by Alexa Davis
"That sounds so mercenary."
"You young people are so foolish these days," she laughed. "You think that love is like the movies. You think that men are going to come, sweep you up off of your feet, and carry you away to live in a castle. That's not how it all works, golubshka. Real life is sticking it out through the difficult times and finding a way to love each other, even when there's no romance."
"But what about before the marriage?" I asked. She obviously knew what she was talking about and I intended to get an answer to the Max question once and for all. "How do you know if he really loves you?"
"He'll be very clear about it," she smiled. "Watch him and he'll show you everything you need to know. Actions, golubshka, actions speak louder than words."
I nodded as I finished wrapping up her packages and carefully tucked them into one of our signature black bags. If action was a good indication of how a man felt, then Max's actions were clear as a bell. He didn't love me. Maybe he didn't even like me. He was just using me.
"Spaseebo, Mrs. Zakhrov." I smiled as I handed her the bag.
"If you ask me, golubshka, that man is head over heels in love with you," she smiled mischievously. "But no one ever asks me; I'm just an old woman who talks too much and loves to shop!"
"Oh, you're much more than that, Mrs. Zakhrov, much more than that!" I laughed as she walked out the door.
I spent the rest of the morning cleaning and shining the cases and jewelry in them. It was a mindless task, so I let my brain run as I polished each piece and then replaced it in the case.
Around noon, I called down to Indira's and ordered lunch for both Max and me. He hadn't called to say when he was returning, but I bet on the fact that he'd probably not had lunch and would be hungry by the time he got in. I also knew that if he cut it too close, he wouldn't be able to go out and get something because I was scheduled to be at my audition by four. I ate my lunch standing by the back office, watching the front door, and silently hoping that Max made it back in time for me to make the audition on time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Max
I drove by the bar to see if Kristov was out front before I headed over to his place. He often spent part of the day simply being a presence on the street, and Papa encouraged it so that rival gang members would think twice about coming into the bar and causing trouble. It was also Kristov's way of thumbing his nose at the rival gangs who thought they might be strong enough to usurp his place in the community. There was no activity outside Ursus, so I told my driver to head to my brother’s house.
Kristov had been reserved with the money he'd received from my mother. He'd bought a two-story, red brick house on Evergreen so that he could be near Papa and the bar, but not too close that everyone would know his business. Papa did anyway, but my brother said that was because the bratán reported back to Papa on a regular basis in order to curry favor. Unlike me, Kristov didn't care. He liked being accounted for and he said that the fact that Papa always knew where he was or what he was doing made him feel safer.
I called him again from the car as we pulled up outside his house. His red Mustang was parked on the street and there were several of the young bratán milling about outside the gate. I got out of the car and approached them warily.
"Hey, where's Kristov?" I asked.
"Who wants to know?" a young boy with a shaved head asked as he eyed me suspiciously. His buddy hit him and whispered something I couldn't hear. The boy looked at me with wide eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Malinchenko. I didn't recognize you."
"It's okay, I wasn't expecting to come down here this morning so I didn't dress the part," I said with a grim smile. "Where's Kristov?"
"We don't know, sir," the boy said. "We haven't seen him all morning. Someone said he went to meet with Dementyev this morning."
"Dementyev? Aleksander Dementyev?" I shouted at the boys. "What the fuck does he think he's doing? That son of a bitch!"
The boys shrunk back from my rage as I yanked open the gate and stormed up the walk. I pounded on the front door yelling, "Kristov, you'd better open up this damn door right this minute or I am going to break it down and haul your sorry ass out on to the street!"
When I got no response, I stalked around to the back door and tried to peer into the kitchen. There was no movement inside the house, and my heart dropped to my stomach as I thought about what this might mean. I walked back to the front and addressed the boys.
"You two need to run over to Ursus and get my father, do you understand me?" I said in a grave voice. "You need to bring him back here as quickly as possible. Take my car and go. Just get him back here now!"
