The Volkov Brothers Series: The Complete Series

by Leslie North

  “Stay pressed against the wall,” Ben said, not looking up at Lucy as he spoke. He pulled a small leather pouch from his pocket and chose two picks from the assortment. He slid them into the lock and attempted to trick the tumblers to fall into place.

  “Why?” Lucy said, her voice trembling slightly.

  Ben did glance up at her then, took in her pale cheeks and frightened eyes, then cocked his head toward the camera in the corner. “It will keep you out of sight longer.”

  “Oh, God!” She bit her lip and his gaze flickered to the small movement. “It’s moving. We don’t have much time. What happens if they catch us?”

  “You don’t want to know.” Ben turned to the lock again. One tumbler clicked into place. Two more to go.

  “It’s getting closer,” Lucy said, her urgency increasing with each word.

  Click. Tumbler two down.

  “Hurry, Ben!” she hissed, her hand reaching out to grab his shoulder. “I can’t go to jail.”

  His fingers fumbled and the picks slipped. He took a steadying breath and tried again.

  “It’s almost on us, Ben! Oh, God. Hurry, Ben. Please!”

  And…click!

  Without missing a beat, Ben took her wrist and tugged her into Mishin’s apartment, closing the door and leaning back against it just as the security camera reached their side of the hallway.

  For a moment, they stood in the quiet, the only sound their labored breathing. Lucy stood before him, looking entirely too adorable for her own good—all vulnerable and shaking, her eyes glittering and her lips trembling. If they’d been any place else but here, Ben would’ve pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.

  He shook off the inappropriate thoughts. That was the adrenaline talking.

  Had to be, right?

  He shoved his picks back into their leather pouch then put the whole kit in his pocket again before shoving away from the door and into the elegantly decorated penthouse suite. Sleek, contemporary-style glass and metal furniture filled the rooms and black marble gleamed from the floors. Two walls of the living room were floor-to-ceiling glass, giving stunning views of the entire Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan in the distance.

  “I can’t believe my father lives some place like this,” Lucy said from behind him, her voice drenched in awe.

  “Me neither,” Ben said, striding over to a desk in the corner to rifle through the drawers. The fact this residence had been paid for off his family’s backs only pissed him off more.

  “Maybe we should just wait for him to come back, instead of going through his stuff,” Lucy said, taking a seat on the corner of a white leather sofa. “Seems kind of rude.”

  “I am not waiting for him.” Ben found nothing useful in the desk drawers and moved on to the kitchen. “And fuck rudeness. You know what’s rude? Stealing.”

  “What are you talking about?” Lucy frowned. “And what exactly are you looking for?”

  “Proof.” Ben searched more drawers and cabinets.

  “Proof of what?”

  Ben stopped and stared at her from across the room. The time had come to do away with all his carefully crafted pretenses. If Mishin caught them both in here, daughter or not, he’d kill them. Lucy deserved to know exactly what she’d gotten herself mixed up in. He strode out of the kitchen and headed down the hall toward the master bedroom.

  Lucy rushed after him, her shoes squeaking on the marble floor. “Ben? What proof?”

  “Proof that your father, Peter Mishin, stole two million dollars from the Bratva,” Ben said, his words echoing through the quiet space as he turned slowly to face her. “He’s a thief, Lucy. A thief and a liar and now he’s got a bounty on his head. One I intend to collect. That’s why I’m here. To find Mishin and save my family’s honor.”

  She took a step back, then another and another, until her back smacked up against the stark white wall. Then she slid downward until her butt rested on the tile floor, her expression blank with shock. “I always suspected my father was into some shady dealings, given my mom’s reluctance to tell me about him, but a tiny part of me still hoped it wasn’t true.” Her shoulders sagged and she looked away. “Guess I should be glad to get the truth finally, huh?”

  He walked over to her now, not missing the sparkle of gathering tears in her eyes. The last thing he needed, if they had to make a quick escape, was an unconscious female on his hands. The walls, he noticed, were lined with framed photos of Mishin with various members of the local mafia, even with Ben’s father—in happier days. Shaking his head, he reached down and helped her to her feet. “Come on. Let’s get you something to drink.”

