“What? My costs are rising. You know this? The dollar versus the Ruble, not so good.”
Yeah, yeah. He should have made Oleg buy him dinner before he screwed him. Viktor didn’t blink. He stared at Oleg, but the man was not backing down. Without a word, Viktor reached into his desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. He’d anticipated the price increase.
He didn’t even look at the bills, just slid them across the desk. Hopefully, Oleg would get the hint.
He did. The man tucked the envelope into his pocket then rose. “I’m getting the impression you are done with me? You have a woman waiting, heh? No man would rush a business transaction for anything less.”
Viktor rose. The men shook hands. Oleg left. Viktor let out a sigh. Finally, he could look at his phone. Arkady had sent him a text. He had Alia. He was bringing her up to the apartment. As much as he wanted to run upstairs to see if she was safe, he knew it wasn’t very manly of him to be so eager.
So he counted to ten, then left his office for his apartment. His staff could still get a hold of him if necessary. Arkady walked down the steps as Viktor walked up.
“She okay?”
“A little shook up,” Arkady said.
“I’ll be here for the rest of the night if anyone needs me,” Viktor said.
Arkady nodded and gave him a lopsided grin. Guess everyone knew what he was doing with Alia.
She was in the kitchen, holding a glass of scotch in her hand. He strode to her and took her in his arms. She felt like she was in one piece.
“You okay?”
“I’m just a little shaken up. I had some men chase me.”
He scooped her up and sat on his couch, with her on his lap. “Tell me. I saw the bar.”
“Arkady said you were coming to walk me home,” Alia said.
“Yes, I was. I can take care of you almost as well as Arkady. Trust me.”
“I trust you.”
She burrowed into him further. He liked the feel of her. Soft, but strong.
“Good. Where have you been?”
“I went to my apartment. I figured I shouldn’t lead them here,” Alia said.
He put a finger under her chin then pushed her head up so she could look at him. “We can deal with them. I can keep you safe, Alia. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“Okay, Viktor.”
He leaned down to kiss her and she responded. He lifted her up and took her to his bedroom. He set her on her feet by his bed. He needed to feel her. Skin to skin. He’d been so worried about her.
“Yes, Viktor,” she said, as she unbuttoned his shirt. “I need this.”
Guess she needed to feel alive. Her hands roamed all over him. She ignited fires with each touch. He didn’t think he could ever get enough of Alia. She was young smart, and vibrant.
She awoke something in his soul. Something he didn’t want to lose. With a flurry of clothing being removed, they were finally naked. She knelt down in front of him, taking his already erect penis in her mouth.
“Oh, Alia.”
Her mouth was warm and wet, and oh, my God. What was she doing with her tongue? His eyes were going to roll back into his head if she didn’t stop.
“I want to be inside of you, Alia. Not your mouth.”
Well, he was enjoying being inside of her mouth, but he wanted to feel her breasts against this chest. Feel her skin on his skin.
She stopped her ministrations and stood. She hopped onto the bed. He snagged a condom, rolling it onto himself. He covered her body with his, then with his kisses. She moaned and writhed and he couldn’t wait any longer.
He entered her. Her nails scraped down his back. She wanted this too. He was hard and excited and he couldn’t wait. He thrust into her again and again. She matched him, her body arching into him each time.
Damn.
Her legs wrapped around him and he was gone. Then she came. Her head thrown back. Her legs tight around him. He thrust to get to his own climax. Lights exploded behind his eyes. Her moaning spurred him on and he thrust until he was spent, then flopped onto her.
He couldn’t move for a moment, and thankfully, she didn’t ask him to.
Chapter 7
Alia answered her phone. Viktor was still asleep so she took it into the bathroom. He’d worked hard last night, then went back to the club. Letting her sleep.
“Hello?”
“This is Detective Clark. We think we’ve found the body of the man who you saw being killed. We need you to identify it.”
She cringed. “Where do I need to go?”
He gave her the address. “How soon can you be down here?”
“It will take me at least an hour.”
“We’ll see you then.”
When she turned Viktor was in the doorway. Naked. God, he was a beautiful man. His look was predatory almost. Not scary, but as if he’d sensed that she might need him. He should be sleeping. He didn’t lean. He stood, as if at the ready.
“Who was that?”
“The cops. They want me to identify a body. They think it is the man that I saw shot.”
She settled on the edge of the tub, the porcelain cold on her naked butt. She didn’t care. She needed to sit down for this. Looking at a dead body. Last night she’d forgotten about the murder. Forgotten about being in danger.
Viktor was good at redirecting her. And he was damn good in bed. If he kept treating her like this, she might fall in love. She shouldn’t do that. He sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
“I can go with you.”
She let out a breath. Some part of her had been hoping he would say that. She couldn’t ask. It wasn’t in her nature. She’d been on her own with her brother for many years. “I’d like that.”
He kissed the side of her head. “Get in the shower. I’ll get the coffee started.”
