by Leslie North
Katya looked around the room. “Do all of you wear wigs?”
The other women laughed even harder before shaking their heads, some yes, some no.
“To each her own,” said Chica, the bitchy woman who had served her at Nikolai’s table the night before. “So spill it. You seemed to be getting mighty friendly with Nikolai last night. Did he nail you?”
Katya was offended by her vulgar question, but before she could take issue with it, Mickey poked his head around the corner, “You can all take off for a few hours. Come back at 5:00. Club opens late tonight, so don’t stress.” Just as quickly, he disappeared once again.
Katya watched the women handle the directive in good spirits. “Does this sort of thing happen a lot?” she whispered to Jewel as she walked past,
Jewel shrugged. “It’s better if you don’t ask. Last girl who asked too many questions disappeared.”
“What do you mean? Like…”
Chica leered at Katya, “As in they packed her up and moved her down to one of their establishments in Mexico.”
Katya looked at her in disbelief as she and the other women grabbed their bags and headed out the back door. Jewel stared at her for a moment and then told her with a nod, “Better hurry it up. Do you have someplace to be for the next few hours?”
“Oh, sure. I’ve got a few errands I didn’t get to run this morning, so this works out perfectly for me. I’m gonna grab my earrings while I’m thinking about it. I left them in the bathroom last night in my hurry to get out of here.”
“Okay, then. See you in a few.” Jewel waved goodbye and left Katya alone in the dressing area.
She contemplated leaving herself, but her curiosity finally won out and she crept towards the blue velvet curtain. She turned the lights off in the dressing area, and eased herself into a sitting position where the curtain came together, giving her a very limited view of the bar area beyond.
She could hear men’s voices, not all of them calm and collected. Moments later, she watched as her uncle and Mickey escorted two men into the club with pillowcases over their head, shoving them down into chairs and then handcuffing their hands behind their backs. The men protested their rough treatment, loudly and in Russian. When the pillowcases were removed she recognized them as the men who had been following her in St. Louis.
Did they follow me to Las Vegas?
Questions ran through her mind, stopping when she heard Nikolai’s voice. There was so much menace in his tone and his words were cold and emotionless. “Who authorized the hit on the Osins?”
Katya shivered and was glad his anger wasn’t directed at her.
When no answer was forthcoming, she watched as both Vanya and Pyotr stepped forward, landing several punches to the abdomen of each man, causing them to groan in agony and slump forward in their chairs.
“Just so you know I never tire of this game, however, my bodyguards do. Answer my questions, and your deaths will be painless and quick. Annoy me, and I will make sure you are still in agony when the sun comes up tomorrow morning.”
Katya covered her mouth with her hands, trying not to cry out against the violence she was witnessing. Then she reminded herself, You did demand their deaths to avenge your parents. Steeling her spine and hardening her heart, she watched as Nikolai interrogated the men, who remained mostly silent, causing even more brutality to be inflicted on their bodies.
When Pyotr grew tired of using his fists, she watched as he pulled a vicious looking blade from his boot then showed it to both men. Katya cringed and closed her eyes, unsure she had the stomach to watch what she assumed was coming. Instead, both men started talking, providing answers before questions could be asked. Within five minutes, Nikolai had the information he required and then he left the building.
Vanya and Pyotr, assisted by Danil and Mickey, dragged the men from the building. Katya waited for ten minutes before she dared to move from her hiding place. She felt sick to her stomach, yet vindicated at the same time. She assumed the men were being killed and their bodies disposed of, just like she had requested. She hoped that Nikolai had gained enough information from the men to eliminate the men responsible for ordering her parents’ death in the first place.
She’d been so consumed with the brutal treatment of the men; she had missed most of their answers. Breathing a sigh of relief, she made her way towards the backdoor, pushing it open, and blinking into the bright sunlight. She reached into her backpack and pulled her sunglasses out, placing them over her eyes before turning right and heading towards the bus stop she’d seen earlier. She never saw the black limo parked to the left of the building.
As he waited for Vanya to answer his cell phone, Nikolai watched Katya walk away from the building, wondering just how much she had witnessed.
“Yes, sir?” Vanya answered.
“Where are you?” Nikolai demanded.
“We’re about five miles from our destination. Is there a problem?” Vanya asked as Pyotr turned off the main road and headed out into the desert.
“Where was Katya when you left the hotel?”
“I assume she was asleep. The bedroom door was shut and she did not answer my knock. I didn’t feel comfortable invading her privacy.”
“She just left Zora’s,” Nikolai informed him. “It would seem that Katya is more curious than is prudent. Don’t worry about it. I will deal with her myself. Take care of our friends and make sure their tracks are well covered.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll see that things are taken care of on this end.”
“Be sure that Mickey understands Katya no longer works for him. If she happens to show up again, he is to call me immediately.”
“I’ll pass that information along.”
“Oh, and Vanya?”
“Yes,” the bodyguard asked softly, seeing that the other men were starting to pay attention to his phone call.
