“I think we have the upper hand,” Viktor said as he brushed off his suit.
He’d need a shower after this. Alia might need a bath. She looked up at them, eyes wide.
“Alia, go find Sacha,” Viktor said.
She left them and Viktor took that moment to slug Yuri. The man had it coming. There was no way he was going to get Alia.
Sacha appeared at landing. “Viktor?”
“Call the cops, Sacha. This man is trespassing among other things.”
Sacha did as he was told. He tucked his phone away when done. “They are sending in a cop that’s already here.”
“Can the two of you handle this with this cop?” Viktor asked.
“Yes.”
Sacha moved up the steps while Arkady moved down. When Viktor was sure that they had control of Yuri, he left to find Alia.
She was sitting in his chair in his office. She looked more scared than he’d ever seen her. She jumped into his arms. He sat down, tucking her into his lap. She sobbed.
“I was so scared, Viktor.”
“He’s in police custody now. He can’t hurt you. I’m sorry I left you in the hallway.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“Yes, it is. I’m here to protect and love you,” Viktor said.
She sniffed. “I love you, Viktor.”
“You’re going to have to talk to the police.”
“You’ll be there?”
“Of course, but let’s get you upstairs.”
He’d seen the cop go past with Yuri in tow, so the coast was clear.
“Oh, how bad is it?”
“There’s a little damage, but it’s livable. We can go back in and get you a bath before you need to talk to the cops.”
“Okay.”
She tried to stand, but he stood with her in his arms. “I’ll carry you.”
She turned her face into his chest. “Viktor, thanks for being here.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
*
Alia stood in the bathroom, naked, while Viktor drew her a bath. He’d taken off his tie and rolled up his sleeves. She stared at his arms, veins popping out. For some reason, that was sexy. Maybe it spoke of his power.
Her heart finally returned to normal beating. Her body was tired and she’d rinsed the smoke taste out of her mouth.
“Bubbles?” he asked.
She nodded. No one had ever taken care of her like this. He’d fended off the cops who wanted to question her. He’d told them they could come back in an hour and she’d be ready. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready, but she’d try. She had to.
When the tub was full and bubbles occupied the surface, Viktor stood with a flourish. “Your bath, milady.”
She couldn’t help but smile. What had she done to deserve him?
“I’ll come back in half an hour to check on you,” he said.
He held her hand, as she climbed not the tub. He kissed her nose before leaving. She settled down into the water, her body sighing. She needed this and she loved that Viktor had known she’d needed this.
As the water and bubbles surrounded her, she felt as if she was in Viktor’s embrace. As if he’d poured love in a tub and let her be surrounded by it. She sighed, knowing this bath had an expiration date. She’d have to get up and face the world. Well, just some cops.
That was bad enough. This tub was the largest tub she’d ever been in. If she put her head on the edge, she couldn’t touch the other end. Not even with the tips of her toes. Viktor must have had it made for himself.
Then she tried to imagine Viktor on a bubble bath. The imagery made her giggle. Eventually the water cooled. Alia climbed out and dried herself off.
With a fresh set of clothing she was prepared to face the cops.
They sat on the couch, sipping coffee. Viktor made the best coffee, so she wasn’t surprised.
Detective Lewis stood. “Miss Jefferson.”
“Detective.”
“You need some coffee, Alia?” Viktor said from the kitchen.
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
She sat on a chair opposite the two cops.
“We brought a couple of pictures for you to look at,” Detective Clark said.
He pulled some photos out of his pocket then spread them out on the table.
“Take your time,” Detective Lewis said.
Alia looked them over. Two of them looked familiar. They were the men she saw the night of the murder. She tapped them. “These two.”
“Are they the men you saw that night?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?” Lewis said.
Viktor sat down next to Alia. He didn’t take her hand, but his warmth and presence steadied her. She’d burned his kitchen and he’d never gotten mad.
“Yes, I am.”
The two detectives exchanged a glance. Alia wasn’t warmed by their looks. “What?”
“As we suspected. This was an execution by the Russian Mafia,” Clark said. He pointed to the photo of the blond man. “This is Alexei Sbrencheko. He’s a hit man for the Mafia. He’s vicious and cold-blooded.”
Alia shuddered. If only she hadn’t looked down that alley. Then she remembered that she wouldn’t be sitting here with Viktor. Nor would she have a potential singing career. The silver lining had grown bigger than the cloud.
“Awful. What about the other man?”
“That’s his brother Boris. He’s even worse. I won’t go into what he’s done,” Clark said.
Alia probably didn’t need to know. “So what happens now?”
“Well, we’re going to arrest them, but we doubt they’ll be available. We’re thinking they’ve gone underground or left the city.”
“So how do you catch them? Or don’t you? Do I live my life always looking over my shoulder?”
The two men exchanged a glance again. “We have some ideas. We have the FBI helping us because we believe they have crossed state lines. We also believe they are into other things so the FBI and the NYPD are cooperating.”