He left her. She watched him walk away. He had a nice butt. Firm and round. She suddenly wanted to bite it.
She shook herself.
When she left the shower, Viktor took his and Alia sipped coffee. She was making eggs when he finished. His shirt was undone and untucked. This was the most casual she’d seen him except when he was naked.
They ate breakfast then left for the morgue. His driver drove them, of course. Alia didn’t think she’d get used to that, but it beat public transportation.
The morgue was quiet. When they entered the lobby, a man sat behind a window. Viktor took charge. Of course, he did, but in this instance, Alia didn’t mind. She sat on a plastic chair.
“We’re meeting Detective Louis here,” he told the man.
“He’ll be right out.”
Viktor sat on the chair next to her. He took her hand in both of his. “You okay? You up to this?”
“I’d rather get it over with.”
He nodded as if he understood. She appreciated that. Guess he was her silver lining in all of this. She suspected he would tire of her and she’d be gone. Time to enjoy herself while she was still in his good graces.
A door opened and the detective looked out. He motioned for them to follow. Alia didn’t let go of Viktor’s hand. She held it as if it were a lifeline. Right now it was.
Her breathing became shallow and the smell wrinkled her nose. She hadn’t thought about the smell. Her stomach wanted to give up its contents so she breathed through her mouth. The detective stopped in the hallway. He pulled out a jar of something that smelled of menthol.
“Here. Put this under your nose.”
Alia took the jar and did as he directed. It helped. She offered it to Viktor.
“I’m fine,” he said.
She handed the jar back to the detective. She would do this now. The smell wasn’t in her nose anymore. He led them into a chilled room that had drawers in the wall. Alia tried not to think about all the dead people in there.
An attendant opened one and she looked at the guy. She’d thought he was going to get shot in the head, but the shooter had shot him in the chest. His face was more
intact than she’d thought.
“Is this man you saw?” the detective asked.
“Yes.”
She turned away and into Viktor’s body. He held her tight. “Is that all you need?”
“Yes,” someone said.
Viktor led her out of the room. She wanted to throw up, but was better when they reached the outside. The sun was high in the sky.
“Do you work tonight?” Viktor said as he led her to his car.
“No. Can we just stand in the sunshine for a moment?” she said.
“You want to walk? I think there’s a park down the road.”
“Yes, please.”
He signaled his driver that they’d be right back. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her to a green space on the next block. They sat on a bench that faced some flowers.
“I guess I’d forgotten the reality of my situation.” She looked up at him. “You’ve made your home such a sanctuary. I really do appreciate it.”
“I know. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. I enjoy having you around.”
She wondered if he’d still pay for her college. He’d offered it before they slept together.
“I was thinking about taking an online college course. That way I could get started sooner.”
That way she’d finish sooner. Now that she knew what she wanted, she could begin working toward it.
“That would be fine. Tell me what I need to do to pay for it,” he said.
“Are there strings attached?”
He chuckled. “No, my offer stands whether you spend your nights in my bed or not.”
Good. She blew out a breath. “I’m better. We can go home now.”
“You hungry?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay. Since you aren’t working tonight we can have dinner together. I can have Chef cook something special.”
She smiled. “That would be nice.”
***
Chef outdid himself. Viktor surveyed the food on the table. Alia sat across from him and he didn’t want to be anywhere else. Okay, not true. He’d rather be between her thighs, but they did have to eat sometime.
She’d talked to her brother on the phone and Viktor wanted to know more about the young man.
Viktor poured Alia some wine. She sipped. “What is this?”
“It’s a Bordeaux.”
“Nice. Fruity,” she said.
He’d have to teach her about wine. “The club is closed on Sunday. I wondered if you’d be interested in going for a wine tasting. There are a few vineyards outside the city we could hit. We have a driver, so no worries about how much we consume.”
“I’ve never been. That sounds like fun.”
He smiled as her eyes lit up. He could share so much with her. It would be fun. He’d never wanted to do that with anyone he’d taken to bed. Usually, he took then out to dinner or had dinner in. Not much else.
The women never seemed to mind, but all of those relationships had expiration dates. He felt in his heart that Alia was different. She was more independent than any Russian woman. He didn’t think she’d put up with his Russian ways, but that was okay.
This was America and his mother had taught them to retain some things from their heritage, but be American, also. That’s why he could still speak Russian.
“Good. We’ll do it.”
“You don’t mind leaving the city?” she said.
“Once in a while. I do like the country, I just couldn’t live there. I enjoy the hustle of Manhattan. Do you get out of the city much?”
“No, I’ve lived my whole life in one of the boroughs of New York.”
“Then we’ll have to expand your horizons.”
She nodded. “The food looks amazing, Viktor. Thanks so much for this. Especially today.”
He flashed her a grin. “I’m happy to do it. You have a sadness in your eyes. You’ve probably seen more life than most.”
She rubbed the stem of her wineglass. He’d made her sad. He shouldn’t have reminded her.
