by Red Phoenix
“Wow…” she murmurs afterward, staring up at me in wonder.
“Welcome to a whole new world, Annika.”
I kiss her on the mouth before I pull out.
One of the women on the stage walks over to the altar, takes the white cloth marked with her virginal blood, and holds it up for all to see.
The crowd cheers in appreciation, congratulating Annika.
The other woman cleans me off with a wet cloth. “That was powerful to watch,” she murmurs.
I look over at Annika. “Nothing is more alluring than watching a woman come into her own.”
“Yes,” she agrees, smiling up at me.
The woman leaves to rejoin Annika and help dress her.
As I slip on my clothes, I can’t help staring at Annika. She glows with a newfound confidence.
It is a beautiful thing to behold.
Beta
I settle into my new apartment for the first night after the move, grateful to be living life on my own terms at last.
The apartment is on the top floor of the high-rise, free from all distractions. Above me, on the roof, sits a helicopter pad. I am free to use it for a quick exit whenever I have the need.
Getting up from the leather sofa, I walk to the large window that overlooks Moscow and let out a satisfied sigh.
This change of scenery is exactly what I need. For the first time, I can fully embrace the vitality of my youth, unencumbered by the heavy weight of my responsibility.
Everything in the spacious apartment is contemporary. Where the family mansion showcases my family’s long history, this new living space is modern and more reflective of me as an individual. The stylish furniture reflects that, and the walls are artfully decorated with some of my favorite BDSM tools.
Living here feels like a breath of fresh air.
The energy of this growing part of the city infuses me with an exhilaration I haven’t felt in years. Even the cuisine is a mix of old and new, making for culinary dishes progressive, yet familiar.
I can see building a life here…
I grab a bottle of vodka and walk through the spacious apartment, drinking straight from it. Calling up Thane, I tell him, “Moy droog, you must come and see my new digs.”
He chuckles. “Don’t you remember how my last visit to Russia went? I’m not sure I’ll survive another.”
“Don’t be such a coward.”
Thane laughs but suddenly stops short. “You know who could use a trip? Our buddy, Brad. The guy hasn’t been himself lately.”
“The cattleman? What’s going on with him?”
“I’m not sure, but some frigid Russian air might do our friend some good.”
“I will interrogate him with vodka and find out.”
He laughs. “I hate to cut this convernsation short, but the day’s just begun and I have a meeting in ten minutes I need to prepare for.”
“You do realize you work too much, moy droog.”
“You know what they say. All work and no play makes Thane a rich man.”
I huff. “Money isn’t everything.”
“Says the billionaire.”
“You’d be surprised, comrade. Knowing I can have anything I want makes me desire material things less. There’s something about fighting to make your way in the world that make a man appreciate it more.”
“Then I guess I’m living the dream. Give Brad a call and let me know what you find out after your vodka interrogation.”
I have the twins, Manya and Panya, meet Anderson at the airport, and instruct them to show him their special brand of Russian hospitality on the ride to my new apartment.
The grin on his face when I open the door to greet him lets me know they were successful in their mission.
“Good to see you, cattleman!”
He takes off his cowboy hat and presses it against his chest while he holds out his hand. “You too, man.”
I shake his hand enthusiastically, slapping him on the back several times as I pull him inside and shut the door.
He shakes his head, his grin growing wider. “I’m in your debt, Durov. A chartered jet, a limousine waiting for me, and those twins…” He shakes his head. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m just grateful you arrived safely.”
He lets out a long whistle as he looks around the apartment. “I gotta say, Durov, this place is impressive.”
I shrug. “It’s not bad.”
He chuckles, placing his hat on a nearby table before walking to the expansive window overlooking Moscow.
I step up beside him and clap him on the back. “Welcome to my motherland, cattleman.”
He gives me a sideways glance. “It’s fucking cold here! Thank goodness for your welcome party. Manya and Panya kept me toasty warm the entire drive.”
“They do produce plenty of heat,” I snicker. “Let me show you around.”
As I walk him through each room, Anderson jokes, “For a man with such wealth, you certainly keep things sparse in the furniture department. Almost reminds me of Thane when he showed up at college.”
I hadn’t noticed how sparse it seems until he mentions it.
“I prefer a clean, open space.” Thinking about the mansion, I add, “I’ve had enough of living with antiques.”
“Look, I’m not judging you, man. The place looks great. It’s just got me thinking how much you and Thane have in common.”
I grin. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Opening the sliding glass door to the indoor pool, I watch Anderson’s expression as he walks into the large room. He stares down at the pool tiled in multiples shades of gray and black before looking up at the dome made of glass. The white marble pillars surrounding the pool, contrast well with the dark color to create an elegant effect. Whoever designed it was truly talented.
“This is unreal, Durov. A private pool on the eighty-fifth floor?”
I shrug. “It came with the apartment. I’m not much of a swimmer, but now I have the opportunity to do it any time of the year I want.”
