The Bastard's Bargain

by Katee Robert

  He took a slow breath. “My father was Mr. Romanov’s father’s second in command. I grew up in this business, and he’s known me since I was a child. He trusts me.”

  Which meant he didn’t trust someone else. Anyone else. She nodded, and the relief on Pavel’s face would have made her laugh under other circumstances. As it was, she was too busy thinking about the implications of Dmitri not trusting his men. From what she understood, many of them had been with him for years, and he wasn’t the type to keep people under his roof—and give them access to Keira—if he didn’t trust them beyond a shadow of a doubt.

  The only reason she could think that he would do that was if he didn’t know who he could trust and who he couldn’t.

  Shit.

  She faked a smile and put a bit of brightness into her tone. “Thanks, Pavel. We’ll walk through it once more with Dmitri tomorrow and then put everything into motion.”

  He nodded. “It’s a good plan.”

  This time, her smile was closer to the real thing. Their plan might be good, but it depended upon the enemy being outside the house. If one of Dmitri’s men was a threat, keeping watch on the exits wouldn’t do them a damn bit of good. “Thanks.” She strode out of the room, already considering how best to corner Dmitri and convince him to tell her what the hell was going on. The good mood she’d captured from the superior fucking she’d experienced last night and this morning slipped through her fingers.

  It’s more than fucking, and no matter how many times I think of it that way, it doesn’t change the truth.

  She didn’t know what the truth was, but things had changed between her and Dmitri. He’d teased her last night, and when she’d trusted him, he rewarded her for it. And this morning, waking up and lying there in bed talking about their plans was such a married thing to do. For the first time, she actually felt married—and she liked it a whole hell of a lot.

  Movement at the turn in the hallway caught her eye, and she stopped short, her heart beating too hard. She’d felt safe in this house, but if there was a traitor in their midst, then anyone who wasn’t Pavel or Dmitri was a potential threat.

  A familiar form detached himself from the shadows—familiar and wrong. Keira shot a look around and hurried over. “Mark? What the hell are you doing here?” She grabbed his muscular arm. “Get out of here before someone sees you. And you can tell Aiden to shove his rescue mission—”

  “I’m not here for you.”

  She froze, the pieces clicking together so quickly, it was a wonder they didn’t a make an actual sound. “Aiden sent you for the Eldridges.”

  “For Mae,” he corrected.

  It was right about then that Keira realized she didn’t know much about Mark at all. Liam was the one who had been friends with Aiden since forever. Mark was just Liam’s cousin who couldn’t adapt to civilian life after he got out of whatever branch of the military he’d been in and needed a job. Sure, Mark had been her babysitter more often than not for several years, but that didn’t mean a damn thing. He was a shadow. He sure as hell wasn’t a friend.

  She removed her hand from his arm, but didn’t step back. “If you’re here with Dmitri’s permission, that’s one thing, but don’t think for a second of playing the Lone Ranger and fucking up our plans.”

  He smirked. “You can let Romanov know that I’ll play nice…for now.”

  Which was as good as saying he wouldn’t the second it suited him. She clenched her fists at her side and strove to keep her aggravation out of her tone. “If you do something that causes the Eldridges to escape, Dmitri will be the least of your concerns.”

  Mark stepped close, towering over her. “Pay attention, little girl, because I’m going only to say this once—stay the fuck out of my way. You might be playing wifey to that Russian bastard, but that doesn’t make you shit. You’re not an O’Malley anymore, and that means I won’t hesitate to put you in your place if you get between me and my mark.”

  If she didn’t do something to regain the power of this situation, that would be the end of it. Mark had never been a particularly nice guy from what she’d seen, but he looked seriously unhinged in that moment. Mae shot Liam. He hadn’t died, but it was a close thing. It stood to reason that Mark would want revenge.

  Too fucking bad.

  Keira stepped back, putting a reasonable distance between them, and raised her voice. “Pavel?”

