by Leslie North
“Idti,” Salko said. Go. And the men beside him filed out silently as Salko grinned. “What witnesses?”
One moment of tense silence stretched into two, then three. Outside, the lake still battered the shore, the gulls still shrieked, and farther away the traffic off the expressway groaned low. In the office, Danny’s ragged breath created a soundtrack to his imminent demise. To most anyone including, Kaz imagined, those watching on the hidden camera feeds, things looked pretty dire.
Salko stood and came around the desk, his maniacal grin widening even more, to give him the appearance of a demented clown. He walked up to Danny and pressed the barrel of his gun directly to the guy’s forehead.
Danny’s non-stop raspy whispers grew louder until Kaz was able to pick out the words of the Lord’s Prayer. The clock on the wall ticked-ticked-ticked as time seemed to slow. Where was his backup? Where was the…
Danny jumped as the phone on Salko’s desk rang and Kaz winced.
Salko’s finger jerked on the trigger. “Fuck it. Let it ring. I got more important things to take care of right now.”
Except whoever was on the other end of the line didn’t give up. That desk phone kept ringing, ringing, ringing. Soon, Salko’s cell phone joined in the chorus. Then Kaz’s phone. Even Danny’s phone in his pocket jangled merrily.
Knuckles white as he gripped the butt of his gun tight, Salko gritted his teeth. “Fuck!”
Tearing back around the desk, Salko yanked the receiver of his desk phone off its cradle. “Whoever the fuck this is, it better be life or death because I swear to Christ I will hunt you down and shoot your fucking ass if it’s not.”
Slowly, as the person on the other end of the line spoke, Salko seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. All his color seeped away, leaving a shaken, broken old man with no future ahead of him. Getting a call from your pissed off Pakhan would do that to a person.
Kaz pressed his lips together tight to stifle a satisfied smirk. Those men he’d left Allie with were not just other men from his family. They were the hierarchy of his Bratva, the leaders of their crew. Thankfully, Kaz’s ties to them went far deeper than Salko could ever hope to achieve, because of his father’s loyal service. He knew who was on the other end of that phone line and when he’d needed them the most, his mafia family had his back.
Back at the safe house, Allie was a confused wreck. From the minute Kaz had walked out with Danny, she’d felt like a shroud of dread had descended upon her. Of course, it didn’t help that she was surrounded by a room full of scary looking older men who’d walked right off the set of the Russian mafia remake of The Godfather either.
Not one person had spoken to her since Kaz and her brother had gone. They all just stood around scowling at her or at the scene unfolding on the TV screen before them. At least they hadn’t threatened her in any way, which she’d feared. In truth, they’d been almost respectful in their dismissal of her presence.
Then Kaz and Danny were herded into Salko’s office onscreen and the atmosphere at the safe house had taken a definite turn for the frigid. One man, in particular, seemed more interested than the others in Salko’s cockiness and utter contempt toward Kaz and her brother. Still tall and stately despite the fact he had to be in his early seventies, that man now stood by Allie’s side, the large diamond cufflink glittering in the sleeve of his expensive tailored shirt just visible beneath the cuff of his black designer suit. Given the way all the other men in the room deferred to him, this man must be someone important. What had Kaz called their leader? Pacman? No, that wasn’t it.
She shook her harried head to clear it.
Pakhan. That was it. She’d bet good money this man beside her was their leader.
Doing her best to concentrate on the scene playing out onscreen again and not succumb to the terror racing through her blood, Allie watched the flickering black and white images. Even with the crackling sound from the cheap speaker attached to the hidden camera, Salko’s aggression toward Kaz and her brother was evident in his hateful tone.
“I don’t want your fucking money, Kaz. You can’t buy your way out of this one.”
A collective gasp sounded from the men surrounding Allie and all eyes turned to the leader at her side. The Pakhan remained stoic, though she could see his fist clenched at his side tighten to a white-knuckled grip, proving perhaps he wasn’t as cool and collected as he seemed. Kaz had told her he had spent years building up his connections and reputation within the Bratva. She prayed those old loyalties would be enough now to save him and her brother.
