“She’s not to go anywhere else. Mother, you call me thirty minutes before she’s ready to come home, and Lukyan and I will be here to pick her up.” He eyes me possessively, his gaze lingering on my breasts for a long, heated moment.
“Honestly, Kodiak, give the girl a break,” Katrina taunts him good naturedly from across the table.
He glares at her, then speaks in a low whisper, “Dad and I are still not convinced this hit was intended for me. We have guards positioned around the room, but you are not to let her out of your sight.”
Only after his mother threatens to rat him out to the dreaded Nurse Ratched for his unauthorized outing, does he finally relent and leave me to enjoy some girl time.
“Logan, would you like a glass of white wine with your salad?”
“No, ma’am, I want to make sure I’m clearheaded—you know, not tired or anything, so I can take care of Kodiak.”
She places her hand over mine, squeezing it gently before she speaks. “I want to thank you for being there for Kodiak. It means more to his father and me than you could ever know.” Her eyes get misty as she continues, “Glazov tells me you put yourself at risk on our son’s behalf. He was greatly moved by what you did. You have my eternal gratitude. Nothing is more precious to a mother than the safety of her child, no matter how old he is. You’ll understand one day – perhaps sooner than you think,” she says playfully.
Once again the Glazov family’s acceptance warms me. She continues and I listen as I eat my salad. “You’re a good girl, Logan, and to be honest with you that’s why Katrina and I brought you here today. You could be headed in a direction that will put you in grave danger. In light of relationship with Kodiak, there is much at stake and we felt it necessary to intervene.”
I set the fork down and wipe my mouth with the linen napkin before speaking. “You know, don’t you?”
Katrina is the first to respond, saying, “I understand, firsthand, that the career you’re pursuing is competitive, but, Logan you simply can’t do this. You can’t speak out about anything that goes on in the gambling house where you work, and you damn sure can’t talk about our family to anyone you go to school with. I know how it is when you’re first starting out. I know how expensive tuition is, and I also know you saw winning that prize money as a way to help you pay for it. I’m telling you, though, this isn’t the answer.”
I look at both ladies with sincerity. “I’ve already decided not to write the expose’. Kodiak and Mr. Glazov know this already. That’s the only reason I’m here today and not in the dungeon. Kodiak and I are moving into the pool house. That was the other condition of my…release.” I can feel myself blushing as I direct my next statement to Kodiak’s mother. “Mrs. Glazov, I’m not sure how you feel about us…co-habitating.”
“Please…call me Kathleen. You’re family now. As I told you before, I think it’s a good idea.” She smiles and nods at Katrina to continue.
“I have an idea that I want you to consider. You can write an exposé on my drama with Novak -- only the parts already public, of course. I’ll monitor what you write. I promise you that an exclusive interview with me will give you exactly what you need to write an article that will blow the competition out of the water. You see, I do all the PR work for Glazov so I know exactly how to guide you so you write an article that protects the Glazov family secrets, keeps you alive, and doesn’t give Kodiak gray hair -- yet is still juicy enough to help you win that prize money. You see? A win-win for absolutely everyone.”
I answer in the only way I know how, with an attitude of gratitude, because that is how I feel right now – so very grateful to have these two strong women looking out for me. “Kodiak has probably already told you, but I’ve never had a family to speak of. It would be nice to be part of a family like yours.”
“Well, you have a family now,” Kathleen assures me. “Oh, just one more thing, Logan. For the time being, it would be wise that we keep what we discussed today just between us girls, at least for the time being.” I know Kodiak’s mother is warning me because she doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of her husband’s wrath for interfering in Bratva business. I don’t know what that would mean for her, but she’s been Glazov’s wife long enough to know what she’s talking about. And I don’t want to lose the ground I’ve gained with the men in this family, so I’ll take my lead from Kathleen.
“My lips are sealed, I promise,” I vow solemnly. “I’m just so relieved to have this out in the open at last. I’ve been agonizing over that contest ever since Kodiak and I first met, so thank you both for helping me turn it into something good. I would never do anything to hurt or betray your son, Kathleen. I love him.”