  Just like she’d suspected, he appeared from where he’d been lurking, monitoring the situation. Whether it was for her protection or because he thought she’d turn on Dmitri was irrelevant. She jerked her chin at Mark. “Remove this man from the house.”

  Mark froze. “What the fuck did you just say?”

  But Pavel was already moving, another man appearing behind him. She made a mental note to memorize the names of all the men in the house as they took Mark to the floor and pulled zip ties from somewhere to fasten his hands behind him and bind his ankles together. It wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy—Pavel was bleeding from the nose by the end of it—but they managed. They flipped Mark onto his back, and only then did she approach again.

  Keira leaned over and raked a glance over him from head to toe. “My husband will hold to whatever agreement he and Aiden made. I revoke whatever permission you had to be in this house before the reception, so you’ll have to find other arrangements. If you’re caught trespassing, I can’t be held accountable for the consequences—and you can relay that to my brother.” She straightened and nodded at Pavel. “Please see him out.”

  They picked Mark up and strode away, his curses echoing the halls for several long moments after they disappeared from view. Keira turned away and picked a door at random, ending up in a small powder room. She locked the door and leaned against it. Only then did she start to shake.

  Sheer bravado. That’s all her act had been—an act. She hadn’t known for sure that Pavel would appear and obey. He said he could be trusted, but that didn’t mean a damn thing until Dmitri confirmed it. It was a gamble that Pavel would do what she commanded even if it potentially counteracted Dmitri’s initial order.

  Mark’s words played through her head. You aren’t an O’Malley anymore. It was nothing more than the truth, though a truth she hadn’t been ready to face. She still wasn’t ready to face it. Too bad she didn’t have any choice.

  To distract herself, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text. Kicked O’Malley man out of the house. Aiden will be pissed, but it was necessary.

  Dmitri didn’t make her wait long for a reply. Noted. I’ll call shortly. Stay with Pavel. Quickly followed by a second text. Please.

  She let her head fall back to rest against the door. This little breakdown couldn’t last long—Claudia would be waiting by now. She had to put on a smile and pretend everything was perfectly fine when all she really wanted to do was go to the nearest liquor store and buy the biggest bottle of vodka they had in stock. Her mouth actually watered as she spent several precious seconds imagining the taste of it hitting her tongue and the way it would burn her throat and warm her stomach, of the precious numbness that would spread in its wake, until she didn’t care about anything but her next sip.

  One breath. Two.

  On the third, she forced the fantasy away. Her hands shook as she pushed her hair back and walked to the mirror to check her appearance. This time, her reflection didn’t look nearly as sure of herself. Fake it until you make it. It was the only option she had left.

  Keira threw back her shoulders and marched through the door. She had the rest of the goddamn party to get lined up, and she wasn’t going to let shit get to her until she had some private time alone to deal with it—or maybe she wouldn’t deal with it at all.

  After all, she wasn’t an O’Malley anymore. She was Keira motherfucking Romanov.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Keira didn’t answer Dmitri’s call. He tried once more before he stepped out of the town car currently idling at the curb. Her throwing out Aiden’s man was intrigui
ng, and he’d have to answer for it, but an explanation would have to wait until he was through with this particular meeting. Dmitri flipped his phone onto silent and strode into the hotel.

  It was an old building that had missed the renovations of the surrounding area. The tired-looking man behind the counter barely glanced at him as he walked through the dim lobby and over a tile floor yellowed with age.

  He took the stairs up to the second floor and let himself into the room, carefully shutting the door behind him and locking the dead bolt. The curtains were closed and the lights were off, leaving the room shrouded in darkness. He sighed. “This is rather theatrical, don’t you think?”

  “What I think is that I’d rather be anywhere but here, dealing with a dirty Russian mobster.” John Finch flicked on the lamp next to the desk. It was a play Dmitri had made many times in the past—sometimes theatrical was exactly what a situation called for—but he resented the fed trying to use it on him.