The boys hopped into the back of the car and my driver stepped on the gas. It wasn't so much that I needed them to get Papa – I could have picked up the phone and called him more quickly than sending the two young ones to get him. I didn't want them to witness what I was afraid I was about to find, but I did want my father to come and see it.
I walked around to the back of the house again, held the edge of the doorframe with my hands, and kicked the back door as hard as I could. It took three tries, but the door came loose from the hinges and I was able to push it aside and walk in. Inside, the place was a mess. Pizza boxes and takeout containers littered the kitchen, dining room, and living room; some had been there long enough to solidify in the box. I walked through the lower level, shaking my head at the filth and clutter.
"Kristov!" I shouted up the stairs. "Get down here now! Papa's on his way, and you're gonna be fucked if you're not down here to greet him!"
I heard a noise from the upper level, but when my brother failed to appear, I knew I was going to have to take more drastic measures. I took the stairs two at a time and burst through the door to his bedroom. I was completely unprepared to witness how far Kristov had been drawn into the web of the vory v zakone.
On his bed in the center of the room, lay my brother and two women. All three had been shot once in the head from the front, leaving perfect dark circles in the middle of each of their foreheads. My brother's eyes were still open. I walked over and pushed his eyelids down, so that Papa wouldn't see him like that.
I felt the cold rage welling up in my gut as I looked around the room and realized that this had been a straight hit. The boxes of Kristov's drug supplies were untouched – not a single one had been disturbed. Someone had wanted him dead and they didn't care about collecting the rewards that went with the hit. They were out for blood.
I felt the blood in my veins icing over as I looked at the scene and tried to reconstruct the last few minutes of my brother's life. Whoever had done this would pay. I would make sure of it.
"Who did this?" Papa asked quietly. I'd been so wrapped up in plotting my revenge that I hadn't heard him enter the house. I turned and the pain on his face made my blood begin to boil. "Who did this to my son?"
"Papa, I don't know," I said. "But I have a guess."
"Who did this?" he repeated more forcefully as he walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at Kristov. He raised his head and bellowed, "WHO DID THIS TO MY SON?"
"I'm going to find out, Papa," I said. "I'm going to find out, and then, I'm going to make him pay."
Papa stood next to the bed, staring down at my brother for a long time. He didn't move or say a single word. He simply stood and stared at Kristov's lifeless body. I could feel my heart twisting my chest as I watched him out of the corner of my eye, but I knew better than to say anything until he was ready. As angry as he was, it wouldn't be surprising if he turned and took his rage out on me, and I didn't want to have to fight my own father, not today.
"Maksimka, I want you to find the son of a bitch who killed my son, your brother, and I want you to bring him to his fucking knees," he said in a dangerous voice. "I want him on his knees so I can watch him suffer as I drain the fucking life from his veins."
"Yes, Papa," I said. I stood not moving a muscle until he turned and walked out the door. I knew that the weight of the family business an
d avenging my brother's death were now entirely on my shoulders, and I felt myself sagging as I added them to the weight I already carried.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Lexi
Moments before I was preparing to lock up the store and head to my audition, Max walked through the door looking like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I watched as he walked into the office, checked the day's sales, and then came out to the sales floor and nodded.
"Break a leg, fiancée," he said without a smile. I tipped my head and looked at him curiously, wondering what had happened before he'd come to the store.
"Thank you, Mr. Malin," I said with as much of a smile as I could muster. "I'll do my best. I got you lunch, it's in the back in the fridge."
"I'll take care of dinner tonight," he said as he looked at the case and reached in to straighten a piece that was already perfectly straight. "I'll order out."
"Are you okay, Max?" I asked, softening my hard-line stance as I looked at him. I couldn't tell if he wanted to cry or kill someone, but it was clear that something bad had happened while he was away from the store. I softened a bit more and asked, ”Do you need me to stay?"
"Oh no, I'm fine. Don't be silly." He waved me off with an unconvincing smile. "It's just a family thing, no big deal."