Then, next thing she knew, Salko pulled a gun from his desk and aimed the barrel directly between Danny’s eyes. Her brother looked horrified and Allie swallowed hard against the bile burning her throat. This was it. She was going to be witness to her brother’s execution, would have to see his brains splattered all over the filthy walls of Salko’s office.
“…I guess if you’re too much of a softhearted pussy to take care of this worthless fucker for me, I’ll just have to do it myself,” Salko snarled and the sound of his gun being cocked echoed in the silent safe house lounge. Allie covered her face then, unable to look anymore. She heard Kaz’s voice and Salko’s too, but couldn’t register the words. Danny was going to die. Kaz was going to die. And what would happen to her? How could she go on after seeing her brother and the man she loved killed before her eyes?
Yes, she admitted to herself. She loved Kaz. Crazy as that sounded. She did.
Now, though, she might lose him before she ever got a chance to tell him.
Eyes stinging with unshed tears, Allie barely registered the weight of a strong, warm hand on her shoulder. Dazed, she blinked up to see the Pakhan gazing down at her, the anger and determination in his eyes both comforting and scary. A quick glance at the TV showed it was just Salko, Kaz, and Danny in the room now, Salko at her brother’s side, gun pressed to his head and ready to fire.
As she watched, the Pakhan nodded to the other men, then pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Within seconds, the phone on the desk onscreen rang shrilly. Salko ignored it, his gun still trained on her brother. Allie squeezed her eyes shut and said a silent prayer that her brother would be saved, by some miracle.
Soon, the safe house lounge filled with the sounds of continuous ringing from the office on TV. The noise was nearly deafening and Salko seemed to snap at last, stalking around his desk to snatch the phone off his desk to answer. His face was a mottled mask of rage as he all but screamed into the receiver, “Whoever the fuck this is, it better be life or death because I swear to Christ I will hunt you down and shoot your fucking ass if it’s not.”
The Pakhan beside her spoke slowly and coldly into his cell phone in Russian. The words were short, concise, chilling even though she had no idea what they meant. “Tebya net dlya menya.”
Whatever he’d said, the effect on Salko was instant and devastating. All the color leached from his face and his hands were visibly shaking. Before he could even hang up the phone, the two bodyguards returned and dragged Salko from the office, their expressions grim as death.
Onscreen, Kaz and Danny stared at each other—Kaz smirking and Danny stunned. Neither Salko nor the bodyguards returned and finally a sense of relief swamped Allie. It was over. The nightmare with Salko and her brother and losing her shop was over at last. All thanks to the men in that room with her.
The Pakhan patted Allie’s shoulder and gave her a small smile. “All is well now, da?”
Unable to stop trembling, Allie nodded and managed to whisper, “Da.”
His smile widened into a grin as he thrust his cell phone into her hands, a number already dialing. “Talk to him yourself.”
It was an offer she couldn’t refuse. Fingers shaking so badly she feared she might drop the thing, Allie held her breath until Kaz answered. The sound of his deep voice was the sweetest she’d ever heard. “Are you all right? How’s Danny? When are you coming back here to get me?”
“Patience, kotenok.” K
az chuckled, the low, rich sound flowing over her like honey and going a long way toward soothing her frazzled nerves. “I’m fine. Your brother is fine. We have a few loose ends to tie up here, then I will be back at the safe house to get you.”
Mind still whirling a mile a minute, she couldn’t help replaying the events of the last few minutes through her head. The Pakhan walked away to join another group of men and she whispered. “How did you know they’d choose you over Salko?”
“I didn’t,” Kaz said, shrugging. “But I had to risk it. And knowing what an asshole Salko is helped. The guy can’t help but hang himself with his actions. He was always too greedy, too cocky, too concerned about the advancement of his own agenda over the Bratva’s. It was only a matter of time until he showed his true colors and threatened me. I’m just happy it was today, when all eyes were watching him. Do me a favor and look up at the big screen, kotenko.”