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “You called me. I hope it wasn’t to throw around insults you could have managed over the phone.” He hadn’t expected a call this morning, let alone a demand that he switch his schedule to accommodate the agent. “You have information for me?”

  John Finch leaned back, his face in shadow. “You know we have your place under surveillance.”

  It wasn’t a question, so Dmitri didn’t bother answering. “What’s your point?”

  “My point is that the surveillance has been experiencing issues for several nights now. It never lasts longer than five or ten minutes, but it’s consistent.”

  A window of opportunity. It didn’t take a genius to realize who the opportunity was for. There were plenty of gadgets that could jam signals. Apparently the Eldridges were planning something. He’d suspected it, but the confirmation made it easier to see which direction they’d be attacking from. My home. They’re going to come to my fucking home.

  Or the mole will do something that requires leaving in a hurry. But no, that didn’t make sense. He still hadn’t pinned down the identity of the traitor. The cameras had been wiped for ten minutes before and after the package was delivered to his office—probably done while the fucker was in his office. If the man wanted to walk out, it wouldn’t raise red flags because no one knew he wasn’t going on some errand for Dmitri.

  Unless he’s going to try to take a hostage when he goes.

  “Ah.” Dmitri leaned a shoulder against the wall, letting none of his thoughts reflect in his expression. “That’s unfortunate that your equipment is so faulty.”

  “Unfortunate for them. Fortunate for someone who needed that chunk of time.”

  John Finch had been on the scene for decades, and he was one of the best cops Dmitri had ever come across. He was also a pain in the ass, but an inconvenience Dmitri had learned to work around.

  For him to offer up this information spoke volumes.

  It had to be a trap. “Your warning is duly noted.” He flicked a nonexistent piece of lint off his suit. “I saw your daughter earlier this week. She appears to be well on her way to making a full recovery.” There would likely be scars from the time she spent as Mae’s captive, but that didn’t seem to bother Charlie much.

  Finch’s hands tensed on the arms of his chair. “That’s not what this is about.”

  Liar. John Finch had made a shitty call when he put Mae Eldridge’s arrest above his own daughter’s health. Charlie had survived and would flourish in her life as Aiden O’Malley’s wife, but neither of them would forget Finch’s actions that night—or, rather, his lack of action. “Getting into bed with the mob is a strange way to get back into your daughter’s good graces. But it’s your best chance at a future relationship with her. Good luck.” And on that note, he turned and walked out of the room.

  It wasn’t until he was secure in the back of the town car that he contemplated this strange turn of events. Though he’d poked at Finch, he knew damn well the information was being provided solely because Charlie would be in the Romanov household in one short day. Even as shitty a parent as Finch was, he wouldn’t stand by while his daughter was put in danger—again. He probably would have preferred to call her directly, but Dmitri knew for a fact that neither Aiden nor Charlie was taking Finch’s calls at the moment. Which was why Finch had settled on Dmitri.

  His phone buzzed, and he frowned when he recognized Pavel’s number. “Da?”

  “There was an…incident.”

  He checked his watch. Thirty minutes since Keira’s text and Pavel’s calling to report. Interesting. “I’m listening.”

  “The O’Malley man who arrived this morning had a run-in with Mrs. Romanov. I couldn’t hear everything they said, but it was threatening on both parts. She ordered us to remove him from the house.” No overexplanation. Just a report. He’d obeyed Keira despite her order counteracting Dmitri’s.

  It should piss him off, but a slow tether of pride uncurled inside him. She’s stepping into her role. “Where is he now?”

  The smallest hesitation and what might have been a sigh of relief. “We drove him up to Westchester and shadowed him to make sure he didn’t try to come straight back. He’s got a hotel room, and he hasn’t left since arriving ten minutes ago. I have a man keeping an eye on him.”