"Is your dad okay?" I asked. I knew his father lived in town and that he often went to see him. I assumed that his father was old and in need of help with basic living tasks, so it wouldn't have surprised me to find out that he'd fallen and hurt himself or something.
"Yeah, he's fine," Max sighed. "He's good. It's…it's…my brother."
"Oh, is he okay?" I asked.
"No, not really," he admitted, but when he didn't explain further, I felt like pushing wasn't what he wanted. Besides, I had an audition to make and I didn't want to be late.
"I'm so sorry, Max," I said. "Can we talk about it over dinner, maybe?"
"Yeah, sure, no problem," he said in a distracted way. "Did you sell the aquamarine set?
"I did!" I replied. "Mrs. Zakhrov came in and bought it right after I'd opened up. She also wants a special statement piece, and she want me to ask you about the Star of Russia. Do you know what she's talking about?"
"I do. I'll take care of it," he said as he checked another case. I could tell he was trying to avoid looking at me, and there was something disturbing about it.
"Max, are you sure you're okay?" I asked again, this time a little softer. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Will you stop asking me questions I've already answered?" he shouted. "I'm fine! Just fine! Now get out of here and get to your audition!"
"Fine, I'll see you later tonight," I said as I turned and walked out the door.
#
I felt like I was floating on clouds the whole way home from the audition. I'd nailed the part and the chemistry between the actor who would play George and I was spectacular. The director had said he was almost certain that he wanted me to play Hedda, but that they had one more audition to see before they'd make their decision. I floated out of the theater and down the street singing I Feel Pretty, much to the delight of several small children playing on the sidewalk in front of the building. Max had sent the car to pick me up and I was soon whisked away to the penthouse where dinner awaited me.
"Max? Anna?" I called as I stepped out of the elevator. As soon as I called her name, a small gray ball of fur came flying past me headed toward the kitchen. I followed her and found Max scooping some kind of exotic cat food into her bowl as she danced around his feet purring and chirping. "Don't let her get used to that. Once this gig is over, I'm not going to be able to afford your fancy cat food."
"It's nothing too special," he said. "Just a mix of tuna and some leftover salmon."
"That's what I said, too expensive!" I laughed as he put the plate down and we both watched Anna make quick work of her special treat. "And hello to you, too."
"Hey, sorry, how was the audition?" he asked as he unpacked the bag of Thai food he'd picked up on his way home. It smelled like heaven, and I was ravenous.
"It was fantastic!" I said as I pirouetted and then took a bow. "The director loved me and said that they have one more audition to see and then they'll make their decision, but that he'd almost completely sure that they'll pick me!"
"That's fantastic, Lexi," he smiled. "Good job; I guess you broke a leg, huh?"
"Hardly," I laughed. Something about Max was subdued and I wasn't sure if I should push or let it go and wait for him to tell me what was going on. "Hey, how's your brother doing?"
"Oh, he's not well," he said looking down at the plate he was filling with Pad Thai for me. He didn't look up as he handed it and a roll of silverware to me.
"I'm so sorry, Max," I said as I took the offerings and moved toward the kitchen table. "Is there anything I can do? Flowers? Magazines?"
"No, it's pretty much past that," he said darkly.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked. I wasn't sure what he needed, so it seemed like asking was the best way to find out.
"Not really," he told me as he brought his plate over and sat down across from me. Anna had finished her dinner and joined us under the table. She mewed, patted my foot until I told her to stop, then she turned her attention to Max and when he didn’t respond, she curled up on top of his foot and went to sleep. "Let's talk about the wedding, shall we?"
"Sure. I called around and got an appointment for a dress fitting next week, and I've got some places that can make us a cake big enough to feed a huge crowd," I said. "Where are you at?"
"I called the venue this afternoon and booked it," he smiled.
"Where are we getting married?" I laughed. "Or is it a surprise for the faux bride?"
