by Faith Gibson
Maybe the man who took out her father had also done her a favor. That didn’t negate the fact that the man from the sidewalk had been in the vicinity of her last job. Nix assured her the contract hadn’t been an open one, so how did someone else end up killing the man? And why was this same man in the area? Thinking back to the way both Anatoly and her mark had been taken out, it was clear the killer didn’t use guns. He preferred a knife or some other sharp object. Knives were easier to conceal. When she looked close at the photo of Blue Eyes – because she couldn’t keep calling him the man from the sidewalk – he could have hidden his weapon of choice in his boots. And that made it easier to get in and out of the area quickly. He didn’t have to break down a rifle. He didn’t have to find the perfect vantage point from which to take a shot. No, he preferred to be up close. That made him all the more dangerous.
Why did that excite Natalia? It should make her want to run fast and run far. It didn’t though. He was the type of man she could have a relationship with. Natalia imagined meeting up for coffee for the first date. Instead of talking about their favorite music and movies, they could compare kills. They would make a killer couple. She snorted at her pun. There was no way a man like him would want a woman who looked like her. Sure, she was cute like a pixie, but she had seen the types of women bikers went for. Curvy, big-breasted women with bigger hair. Ones who probably knew how to dance on a pole or at least on top of a bar. Natalia had never danced a day in her life. Was she stereotyping? Yes. She was also being realistic.
Putting aside the crazy fantasy of being Blue Eyes “old lady,” Natalia decided to forget about the man and the photos for the time being. She had crap she needed to do, like laundry and grocery shopping. She still wanted a vacation in a tropical location, and the mysteries would be there when she returned. Logging into her bank account, Natalia knew to the penny how much money she had, but she checked her balance every single day. Nix had the ability to wire money into the account since they had set it up, so it only made sense they could withdraw funds as well. Call her paranoid, but with the way this last job had gone, she considered opening a separate account.
Her mind went back to Blue Eyes, and Natalia picked up the photo she had taken. He looked right at her when they passed on the sidewalk, one side of his mouth tilted in a smirk. Did she even register in his mind? Maybe, but she’d been wearing a disguise. He had seen a sharply dressed woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and dark, red lips. Was that his type? He couldn’t tell what was hidden beneath her coat other than her legs. If he was the one who took out her mark, he probably checked out every single person he passed, considering a bullet had been shot into the same room he’d been in. Had he taken a contract only to find out someone else was after the same man?
Gah! Natalia’s mind was spinning. She needed something else to think about, and when her stomach growled, that did the trick. She put her empty mug in the dishwasher and gathered the photos and her laptop, taking them to her bedroom and storing them in the safe in her closet. Not that she thought anyone would break into her house, but her paranoia was working overtime. Natalia kept her pistol close by at all times, so she placed it on the back of the toilet while she took a shower. With her hair being so short, all she did was run a towel over it before combing it with her fingers. Her color had faded, so she made a call to the hairdresser while putting on her makeup.
The weather was turning cooler, but still, she dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a sleeveless, lavender blouse. While showering, she decided today would be a good day for a pedicure. If she was going on vacation, her toes needed to be as bright as her bikinis waiting to be worn at the beach. With that thought in mind, Natalia slipped on her favorite leather sandals, put her gun in the hidden pocket of her large purse, and headed to town.
When Natalia picked the spot on the map, she contemplated living in one of the smaller hamlets, but she squashed that idea, because everyone knew everyone else as well as their business. She had a new identity, but she didn’t want to stand out among a small group of people. Instead, she chose to live close to New Troy. It wasn’t one of the largest cities in the state, but it was large enough she could come and go without anyone recognizing her if she ventured into the downtown area. Plus, it had shopping. Natalia had always loved clothes. And shoes. She wasn’t one of those people who liked to order things online and have them delivered. No, she liked to browse the stores and try on different outfits. She could spend hours at the mall.