Anderson walks around the pool, silently taking everything in. When he returns, he has a stunned expression on his face.
“I honestly had no idea you were this rich. I mean, I knew your family was rich…” He looks back at the pool. “But this completely blows my mind.”
“If you think this is impressive, let me show you the liquor cabinet.”
I lead him to the room I designated as my bar. The custom cabinet fills one whole wall. It took four men to carry up the pieces and assemble them. I press a button and the wooden doors begin to slide apart on an invisible mechanism.
Anderson’s eyes grow wide when he sees my extensive liquor collection. “I’m speechless…”
“What would you like?”
He chuckles. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
“Vodka it is.”
“I’m surprised it doesn’t come with a bartender.”
I grin. “I actually asked my staff to give us time alone.”
Anderson snorts. “So, you do have a bartender?”
“My staff multitasks.” I nod for him to sit while I pour our drinks.
He studies the room with a solemn expression.
I’ve never seen him like this. Normally, the cattleman would have cracked at least a dozen jokes by now.
I walk over with the drinks and hand him one. Grabbing a jar of pickles, I tell him to sit with me.
“I feel like a fool,” he confesses as he takes a seat.
“Why?”
Anderson shakes his head. “I’m just an everyday schmuck and this whole time I’ve been hanging with a legit aristocrat.”
“That’s why I liked going to college in America. No one knew who I was, so I was accepted on my own terms.”
He sighs. “Yeah, I probably would have avoided you had I known—afraid of offending your social sensibilities and all that.” He looks around the room. “But, damn, man. I’m j
ust starting out and you’ve got everything you could possibly want.”
“Nyet. I do not.”
He looks at me with a pained expression. “I’m sorry. I know better than that.”
“I would give all of this up in the blink of an eye if it would bring Tatianna and my mother back.”
Anderson’s eyes fill with compassion.
While I appreciate his concern, there is no need for it. “Gde lyubov, tam i gorya net.”
He shakes his head. “Unlike Thane, I haven’t studied Russian.”
Putting my hand on his shoulder, I tell him, “Where there is love, there is no grief.” I hold up my glass to him, “So, here’s to friendship, vodka, and getting hammered.”
“Hear, hear!”
As I ply him with alcohol, I start to see the old Anderson emerge. The moment he brings up his family in Colorado, the jokes start flying.
“My dad is famous for saying, ‘Always drink upstream from the herd, son.’”
I laugh. “That’s sound advice.”
“People think cowboys are simple folk, but they’re full of all kinds of wisdom.”
“Like what?” I pour him another shot.
“‘If you treat a woman like a racehorse, she’ll never be a nag.’”
“We Russians have a similar saying, “‘Don’t drive the horse with a whip, drive the horse with a ruble.’”
We clink our glasses and down our vodka.
He grins as he shares more cowboy wisdom. “‘Never miss a good chance to shut up.’”
I nod. “‘He cannot speak well that cannot hold his tongue.’”
We throw back another shot.
He takes out a dollar bill from his pocket.
“‘The quickest way to double your money…?’” Anderson holds it up. “‘Fold it over and put it back into your pocket.’” He carefully folds it and slips it in the front pocket of his shirt.
Going with the money theme, I share a favorite saying of mine. “‘Don’t have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends.’”
“Amen!” Anderson responds, clinking my glass with his before he downs it.
I suck down mine and refill our glasses.
He raises an eyebrow. “My pop told me the only good reason to ride a bull was to meet a nurse.”
I burst out laughing. “I bet you met plenty of nurses that way.”
“I did!”
“I’ve got a Russian proverb that seems oddly appropriate. ‘Every family has a freak.’”
Anderson clinks my glass and chuckles. “Here’s to all the freaks in the world.”
“It is good to see you laughing, cattleman.”
He nods thoughtfully. “I haven’t felt like it for a long time.”
Since vodka has the power to open up the soul, I ask him point-blank, “What is going on with you?”
“I don’t know…” He frowns. “Everything changed after what Samantha did. You escaped to Russia and Thane followed you here, leaving me alone in that empty dorm room. I didn’t know what to do with myself. To be honest, I’ve never felt so alone.”
Anderson looks down at his calloused hands. “I couldn’t stand pretending things were okay when they weren’t. So, I did the only thing I could. I doubled down on my studies, but it felt wrong, knowing what you were going through.”
“What happened to me is not your burden to bear,” I tell him gruffly, moved by his admission.
“Horseshit!”
I look him in the eyes. “I counted on you to make it to the finish line unscathed. One of us needed to.”
He frowns. “Well, it’s been hell without you guys.”
“But you survived—all three of us did.”
Anderson’s frown deepens. “Everything has changed, Durov. We each carry scars now that can never be erased.”
“‘With loss comes wisdom,’” I mutter.
“I suppose, but I would never choose this.”
“Agreed, cattleman. Unfortunately, it is not our choice to make. The best we can do in life is to build on the wisdom we’ve gained through it so the scars have worth.”
