“Where…?” she asked, looking up at him, all previous ire forgotten in her quest to get her hands on a decent weapon again.
“Ah, my love, this is a negotiation, not a hand over,” he said chidingly. “You must wear the dress to get your treat.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits and she glared down at the offensive black garment bag. She knew she was getting the better deal. Besides, weapons put her that much closer to getting out of this place and on her way to rescuing Jin.
She jerked her head in a nod. “I will wear it. Now hand over my blades,” she demanded sticking her hands out.
“Put the dress and sheaths on and I will give you the weapons, my bloodthirsty kotenok,” he rumbled and headed for the door. “I will be back in twenty minutes. Do not leave this room without me. Things are not as they should be on my estate. Until I can guarantee loyalty to the last man, I want you safe under lock and key when I cannot be with you.”
She didn’t respond to his demand other than to wrinkle her nose and give the dress another defiant shove away. Mostly because, a) she intended to leave his estate the moment she found a way out and she wasn't promising otherwise, and b) he locked the damn door from the outside anyway.
“Hey, can we negotiate for some guns?” she yelled, jumping off the bed and rushing toward the closed door. She rattled the handle in one hand and banged the palm of her other hand against the wooden panel. “I’d wear earrings or even some make-up if you give me a Glock or… or a SIG… just a little one…”
When she didn’t get a response, she pressed her ear against the door and held her breath so she could hear if he was listening. She heard a deep-throated chuckle and the sound of his light tread on the wooden flooring as he retreated down the hall. Damn! She smacked her hand against the door again and leaned back with a sigh. She could do some damage with the blades he was going to give her, but she could wage all out war with a gun and a few dozen bullets.
She huffily yanked the zipper of the garment bag open while jerking her towel off. She only had twenty minutes to get ready for this stupid formal dinner, which she was pretty sure was going to be awkward as hell. The Grekov twins didn’t seem to be on the best of terms. There was something weird going on there. She’d wondered dozens of times during her time as Claudia’s bodyguard why Boris was exiled to America when he had a vast empire and a chunk of the Bratva waiting for him in Russia. There was that pesky hit out on him if he came back to Russia, but that didn’t seem to stop him now. So what changed? Of course, she hadn't been able to ask because she wasn’t supposed to know about Boris’ background.
“What the fu…?” Laney growled as she pulled a silver demi-cup bra with a chain halter neck and matching panties out of the bag. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and muttered to herself, “Stripper underwear? I should have known you’d be into this stuff, Godzilla.”
She yanked the underwear on, ignoring how well it fit, and pulled the dress out of the bag. It was a royal blue, kimono-style floor length gown that buttoned high on her neck but left her arms bare. It was deceptively modest and simple, except for a slit that went from the floor to mid thigh and would only be revealed when she walked. The leather sheaths criss-crossed her hips like a girdle and only enhanced the beauty of the dress. Or so the keen eyes of an assassin thought.
Laney’s chin lifted and she met the eyes in the mirror. Pain reflected there. She didn’t want to see it because she didn’t know what to do about it. She hated being warm and pampered, about to go to a formal dinner while Jin’s fate was unknown. She knew in her heart that Jin wasn’t dead yet, but she couldn’t bear not knowing if Jin was safe.
She forced her mind away from the problem of Jin and onto her current problem of how to get away from “weird” brother and “in-love” brother and back to Japan. She had learned long ago to compartmentalize Jin if she were to survive the separation when the Master sent her out on assignments. She turned away from the mirror and went into the washroom. Finding a brush, she smoothed out the long, straight black hair and then worked the length into her customary braids. Once finished, she searched the washroom for additional weapons. Finding a brand-new package of hairpins, she opened them, used her teeth to remove the plastic coating on two, pulled them open and then slipped them into her braids.