  “You’re not there yourself.” If Pavel had left Keira unattended…Dmitri curled his hand into a fist, fighting for control. She was safe. Just because Finch had reported surveillance malfunctions and someone had left a fucking head on his desk and wiped the tapes didn’t mean she was in danger right this second.

  But it didn’t mean she wasn’t.

  “No, boss. I sent Alexei and Petri.”

  Thank fuck. “I’ll be home shortly. Don’t let Keira out of your sight.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  He hung up and considered calling Keira, but he would be able to get the full details from her shortly, and she would be going over the reception plans with Claudia at the moment. If he called to check in again, she’d know something was up and it might distress her. He closed his eyes and strove for control.

  The trip back to the house was uneventful, and he wasted no time tracking down Keira. Resisting calling her had taken everything he was capable of. He needed to see for himself that she was safe and unharmed.

  He found her in the ballroom with Claudia as they supervised the pair of men arranging tables. He stopped short just inside the doorway, taking in the change in her. A different wardrobe shouldn’t make a fundamental difference—she was beautiful no matter what she wore—but the outfit gave her a sense of command that she hadn’t had in her jeans.

  Then she turned to face him and he realized the clothing had nothing to do with the change. Her posture was different, from the way she held her shoulders to the casual way she extracted herself from the conversation with Claudia and crossed to him. Her smile was small but genuine. “You’re back early.”

  “I had a change of plans.”

  She drew her brows together. “Pavel tattled.”

  “Pavel called to fill me in, yes, but my plans had changed even before that.” He glanced over her shoulder at Claudia. The petite black woman nodded and turned back to bark instructions at the men, directing them to move the table two feet to the left. Dmitri took Keira’s hand. “Carve out a few minutes for me.”

  “Sure. I actually wanted to talk to you about something.” She waved at Claudia and led him out of the room. She kept going until they reached his office, and he had to wonder what she needed to say that she didn’t want anyone overhearing. Keira didn’t make him wait long. “Mark might be here to help, but he’s here with the intention of killing Mae. He’s not going to deliver her to Aiden, and he’s not going to follow your men’s lead. He’s a liability.”

  Dmitri studied her expression. “If he disobeys Aiden, that’s your brother’s problem.”

  “No, shit, really?” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I don’t want him pulling some stunt and screw
ing up our chance to get the Eldridges and bring Mikhail home.”

  If there’s anything left of him to bring home. Alethea hadn’t contacted him again, and she’d never sent proof of life, so Mikhail very well could have been dead this entire time. Can’t think like that. It changes nothing.

  Dmitri didn’t think. He just pulled Keira into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. She hesitated, but it only lasted a second before she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Don’t punish Pavel.”

  “I wasn’t going to.” He let himself feel her breathing and matched his own to the slow inhales and long exhales. “He made the right call.” Easier to leave it at that, but in an effort to be honest, he said, “If it hadn’t happened in the house, or if I was there, Pavel might have reacted differently.”

  “I know.” She laid her head against his chest. “But if you were there, you would have given the order and I wouldn’t have had to.”

  She had so much faith in him. More than he deserved. He hadn’t done a single fucking thing to earn it other than open her eyes to something she already possessed. It was all Keira. It always had been. He sighed. “Someone—I suspect the Eldridges—has been blocking John Finch’s surveillance of this house.”

  “What?” Keira straightened so fast, she clipped his jaw and he almost bit his tongue. “Did you just say John Finch?”

  He released her with one arm so he could rub his jaw. “I did.”

  “But he hates you. Is he pissed about Charlie or about Alethea pulling strings and getting Mae released?”

  “Does it matter?” The end result was the same. Mae on the streets. John Finch their unlikely ally.

  Keira nodded. “It matters. No matter how pissed Charlie is at him right now, she still loves him. If he’s sharing information for her, she should know.” Her hazel eyes blazed. “But if he’s doing this because he’s pissed Mae slipped through his fingers, then he can fuck right off. We’ll take his information and he’s on his own otherwise.”