  “I-I don’t want anything to drink,” she said, stumbling along beside him to the kitchen.

  He settled her on a stool at the grand granite island then opened the fridge to search for a bottled water. The shelves were lined with expensive caviar and the finest Russian vodka too. Bastard. Ben grabbed a water and cracked it open, then walked over and set it on the counter before Lucy. “Drink.”

  She looked from him to the bottle, then back again. “You’re in the mafia too. How do I know you’re not working with my father? Maybe you put something in there to keep me quiet, permanently.”

  Ben gave her an incredulous look. “Seriously? If I wanted you dead, why would I not have done it last night? Lord knows you snore like a wild boar. It would’ve been simple to smother you.”

  “Excuse me?” Lucy scowled. “I do not snore. And your valid point aside, why should I trust you? I barely even know you.”

  Arms crossed, he watched her. She had a good point. They didn’t know each other well, that was true. Still, she was the best lead he had to find Mishin and he didn’t want to lose her yet. “Fine. Ask me what you like about your father. I’ll tell you what I can.”

  Her shoulders sagged slightly and she toyed with the bottle on the counter. “Why did he steal the money? From the looks of this place, he didn’t need it.”

  “This place is exactly why he did need it.” Ben snorted. “You think he could afford this luxury on his own? Not likely. He stole that money to keep himself in the lifestyle to which he’d grown accustomed. A lifestyle he gained at my family’s expense. He was never good with money, but because of his connections and his skill with weapons, the Bratva overlooked a few of his misdeeds, which Mishin took as license to steal as he pleased. Stupid bastard gambled away a fortune then went back to steal more when it was gone.”

  “Oh.” She lowered her head and stared at her toes, exhaling slowly. “You must really hate my father, huh?”

  “He’s not my favorite person at the moment, no.” Ben headed back toward the bedroom to search and Lucy trailed behind him. He opened the closet doors then sneered. “This. This is exactly the excess that will be his downfall. Look at all these suits. Hand tailored, custom made from the finest Italian cloth. If he were smart, he would squirrel the money away and lay low. But no. Peter flaunts it in the Bratva’s face. That’s why they want him eliminated.”

  “Eliminated?” Lucy gasped. “Are you an assassin? Is that why you’re here? To kill him?”

  Ben glanced at her over his shoulder. “No. My task is to find him. The local leaders will then decide how best to deal with him.”

  “What if you don’t find him?” she asked, walking over to stare at a picture of her father on his bedside table—she had his dark hair and haunting eyes.

  Ben sighed. “If I fail to bring Mishin in, then my family and I will be forced to pay back the money he stole. That’s the Bratva way.”

  “I hate the mafia.” She frowned and turned away from her father’s portrait. “I never wanted any of this to happen. I should have stayed away.”

  “It’s too late now.” Ben closed the closet doors and walked into the attached bath. “The Bratva have eyes everywhere. It’s likely you’ve been seen with me and now you’re involved whether you like it or not. The only thing you can do now is help me find this man so we can both move on.”

  �
�Wait a minute!” She followed him. “You knew we might be seen and you didn’t warn me?”

  Ben hung his head. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my top priority in the beginning and then later, it didn’t matter because we’d already spent time together.”

  He came out of the bathroom, still empty-handed. Mishin might be extravagant and arrogant, but he wasn’t stupid. Not a trace of evidence in this apartment of the missing funds. Shaking his head, Ben took Lucy’s arm and led her back to the front entrance.

  “What’s going on?” she asked. “Did you find what you needed?”

  “No. There’s nothing here.” He opened the door a crack to see the position of the security camera. It was slowly moving away from their side of the hall again. “We need to go. Now. Who knows when Mishin will return.”

  “I don’t want to meet him anymore,” Lucy said. “I want this all to be over with.”

