.
After making the final adjustments to the knot, I grabbed his jacket and helped him into it. He curled his fingers in my hair, cupping the back of my head, and kissed me tenderly. "I'll see you this evening."
"Bianca is coming by for a lesson later."
"With Sergei?"
"No, she's coming alone."
Nikolai's gaze briefly flicked in Ten's direction. There was something there I didn't like. A glimmer of apprehension maybe? As quickly as it appeared, it vanished. "I'll try to get home in time to see her. I always enjoy her company."
Of all of my friends, Bianca was the only one who showed the least amount of fear around him. I had a feeling there was more to the story about Sergei leaving Nikolai's employ. Bianca had those details but she was loyal to Sergei and loved him so much. She would do anything to protect him, even keep a dark secret about whatever leverage she had used to break Sergei free from the mob.
Nikolai, Ivan and Artyom left me alone with Ten. For a long moment, we simply stared at one another. "So," I said finally with a nervous smile, "I usually go running in the mornings."
"I don't run." Ten's gravelly, rough voice made my stomach clench. It reminded me of my father's voice and not in a good way.
"Okay," I dragged out the word. "Well, Boychenko likes to run so he'll go with me."
"Is that a good idea?" Ten crossed his massive arms.
"I run every weekday. It's my thing."
"But the boss said you're pregnant," he stated. "You shouldn't be exercising."
"Unless the Texas Department of Corrections has a med school program, I don't think you're qualified to make that judgment." I gathered up my dishes and carried them to the dishwasher. "Anna, our housekeeper, will be here in half an hour or so. She has her own key."
"That's not safe."
"She's sixty."
"It's not her I'm worried about," he countered. "She has sons."
"Who work at Samovar and one of Alexei Sarnov's dealerships," I reminded him.
"Which means they can be bought for the right price," he replied harshly. "They aren't part of this." He gestured to one of the tattoos on his hand. It was Nikolai's brand and a very hard mark to earn. "I'll take the key from her when she comes today. From now on, she knocks and comes in like every other visitor."
I gaped at him, agog. "You're not serious."
"As a fucking heart attack, sweetheart," he crudely replied. "The boss gave me one job and I intend to do it. I don't particularly care if you like my methods. I'll keep you and the baby safe. That's all that matters."
Rattled by his harshness, I tried to remember what Ivan had said about Ten needing to adjust. "I understand that you have a job to do, and I won't interfere with that, but we don't have to be enemies."
"We aren't going to be friends either," he warned. "Sergei made the mistake of getting too close to you. I won't be making that same mistake. You're pretty, and you're sweet, but you aren't my type. Flirting and batting your eyelashes won't work on me."
"Wow." I shook my head. "You don't know Sergei half as well as you think you do. I'm not his type either. We didn't flirt. We're friends. Real friends. He's been there for me. We respect each other and care for each other."
"I don't need a friend. I don't need your respect. I'm here to work. That's it."
"Okay then." Putting up my hands, I signaled defeat. "Have it your way. I'm going upstairs to change. Tell Boy I'll be ready in twenty minutes."
"I'll get him to draw me the route so I can check it first."
"I'm just running around the neighborhood. It's safe."
"A judge's dog was poisoned yesterday. This neighborhood isn't safe."
That piece of news surprised me. "Roscoe? Someone poisoned him? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because it's none of your business," Ten matter-of-factly replied.
"None of my business," I repeated, incredulous. "I live here. This is my home."
"This is Nikolai's home."
My jaw dropped. "You did not just say that to me."
"Is it yours? Is your name on the deed?"
"That's not—"
"You're his wife. That’s it."
"And you're an asshole." Infuriated, I left the kitchen and headed upstairs. Safely inside our bedroom, I picked up my phone and texted Nikolai in a fit of rage.
This isn't going to work. I need a new guard. Now! Send Arty back.
Moments later, Nikolai called. I could hear road noise in the background. "Vee, it's been ten minutes. Give it some time."
"I don't need more time to know he's a bastard."
"Vee!"
"He said—"
Nikolai exhaled roughly. "I'm sure he said something stupid. I'll talk to him when I get home."
"So you expect me to spend all day with him?"
"Yes, I do. He's rough around the edges, but he'll keep you safe."
"Rough around the edges?" I scoffed. "He's a nightmare."
"He's good at his job."'
"So was Sergei, but he didn't—"
"Sergei is gone
. He chose Bianca over the family. That door is closed. He's not coming back."
