“Thank you.”
Maya left the room and closed the door behind her. She took a moment to breathe, then took her phone from her pocket and dialed New Beginnings. When she’d run into Nikolai, she’d been on the way home from her shift. Loren, who was at the front desk, would be able to help her out.
“You’ve reached New Beginnings,” a voice far too chipper for the time of day said. “This is Loren speaking. How may I help you?”
“Loren, it’s Maya. I… well, I need to ask you a favor.”
“Um, okay.” Loren paused. “It’s not going to be like the last time you asked me for a favor, is it? You promise there isn’t going to be panties involved this time?”
Maya pinched the bridge of her nose. “No, no panties involved, I promise. It has to do with work.”
“Alright. Then maybe I can help you.” Loren perked up. “What’s going on?”
“I found someone out on the streets tonight, and he really needs all the help he can get. Is there any way you can find a spare bed he can have tonight? I can’t keep him at my house, but I can’t let him go back out on the streets, either.”
“You took him off the street!” Loren gasped. Maya could only imagine her widened eyes and incredulous expression, her hand clamped in front of her mouth in horror. “Well… I guess if anyone would do something so reckless, it’d be you. Your heart’s too golden for its own good. If you’re not careful, one of these days, someone’s going to bend it out of shape.” Loren clicked her tongue. “You know it’s after hours, and it’s already packed in here…”
“I know.”
“But… let me see what I can do. I’m going to put you on hold for a minute, okay? Don’t hang up on me.”
Maya smiled. “I won’t.”
The line went silent. Maya headed for the kitchen while she waited for Loren to come back. She grabbed a wineglass from the cabinet, took an open bottle of wine from the fridge, and poured herself a glass. After the night she’d had, she deserved it.
When she tilted the glass to her lips, there was noise on the other end of the line. Maya held off on drinking. She set the wineglass down on the counter.
“Hey, are you still here?” Loren asked.
“Yep.”
“I managed to find an available bed. How long do you want me to hold it for you? You know that we’re technically not supposed to, but…”
Maya smiled. “I’ll be there in another twenty minutes. Thank you so much for doing this, Loren. I know that you’re bending some rules for me, and I really appreciate it.”
“You can pay me back by landing the deal on that new shelter,” Loren said with a laugh. “God knows we need it. I’ll see you soon.”
“In a heartbeat!”
Maya hung up and tucked the phone back into her pocket. She glanced at the wineglass on the table, then shook her head and shot it back in one go. It wasn’t how she preferred to drink her wine, but the phone call had gone much more quickly than she’d anticipated, and she didn’t have time to properly savor a drink. Nikolai needed somewhere to stay, and she needed to make sure he was street-ready.
He certainly couldn’t stay here any longer. Maya didn’t trust her father not to have eyes everywhere, and even though she believed that she was safe, she could never be sure. No matter who Nikolai was affiliated with, he didn’t deserve to be caught up in the chaos that was her family.
No one did.
He was safer homeless than he was staying with her. She’d give him the best chance at survival that she could.
The Popov family would not take another life.
* * *
Twenty minutes later, after what had to be the quickest shower Maya had ever heard of a man taking and an uncomfortable cab ride spent in silence, she arrived with Nikolai at New Beginnings. The lights in the lobby were still on, but the rest of the building was dark, allowing the people seeking shelter within some sleep. Maya knew she was pushing the envelope by arriving after hours with another body to house, but she couldn’t keep Nikolai with her, and she didn’t know where else he could go. He’d have the best shot taking shelter here, where he’d have a roof over his head and breakfast waiting for him in the morning.
The next few steps would be up to him.
“Hey,” Loren said when Maya stepped through the doors. She had her black hair pinned back from her face, showing off her high cheekbones. The copper-brown lipstick she wore suited her dark complexion. “Welcome back. It looks like you’ve been having an exciting night.” Loren glanced at Nikolai, raised an eyebrow, then looked back to Maya. “It’s actually a good thing you came back. A call came through on your office phone not long after we hung up. You don’t usually get calls at this time of night, do you? I think it might have something to do with the contract on the new shelter.”
A thrill of excitement raced down Maya’s spine and she glanced toward her tiny office door off the lobby. It was far from private—there was a window through which she could see into the lobby, and by which those in the lobby could watch her—but it was a step up from not having an office at all. She’d only received it recently, when she’d taken on sealing the deal on the new building. “Thanks.”
“What do you want me to do?” Nikolai asked. He stood a few paces behind her.
“I need you to check in with Loren,” Maya said. She gestured at the front desk where Loren stood, waiting. “Once you’re checked in for the night, she’ll show you to a bed, and come morning, you can have breakfast, then work to get yourself back on your feet.”
Nikolai’s face betrayed no emotion, and Maya had to wonder what was going on in his head. Although he didn’t let any sign of fear or apprehension worry his lips, she noticed that he hesitated before going over to talk to Loren. Was he afraid of what she’d say? His buzzed blond hair didn’t hide the swollen lump from his beating earlier that night. Maybe he’d think that she’d call the police or an ambulance in a misguided attempt to help him?