  “As do I.” He took one last glance around the place to make sure everything was in its place, then shoved her out the door, following close behind her into the hallway. He locked the door, then took her hand and rushed down the hall toward the elevators. One last glance behind them showed the camera turned fully toward the opposite wall. He punched the elevator button and the door slid open just as the camera started its slow swivel back toward them. “The quickest way for this to be done,” he said, punching the button for the lobby, “is for you to cooperate with me. You trust me and I make sure you get out of this safely. Agreed?”

  She stood in the corner of the elevator again as they descended. The look she gave him was equal parts determination and resignation. “Agreed.”

  6

  Lucy

  You can’t choose your own blood,” Ben said, pouring a shot glass full of vodka. “Better to face that now, know the truth and take control of your life.”

  They were back at his loft now, Pavlov snoozing at her feet as she sat at the breakfast bar once more. Ben poured himself a shot, then clinked his glass with hers, which still sat on the counter. She wasn’t much of a drinker, other than wine. In fact, she’d never had vodka before in her life. Lucy watched as Ben knocked back his shot in one swallow, the sleek muscles of his neck working as he swallowed. Molten heat pooled low in her core, spiraling outward to zing through her nervous system. Despite what he’d told her earlier, despite knowing the wisest move would be for her to walk away now and never look back again, despite everything she’d learned about her father and Ben’s mission earlier today—despite it all, Lucy stayed where she was. Rooted in place by determination and no small measure of pure, unadulterated lust for the gorgeous man before her. Also, the fact that she was locked out of her apartment. That made it hard to leave too. But she knew that wasn’t the real reason.

  She’d had her share of experiences with men, but there was something about Ben—his quiet intelligence, his take-no-shit attitude, his stealth sexiness—that made her want him more than she’d ever wanted another man.

  “Go on,” he urged her, grinning, his teeth white and even against his tanned skin. “Try it.”

  Lucy kept her gave locked with his as she picked up the tiny shot glass and downed the contents in one gulp. Her eyes widened as her throat erupted into flames. Soon, tears filled and she was coughing and spluttering like a beached carp. Not exactly the look she was going for in front of this sex god.

  “Breathe,” he commanded, rubbing her back in slow circles. “The first time is always the worst.” Ben chuckled, the sound low and sexy, sending a fresh wave of heat through Lucy’s system and sending her into a coughing jag once more. Ben kept stroking her back and the more he touched her, the better it felt. He ducked to catch her eye and smiled. “Better now?”

  Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded.

  “Good.” He straightened and walked away at last.

  She sucked in a much-needed breath and wiped her watery eyes on the hem of her huge T-shirt. Pavlov watched her from the spot in the corner where he’d run to when the whole fiasco started, his gaze wary. Big, he was. Brave, he was not. By the time she’d composed herself and leaned against the bar again, it was to find another shot of vodka waiting for her.

  “Oh, no. I’m done with that for now She pushed the tiny glass away. “Maybe forever.”

  “Nonsense,” Ben said, gulping down another shot before filling his glass for the third time. “The worst is over. The first shot burns the worst…” He clinked his shot glass against hers where it still sat on the bar, untouched. His molten amber gaze never left hers, causing a new heat to rise within in her—different from the fire in her throat from the alcohol, but no less potent. “…after that, there is only pleasure.”

  The way he drew out the word, adding just a hint of his wicked sexy Russian accent, made her already fizzing blood boil with need. Her rational mind made a final desperate warning that it was entirely possible he was trying to get her drunk so he could ply her for information, but her libido quickly overruled her caution. Or maybe it was the alcohol in her system. Or both.

  Either way, she was reaching for her second serving of vodka before she realized she was doing it.

  Ben watched her closely, gaze narrowed, waiting with his own drink poised at his lips. “Go on, milen'kiy. This time we’ll experience the pleasure together.”

  Head feeling a bit fuzzy now, Lucy raised her glass and grinned. “Dosvedanya!”

  He gave her a curious look. “You are leaving now?”

  Lucy frowned. “No, why?”

  “Dosvedanya means goodbye in Russian.”