“Do your best to keep this information away from Danil. I do not want a repeat of yesterday’s lack of self-control.”
“I understand. Have a good evening.”
He would. Whether or not Katya did was entirely up to her.
“Go get her,” Nikolai instructed his driver. Relaxing back in the plush seat, he let his mind catalog the various things he was going to do to her when she was safely under his protection once again.
Chapter 11
Katya sat down on the bench to wait for the bus, still going over what she’d just witnessed and trying to come to terms with the fact that she was actually okay with it. She was so focused on her thoughts she didn’t look up when the long, black car parked in front of her. It wasn’t until she heard her name called that she raised her head and was stunned to see Nikolai looking at her from the open door of the limo.
“Katya?” he called for the second time, not liking that she could be so involved in her thoughts that her immediate surroundings faded away. It was a dangerous lapse. He was going to have to work on her ability to stay focused. Inattention could cost her dearly.
Katya’s instinct to seeing Nikolai was to run., both from what she had just witnessed and from what he’d made her feel the night before. He held his hand out to her, but she just sat there. Nikolai could see she was conflicted and decided to act before she could react. Climbing from the vehicle, he approached her slowly, taking a seat next to her and dropping his clasped hands between his thighs.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
Katya gave him an incredulous look. Taking a breath she tried to speak but words failed her.
Nikolai reached over and took her hands, ignoring that she flinched at his touch. He wasn’t sure how much she had seen or heard, but given the look upon her face when she’d first seen him, what she had witnessed was more than enough to have her questioning her judgment.
“We need to go,” he told her, hoping she would come with him willingly.
“Where?” Katya asked, licking her dry lips and trying to keep the quiver from her voice.
How can I still be att
racted to him now that I know what he’s capable of?
“Katya, look at me,” Nikolai commanded softly. He waited until she complied and then told her, “We need to talk about your ability to follow orders, but right now, I need you to get in the car with me. I will answer any questions you have about what you witnessed or heard, but not out here in the open. It’s not safe.”
As he finished speaking, Katya noticed that the driver had exited the vehicle and now stood with his back towards them, watching the street carefully as if an attack was imminent. Realizing that she was probably putting Nikolai in danger, she nodded her head and quickly walked to the car and climbed in.
Nikolai was intrigued at the concern he’d seen in her eyes once she realized he was jeopardizing his safety by sitting out in the open. She was a paradox, one he was determined to figure out.
Nikolai gave his driver instructions to take them out of the city and head towards his lake house. He’d intended to give her some time to adjust before sharing her heritage with her, but given today’s events, that conversation could no longer wait. Grigori had answered his summons and would be arriving in three days’ time. That only gave him a few days to help Katya wrap her head around her future.
Katya had scooted to the far seat upon entering the limo and stared out the window, even after Nikolai entered the car and gave his instructions to the driver. She wasn’t sure what he expected, and she really wished she had someone to talk to about what she’d just discovered, both about the new men in her life and about herself.
Nikolai poured himself a drink and offered her a bottle of ice cold water. “Do you want to tell me what you saw?”
Katya took the water from him, drinking half the container before putting the cap back on. “I…those men…where did your men take them?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Katya fiddled with the water bottle.“I’m not sure. Part of me knows that you and Danil only did what I asked you to do.”
“But the other part of you is horrified that you aren’t more upset.”
Katya looked at him, “How did you know? That’s it exactly. How can I be glad those men are dead?”
“Did they deserve to die?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.
“Then there is nothing else to think about. Justice has been served.”
Katya nodded her head, “I know, but…I read about the things different Bratva have been accused of, and I guess it was only words until today.”
“And how do you feel about that?” Nikolai asked, hoping she wasn’t ready to run away.
Katya didn’t respond to his question.
Chapter 12
Katya remained quiet a long time before she asked, “Where are we going?”
“The lake house. You and I need to talk and I don’t want to worry about being disturbed.”
“You’re angry with me.”
Nikolai nodded. “By leaving the hotel without Vanya, you placed yourself in danger. When you ignored Mickey’s request for the girls to leave, you placed yourself in danger once again. From this point forward, you have to think before you act. Once news of your identity circulates, you will have a target upon your back. Just like mine. There will be multitudes of people wanting to get close to you. Some of them will honestly want to become your friend. But others will want to harm you and all you stand for. Those people will include the authorities and the government.”
Nikolai watched as the lake came into view, “We’ll finish this discussion once we arrive. Tell me what you learned about your other family members from your mother’s journals.”
“Well, she mentioned lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, and a few grandparents. There was a picture of me on my third birthday party, surrounded by people.”
“That would have been taken in Florida. Did your mother talk about other family members on her side?”
Katya shook her head.
The driver parked the car in the courtyard of the lake house and then opened the door. Katya glanced out the window and then smiled in surprise. The lake house was situated on a slight rise above the lake, with a wrap-around, screened porch, green shutters on the white clapboard siding, a green metal roof, and a small red-brick chimney off to one side. I wonder how often that gets used? We’re in the middle of the desert, after all.