“It’s nice that you two can hold hands and sing, but where does that leave Alia? She has a life to lead,” Viktor said.
She heard the anger in his words so she put a hand on his to calm him down. This wasn’t the fault of these detectives. They were just doing their jobs. As frustrated as she was by all this, she had to remember that. These were the good guys.
“What we have in mind, since we do feel we are close to getting them, is to put Alia in a safe house until we get them.”
“Then what?” Viktor asked. “The Mafia would still retaliate.”
“We have ways of getting the message across to leave her alone,” Clark said. “That’s the next step. We’ll do that once we have these men in custody. I’m not completely sure they had the blessing of the head to do this killing.”
“They went rogue?” Viktor said.
“Yes, we think so and the people who have been stalking you are with them, but no the Mafia head. He wants these people almost as much as we want them. We’ll see who gets to them first,” Lewis said.
Viktor shook his head. She knew he wasn’t happy, but this was how it was. “I think Alia and I need to talk about your proposal.”
“Talk about it? We want to keep her safe,” Clark said.
“Yes, but I may have another way to do that.”
“Mr. Kozlov, this is our job. We know what we’re doing.”
“How about, if she decides to cooperate, I’ll bring her to you,” Viktor said.
As much as she didn’t like him talking for her, she knew it came from a good place. He wanted the best for her. He wanted her safe as much as she wanted to be safe. She let it slide that he’d done that.
The two detectives left.
***
Alia immediately gathered the coffee cups. Viktor put a hand on hers. “Wait. That can wait.”
She sat back down.
“What do you think of their idea?”
He saw the flash of anger in her eyes. What had he done? “Yes, of course.”
“Sounded like you were going to decide then tell me what to do.” She stood then finished gathering the cups.
“I’m sorry if it sounded that way,” Viktor said.
She glanced at him, her face softer now. “Okay.”
“I know you’re scared, Alia.”
“I am.”
He followed her into the kitchen. “I know. I’m just trying to make this easier on you.”
“You’re forgiven, Viktor. It’s fine.”
He took her in his arms, needing to feel her. Know she was okay. Know that she still loved him. “What do you think?”
“I should go with them, Viktor. I think they can keep me safe.”
His heart sank, but he knew she was right.
“Not yet. I want to make love to you since I don’t know when you’ll be back.”
“No conjugal visits?”
“Probably not.”
She laughed then led him to their bed. It was their bed. It was no longer just his. She’d made a mark on it, and him, that he wouldn’t soon lose.
She undressed quickly as did he. He wanted to feel her soft skin against him as much as he wanted to be inside of her. Her heart beat double time. He could see the pulse in her long, beautiful neck. She wanted this as much as he did.
He understood that he had to let her go. He also wanted her to understand just how strongly he felt and that he’d be here when she was done.
Looking her up and down, he smiled. She was gorgeous with her mocha skin. He dug his hands into her hair, kissing her lips as if she were his only source of oxygen. Did she know how he felt? Could she see into his heart?
“I love you, Alia.”
“I love you, too, Viktor.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m going to miss you. Not just doing this, but seeing you first thing in the morning, but we’re doing the right thing.”
“I know. I just want it all to be done. Hopefully, the time will go quickly.”
“Hopefully.”
He nipped down her neck to her shoulder, then knelt in front of her to worship her breasts. He loved the taste of them and that they reacted to him so easily. He touched one while he sucked on the other. She moaned, her hands in his hair.
He wanted to remember her scent. The sounds she made when he made lover to her. He wanted her to be marked by him. So that she would never forget him. Even if this took months. That she’d be as eager to return to him as he would be to have her return.
He couldn’t possess her, but he wanted to do the next best thing. If there was one. If he could have bought her safety, he would have paid whatever the price.
Instead he planned to make to love to desperately so she would remember him when this was all over.
He nudged her onto the bed, her legs over the side. Her pussy was beautiful. His favorite. He licked until she squirmed. The he spread her legs further and licked more until she made that amazing noise she did when she came.
He’d miss that.
Becausehe wanted to hear it again, he licked and sucked her to a climax using his fingers also. Her hands lay beside her as if she couldn’t move. He next snagged a condom and rolled into onto himself.
He lifted her legs so that her calves rested on his chest. He entered her. She was so tight this way.
He set up a pace that he could handle until she came again. Then he came right after her.
Not wanting to move, he did anyway. With his condom gone, he snuggled next to her. Taking in her scent. Imprinting it on his brain.
She put a hand on his face. “It’ll be okay, Viktor. I’ll come back. I promise.”
“You promise?”
“I promise. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She turned into him, her face in his chest.
“It’ll still be too long.”
“Think about it this way. When I get back, this will all be done. We can go about our business. I can have a singing career. You can have your nightclub back with no threats.”
She made it all sound so easy. So simple.
