by I. A. Dice
It was close to midnight when Swan Lake came on, and I told Anatolij about my passion for ballet. His handsome face lit up, and he smiled, closing his lips on the rim of a wine glass. Then he rose from one of the two identical wing chairs we occupied, and offered me his arm, leading me through the long, empty corridors toward the basement where he showed me the dance room.
Anatolij was a true gentleman. The kind most women would consider extinct. We only spent time together in the evenings. During the day Anatolij was either away, or locked up in his office on the third floor, near my bedroom, but even those few hours every evening were enough for me to like him.
He was nothing like his brother, Nikolaj. No, Anatolij was cultural, organized and infernally intelligent. There wasn’t a topic he couldn’t hold a conversation on. But his intelligence didn’t impress me half as much as the impeccable manners.
When we arrived in Moscow, he took time to show me around the castle, and personally accommodated me in a large bedroom overlooking the rose garden. He said it looked beautiful when the flowers were in full bloom, but I enjoyed the way it looked covered in snow too.
The first evening we all sat down to dinner, he called over all his men and ordered them to speak English in front of me or remain silent if they couldn’t. My protests were dismissed – Anatolij wanted me to feel comfortable in his house, and all it took were a few hours spent alone with him after Julij turned in the first night, and I felt at home.
Nikolaj and Anatolij were like two ends of a spectrum. One was ostentatious, obnoxious, and loud, while the other was an oasis of calmness. It was all the more surprising because he was only thirty-eight. I would’ve considered a man his age to be more like Dante – eager, impatient, always rushing. But Anatolij had all the time in the world.
A soft knock on the bedroom door halted my attempts at zipping a white halter dress. There was no reason to pack a dress for Moscow, but I did anyway, just in case. Now I was thankful I did, because Anatolij let me use the dance room as I pleased, and I planned on spending a couple of hours there every morning, to help the time pass quicker.
“Come in,” I said, standing in front of a long mirror, twisting my arm back to reach the zipper.
Julij entered the room, and I smiled in approval at his choice of clothing. The white shirt unbuttoned at the top went well with the baby-blue jacket and beige trousers. A pair of shades was tucked in his pocket, and the smell of his cologne reached my nose.
“I have to go soon. My flight leaves in two hours.”
My smile slipped. Despite feeling welcome in Anatolij’s house, a pang of uneasiness dabbed at my mind at the prospect of not having Julij around. He wanted to go back to Chicago, adamant, that my fiancé needed his help, but the unsaid truth was, that Dante didn’t want him here alone with me.
Julij walked up to me, and placed his hands on my shoulders, turning me around gently.
“I’m not thrilled to leave you here with Anatolij…” His fingertips brushed against the skin on my lower back when he reached for the zipper. “Don’t be naïve, Layla. You’re a guest here, and you’re safe, but don’t get too close to anyone.”
He sounded like Frank. And Dante. They both told me on more than one occasion that I was naïve. And now Julij joined the pack. The condescending tone was driving me livid.
If only he knew how hard I tried to draw a line that’d separate Layla who thought of herself as Frank’s daughter and nothing more, from Layla who realized there was more to her.
“If you want to say something, just say it. What have I done wrong this time?”
He moved his hands down my arms, then drew me in, looking at us in the mirror. “Nothing, sugar. You did nothing wrong. I’m just worried about you.”
He draped his arm across my chest, and for a moment just stood there, watching me, his eyes roaming over our reflection as if he wanted to memorize the way we looked together.
It was a pretty picture. A striking contrast of hair color, height, and skin tone. Julij wouldn’t be able to deny his Slavic heritage. There was nothing particularly noticeable, but the high cheekbones, heavy brow ridge and pointy chin made it clear he was of Slavic descent.
Especially when coupled with his height, and slim, but broad build. He towered above me and was even taller than Dante.
“You’re beautiful, you know that sugar?” he whispered, staring into my eyes. “I remember the first time I saw you in Dubai, wearing that see-through beach dress over the yellow bikini.”