The yard around the house had been well-taken care of, with roses in full bloom providing a stark contrast to the barren landscape of the desert they’d just driven through. The lake provided a small oasis in the middle of the desert!
Nikolai stepped from the car, taking Katya’s hand as she too climbed out. Without saying a word, Nikolai led her inside the house, not releasing the hand he still held.
Katya hurriedly looked at her surroundings as they traipsed through the house. There was a corner fire place, very comfortable looking furniture, sitting upon comfortable rugs protecting the hardwood floor beneath, and large fans installed in the ceilings. The large windows had been opened to let the cooler breeze coming off the water inside the house.
There were fishing poles stacked in a wicker basket to one side of the fireplace, and a coat tree held a variety of jackets and raincoats. A small writing desk stood to the right side of the fireplace, providing anyone sitting there a visual of the lake and sandy mountains beyond. Several side tables with lamps were scattered near the other furniture, giving the room a homey feeling.
The kitchen was state-of-the-art and somewhat out of place in the rustic surroundings. Done in white-on-white tile and cabinetry, the stainless steel appliances somehow seemed out of place.
She wanted to ask questions about their location, but Nikolai hadn’t said a word since they’d entered the house. Instead, he had pulled her through the building, all the way to the back of the dwelling. She took one last glance around the kitchen, as he pulled her through an open doorway, and straight out onto the enclosed porch.
The driver parked the car in the courtyard of the lake house and Nikolai led her inside the house and straight to a small enclosed porch.
“Would you like something to drink?”
Katya shook her head, seating herself in one of the wicker rocking chairs. She pushed with her feet, the gentle rocking motion calming her nerves. “My mother talked about her father, but I couldn’t tell if he was still living, or dead.”
“He’s dead. He had a stroke three years ago and died shortly after.”
“Did you know him?”
Nikolai seated himself in the seat across from her. “Yes. He was a very determined man, and one that cared deeply for those who were loyal to him. Hearing that your mother had switched her allegiance shortly after her marriage changed him irrevocably.”
Katya was confused. “My mother wrote in her journal how sad she’d been when her family disowned her and refused to work with her husband’s organization. I don’t think she ever gave up hope that there would be reconciliation sometime during her life.”
Nikolai looked thoughtful. “Kat, where are your mother’s journals now?”
“Here, in my backpack. I was afraid to leave them in my hotel room, so I took them with me before I headed to Zora’s yesterday for my interview.”
“May I see them?” Nikolai asked, needing to see for himself what information Karina Osin had been operating under. Someone had weaved a very elaborate web of lies, going back almost 25 years, and those lies needed to be fleshed out if Katya was to assume her rightful place within the organizations.
Katya removed the small stack of journals and handed them to Nikolai. He set them on the side table and then stood, pulling Katya from her chair and leading her back through the house to the master bath. Without saying a word, he started water running in the tub and then smiled at her.
Katya watched quietly as Nikolai moved around the spacious bathroom gathering towels, adding bath salts to the water, and pulling a fluffy white robe from behind the door. Shutting the water off, he handed her a hair tie and then tapped her on the n
ose.
“Take a bath and relax. I’m going to go read through your mother’s journals. When I finish, we’ll talk about the future.”
“I could read them with you,” she offered, feeling like she was being dismissed.
“Katya, based upon what you’ve said, there is a much bigger problem at hand than I originally thought. I appreciate your offer, but I need to put everything into perspective before any other decisions are made.”
Nikolai’s cell phone rang as he headed out of the bathroom.
“Nik, where is my niece?”
Nikolai stopped and looked at Katya, raising his eyebrow and whispering, “It’s your uncle. Do you want to speak to him?”
Katya nodded her head, watching as Nikolai put the call on speakerphone. “This is Katya.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m with Nikolai. Is there a problem?”
“Yes, there’s a problem. Jewel tells me you showed up at the club again today. I told you to stay away from that place.”
“And I chose not to take your advice.” Katya was becoming irritated but tried to remain calm.
“It wasn’t advice, girl. It was an order!”
“And I told you last night, I don’t take orders from you. I hardly know you.”
“You don’t need to know me. I’m your uncle and you’ll do what I say or else.”
“Or else what?” Katya challenged. She was aware of Nikolai’s growing anger and wondered if she should warn her uncle they were on speakerphone.
“Katya, you don’t know how things work around her, so I’m going to give you a quick rundown. Listen up, because I won’t go over it again. You are a female, a nobody in my world. I’m not sure what your mother wrote in her journals, but I can assure you most of it was made up and only written to help justify her deplorable behavior so many years ago. She abandoned her family, choosing drugs, alcohol, and money over her own blood.”
“That’s not true!” Katya yelled, furious that he would malign her mother’s memory with such horrible lies. “You know that’s not true. My mother abhorred alcohol and drugs, as did my father. And as for money, I watched both of my parents work menial jobs their entire lives so that I could have a few luxuries as I grew up. Don’t you dare talk to me about drugs, alcohol, and money. Don’t assume my mother had your vices, because I assure you she did not!”