He wasn’t so optimistic. He wasn’t so sure that the cops would get the guy easily. Or that the Mafia would let them alone. He didn’t know what he do right now, but he couldn’t figure something out.
Now that he’d found Alia, he didn’t want to let her go. He wanted her in his life. He’d never thought this about anyone. He’d never considered that there’d be one person for him. One person that would make him forget everyone else.
A person who made him want to be a better man.
He sighed.
“Don’t be so sad, Viktor. It will be worth it in the end. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
“Then I’ll be simply over the moon when you get back, because I’m pretty fond of you already.”
She smiled. “I mean it. I’m not happy about not having contact with you, but we’ll be okay. Nothing is going to change between us.”
“I hope not. I never thought I’d fall in love in the first place. I don’t want to have to do it again with someone else. I want you, Alia. That’s it.”
She rubbed her face in his chest. “I want you, too, Viktor. I didn’t have love in my game plan so now that I have it, I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You could never.”
Chapter 17
Alia settled into life at the safe house. At least, as close as you could call life. There were about a million channels on the television, but nothing she wanted to watch.
There were more books than she could read in a decade.
Sadly, there was no Viktor. He had offered to come with her, but he had a business to run. She couldn’t take him away from that.
It had only been a week and she was ready to climb the walls. The cops staying with her changed on eleven to twelve hour shifts. There was always at least one woman.
She was staying in a high-rise apartment in downtown Manhattan. Hiding in plain sight, they’d told her. She’d had no updates about the case, but Detective Lewis was supposed to come by later that day to tell her something.
Anxious to hear something, anything, she couldn’t settle down..
Today’s cop was Officer Shari Nichols. She was a young woman, only five years out of the academy. She’d been here the first day and had rotated back for today.
“You can’t seem to sit still today, Miss Jefferson.”
“No, I can’t. I guess I should relax. I’m looking forward to Detective Lewis’ visit.”
“He may not have anything new to report.”
They sat at a scarred kitchen table. So different than the apartment building with its security. Nicer than even Viktor’s place. Too bad the furniture was Early American Garage Sale. Not unlike her apartment.
She would be happy to be living there instead of in protective custody.
“I hope he does. Might make my stay here a little bit easier.”
“We could play cards or a game?” Shari said.
“Isn’t this just like babysitting? Do you sign up for this assignment or is it because you did something wrong?” Alia asked.
Shari laughed. “I signed up for it. I’m safer here than I would be on the streets. I don’t mind it, really.”
“But it’s boring compared to police work isn’t it?”
“Not so much. A lot of police work can be boring. Paperwork for instance. I loathe it. Always try to foist it off onto my partner. With this gig, I have very little paperwork to fill out.”
“Is there a plan B?”
“What do you mean?”
“If for some reason, I needed to escape?”
“You planning on running?”
“No, but what if something happened to you and the other officer. What should I do?”
“There is no need to worry. This safe house has never had an issue. We’ve protected hundreds
of people in this apartment building. We change which apartments we use on a regular basis. Only a handful of people know that you’re here. You have nothing to worry about.”
Alia felt a little better. It didn’t stop her wanting to climb the walls. She wanted fresh air. She wasn’t even allowed out onto the balcony. She didn’t even know what floor she was on as she was blindfolded on her way here.
The cops said that they didn’t want her to know where she was so she could never tell anyone. They’d confiscated her phone, but she knew it was in the apartment. For her own safety, she wasn’t tempted to find it and call Viktor.
No matter how much she wanted to hear his voice. That would have helped her get through the day. He didn’t even have to say much. He could have read the phone book for all she cared. She just wanted to listen to his sexy timbre.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Shari asked.
“Yes. He runs a nightclub. I miss him very much. That’s who I was just thinking about.”
“Awful to be away from him.”
“Could be worse. I could be alone in the world. I know I have him back when I get out of here.”
Before Shari could say anything else, someone barged in the front door. Shari shoved Alia off her chair. She landed on the ground as bullets sprayed around her. Shari jerked, then didn’t move.
Shit. She was dead. Alia couldn’t see who had been shooting, but someone else was bleeding in the doorway to the kitchen. She peeked around the chair. The person wasn’t moving and they’d dropped their gun.
She didn’t hear anyone else in the place so she tiptoed out of the kitchen, stepping over the gunman. In the hall, she saw the other cop, Farrell or something, leaning against the wall. She raced to him.
“Your phone is in the drawer of the end table in the living room,” he said.
He had blood coming out of his mouth.
“Okay.”
“Get it and get out of here. Go to a police station. There’s one in the next block. Tell them to call my CO.”
“Who is your CO?”
He gave her the name and she left. She called 911 about a shooting, so an ambulance would be on the way. Shari was probably dead and Alia’s heart broke for the young woman.
Viktor, Her Russian Billionaire: A BWWM Billionaire Romance Page 17