I smiled, remembering that day as if it was yesterday. We’ve arrived early in the morning, and the minute the sun came out, I was by the pool. Five hours later, after falling asleep on the sun lounger, my back turned bright red, and I considered my sunbathing time in Dubai to be over.
Nikolaj arrived with his family later on in the afternoon, and Julij’s mother, Tamara helped me heal the sunburn with two tubs of natural yogurt. The idea seemed abstract at the time, but his mother swore by it.
It worked. Two days later, I was once again sunbathing by the pool, covered in SPF30 just to be on the safe side.
“I liked you since the moment you introduced yourself, and I didn’t like feeling that way. I considered myself too young to want anything more than sex from a girl, but I couldn’t shake those feelings off, and…”
“And you acted like an ass for two weeks,” I cut in, not liking where this conversation was heading.
The fondness in Julij’s voice and the way he held me wrapped in his arms flush against his chest made me uncomfortable. There was too much intimacy in his touch, too much awe in the tone of his voice.
I hoped the forced smile turned out believable and covered my embarrassment well when I wriggled out of Julij’s embrace, stepping away so he couldn’t reach me.
A shadow of disappointment crossed his face and then disappeared, leaving no trace.
“You spend a lot of time with Anatolij, and there is nothing wrong with that.” The change of subject came as a relief. “I’m glad you two get along. Just don’t let him put wool over your eyes. I’m pretty sure he wants to sleep with you.”
My eyes grew wide, a mixture of disbelief, anger, and disappointment flooded my mind. “Excuse me?” I managed, my cheeks burning.
It was absurd. I knew Anatolij for a week, and we’ve spent every evening engrossed in pleasant, cultural conversations. He never once paid me a compliment, never looked at me suggestively. He was hospitable and well-behaved. Nothing more.
The problem wasn’t Anatolij or the fact we got along well. The problem was Julij, his imagination, and jealousy. It spiraled out of control. What I pegged for an innocent crush evolved into strong and unwanted feelings. And I prayed he’d stop acting so infatuated in front of Dante or else our friendship, if I could still call it that, wouldn’t last another week.
“How could you think I’d cheat on Dante?” I fumed, the unspoken accusation like a slap across my face.
Being raised by a mother who favored young Cuban workers over her husband, and a father for whom any pretext to invite strippers and hookers into the house was plausible, I couldn’t imagine cheating on Dante. It was bad enough I was a liar and a villain for so long. I’d never add cheater to the list.
“You're ridiculous. Where is this even coming from? I know I’m not ugly, and you could say I’m nice, although that’d be slander, but not every guy is trying to score with me!”
Julij squeezed the bridge of his nose and took a deep, calming breath.
“I didn’t say you’d do it. I only said he’d do you if he got the chance.”
“No!” I cut him off, resting my hands on my hips. “He wouldn’t. You would. And that’s why you see a rival in everyone. News flash,” I pointed to the ring on my finger, “I’m engaged! So neither you nor anyone other than Dante will ever touch me.”
Julij gritted his teeth, his nostrils flaring up. “He’s all you know, Layla. He’s the first guy in your life, but he doesn’t have to be the last.”
&nb
sp; “You’re playing with fire, Julij, and you will get burned.”
“Too little too late.” He turned on his heel to leave, but changed his mind halfway to the door, and spun around, reaching for my hand. Hot lips touched my forehead, and a tight embrace followed. “Stay safe, sugar. It’ll all be over soon.”
Then he left, and my anger left too. I couldn’t stay mad at him for long. The heart doesn’t choose, it feels. Julij’s heart felt for me what it should never feel. Just like my heart felt more than it could handle toward Dante.
A long list of all the reasons why I shouldn’t have fallen for him meant nothing. My heart knew better, and so I couldn’t hold Julij’s feelings against him. There wasn’t much he could do about them.