Kodiak
I pop three pain pills in my mouth as I listen to my sister Roksana give me the latest information she has on the shooting. I may have overdone it riding along to drop Logan off, so when Mother called I sent Lukyan to bring her home. I’m using the time she isn’t here to talk business. I’m not ready for her to know too much but that’s only to keep her safe, not because I don’t trust her. She showed me and the whole Bratva organization how strong she is by going all out for me during the shootout. The whole thing has earned her some serious street cred among the ranks. My baby is a badass.
“Umm hmm, looks like you did too much too soon.” She doesn’t give me time to answer before she continues. “Here’s the deal. That bitch, Becky, has something to do with this. She’s had her eye on you from the first day she started working for us. I’m telling you, hell hath no fury…”
“What are you going on?”
“The Glazov gut.” She immediately answers.
“Oh, fuck, don’t tell me that. The last time I heard dad say that, I got shot,” I mutter as I wince and squeeze the bridge of my nose in annoyance.
“All the more reason why you should listen to me.” She eyes me blandly as if it’s a given and I should already know this.
“How do you plan on finding out?” I’m scared to even think of what my sister has in store for the gambling house girls. Roksana has a wicked streak as vicious as my father’s. When you mix that kind of ruthlessness with the fact that she’s a woman, Roksana is downright lethal.
“That’s why I wanted to talk to you alone. I want to put a wire on your girlfriend. Let her confront that bitch and bait her into incriminating herself. I know Becky and, if she thinks no one else will hear, she won’t be able to resist taunting Logan with the fact that she’s out for blood. Becky may not admit outright to hiring someone to kill you, but she won’t be able to resist rubbing it in Logan’s face that she hired someone to kill her. She’s scared of you, yeah, but she’s not scared of Logan. Becky has no way of knowing the Glazov family has taken Logan in. She’s going to assume Logan’s still an outsider with no back-up. She probably figures it would be her word against Logan’s, and she’ll be right – but with those odds, she’s gonna lose every time.”
“Becky doesn’t make the kind of money it takes to pay for a hit. You don’t think she’s gotten to anyone on our payroll, do you?”
“Hell, no. You and I both know any junkie would do it for a fix. As far as that goes, Becky probably sucked and fucked some street thug to get him to shoot Logan and get her out of the picture. I can assure you none of our guys are going to fall prey to a woman like her. She got some low-life gangbanger or junkie to do this shit.”
“You may be onto something, Roks. You just might be right.”
We both look up to see Logan coming in.
“Might be right about what?” she asks with a frown.
“Sit down, baby, you need to hear this too.”
I can tell by the look on her face that she’s reluctant to sit down. Roksana reads her mood and reassures her, “It’s nothing bad—not for you anyway.”
Logan’s features relax as she sits and takes my hand, rubbing her thumb over my skin reassuringly. It’s so like Logan to comfort me even when she’s still struggling with her own insecurities. Once
again I feel hostility toward her worthless parents. I can’t imagine how it would feel knowing your own parents don’t want you.
I make a mental note to have a heart to heart with her the next time we’re alone. I want to reassure her the Glazovs will always be there for her the same way she was there for me when the bullets were flying. Most women would have freaked out and said it was too much to deal with—but not my Logan. She fits right in and I can easily see her with me for life. The dream of having what my parents have is becoming a reality for me.
Roksana’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “We think that bitch, Becky Box, has something to do with this.”
“Damn, Roksana, you talk like a sailor,” I taunt her.
She rolls her eyes, “And yet you cuss to complain about my vulgarity? Anyway…I think that bitch--” she says as she glares at me, “ordered the hit. And I don’t think Kodiak was the target, I think you were.”
“But where would she get the money to do something like that?”
I pull her in close to me and whisper in her ear, “Spoken like a true Glazov. I said the same thing. Talk about great minds thinking alike.” I kiss her forehead and continue, “It’s a pretty safe bet that Becky deals in currencies other than money. Sex, drugs, you name it.”