  Embarrassment prickled her cheeks. “Oh. Sorry.” Her shoulders slumped. “That’s the only Russian toast I know. I learned it from the movies.”

  Snorting, Ben raised his glass to her. “This one is much better. Say ‘Za to, chtoby sbyvalis mechty’ instead.”

  She tried, but her tongue got all twisted and she bungled it badly. Ben leaned his hips back against the counter behind him and watched her, his smile indulgent. He didn’t look the least bit affected by his vodka. In fact, he looked hotter and sexier than ever, while her head was swimming and her limbs tingled, and she couldn’t seem to stop staring at his luscious mouth. She blinked hard, staring at those full lips of his, wondering if they felt as soft as they looked. “What does that mean?”

  “The toast?” he said, his voice sounding deeper, gravellier now. “It means ‘Let all our dreams come true.’” With that, he tossed back his third shot while Lucy downed her second. Surprisingly, he was right. This time, the alcohol went down without a snag, warming her belly and disintegrating what was left of her inhibitions. She slid off her stool and slowly walked around the large granite island to stand before him.

  “What’s yours?” she said, licking her lips and tasting the vodka there. He followed the tiny movement with his eyes and her toes curled inside her socks.

  “What’s my what?” Ben asked, reaching past her to grab her empty shot glass then placing it in the sink along with his. His arm brushed against her, causing a fresh wave of lust to crash through her nerve endings. He recapped the bottle of vodka and put it back into the cabinet.

  “Your dream,” she said, stepping closer to him and catching another whiff of his cologne—woodsy and fresh—mixed with soap and a hint of his own unique scent. “What do you want most in the world right now?”

  He met her gaze, banked heat and desire glowing in his eyes. “It doesn’t matter what I want. What matters is my duty.”

  Unable to resist any longer, Lucy reached out and traced the tip of her index finger down the middle of his chest, over his rock-hard abs, stopping at the waistband of his dark washed jeans. Muscles clenched beneath her gentle touch and she didn’t miss the slight hitch in his breath. “How about tonight, for one night only, we forget about that. Forget about everything outside of this loft, and concentrate only on the two of us and what we desire here, now, together.”

  To seal the deal, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the base of his strong, tanned throat, r
ight over his hammering pulse point, her tongue sneaking out to taste him. At her caress, Ben groaned low, the sound full of fury and fire and deep, unrequited need. His head fell back and his eyes closed as his hands came to settle on her waist. It had been a while since she’d gone to bed with a man, but the sudden hardness pressing against her lower belly was unmistakable.

  He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  Now, all she had to do was find a way past that damned rigid control of his and convince him to let loose, just for tonight, just with her.

  Lucy smiled against his skin, slipping her fingers beneath the hem of his black T-shirt to trace over his soft, smooth, warm, skin. Electricity tingled through her from the contact. “Come on. It would be incredible between us. Don’t deny it.”

  Her words seemed to break him out of his spell, at least partially. With a determined sigh, Ben set her away from him and turned to face the sink, rinsing out their shot glasses then setting them in the drying rack beside the sink. “Nyet.”

  “No?” She crossed her arms. “No, you don’t think the sex would be incredible or no to you and me?”

  Ben hung his head as he picked up a nearby dishtowel. “No to you and me. We have an agreement, Lucy. Obligations. Commitments. To throw all my plans away for one reckless night, no matter how incredible, goes against everything I’ve worked for, everything I am.”

  Not ready to give up yet, Lucy crossed her arms and rested her hips against the island. “Isn’t it hard being so in control all the time? Don’t you ever wish you could just let go and really live, even for one evening?” She gave a sad chuckle. “Who am I kidding, right? Knowing you, you’ve probably had your whole life planned out since you were two.”

  He put the glasses away then walked farther down the counter before turning to face her, putting more distance between them. His expression, rather than his usual stoicism, showed resignation and a hint of regret. “The truth is, milen'kiy, my life now is nothing like I thought it would be. I always imagined I’d become a great architect, or at least own my own construction company by now. Instead, I am still in service to my family. And I will be until I complete my responsibilities.”