I finished getting ready, and pulled my hair up in a ponytail, leaving my room, and heading downstairs. Julij’s voice caught my attention as I ascended the stairs, and my name coming out of his lips stopped me in my tracks. I backed out, hiding around the corner.
They stood in the hallway outside the dining room, Julij with a travel bag in his hand, and his back to me. Anatolij with the morning paper by his side, an impassive look on his face.
The staircase that led to the basement was at the end of the corridor, but there was no way I could get past them unnoticed.
“You promised to keep Layla safe, and that’s all I want you to do,” Julij said, standing taller. “I’d rather you didn’t spend so much time with her.”
Anatolij’s expression changed from unreadable to irritated, and I wanted to punch Julij in the gut.
“Are you suggesting what I think you are, Julij?” Anatolij asked, his voice low, full of menace. “I sincerely hope not.”
They fell silent for a moment, staring each other down. I glanced around, checking for Anatolij’s men wandering the castle. I should’ve retreated back upstairs instead of eavesdropping, but my legs remained glued in place. Curiosity won the battle with good manners.
“You’re my nephew,” Anatolij stated. “But not even that gives you the right to voice out absurd accusations. I know you love her, but from what I know, the ring on her finger isn’t from you.”
“It has nothing to do with me,” Julij growled. “Dante entrusted my judgment, and so if anything happens to Layla while she’s here…”
Anatolij brought his hand up to stop Julij talking. “Don’t flatter yourself. You telling Dante this was a good place to hide Layla had nothing to do with him agreeing. He’s not the type to trust anyone’s judgment but his, and I assure you there is a very good reason why Layla is here out of all places.”
Julij had no chance of retaliating. The front door opened before them, and Lew walked in, giving me a perfect opportunity to emerge from my hiding spot.
“I thought you left,” I told Julij, happy to hear my voice didn’t hint the anger I felt.
“On my way now.”
He didn’t pass on the chance to hug and kiss my forehead again before nodding at Anatolij and disappearing outside with Lew.
☐
The next day I came downstairs for breakfast an hour earlier than usual and smiled, seeing Anatolij sitting at the table. He was an early bird, and I liked to sleep, so he was never there when I was arriving.
“Good morning,” he greeted me, putting a newspaper aside. “I was going to wait for you today, I wanted to talk to you.”
He fell silent, watching me take a seat on the opposite side of the long table that could fit twelve people. For a moment, he looked at me as if trying to understand what had changed in my appearance over the night.
“Are you feeling okay?”
I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Why? Do I look bad? I woke up a few times hearing someone outside my door, and it’s hard for me to fall asleep once I wake up, so I didn’t sleep much.”
I could have sworn that one time when I opened my eyes and rolled over, someone stood in the doorway of my bedroom, but he disappeared when I blinked, so I settled for recognizing the guest as a figment of my imagination.
“I’m sorry. That was my fault. The door directly opposite your bedroom hides a library. I couldn’t sleep and went in there to read.”
“Library?” A hint of excitement sounded in my voice. “You didn’t mention it when you showed me around the first day.”
“I didn’t peg you for a book worm. The entire left wall is made out of books written in English. Feel free to read whatever and whenever you want.”
I offered him a grateful smile. There wasn’t much to do around here, so any distraction from thinking about my problems was worth its weight in gold.
“I’m hosting a small charity event on Saturday. It’s an annual thing. I invite some of the more influential people, and squeeze as much money out of them for a good cause as I can.”
“I’ll stay out of the way,” I said, spreading honey on a toast. “I’ll take a book and lock myself in the bedroom for the day.”
The prospect of spending Saturday afternoon and evening alone didn’t put me in a good mood, but I couldn’t demand that Anatolij would put his life on hold to entertain me. We’ve been spending a lot of time together as it was.
“You misunderstood me, Layla.” Amusement danced in his gray eyes. “I’m not telling you about the ball so that you can stay out of the way. I’m telling you because I’d like you to accompany me. Lew will take you shopping this afternoon. I’ve reserved the best boutique in Moscow for private shopping time, so no one disturbs you.”