“Kodiak and I think that if you wear a wire and confront her, she’ll cave and confess. She’s going to want to show off and taunt you with it. She’ll think it will scare you away.”
I’m shocked with the ferocity of Logan’s response. “If I find out Kodiak got shot because of that delusional, jealous whore, you won’t have to take care of her. I will.”
Roksana shakes her head firmly, her eyes cold and unyielding as she speaks to me. “You need to let us deal with it—we’re professionals—this is what we do. The worst you can do is beat her ass. I can put her in a body bag and send a message to the other women. Now…if you want to be there when I do it, that’s fine.”
“Jesus, Roks, hold up a minute, will you?” I snarl. This conversation is going in a very different direction suddenly, and I don’t like it one goddamn bit. “You’re talking about involving Logan in a murder. What the fuck?!”
“She should have some input on this one, Kodiak. If I’m right the hit was put out on her. Shouldn’t she be able to vindicate herself?”
“She’s innocent! I don’t want to stain her with our lifestyle.”
Logan cups my jaw and presses her forehead to mine, saying in a surprisingly steady voice, “Kodiak, I love you. And I’m already in too deep to get out now.”
I’m shocked she just told me she loves me, even more so when I respond in kind. “I love you, too, baby, and I’ll do anything to protect you. You’re right; I can’t keep you in a bubble. If you want in on the payback, I won’t stop you. Go to work with Roksana and Lukyan tonight and get to the bottom of all this and we’ll go from there. Roksana will set you up with the wire. Just remember, if you do this, there’s no turning back. You can never really clean blood-stained hands. There are no do-overs in Bratva.”
Chapter Thirty One
Logan
I can’t believe how small this gadget is. It’s a camera and a listening device hidden in a pair of reading glasses. Not only will I be getting Becky on audio admitting she tried to kill me and nearly took out the Pakhan’s son instead, but I’ll be getting her on film as well. The Glazovs are trained to read body language. They’ll be able to read between the lines even if she does lie.
I listen as she fills me in while we ride in the back of the car as Lukyan drives us to the gambling house. “You want to be sure to piss her off, because she’ll run her mouth if her emotions are involved. Use the fact that Kodiak loves you and not her. Taunt her with it, rub it in her face. Make sure she knows exactly what she’ll never have. That will fuck her up and when she cracks, we’ll have the whole thing on tape.”
I’m shocked when Lukyan speaks. The guy hardly ever makes a sound. “You girls don’t go anywhere alone. I need to be wherever you are, other than when she’s getting that Intel. Kodiak will have my ass if anything happens to either one of you. That doesn’t even include what Glazov will do to me.” He chuckles, eyeing us in the mirror. “I’m at your mercy, ladies.”
Roksana pats the gentle giant—gentle toward us, anyway. “You have my word, we won’t do anything crazy tonight. In fact, as soon as we get the information we want, we’ll be heading home, safe and sound.”
“Thank God. I don’t want my head severed and served on a platter to your father.”
“Ha, ha, you know Daddy well, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.” There is no amusement on his grim face. He respects and fears Glazov, and to be honest so do I.
As we’re parking the car she’s filling me in on how to go about getting the information we need. “Okay, let’s go in and get a drink. Take your time, chill. If you confront her too quickly she’s going to suspect something. Wait till she goes to the bathroom and follow her in, then confront her.”
Lukyan takes a moment to get out, looking up and down the street before opening the car door for us. I’m sure he’s suffering with some guilt over the other night. There really isn’t anything he could have done differently.
Roksana and I step up to the front door and I can’t help but think about how close I came to losing Kodiak on this very sidewalk a little over a week ago. The thought causes a chill to course through me and though it isn‘t cold I rub my arms to try and ward it off.