“Tell me about your brother,” he said.
“Deion is smart. He’s studying engineering. He got a partial scholarship and thankfully, gets some aid. I help him with books and extras,” she said. “He’ll be home soon.”
“You miss him?”
“I do.”
“You’ll go back to your apartment?”
“I don’t know. It depends on if he has an internship. He’s up for one that will provide him housing since it is out of state,” she said.
Her face became animated when she talked about her brother. He’d like to keep that look on her face. Maybe forever. Alia was getting under his skin. He just hadn’t decided if that was good or bad.
He’d never thought about marrying or even having a permanent girlfriend. Those thoughts entered his mind the more he spent time with Alia. He didn’t know what her plans were other than college, so he should probably wait to mention anything else.
He didn’t want to scare her away. She was smart and beautiful.
“What does he want to do?”
Viktor sipped his wine as he waited for her answer. For once in his life, he didn’t want to take that short trek down to his office. For one night, he didn’t want to go to his club. He wished he could put his life on hold for a time and just spend time in those dark brown eyes. They looked like ganache.
So dark, he couldn’t see her pupils. Maybe if he spent time there, he’d erase the sadness she saw in them.
“He wants to design bridges.”
“That’s a noble calling. Someone has to, right?”
“Yes.”
“How did he get interested in that?”
“I don’t know. I think my mother found him some Legos at Salvation Army. He built so many things out of those blocks. Just seemed like a natural fit to be an engineer.”
She leaned back in her chair, her hand on her stomach. She’d cleaned her plate.
“You liked dinner?”
“I did.” She raised her glass to him. “You spoil me.”
“Someone should spoil you.”
She cocked her head. “Why?”
“Because every woman should have someone to spoil them. Treat them well. I’m guessing you haven’t been treated that way.”
She shook her head. “Not really. I haven’t had too many relationships. I’ve been busy raising Deion.”
“Sounds like your job is almost over. He will get a good job and be on his own.”
“I know. I’ll miss him. Part of me will be relieved.”
“Does he have plans to move?”
“He should.”
“Then what will you do?”
She shrugged. “I’ll still be going to school. Hopefully I’ll be able to get myself out of the Bronx when I graduate.”
He admired her ambition. Russian men treated Russian women as if they could only be wives. He preferred a woman to be a partner. Not a dependent. He’d been dating Russian women, which his mother preferred, but he clearly didn’t. He didn’t want a woman who just wanted to stay home and pop out babies. He wanted someone to go through life with him. Have a career that she could give up or get back to after she had kids.
A woman who has never had a job, wouldn’t understand his. That would lead to tension. “I have no doubt, given the right opportunities, you’ll do well in life. You’re still young.”
“College will give me options I didn’t know I had,” Alia said.
“Yes, it will.”
Alia stood, taking her plate with her.
“Sit. I’ll clear.”
She looked at him with an odd look on her face. “I’d rather help. I’m not used to someone waiting on me.”
He shrugged. “You wash. I’ll dry and put away since I know where everything goes.”
“Fair enough.”
“Did you look into online college?” he asked as she filled the sink.
“Yes, I did. I can show you what I’ve chosen after we’re done.”
*
Alia’s phone woke her. Viktor must have gone to work. They’d made love again and he left her sleeping.
“Hello?”
“Alia.”
“Deion?” He didn’t sound good. She was fully awake that second and sitting up the big bed. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a visit from someone.”
“Who?”
“Two men. They gave me a message to give to you,” he said.
Her blood chilled. That meant the men knew who she was. If they connected Deion to her they had more resources then she’d given them credit for. She was safe because of Viktor, but now her brother wasn’t.
“What did they say?”
“That they would find you and kill you if you testified. What do they mean?”
She hadn’t shared the story of the murder with her brother. He didn’t even know she was living with Viktor. She sighed. Guess she had to come clean.
“Let me tell you what’s been going on.”
She told him the events of the past few weeks. He listened in silence.
“How much do you know about Viktor?” he said.
Of course he’d feel protective.
“I don’t know much, but he’s been keeping me safe. He’s the good guy in this, Deion.”
“So where should I go when I’m done here?”
“That’s a good question. I don’t think the apartment is safe. Not if they found you at school. Did they hurt you?”
He paused. She didn’t like that pause.
“No, I’m fine. I was more worried about you, Alia.”
“I’m okay. I’m safe. Did you get that internship?”
“Yes, I did. It’s in New Jersey.”
“Then you should be safe there.”
She hoped. Deion had to get away from all of this. She didn’t want to ask Viktor for help, but she might need to. She didn’t have the funds to help him.
“What do I do with my stuff?”
Good point. “Let me ponder this and I’ll call you back tomorrow. I might have a solution.”
They disconnected. Alia dressed and wound her way down to Viktor’s office. He was staring out over the club when she entered. No one else was in the room. He smiled when he saw her.
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