He wanted me to attend the ball? Show my face to dozens of people? It looked like someone forgot why I was here.
“You do remember that thanks to my Daddy there’s a bounty on my head, right? With all the safety measures already in place, I’d consider it unwise to attend the ball.”
“No one can lift their finger around here without my consent. You’re safe, Layla. I promise.”
The ball sounded much better than sitting in a room. And shopping, or rather the possibility of leaving the castle tempted me like the snake tempted Eve.
“Will there be dancing?”
Anatolij nodded, rising from the chair. “The theme is Great Gatsby. Choose something... bling-bling.”
I tilted my head to the side, looking him up and down. “You do have something in common, you know?
“Me and Gatsby?”
“No. You and Leonardo. Your hair is just too dark.”
He smiled, bowed, wished me a nice day, and left the dining room. He turned right, so I knew he was going to spend the day in his office.
TWENTY
DANTE
“Weapons?” A bald henchman stood in front of a red curtain at the top floor of Grande – a members-only strip club in the heart of Las Vegas.
The air smelled of artificial smoke, and together with red, dimmed lights, created an intimate, precarious atmosphere.
Spades reached into the holster and placed his gun on a black, high table that stood in the corner. Julij did the same, and then I put my gold revolver there too. I had it on me at all times, just in case, by some miraculous coincidence, I’d bump into Morte.
This wasn’t the first time we had to leave our weapons behind. For the past two weeks, since Layla left Chicago, I visited major bosses all over the states and paid them off in return for protection. So far, I bribed three – Orlando, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
We landed in Vegas a few hours ago, and with time to kill, Spades considered it a good idea to hit the casinos. It took an hour, and he left the Bellagio twenty grand lighter, but somehow still grinning.
The meeting with Mauricio DelVannie was scheduled for ten p.m. He was one of the oldest bosses in the states and one of the last two native Italians. Theoretically, he should respect the old rules, but in practice, he has been dealing with Frank and Nikolaj for the past five years, and there was no telling how deep their allegiance reached.
Our paths never crossed, and I had no idea what to expect. Rumor had it Mauricio was a no-bullshit, no-mercy kind of guy, and I had a fee
ling he wouldn’t help me. What’s more, I was mentally prepped for a bloody finale of the evening. The nerves raging in me weren’t going to help me convince Mauricio to cooperate.
The longer Layla was away, the worse my self-control got. I was supposed to focus on the job, but instead, I thought about her more and more. There was no winning here.
I couldn’t stop worrying about her no matter where she was. When she was in Chicago, within my reach, I worried that someone might kill her. Now that she was away and in the safest of hands, I couldn’t find peace because she wasn’t within my reach.
Since she told me about the Charity Ball Anatolij was hosting, I felt anxious, imagining her in a ball gown, smiling, dancing with other men.
Back in Moscow, no one could hurt a fly without Anatolij’s permission, but I’d rather she stayed locked up in her room, invisible.
The one comforting piece of information came from Julij – no one knew Layla in Russia. No one knew me, either. I only ever worked with the Dutch and the Hungarians.
Nevertheless, three million dollars was a big sum for an easy target as my star, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the news about the bounty traveled much further than any of us anticipated.
The henchman bobbed his head, pulling the red curtain to the side to reveal a spacious room with similar dimmed, red lightning arrangement, and clouds of smoke hanging above leather seats facing a row of poles on a raised stage.
We stepped inside, and my eyes scanned the room, searching for an escape route if it got too hot. Young, naked girls writhed around the poles, flashing their fake boobs, and botoxed lips at middle-aged men. A bar stretched out in the back, and the waitresses dressed only in ties, balanced glasses filled with cognac on mirrored trays.
Julie nudged me, pointing left behind the dance floor. Thick, black, floor-length curtains hid – as I could’ve easily guessed – small rooms for those wanting to have sex with the dancers. A brothel under the banner of a strip club was standard both in Vegas and any other major city in the states.