Anderson pours me a drink. “You sure are a philosophical little fucker.”
I snort in amusement.
Holding up his glass, he tells me, “I vow to make everything I learned through this whole mess mean something for your sake—and mine.”
“You are a good friend, Anderson.”
“Well, you know what they say. The best friendships are built on a solid foundation of alcohol, sarcasm, and inappropriateness.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
After spending the night drinking with Anderson, I wake up the next day with a sense of renewed purpose.
As I do every morning, I look in the mirror and talk to Tatianna as I shave. “Can you believe we are here, eighty-five stories high? I’ll be honest. I never imagined owning something this grand in Moscow.” I lean in closer. “How I wish you were here to enjoy it, vorobyshek.”
I stand back and chuckle. “Of course, this isn’t your style. Is it? Your tastes are much simpler.” I nod to myself, thinking back to the time she told me she wanted to live in a cottage out in the country. “We planned to have a house full of children…”
I pause for a moment.
A wave of sorrow I am unprepared for washes over me. I reach out to her, placing my palm on the glass.
“But, not in this lifetime.”
This is my reality.
I go back to shaving my head in silence.
I have not been called to live an ordinary life—I know this.
It dawns on me how important the refuge is, not only for the girls, but for me. Although I will never have children, every girl who recovers will have a future of her own that will continue for generations.
In that sense, Tatianna and I will be responsible for a family far bigger than we could have ever imagined. The feeling of purpose I woke up to this morning returns with greater intensity.
I look in the mirror and see Tatianna staring back at me. The look of love in her blue eyes makes me smile. “I live each day for you, vorobyshek.”
Once I’m dressed, I head out of my bedroom to find Brad in the kitchen, looking a little rough.
“Everything okay, cattleman?”
He looks at me, the color of his green eyes enhanced by how bloodshot they are. “I’m not sure I like vodka.”
I chuckle. “Such words are not allowed in my presence.”
He groans. “I don’t know how you can be bright and chipper when I feel like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck.”
I grin. “Never took you for a lightweight but, then, you didn’t eat enough pickles.”
He starts going through the cupboards again.
“What are you looking for?”
“I need something to cure this hangover.”
“I have just the thing.” I grab a jar of sour cabbage from the pantry and pile some in a bowl. I then take a handful of cranberries and sprinkle them over the white cabbage, handing him the bowl with a fork.
“What’s this?” he asks, giving it a distrustful once-over.
“It’s a traditional Russian cure. Try it.”
“I don’t know, man…”
“Would you rather drink a raw egg with lime juice and salt?”
His face turns green. “No. This’ll do…”
I watch with amusement as he scoops a forkful and cautiously takes a bite. He closes his eyes and nods as he chews. “Not bad. It’s sour, but the cranberries give it a nice balance.”
I slap him hard on the back. “You’ll be back to yourself in no time. Which is good since we’ll be heading out to the mansion in a few.”
“You have a mansion?”
I smirk, seeing the same expression he had the night before. “It’s just the family estate. I have some business there.”
He brushes his hair back, looking at me warily. “I’m in no condition to meet any of your relatives, Durov.”
“They won’t be the
re. Unlike your family, mine isn’t close.”
When we pull up to the Durov mansion, I see Anderson’s jaw go slack. “Holy hell, it’s huge.”
“That’s what she said,” I mutter as I leave the car.
Brad gets out of the vehicle and throws his arm around me, laughing loudly. “Well played, Russki.”
“If you don’t keep your humor, life becomes a travesty.”
“Damn, that’s profound.”
“You’d be surprised the things I know,” I say, flicking his cowboy hat.
Brad gives me a reproachful look for touching his hat, then stares up, taking in the immensity of the mansion as we walk up to the entrance. “I’m just beginning to realize that…”
When the doors open, I find Titov waiting to greet me.
“Is something wrong?” I immediately ask, seeing the pensive expression on his face.
“No, gospodin. But we need to speak.”
I nod, directing Brad to follow me as we make our way to my office. After making formal introductions between the two, I point to my extensive library and tell Brad, “Please feel free to check out my books while I speak to Titov.”
He nods and moves over to the shelves, while the two of us converse.
“What’s going on, Titov?”
“There was a police raid and three girls need immediate housing, but we are not ready.”
I don’t even hesitate. “We can take them.”
I spring into action and turn to Brad. “Turns out, I’m going to need your brawn. Three girls were rescued today and they need a place to stay. I have rooms available, but they need to be prepared.”
“Can I ask what they were rescued from?”
“These girls were used as sex slaves,” I answer gravely.
Anderson starts, then recovers, taking off his hat. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be more than happy to help.”
I turn to Titov. “I need you to call Michail Volkov and inform him of the situation. Ask him what remaining provisions are needed and grab as many people as you need to get them quickly. Anderson and I will start clearing out the rooms with the rest of the staff.”
“Yes, gospodin.”
I put my hand on Titov’s shoulder. “This is it.”