She was armed and ready to eat.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Laney frowned broodingly toward Dimitri. They were sitting at the massive dining room table, eating an elaborate, many-course meal. It was only the three of them sitting at the table, though there were men standing at each entrance of the dining room. Footmen? Laney didn’t know enough about fine dining to know what they were called, but if she had to describe Dimitri’s choice of staff, she was calling them grim-reaper-looking-thug-enforcer-footmen. All four of them came pretty close to the Grekov brothers in height and breadth, and all were tattooed and muscular, as though when not hanging out in dining rooms they enjoyed spending their days at tattoo parlours and gyms. And oddly, all four looked as though they were about to attend a funeral. They looked grim and uncomfortable.
If Laney hadn’t been assured this was a formal dining occasion she would be pretty sure this was some kind of setup. She glanced sideways across the table at Boris, but he continued to eat as though completely unaware of the thick tension permeating the room. Laney really wanted to kick him and demand he wake up and smell the lack of brotherly love. Dimitri also chewed his food as though careless of the hostility in the room, though his eyes rarely left Laney. They crawled all over her face and breasts as though she were the meal and not the food in front of him. It made Laney’s once healthy appetite nearly disappear completely.
Dimitri sat at the head of the table with Laney to his left and Boris to his right. Laney and Boris sat directly across each other, not even within reaching distance. A fact that made Laney decidedly uncomfortable. She didn’t know what was planned, but it was obvious something was up.
Laney didn’t watch much TV. Honestly, who had time with Claudia’s bodyguarding schedule, but Laney was an obsessive fan of Game of Thrones. Never missed an episode. She would bet money that this was so going the way of the Red Wedding. But with fewer guests. She glanced furtively toward the “footmen” and sighed, fingering her dinner knife. It wasn’t very sharp, but it could take out an eye if it had to. She sure wasn’t planning on going out the way Lady Catelyn did if she could help it.
“Moy brat,” Boris drawled, setting his cutlery down and drawing Dimitri’s hooded gaze from Laney’s face. “I have had a chance to go through the books and speak to the accountant you have provided. He is not the man I hired to oversee my financials. What is the explanation for this?”
Laney’s eyes flickered between the two brothers as tension in the room ratcheted up. They were identical in looks. Even their tattoos were very similar, yet different enough that a casual observer could tell them apart quickly enough. The tattoos on their knuckles and forearms were the same, but the two bands around Boris’ wrists, denoting his incarcerations were missing from Dimitri’s swarthy skin. Oddly, Dimitri’s hair and beard were trimmed in exactly the same way as Boris’, which seemed deliberate.
Laney felt a seething resentment from Dimitri toward Boris, yet he seemed to model himself after his older twin. She didn’t understand. There was something there that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Dimitri reached out and took a negligent drink from his wine before answering Boris’ question. “He wasn’t working out. I had to retire him.”
Laney held her breath as she felt the fury rush through Boris from across the table. They both knew what ‘retirement’ meant.
“You fucking retired my man without talking to me?” Boris growled. “That man had been loyal to me for years, he was family. Almost fucking blood! This should not have been a decision you made without speaking to me. The books are a mess. They will take weeks to decipher.”
Dimitri’s dark eyes flashed in annoyance and he defended himself in a he
ated voice. “You trusted me to run this estate on my own while you cavort in America with your friends. I had to make decisions. Orlov was dirty and I retired him. There have been others on your payroll that have tried to cheat the estate while you were away. I will give you list if you require such things of me.”
Boris sat back in his chair and watched his brother as though beginning to see him more clearly. It had been years since they spent any real time together. They had never gotten along. Dimitri had always been a little psychotic, taking crazy chances and expecting the world to bow down at his feet. Keeping Dimitri out of trouble had always been his duty. Their father had died in their early twenties, leaving Boris everything. A few years later, the insanely high price on his head had driven Boris out of Russia and forced Dimitri to grow up.
Or so Boris had thought. Apparently, it had given Dimitri a chance to run amok on Boris’ lands and try to run his estate and his people in a brutal manner. He had started to suspect not all of his orders were being followed as rumours filtered back to America. Some of his Russian businesses were failing and some of the people under his brother’s protection were disappearing. It had been worth his life to return and restore order. To reclaim his throne.