She punches in the code for us to enter. As we step inside, I tug on the glasses I have hooked on my button-up shirt. I feel like James Bond. I follow Roksana to the bar and order a Bloody Mary. I can already feel Becky’s eyes on me and I resist the temptation to turn and look for her. We grab our drinks and amble over to a corner table that’s hidden in the shadows and I begin my favorite pastime: people watching. My eyes land on a man I haven’t seen here before, and my suspicions are raised when Becky leans over him with her cleavage hanging out. I can see his hands moving in his lap but I can’t see what he’s doing.
“Roksana, something’s up with that guy.” No sooner do I speak than I see Becky headed to the ladies room. I grab my drink and suck half of it down, not because I need courage -- I’m hoping it will take the edge off the anger I’m feeling. It’s for her own good, really.
“Don’t let on like you know, just bait her.”
“Oh, I’m going to bait her alright. If that bitch is the reason Kodiak got shot—she’s going to pay.”
Roksana grabs my hand and eyes me solemnly. “Even though the shooting affected you personally, this is a Glazov family matter. Now, if you want to be part of the family’s solution, that’s fine. I can arrange that. But don’t try to handle this on your own. If you fuck up and she gets away, the Pakhan will be disappointed. Trust me, you don’t want that.”
This is the side of Roksana that Kodiak warned me about. For the first time, it isn’t just Kodiak or Glazov I’m scared of. I look her directly in the eye so she’s assured I’m sincere about what I’m getting ready to say. “I won’t fuck this up, I promise. I’ll get her to lash out and when she does, she’ll assume it’s her word against mine and that Glazov will believe her. You know, Bratva tenure and all that shit.”
“Good…let’s do this. Oh, and one more thing…if the bitch hits you, knock her ass out.”
“You can bet on that. Hey, do me a favor and check out the guy she was talking to over there. I’ve never seen him here before and if my eyes aren’t deceiving me, he has a cell phone in his lap. If he does, have one of the bodyguards check for a poker analyzer app—look for something like Poker Cruncher.”
“Will do,” Roksana says as she turns to speak to a guard.
I rush toward the bathroom. I’ve spent too much time talking and I want to catch Becky alone. I push through the door and find her standing at the vanity washing her hands. She sees me and smirks. Oh, game on, bitch.
“Now who’s following who?” she snaps.
&nbs
p; “Yeah, I am following you. Listen, I’ve had it with you and I’m not going to mince words here.”
“What the fuck are you talking about, little girl?” Becky asks with a laugh.
“Kodiak is mine and you need to back off. He was already off the market, but in the last week, with me nursing him back to health after he almost got killed – well, we’re closer than ever. That shooting really brought us together, sealed the deal, you know? So stop wasting your time.”
Becky’s eyes widen and she purses her overly plump lips. Now I’m just reeling her in…
“Sweetie,” she huffs sarcastically, “that man doesn’t need a nursemaid. A good, hard fuck? Now, that’s more like it, that’s what will get him back on his feet. And I’m more than happy to give it to him.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“Oh, sure it will. Know why? Because you won’t be around for much longer,” she smirks as she looks me up and down with cool disdain. “The minute you go to ground, I’ll be all over that shit. And he’ll be all over me. You can count on it.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask with a confused frown. “What do you mean, ‘when I go to ground’? What does that even mean?” I have a pretty good idea, but I need her to explain it to little ol’ me.
“See?” Becky snarls. “You aren’t Bratva wife material. You don’t even know how to talk the talk around here. Going to ground, little girl, means me burying your ass six feet under.”
“Yeah, right. What are you going to do, Becky, put a hit on me?” At that, I belly laugh and wrap my arms around my middle as if I just can’t handle it. Her face turns beet red and she’s positively fuming. Oh, yeah, hook, line, and sinker. Here, fishy fishy fishy…
The bitch has the gall to walk up to me and smirk. The only thing keeping me from doing something to her is Roksana’s pep talk and the fact that I want this bitch on tape.
“I guess that means if I did hire someone to kill you and they missed, then that makes it your fault he got shot.”
Expose' (Born Bratva Book 3) Page 15