Maya tore her eyes away from them both. It wasn’t her concern anymore. She’d done what she could to help Nikolai. He’d have to see himself through the rest of his ordeal.
Intending to say goodbye a little later, Maya let herself into her office to check the message left on her answering machine. She sank down into her office chair and hit the button, listening intently as the pre-recorded voice listed off a local number as the source of the call. Then, the message connected.
“Zdravstvujtye, Maya.” Maya’s lips parted and her stomach tied itself into a knot. The space between her shoulder blades ached from the sudden tension running through her body. “It’s come to my attention that you’ve made a new friend. Charming. You’ve been living on your own the last few years, and while I appreciate that you wish to have a life of your own, you’d do best to remember that you will always be my daughter.”
Maya crossed her arms over her stomach, her shoulders pinched to her neck. Bile rose hot in her throat.
Why here? Why now? How long has he been watching?
The man on the recording was Anatoly Popov—her father.
“Nothing escapes my notice, Maya. Nothing. Remember that. Family is everything… and I’m afraid that, now that your little friend is in your life, you may have forgotten who you are, and where your true loyalties lie.”
Maya couldn’t listen to the rest of the message. She hit delete and cupped her hands over her mouth in horror and hopelessness.
Her father had called her from a local number.
He was in London.
And if Maya knew anything about how he operated, that meant that he was coming for her.
4
KOSTYA
Loren handed Kostya a pen and slid a clipboard across the table. On the page stuck beneath the metal clasp was a sign-in form. Most of the slots had already been filled in.
“I’m going to need you to put down your name so we can check you in for the night.” While she spoke, she busied herself with another form on her desk. Kostya didn’t bother to p
ay attention to what it was—out of the corner of his eye, he’d noticed something else. Maya, who’d slipped into a small room next to the lobby, had her hands cupped to her mouth. The color had drained from her face, and she’d now gone rigid from terror. The startled look in her eyes spoke for her. “Once you’re signed in, I’ll take you to your bed, and you can stay until morning. We have oatmeal, toast, and cereal available for breakfast, and—”
“What’s going on in there?” Kostya demanded. He jerked his thumb at the window looking into the small room Maya was in.
Loren didn’t look. She chuckled. “Oh, that? That’s Maya’s office. It’s almost more of a storage closet, to be honest… we don’t exactly have the luxury of space here, if you couldn’t tell. She’s been working hard to land a deal with the council so we can set up a new location, so she’s mostly glued to her desk these days.”
Kostya scowled. He cared little about what the room was used for—what he wanted to know was why Maya looked like she was on the verge of tears. He’d been brought up to respect the old adage—an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. While most times the Sokolov family applied that saying to justify physical force, Kostya respected it in other ways, as well. Maya had helped him when he’d needed it the most, and so he would help her. It was what was just.
He shook his head and pushed the clipboard away. “Forget it for now.”
“Um, what?” Loren blinked. “But—”
“There’s something I need to do first.”
* * *
Kostya moved away from the desk to knock on the office door. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to answer. The clothes she’d given him to replace the bloody, dirty clothes he’d shed before his shower were a little too tight, and as his biceps bulged, they strained against the sleeves. He felt Loren’s eyes on his back, but paid her no attention. Right now, his focus was on Maya. He would make sure that things were right before he parted ways from her forever. If he needed to, he’d repay the kindness she’d given him.
Maya opened the door. She brushed a tear from her eye. “Nikolai?”
“I saw you through the office window,” Kostya stated, unafraid to be blunt. “What’s going on?”
“It’s just… a phone call.” She shook her head. “That’s all.”
“From who?” he demanded.
Maya pursed her lips and looked down.
“From who?” Kostya asked again. He broadened his stance slightly—not intending to frighten her, but to show her that he could take care of the problem. If it was a man who was wronging her, Kostya would deal with him, then move on. He needed something to do while he figured out why the hell he was in London, anyway. He remembered that he’d come here of his own volition, and that his older brother and head of the Sokolov family, Viktor, hadn’t ordered him to go. Whatever he was doing was unsanctioned, and he couldn’t turn to his brother for help. He was likely in big enough trouble as it was, leaving the country without permission. He wouldn’t let Viktor know that someone had beaten him so badly that he’d lost all of his belongings and forgotten what he was doing.
“It’s no big deal,” Maya said. She was clearly trying to sound nonchalant, but Kostya saw through her mask. Whoever had left the message had spooked her, and Kostya got the feeling that she had been threatened.
He could deal with threats. He’d spent his adult life perfecting the art of eliminating them. If he needed to, he’d do it for her… but that couldn’t happen unless he knew what was going on in her life.
“Are you taking a cab back to your flat?” Kostya demanded. He wouldn’t waste any more time asking questions she wouldn’t answer.
Maya shook her head. “Money’s a little tight, so I’ll be walking.”
And yet she’d spent it to make sure that he’d arrive in time to take advantage of the shelter she’d set up for him. A pang of guilt momentarily took hold of Kostya’s heart. Who was this woman to spend what little money she had on him, and not on herself?