Now that her account wasn’t being monitored by her father or cousin, Natalia could spend as much time and money on fashion as she chose. Wearing disguises on her jobs made it that much more interesting. She took every opportunity to become someone different, and why not? It not only kept her identity hidden, but it was also fun. When she worked for her father, he wanted it known who had taken out his enemies. Sure, that put a bullseye on Natalia, but that was the price of being his assassin. She wondered who Mikael had named in her place. Having run, she was now the one being hunted, of that she had no doubt. You didn’t leave their branch of the Volkov family unless you were dead.
After shopping for a few hours, Natalia stopped off and enjoyed her pedicure. She closed her eyes and relaxed while the women chatted in their native language. She paid for the deluxe treatment, getting a hot stone massage and exfoliating scrub. The chair vibrated against her back, rolling against her muscles, keeping her on the fringe of falling asleep. She sat under the dryer and flipped through the latest gossip magazine while the polish dried. With her toes now painted “Berry Fairy Fun,” she got into her car to head to the grocery store. She had just started the ignition when her phone rang. It was her hairdresser letting Natalia know she’d had a cancellation. Forgetting groceries, she pulled out of the mall parking lot and headed to the salon.
Natalia had only been to Vicky twice, but the stylist had done such a great job on both the cut and color that Natalia vowed never to use anyone else again. Natalia had dyed her hair once when she was younger. Back then, her darker locks reached halfway down her back. When her father saw the bright red, he had Mikael hold her down while he chopped it off. He didn’t stop at a bob. Anatoly cut her hair so close to her scalp he might as well have shaved it. It took a couple years to grow back out, but she never let it get that long again. And she never colored it. Not until she was someone new.
When Natalia was seated, Vicky brought her a glass of wine and made small talk with the other stylists and patrons about her children and theirs without badgering Natalia to share about her own life. That was another reason Natalia returned. The first time she sat in the chair, Vicky caught on to Natalia’s need for privacy. Natalia preferred to remain silent rather than come up with a lie about where she worked and why she had no family.
While Natalia had plenty of stories she could tell, they would have her sitting in jail were she ever to talk about her experiences. That couldn’t happen. So, instead of fabricating a cover story, she closed her eyes and kept quiet. It was times like this when Natalia second-guessed her profession and living a lonely existence. She had no friends. She didn’t talk to her neighbors. Natalia didn’t talk to anyone really. Spending time in the chair with Vicky was probably the most socialization she got.
Vicky touched Natalia’s shoulder. “What do you think?”
Natalia opened her eyes, admiring the brighter pastel color. “I love it. I feel more like me. Great job, as always.”
Vicky removed the cape, and Natalia followed her to the desk to pay. “Would you like to schedule an appointment for next time?”
Natalia shook her head. “I’d better not. My work schedule is kind of crazy.” She handed Vicky enough cash to pay for the cut and color plus a nice tip. She didn’t use credit cards if she could help it. After saying goodbye, Natalia turned toward the deli next door. She’d already decided to put off grocery shopping until the next day. With her sandwich in hand, Natalia made her way toward her car when the rumble of motorcycles cut through all the ot
her noise around her. She turned toward the sound, and within seconds, a group of bikes rode down the street. She rushed to her car and jumped in, hoping to catch up with them. They might not be the right club, but if they were, she would be one step closer to finding Blue Eyes.
The bikes got caught at a long red light, giving Natalia a chance to get close. Only these men weren’t wearing vests with logos on the back. Natalia pulled up beside them in the inside lane and glanced over at the man sitting next to her. He was built, but he wasn’t quite as muscular as the one she was looking for. The hair hanging from beneath his helmet was dirty blond, so the color was right, but he didn’t have a beard. As if he could feel her eyes on him, the man turned to look at her. He smiled at her, pulled his black sunglasses down and winked before turning his attention back to the road. The light changed, and the bikes took off. Since they didn’t appear to be associated with a club, Natalia turned her car around and headed home. As she drove, she wondered what it would be like to ride on the back of a bike, arms wrapped around the rider. She wasn’t scared of much, and she had a feeling she would love the sense of freedom riding a motorcycle brought.