When she did, he mouthed the word she’d been longing to hear but never dreamed he’d say.
I love you.
Allie laughed, she couldn’t help it. Not because anything was funny, but because it was all finally over. Danny was safe, Kaz was safe and he loved her. She kissed her fingertips then pressed them to the screen over Kaz’s gorgeous face.
“I love you too,” she said, intending to tell him face-to-face as soon as he arrived back at the safe house.
She sensed a presence beside her again and looked up to see the Pakhan had rejoined her. He took the phone from her and put it on speaker. “You should never have doubted I would pick you over Salko, Volkov.”
Onscreen, Kaz looked a bit taken aback at the sound of his leader and he bowed his head in deference. “Yes, sir. I’m very grateful, sir,” he said.
“As you should be,” the Pakhan said, winking at Allie before continuing in his heavily accented English. “But then you are a good, strong fighter and a sensible Boyevik. In the end, there was no choice. You have served me well all these years, Kazimir Volkov. Such loyalty is to be rewarded. Salko, on the other hand, has stepped over the line again and he will be dealt with accordingly. As I said to him, he is dead to me now.”
A shiver ran through Allie at the man’s lethal words, but better Salko than Kaz. Or Danny. Before she could speak to Danny, however, the Pakhan ended the call and walked away. If she hadn’t been afraid of her knees buckling on her, Allie would’ve gotten up and grabbed her own purse, which was still sitting on the bar.
An hour later, Kaz had barely walked into the lounge when she was in his arms, not caring about the others in the room, not caring about her brother’s sarcastic snicker, not caring about anything but the man she loved, in her arms, safe and sound. They kissed deep and long, until Allie finally pulled back to smile up at him, her heart pounding with joy. “I love you Kazimir Volkov.”
“And I love you too, Allison Charman.”
“What about me?” Danny said from beside them. “Anybody love me?”
“I do,” Allie said, not looking away from Kaz. “But we have some things to discuss.”
“Uh oh,” the Pakhan said, walking over to them as the rest of the group began to leave. Allie stepped back as Kaz assumed his deferent at-ease position before his leader, head lowered and hands clasped behind his back. “Those words are never good.” He gave Danny a sharp stare. “Do not cross me again, boy. Things will not end so well for you next time. Understand?”
Looking suitably petrified, Danny nodded slowly and swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”
The Pakhan clasped Kaz’s shoulder and said something in Russian to him before leaning in and kissing him on both cheeks, in the old European tradition. He then turned back to wink at Allie once more. “You have found yourself a good man, here. Be sure to treat him with respect and loyalty, as he will you. Always.”
She nodded, a bit stunned as the man walked out of the lounge, leaving Kaz and Danny and her alone again. When she hazarded another glance at Kaz again, he looked shaken to his core. She rushed to his side and slipped her arms around his waist. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“He said my debt to them is paid. I’m released from my contract with the Bratva.”
“What?” she asked, shocked herself.
“I’m a free man.” His voice still held a note of awe as he pulled her into his arms once more. “My service to the Bratva is done.”
Allie’s slow smile spread into a wide grin. “You’re not a free man. You belong to me now. And I may have a few ideas about what you can do with yourself.” She leaned in and laughed as her brother rolled his eyes and walked away. “You can start by kissing me.”
Kaz picked her up and twirled her around in his arms. “I’ll never enjoy obeying an order more in my life, kotenok.”
6
Kaz
Six months later…
Kaz pulled the Cutlass up to the curb outside Charmante and cut the engine. He got out of the car, bracing against the chilly winter breeze and avoided a puddle of melting snow. The sky above was overcast and the temperatures were cold, even for the middle of December. Still, the crap weather didn’t seem to be dampening the spirits of the holiday shoppers who were flocking in and out of Allie’s shop in droves.
Things were good. Better than good actually. On all fronts.