“Then I will walk with you.” He turned his attention momentarily back to Loren, who was making no effort to hide the fact that she was eavesdropping. “If I walk Maya home, then come back, will there still be a bed for me?”
“We’re technically not supposed to allow check-ins after a certain time, so, yes. But if the big boss comes around, I might not be able to admit you. You’ll have to sleep in the lobby if that happens.”
“You don’t need to walk me home,” Maya insisted, but an undertone of fear still worried her words. “I’m okay. It’s a short walk, anyway.”
“I will escort you,” Kostya said. He cracked his knuckles, then stretched his head from side to side, working the kinks out of his neck. His body was sore as hell from losing the fight earlier, and he knew he was in rough shape, but pain had never held him back before. If he needed to, he would fight until his dying breath. Tonight, he would repay the kindness she’d given him and make sure his debt was paid off. “Let’s go.”
He wouldn’t stay any longer than he needed to. A girl like Maya didn’t need to be dragged into his world. The longer he stuck around, the more he put her at risk. But, for the handful of minutes it would take to walk her home, he would stay at her side. He would protect her. And when they split ways again, she’d be a little safer for it, and he would have peace of mind in knowing that she’d escaped knowing him unharmed.
5
MAYA
Maya walked by Nikolai’s side, passing from the orange glow of one streetlight to the next. They walked in silence. Nikolai had shoved his hands into his pockets, and he kept his eyes ahead. He didn’t look to her for directional guidance. Maya wondered if he was reading her body language and anticipating which way they had to go, or if he’d memorized the route on the short cab ride they’d taken earlier. Either way, she wished that he would talk to her. The walk home was harrowing enough thanks to her father’s message, without her wondering why Nikolai had such a stern, foreboding look on his face.
“So… do you remember anything at all?” Maya asked as they turned the corner and started down the road to her flat. “I know you don’t remember your name, but—”
“I remember very little,” Nikolai said. He kept his eyes straight ahead of him. His chin was level with the ground, and his shoulders looked tensed, as if he was wound tight and ready to spring at any moment. “I assume that I’ll remember with time.”
“We could still take you to see a doctor.” Maya looked up at him, momentarily thrilled by the few inches of height he had on her, and searched his face for a reaction she didn’t find. “Medical care isn’t as expensive here in London as it is in the United States—I mean, you are from the United States, right? Your accent is too strong for anything but. If you go, it’d give you some idea of what you’re up against. What if you have a concussion, or another kind of dangerous head injury? You need to make sure those are treated.”
“If I had a concussion, I’d know.”
“Not necessarily.”
“I would know,” Nikolai insisted. His tone wasn’t cruel, but it wasn’t friendly, either. “Let’s focus on getting you home. There’s no sense in delaying by sending me to a doctor. You’ve done your part by helping me when I needed it the most… now I’ll help you.”
Maya blinked. “Help me?”
“The phone call,” Nikolai said. He came to a stop in front of her flat. “Whoever was on the phone frightened you. I decided the best course of action was to walk you home. If you want me to deal with whoever was on the phone, I can do that for you, too, but so far you haven’t shared who that is.”
Maya almost laughed. Nikolai thought he could deal with her father? He looked tough, but with the bump on his head still so prominent, she doubted that he was in any shape to consider scaring off anyone. “I’m okay. Thank you for being concerned, though. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”
Nikolai nodded. He said nothing, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes that made M
aya wonder what he was thinking. There seemed to be so many thoughts he held back. Was it related to his amnesia? She guessed she’d never know.
They approached the front stoop together. Maya dipped her hand into her purse to find her keys, but as her fingers brushed them, she stopped and froze. The door was already open just a crack, so close to being closed that it was barely noticeable. She knew for a fact that she’d closed and locked it before she’d left. There was no way that she’d left it open on accident.
“Nikolai?” Maya asked in a soft voice. “The door is open…”
There was a crash of something metal from inside, and Maya’s heart leapt into her throat.
Father.
In the fraction of a second following the crash, Nikolai yanked the door open and darted inside. Maya gasped and tried to call after him, but her words were lodged in her throat, pinned by her heart. She clutched at the metal banister running down the side of the stoop and stepped back from the door, certain that she’d hear gunfire. She had to call the police. She had to—
There was another crunch of metal. Someone bellowed with rage. A fleshy, crunching noise rang through the night, and Maya saw a figure move through the darkness inside her flat. She’d taken a step backward, ready to run, when Nikolai emerged, a slender body tucked beneath his arm. The intruder’s feet dragged across the floor.
“I found this in your apartment,” Nikolai said. His voice was detached, emotionless. “Is this the person whose call frightened you so much? Say the word and I will end his life.”
Maya couldn’t speak. Dread threatened to rip her apart at the seams, and all she could do was try to hold herself together. She’d seen cold, emotionless men like this before. She’d seen it from her own father. Despite his injury, Nikolai had wasted no time in subduing and apprehending the young man who’d broken into her flat… a young man she recognized. Maya’s heart wanted to break, but she couldn’t let it. Who was Nikolai? And why was it that, when he looked at her with his cold gaze, she didn’t want to run?
The Sokolov Brothers: The Complete Series Page 23