Dimitri tossed back his wine angrily and slammed the glass against the table. “Is this why you came back, despite the danger? To check up on me? As though I am a child that cannot take orders from his father.”
Laney sat stiffly watching the exchange. She was beginning to understand why Boris furnished her with weapons before this meal and a bra with a chain that covered her heart. He wanted to protect her in a home that should be his, but that he couldn’t be certain of.
“If you are retiring my people with impunity, then yes, you need checking on brother,” Boris growled, his tone turning serious and deadly. “I have given you my trust and free reign long enough. I come back to my home to find things not as they should be. Loyalties are not where they should be.” He turned his head to the men standing over his shoulder, his eyes flashing malevolently.
Dimitri smashed his fist into the table, knocking over his wine glass and causing it to smash into his plate and break. Laney jerked back and would have stood up, but his hand flew out and captured her wrist in a strong grip. He pressed his thumb into the bones between her wrist, feeling the delicate pulse beneath her skin. He turned his head slowly toward her, dark eyes capturing hers.
“Are you going somewhere, little bird?” he asked, his tone switching so quickly from defensive to threatening that Laney’s heart skipped a beat. Even when she fought with Boris she always knew on a deeper level that he wouldn't hurt her. She felt nothing but lust and psychotic tendencies flowing off of this twin.
“Let go of my arm,” she seethed from between gritted teeth.
He released her arm at the same time as Boris leapt to his feet with a growl of rage. “Take your fucking hands off her!” he snarled.
As always, Laney was stunned by how quickly Boris was able to move despite his size. She wondered if he practiced. Dimitri sat back in his chair and watched Boris with amusement. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a package of cigarettes and lit one. Raising an eyebrow, he offered the pack. Ignoring the offering, Boris continued to stand with his arms crossed in front of him.
“This attitude of indolent amusement is going to wear thin, Dimitri. You will answer my questions. And you will hand over control of the estate and business immediately.”
Dimitri laughed, took a draw of his cigarette and then pushed away from the table. Standing, he circled behind Laney before she had a chance to maneuver herself into a better position. She would have stood as well, but Dimitri stood too close to her chair. She lifted her eyes to Boris and realized right away that he knew he was being set up. He had probably known from the start. Maybe before he even set foot in Russia. His eyes held a helpless rage she’d never seen before. He had always been so strong and sure of himself.
The four enforcers surrounded him. Laney sat stiff as a board as Dimitri stepped up against the back of her chair and leaned over, bringing his cheek flush against hers. Laney jerked her face away from him, but he brought his hand down on her opposite shoulder, biting his fingers deep under the bone of her shoulder blade. Laney flinched and sat still until he eased his grip.
“Blyad!” Boris snarled, lunging toward the table, intent on tearing Laney out of Dimitri’s cruel grip. One of the men standing behind him, stepped forward with an electric prod and thrust it into the middle of Boris’ back until the giant man went crashing to his knees with a bellow.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Boris!” Laney yelled, jumping to her feet.
As Boris began to recover himself, Dimitri gripped Laney’s other shoulder and shoved her unceremoniously back into her chair. Her butt hit the padded seat hard and her elbow knocked against the table. He held her tightly and watched his brother dispassionately while Boris shook the fog from his bearded head and planted his fists on the dining room floor in an attempt to rise. He brought one foot up and leaned his arm across his knee while his other knee remained on the floor. The amount of voltage it took just to put him on the floor had been massive. The four men surrounded him, ready to take him down if he made another sudden move. It killed Laney that she couldn’t stand at his side, take them out with him.
“You are determined,” Dimitri drawled. “I will give you that, brother.”
Boris lifted his eyes to his twin, a man he didn’t understand and had never been close to. Eyes locked together, Dimitri lifted his hand, cigarette still held loosely between his fingers and brushed them lazily down Laney’s cheek. Gripping her chin, he ran his thumb over her lips, deliberately parting them. She badly wanted to bite him, but she didn’t want to make things worse for Boris.