It was the first time Nikolai had ever revealed that he was hurt by Sergei leaving.
"I chose Ten for a reason. You'll get used to him."
"And if I don't?"
"You will."
Gritting my teeth, I asked the other question that had been bothering me. "Why didn't you tell me about Roscoe?"
"Because I didn't want to worry you, Vee." Nikolai sounded exasperated. "We had a rough day and the last thing I wanted to do was frighten you. It's been taken care of so let it go."
"Just like that, huh? I'm just supposed to let it all go, right?"
Four long seconds of dead silence followed. "I'm not going to fight with you over the phone. We'll talk when I get home."
"Kolya—"
But the line went dead before I could get another word out of my mouth.
Like an angry child, I tossed my phone onto the bed and stormed into the closet. I jerked a T-shirt and a pair of running shorts out of a drawer. I slipped into a sports bra and my clothes and finger-combed my hair into a low ponytail that covered my neck tattoo.
Downstairs, I headed for the mud room where I stored my running shoes. I decided to use the older pair that had a few weeks of wear and tear left on them. When I bent down to grab them, my stomach lurched and I barely made it to the sink near the potting bench and garden tools before I promptly lost my breakfast.
I saw a blur of a tiger out of the corner of my eye. The faucet began to spew cold water. I heard a drawer open next to my hip. Moments later a dish cloth was dipped into the stream and wrung out. It was pressed against my neck.
"This will help." Ten's rumbling voice accompanied his surprisingly gentle gesture. He helped me stand up straight and plucked a glass from the cabinet closest to the sink. After filling it with cold water, he pushed it into my hands. "Rinse your mouth. Drink."
I did as instructed. Ten reached into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew a handful of small orange lozenges wrapped in clear plastic. They were the same ginger anti-nausea lozenges I kept in my purse.
"I bought them at the drugstore this morning. The pharmacist told me they were the best. They have good vitamins for pregnant women." He dropped one onto my palm. "Here."
I glanced up at him, mistrusting and confused. "Why?"
His light eyes, the color a strange combination of blue and green, sparked with regret. He seemed bothered by the way I looked at him. "Because I swore I would take care of you and the baby."
I tried to make sense of this harsh-tongued man. He had upset me so badly with his mean words, but he had also had the forethought to consider morning sickness and pregnancy. "I don't know what to think about you."
"Whatever you're thinking about me is probably true. I'm not a nice man, Vivian. Don't make the mistake of thinking I could ever be anything other than the mean bastard standing right in front of you."
Somehow I doubted that was true. I got the feeling this asshole act was all part of his emotional armor.
"You don't have to like me to trust me. I'll protect you and the baby until the day the boss tells me to stop. If that means taking a bullet to the chest or a knife to the gut, so be it."
"You don't even know me, Ten."
"I don't have to know you. I swore my loyalty to the boss. You are precious to him which means you're precious to every single one of us who wears this." He tapped that tattooed brand again. "You're carrying the heir to all of this." He waved his finger in a circle. "I'll die before I let anything happen to you."
The urge to deny that our child would inherit any of this was strong but I kept that to myself. "I don't want anyone to die for me."
"Then do what I tell you and we'll all be safe." Jaw tense, he held out his hand. "Let's try this again, yeah? Anton."
Realizing I had no other choice than to make the best of this situation, I accepted his hand. "Vivian."
"Nice to meet you, Vivian."
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Chapter Nine
Tapping his phone against his leg, Nikolai stared out the window as Arty drove him to a meeting with Mr. Lu. After that business with the judge's dog, he wanted to get out in front of the problem and figure out a way to go in and get the girl without kicking off a fight or shootout. He also wanted to see the old man's face when they talked about Bobby Pham's side business.
If the old man really didn't know what the kid was doing, Nikolai would have to start making contingency plans. It would mean the old man was losing control of his people and that wasn’t good for anyone. Mr. Lu would either have to be propped up or taken out. Neither option appealed to him much.
When they arrived at the dry cleaning shop, Artyom drove around back. Nikolai spotted one of Besian's cars parked in the employee spots. He hadn't expected to run into the Albanian boss today but he had a big fucking bone to pick with him. Glancing at his watch, he reached for the door handle. "Tell Kostya I want to see him in half an hour."
"Here?"
"Tell him to meet me at Kazimir's. I need to pick up Vivian's jewelry. It's supposed to be polished and ready to go."
"Okay. You want me to come in with you?"