If she could just find Blue Eyes, she might get the opportunity. Sure, you will. Is that before or after you ask him if he killed your father?
Chapter Six
Maveryck
When Maveryck and Ryker got back to the clubhouse, they headed straight for the bar. Mav did the honors and poured them both a glass of whiskey. “Tell me exactly what happened,” Ryker said.
“I had just taken out the mark when a bullet lodged into the wall behind me. The only reason it isn’t in my brain is because the man fell against my leg and knocked me off balance.”
“And you didn’t wait around to see if anyone showed up?”
“No. Not after what happened with Volkov.”
“Did you see anyone in the vicinity who shouldn’t have been there?” Ryker sipped his liquor, eyes boring into Mav’s. Maveryck was used to his older brother’s form of interrogation. He could probably recite the questions verbatim.
“No. There was a pretty blonde, but she wasn’t carrying a sniper case.”
Ryker rolled his eyes. “You don’t carry—” His phone pinged, and Ryker glanced at it. “It’s a contract.” Mav sipped his whiskey while waiting for Ryker to read over the offer. His brother glanced up, frowning. “I’ll be right back.” Ryker disappeared into the office, and when he came back, he was carrying a small stack of papers.
“Take a look at this.” Ryker handed the documents over.
Mav set his glass on the bar. “What’s this one? Another mob boss?”
“Close. It’s Anatoly Volkov’s daughter.”
Mav’s head snapped up. “Tatiana Volkova? Who would put a hit out on a mafia princess?”
“Probably someone whose family member she took out. According to these documents, she was her father’s assassin.”
Maveryck read through the file, then read it again. Nothing in the report matched the image he had in his mind of the woman.
“She might have been the one shooting at you when you took her father out.”
Fucking hell. Mav didn’t kill women. “I’m gonna need more intel. If she’s taking out her father’s enemies, she’s doing the world a favor. Did you accept the contract?”
“Yes, but not to actually kill the woman. We need to find her and see if she takes out innocents as well as her father’s enemies. Well, I guess they’re her cousin’s enemies now. If not, it makes no sense why Nexus would accept the contract.”
“Another reason not to trust them.” Maveryck studied the one photo included of the woman. In it, she was standing outside her home with two of her cousins. “When was this taken? Do you know?”
“About three months before you killed Volkov according to the date.”
The woman in the photo was slender, standing approximately five-four or five-five, considering the height of her cousins. Chestnut hair fell just past her shoulders. Her clothing was boring. Not what he would expect someone of her status to wear. Then again, he hadn’t expected her to be an assassin. Maveryck thought back to the way her bedroom smelled like wildflowers. The pastel colors of her walls and bedding fit with the image he had of her before reading this report. Now, it didn’t fit at all.
“Do you want to go after her, or do you want me to put someone else on it? You said you weren’t taking any more one-offs,” Ryker asked.
“I’ll take this one. I have a feeling there’s more at play here than disgruntled family.”
“I thought you might. Where are you going to start?”
“Where I left off – at their estate.”
“Do you think that’s wise? She shot at you once.”
“Someone shot at me. We don’t know for sure it was her. But I need to get close enough to follow her, and she’ll leave home at some point.”
“Just watch yourself. I know better than to ask if you want backup.”
“I’ll be careful.” Mav gathered the papers and photo. He had some planning to do.
“Keep me posted,” Ryker said. “I’m going to get Lucy to see if she can gather any intel on Nexus in the meantime.”
“Can we still trust them?”
“I’m not sure, but something isn’t right. I feel it in my gut.” Ryker glanced down, something he rarely did. Sutton had impressed upon the brothers the importance of looking someone in the eye when speaking to them. The fact that Ryker looked away worried Maveryck.