Boris grew rigid while his brother caressed her. She tried to silently plead with him not to do anything stupid. Maybe they could get out of this if he kept his temper. Boris was good at his job. Or jobs. He was a damn effective enforcer for Vladimir Sitnikov and he hadn’t gotten that way by making stupid, hothead mistakes. And there was a reason he had such a beautiful estate and so many businesses in Russia. Before his brother started messing with things anyway. If they could just get out of this situation using level-headed logic.
Dimitri dropped his hand to her neck and squeezed hard enough to choke Laney. It took every ounce of self control for Laney not to react. She didn't want to give Boris a reason to get himself zapped again.
“I chose her, you know,” Dimitri said coolly, releasing her neck and bringing the cigarette up to his lips.
Momentarily forgetting her plan to silently communicate with Boris, Laney twisted her head and looked up at crazy brother with a frown. “What do you mean, ‘chose me’?” she demanded.
He smiled down at her, released a stream of smoke into her face and ran his fingers down her cheek again. She resisted the urge to cough and snap her sharp teeth at his hand. She really despised this man. Despite the twin-ness, she actually didn't think he looked like Boris at all. She was going to start thinking of him as Mothra to Boris’ Godzilla. And she decided Godzilla was by far the best of the two evils.
“When I decided to finally get rid of my brother, I went to the Yakuza and asked them for their best assassin. They gave me a choice,” his dark eyes didn’t leave her face and his fingers continued to touch her cheek, chin and throat as though he couldn’t help himself. His touch left her cold. She wanted to push him away, but she needed to know what he was talking about.
“They said you were one of the best,” he spoke low as though only to her, but she knew Boris heard every word. Shame and pride warred within her. She was very good at her job. But she didn’t want to be good at killing Boris. “They said that you could slip into a man’s bedroom like a ghost, kill him, and slip out as though you had never been there. The virgin assassin, making her first kill at twelve.”
Laney lifted her eyes and met Boris’. He was silent, but she saw the pain there. H
is brother knew more about her than he did. Dimitri knew these private things about her before he even met her. Boris’ gaze demanded truth from her. She nodded her head once, giving him that at least. His eyes blazed and he refused to look at her. Uncaring of Dimitri, she shoved away from the table and stood. She tried to go around to Boris, but Dimitri took her arm in a hard grip. Boris growled, his eyes riveted to the pair.
“I travelled to Japan to see her and chose her after one look,” Dimitri continued, his eyes travelling down her body. “I wanted her instantly, with such force that it took great control not to purchase her assassin’s contract, remove her to Russia and keep her for myself.”
Laney gasped and tried to pull her arm from his grip. His fingers tightened to the point of pain, overlapping on her arm. She knew there would be bruises later. She reached for one of the blades at her waist, but his hand snaked out and gripped her wrist, twisting it behind her back. He dragged her to the table and tilted her back until she was laying on top of it. She heard Boris snarl behind them and twisted her head, but couldn’t see him with Dimitri practically laying on top of her.
“I knew she would capture your interest as she did mine, so I contracted her to watch you and later to assassinate you if you tried to come back to Russia.” Dimitri’s eyes went from Boris to Laney. “I was very disappointed to learn that you had every chance aboard that ship to complete your job and yet didn’t, my dear. I had planned on punishing you when I finally got my hands on you, but I find I want you too fucking badly.”
He twisted Laney’s arm up further under her body, forcing a cry of pain from her. She brought her leg up to knee him in the side, but he knocked it brutally aside with his elbow. She cried out as he bruised the bone while Boris bellowed his rage at being forced to watch her pain. Eyes locked on Boris, Dimitri leaned over and captured Laney’s mouth in a brutal kiss. She reacted instantly, biting him with her sharp teeth. He retaliated by gripping her her neck in a massive hand, cutting off her air supply and forcing her take his kiss until she was choking and gagging underneath him.
Bound by Blood (Fire & Vice Book 6) Page 15