Nikolai shook his head. "I've got this one." He slipped out of the SUV but didn't close the door. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the argument he had had with Vivian over the phone. "Get in touch with Boychenko or Ilya. Ask them how Vee and Ten are working out."
"Sure, boss."
Feeling guilty for the way he had hung up on her that morning, Nikolai ran his fingers through his hair and crossed the parking lot. It had been stupid of him and frankly childish. She had gotten under his skin with that remark about the way she was just supposed to let everything go.
A flutter of something that felt awfully similar to panic invaded his stomach. Was that really how she felt? There had always been friction between the two of them about the way he tended to be overbearing. When she had been his employee and the young woman he considered his ward, she had humored his overprotectiveness. Now that they were married, though, she seemed to be chafing under it.
He was so used to giving orders that it was second nature to him. He tried to remember that Vivian wasn't one of his soldiers. She was his wife. She was the woman he loved. He didn't want to be a controlling asshole. He didn't want her to feel trapped or ignored.
So why the hell didn't you ask her about Ten first?
Not wanting to think about all the reasons why he made decisions like that without involving her, he indulged in some equally as childish tit-for-tat thoughts. Why hadn't Vivian told him about the gambling? She had kept that secret for four years. In the great scheme of things, it wasn't a big one. She wasn't in debt, and she clearly had luck and strategy on her side, but she should have come clean after they were married. She sure as hell should have warned him about the massive payout Besian owed her.
And speaking of that Albanian devil…
"Nikolai!" Besian emerged from the building and slipped his sunglasses into place. "This is a happy surprise!"
"There's no such thing as a happy surprise." He shook Besian's hand but didn't let it go. Squeezing the other man's fingers, he jerked him forward. "Did you think it was funny to send a bag of money to my wife?"
"Honestly? I laughed my fucking ass off just imaging your face this morning."
"You're an asshole." He released Besian's hand. "You should have told me that my wife had a book with you."
"Technically—"
"Don't give me that technically bullshit. You rat on every single Russian on your books. You make damn sure I know who is up and who is down. You didn’t think I needed to know that Vivian had bets with you?"
"I assumed you had your wife under control. How was I supposed to know she had a secret life she was keeping from you?"
Nikolai's eyes narrowed. "I'm feeling generous today so I'll forget you said that."
Besian shrugged. "Don’t get pissed at me be
cause your wife is keeping secrets."
Irritated with the situation, Nikolai marshaled his control and didn't punch him in the face for the insinuation that Vivian was a liar. If he blew up on Besian, the man would make sure everyone in Houston's underworld knew that he couldn't even keep order under his own roof. One rumor like that and it could all come crashing down around his ears.
"Hey, come on." Besian tapped his shoulder and grinned in that mischievous way of his. "I'm just fucking with you, Nikolai. Boss to boss," he added. "No one knows about the small bets she's placed but you, me and daltë." He held up three fingers and used the Albanian word for chisel. "She's never lost money and never owed anything. If she had ever gotten herself into trouble, I would have told you. It was all harmless fun."
Glancing away from Besian, he nodded. "Yeah. All right."
Besian changed the subject. "Listen, when you get back from London, we need to talk business." Nikolai nodded, and Besian clapped him on the back. "Go easy on the old man. He's not well."
Wondering what Besian meant by that, he entered the building and headed for the cramped, perpetually hot office where Mr. Lu liked to conduct private meetings. The door was open but he knocked on the frame before entering. Stepping into the office, he instantly understood what Besian had meant. The old man looked pale and tired.
Nikolai hesitated in the doorway. "Lu, I can come back tomorrow."
Mr. Lu gestured for him to shut the door. "I won't be any better tomorrow. It's that poison the doctors at MD Anderson are pumping into my veins."
MD Anderson? The cancer center. "You're sick."
The old man nodded. "They found it a few weeks ago. I started chemo last week. I'm feeling it this week."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Mr. Lu waved his hand. "Shit happens. I've had a good run. Sixty-eight years? I survived Việt Nam Cộng-sản. I can beat this."
"Absolutely," Nikolai agreed and took the seat in front of the desk. He unbuttoned his suit jacket. "Look, Lu, we have a problem."
"Bobby." The old man leaned back in his worn leather chair and sighed. "He's always been a greedy little shit. He's too smart for his own good. It's always about the fast money." He tossed his pen onto his desk. "Kids these days! None of them want to work. Build slow and steady. That's the real way to make money."