Still, Mav agreed something wasn’t right, but instead of discussing it further, he said goodbye and headed home. The roar of his bike wasn’t enough to keep his mind from wandering to the woman in the photo. Something about her expression was off. He knew her older cousin Mikael had taken over for Anatoly, but that didn’t mean the man employed Tatiana in the same capacity her father had. She was good enough to be their enforcer but not good enough to rule the family. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to rule. But she wanted to kill people?
Mav couldn’t cast stones at the woman. As far as he knew, she only went after others in the Russian Mafia. What little he had read about them was they broke bonds with the larger groups in their native land when the apocalypse happened. Men like Anatoly Volkov weren’t any better than men like Gideon and Josiah Talbert. They all tried to form their own groups which worked outside the rules of right. The Ministry didn’t kidnap people to sell for profit, but they might as well. They brought people in under false pretenses and then brainwashed them into believing the Ministry’s way of life was the only way.
They kidnapped Kerrigan.
That they did, so who was to say the Ministry didn’t make it a habit of kidnapping others? But that wasn’t Mav’s mission at the moment. He had to find Tatiana Volkova and find out if her life was worth saving.
Instead of taking his bike back to New Woodland, Mav loaded his SUV with all his surveillance equipment as well as enough clothes for two weeks. He doubted it would take that long to find the woman, but once he did, he was going to follow her. It was his job to ascertain whether or not she deserved death. Yeah, some might call that a God complex, but it was the truth of what he did. There were mercenaries out there whose moral compass didn’t point north, but the Hounds’ did. They were created to protect humans, not take their lives if they didn’t deserve it.
Some might also have a problem with their victims not receiving a trial for their crimes, but the contracts Mav and the other Hounds accepted were for repeat offenders, or men like Anatoly who traded in drugs, guns, and humans. They were men who were among the vilest of humans. Did his daughter know about her father’s dealings? Mav had never taken out a female before, and he really hoped Tatiana Volkova wouldn’t be the first.
Four and a half hours later, Maveryck checked into a hotel. It was a thirty-minute drive to the Volkov manor. Since he was already familiar with the location as well as the setup, all he needed to do was get close and watch. He had equipment such as infrared goggles, a camer
a with a long-range lens, and a drone that could get in close for jobs where the mark lived in a less rural area. Here, he wouldn’t need those things. Not as long as Tatiana remained there. Instead, he would rely on his eagle to get him close enough to watch. He needed the woman to go about her business so Mav could see what she did outside her home. Did she still work for Mikael, killing their family’s enemies? Or was she taking other contracts? Killing innocents? Mav didn’t bother unpacking. He kept his clothes in his duffel in case he needed to move out quickly. Not wanting to be seen around town more than necessary, he ordered room service.
When it was a couple hours before daybreak, Mav left the hotel and drove to a park on the opposite side of the tree line that backed up to the Volkov property. He had found an abandoned service road the last time he was there, and it allowed Mav to park his car well off the road. After undressing and stowing his clothes in his bag, Mav shifted into his eagle and took off toward the house. He found a limb where he could leave his bag, and then got closer to the house. He found the same tree he’d sat in the last time and got comfortable.
Unlike their Aves counterparts, the Hounds’ eagles could shift into whatever size suited their need. The Hounds also had the ability to call upon one or more of the elements. Maveryck was an earth shifter; therefore, his wings were reddish-gold. Being an earth shifter, he connected more with his lion, but he never discounted his eagle. The earth was his to command, but he only did so as a last resort. Gryphons had been around since the beginning of time and had yet to be discovered by humans who weren’t supposed to know of their existence with the exception of those they took as mates. They had to be careful with shifting and calling on the elements. In choosing a mate, they had to make sure that human wasn’t going to expose them. Gryphons had the ability to alter a human’s thoughts, so if they felt their mate couldn’t keep their secret, they “helped” them forget the truth. It was one thing he regretted most about the way Jenna left. She knew his secret. Maybe it was time to find his ex-girlfriend and take care of that.