"It's either The Rookery or the Newberry Library," he said as he dug into the plate of food. He took a few bites and then pushed the plate away.
"It's not good?" I asked.
"No, it's fine. I'm just not hungry." He reached down and scooped Anna up off of his foot and held her as she purred and mushed on his hand. He flashed me a weak smile, "Late lunch."
"Max, what's going on?" I asked. Something was off and I couldn't tell what it was.
"Nothing, just…" he trailed off and focused on petting the kitten in his hand. She loved the attention, but I was disturbed by his silence.
"Just tell me, it's not a big deal," I said. Suddenly, I wondered if he was talk to me about the night before and let me down easy. "I'm a big girl, I know how to handle all kinds of news."
"I just wanted to," he said and was cut off as the buzzer for the elevator rang and he got up to answer it. I heard him telling the doorman, "Oh, yes, send her up."
"Who is it, Max?" I yelled from the kitchen as Anna came tearing back in and slid across the tile floor.
"Oh now isn't this cute?" a woman's voice said as she rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen. She was tall and curvy, and she had the most severely chopped bob haircut I'd ever seen. Her hair was jet black and was so shiny I felt confident that if I stood in front of it, I would be able to see my own reflection. She was wearing a low cut halter-top that looked like it was connected to the flowing wide length pants she wore. On her feet were a pair of silver sandals that showed off her black toenail polish. She carried a small black clutch and a pashmina, and the only jewelry she wore were two enormous silver bracelets, one on each arm. Her makeup was flawless and the red lipstick she wore looked like it had been made especially for her.
"Hi, I'm Lexi," I said offering my hand.
"Hello, Lexi. I'm Natalia," she said, smiling as she looked around at the kitchen and then back at me. "Are you kitchen help?"
"No, Nat, she's definitely not kitchen help," Max interjected. He'd changed his clothes while Natalia and I had introduced ourselves, and was now wearing a black tuxedo. He looked like a totally different man than the one who had been eating dinner with me, and snuggling Anna not fifteen minutes before. "Lexi is my business partner in my je
welry store venture."
"Oh, I see, you're the sales girl!" the woman laughed, making me feel very self-conscious standing in the middle of the kitchen still dressed in my wilted work clothes while they looked like a photograph out of Gatsby.
"No, not just a sales girl, Nat," Max's voice contained a dark note and the woman stopped laughing. "She's my business partner. Lexi, I'm sorry, I completely forgot about this function tonight. I told Natalia I'd go with her before all of this planning began. I'll be back in a few hours and we can pick up where we left off, okay?"
"Yeah, sure, no problem," I nodded as the other woman sized me up and gave me a hard look.
"But, Max, you promised you'd take me out after the play!" she cried as she fidgeted with her bracelets. I had learned enough about jewelry to know that one of them cost more than my entire month's salary at Max's – both jobs included. She was wealthy and spoiled, and I realized I had no idea who she was aside from her name. When no one volunteered any information, I spoke up.
"So, Natalia, how do you and Max know each other?" I asked as I donned my best sales girl smile.
"Oh, we go way back, don't we, Max?" she smiled and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him and suddenly it dawned on me that she was the one he was sleeping with. She was his girlfriend and he was afraid to tell me because he didn't want to screw things up at the store.
"I see," I said nodding. "How far is way back?"
"We were teenagers, weren’t we, Max?" she laughed as she rested her hand on his arm in an obvious display of ownership. "My God, we were such idiots back then. You know how it goes, don't you, Lexi?"
"Oh, absolutely! Of course," I nodded, eager for both of them to leave so I could go back to my room and feel like an idiot in private. Of course, Max would have a girlfriend, and of course, she would be a gorgeous socialite who had known him his whole life. I squirmed uncomfortably as I realized just how much of an outsider I was and how very little I really knew about Max Malin.
"I'll be back in a few hours and we can continue this conversation," Max said quietly to me. Natalia was pulling on his arm urging him to hurry up or they'd be late.