He walked around the Cutlass, pulling the front of his black wool pea coat closed tighter against the infamous Chicago wind, and opened the glass door to Charmante. A few women walked out as he held the door, thanking him for his manners even as they gave him some serious-side eye. In the past, such attention had always bothered Kaz, but now, he welcomed it. Before, people had stared at him because of his gangster appearance and swagger. Now, it was usually because they’d recognized him from the November issue of Windy City Magazine—the local publication for small business success stories and start-ups.
Allie and her shop had been featured on the cover last month, along with Kaz, as one of the top ten new ventures to watch in Chicago. Kaz nodded to the ladies who walked out of the shop with bags full of purchases in hand, then walked inside, the warm blast from the heating vent above the door a welcome thing to his frozen cheeks and fingers.
It was hard to believe that just a few months ago he’d walked into this place for the first time and felt like a total outsider. Now, he was co-owner of Charmante alongside Allie, and served as the company’s Chief Operations Officer. Funny how his organizational and strategic planning skills from his time in the Bratva had transferred over so easily and so lucratively into the private sector of legitimate business.
Inside the shop’s pastel resort season collection contrasted sharply with the two Christmas trees set up on either side of the entrance and the white twinkle lights strewn throughout the garland strung from the ceiling. The air was scented with pine and cinnamon and the overhead sound system played the soothing sounds of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas over the speakers. Several groups of customers milled about the showroom while even more clustered near the dressing rooms in the back or were lined up at the desk to pay for their purchases.
“There you are,” Allie called from behind the cashier counter, waving him over. Danny was helping ring customer’s up along with two other employees who worked under him. He’d done well as store manager so far, his past days of cheating and conniving finally behind him it seemed. Kaz still kept an eye on the guy, but it made him proud to think scaring the bejesus out of Allie’s brother might have been the wake-up call he’d needed to change his life. If Danny kept up his hard work and dedication, he might just make head manager next year.
Danny was also slowly paying Kaz back for the money he’d spent to pay off the guy’s loan to the Bratva. They’d made a gentleman’s agreement of sorts. Danny would work for his sister and stay out of trouble until Kaz was repaid in full and Kaz, in turn, wouldn’t beat him up again. Not that Kaz would really do that, but a bit of intimidation never hurt when one was dealing with a person as flighty and hyperactive as Danny. The store had actually been good for the
guy in that area too, keeping him busy and channeling his energies into the visual merchandising of the store. In fact, all the holiday decorations and fabulous window displays up front were courtesy of Danny.
Kaz joined Allie behind the counter and stared at the appointment book to which she pointed. “How’d the meeting with the buyers go at the Merchandise Mart?”
“Good.” He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it aside to reveal his black turtleneck sweater and black slacks beneath. “I met with the reps from Neiman-Marcus in California and they want to proceed with setting up a mini-boutique for you in twenty of their West Coast stores. They should be sending the paperwork over next week for you to sign.”
“Fantastic!” Allie leaned over and kissed him quickly, a rare show of public affection in her shop. Usually, she insisted they keep their amorous displays to the back office, away from prying eyes. Not because she didn’t want the world to know they were together, but because she said it might hurt sales in the shop. The engagement ring he’d bought her twinkled brightly on her finger and he couldn’t help remembering the night he’d proposed. It had been Thanksgiving and one of the rare occasions when the entire Volkov clan had been together. Ben and Lucy had come to Kaz’s mother’s house with their newborn son, Dmitri. Nik had been there with his new wife Daphne and Daphne’s mother, who’d been released from her extended care facility to spend the holiday with her daughter. And of course, Ben and Nik’s mom—and Kaz’s stepmother. It had been the first time that Kaz could remember his mother and his stepmother meeting, but rather than the world war he’d feared, the two women had actually gotten along well together, sharing stories of Kaz’s father and uniting in their mutual love for a man who’d graced all of their lives.
Allie had been nervous at first to meet his family, wondering if she’d fit in, worried she might not make a good first impression on them, but Kaz had no doubts about her. After all, he’d fallen in love with her at first sight—even if he’d been too stupid or stubborn to admit it—so why wouldn’t his family do so as well?