by Lia Lee
“You know, when a man tells you that he loves you, it’s usually not a good idea to laugh.” Maksim sounded disgruntled at best.
“I think it was your timing that made me laugh.”
“That’s fair.”
She snorted. “I’m so glad you think so.”
“You’re harsh.”
Maybe she was. Nika just didn’t know what to think about all of this. She loved being with Maksim. Sex with him was amazing. He was hot and he definitely made her hot. The guy had just given her two orgasms with his tongue for goodness sake. But it all came down to the future. What sort of future could the two of them possibly have?
“Maksim, have you ever wondered what it would be like to be something other than Ivan’s enforcer?” She tried to keep her voice soft and neutral. She had no desire to make him angry about her question.
“All the time.”
Nika thought about her work at the flower shop. She didn’t want to be a florist, but it was the family business. She swiped at her eyes, feeling the first sting of tears. “Sometimes I wish I could make my own choices and not worry about what my family might think.”
“I know how you feel.” He gave her a squeeze and pressed his lips to her hair. “I used to think about what I would do if I was on my own. I thought about what job I might want, or if I could make money doing something else. Then Ivan would need me and the whole idea of being on my own just sort of died.”
“It’s not fair.” She felt that for herself as much as him.
“Some might say it’s the price of belonging to a family.”
“Then maybe I don’t think the price is worth it. Can I opt out?” she teased.
“Baby, most days I believe you could do anything you damn well pleased.” He nuzzled her neck and gave her a kiss.
It was flattering, but the truth was when this was all over she was going to go back to her father’s shop and he would go back to helping Ivan. Her sister would get married and live happily ever after and Nika would wither away like one of her father’s roses left out of water too long.
“I don’t want to work in the shop anymore,” she whispered. “I haven’t for years.”
He stroked her hair. The tenderness in his touch nearly undid her. His lips brushed her forehead. “Then why don’t you find something that you want to do?”
“I suppose I was afraid to leave my father alone.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem now,” he pointed out. “We certainly aren’t collecting from your father anymore. Ivan considers him family.”
Maksim was right. She had stayed for so long because of the mess their family was embroiled in with the mafiya. Now there was no mess. She could do something else if she wanted to.
“What about you?” she asked suddenly. “Don’t you want to do something other than work for your brother?”
“I used to think that I would like to open a gym.”
“A non-mafia run gym?” she teased.
His chuckle vibrated against her back. “Yes. Exactly.”
“Maksim, what if we just ran away together?”
There was a long pause, and she was almost certain she had made him angry. Then he exhaled a shuddering sigh. “How would that be possible?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we don’t even have to know.” She thought about what it would be like to fall asleep next to this man and then wake up beside him in the morning. What would it feel like to see his face over the table each day and laugh with him and even get pissed at him? They would likely fight like cats and dogs, but it would be so much fun she didn’t even care.
“Running away isn’t an answer, Nika. It’s a whole new set of questions.”
“Maybe what I’m saying is that I’m tired of the answers. All of them.” As the words kept coming she realized they were exactly how she felt. “Please, Maksim?
“I can’t do that, Nika. Not now. Maybe once this situation with the Tretiaks is settled. Maybe then. But I cannot leave my brother to his own devices when we are so close to ending this feud.”
“Wait. I thought we were hiding here because the dirty Tretiak cops were closing in on our location.” Nika was losing track of the game.
“We have Petrov men on an operation tonight. Once this is through, we should be nearly in the clear. And the heat is off your father’s shop. As soon as you like, you can probably go visit him.”
“Oh.” Nika should have been happier about that. Right? Seeing Papa and going back to her regular life was supposed to be the goal. Yet this whole adventure with Maksim had been exciting.
“Do you want to see your father?” Maksim’s voice was soft.
“Of course I do.”
“This entire situation will be over soon. That’s good news. Your sister will be safe. You want your sister out of danger, right?”
It was on the tip of Nika’s tongue to say that she didn’t care one bit about her sister. But that would have been a lie. She did care about Katrina. At least she didn’t want to ruin the happiness her sister had apparently found with Ivan the Russian mobster.
Nika made a growling noise, feeling as trapped as some wild animal. “Fine. You’re right. I don’t want to ruin my sister’s happiness, and I want her safe. Although some days I will admit to having a secret desire to watch her fall on her face just so she can have a day that isn’t perfect.”
“That’s my girl,” Maksim said with a yawn. “Now can you settle down so we can get some sleep?”
“Oh, I’m so fucking sorry. Am I interrupting your beauty rest?” Nika sneered.
Maksim only cuddled her closer. “That’s right. I need to wake up beautiful for my special woman.”
Okay. That was the lamest thing Nika had ever heard and yet it made her heart soar. What were the two of them going to do once all of this had blown over? Was there a future out there for them somewhere?
Chapter Eleven
Nika would never have thought she could be excited to walk back into her father’s flower shop. Yet when Maksim dropped her in the alley a block away, Nika found herself hurrying to get home. It had been over a week since she’d seen her papa. She might not miss the work, but she certainly missed his smile and the quiet way he would tease her throughout the day.
“Papa!” She shoved the door open and dashed in through the back.
Nika passed the cold storage and the table where she always sat to remove the thorns from their roses. The radio was playing soft and low in the background. Papa probably hadn’t heard her. His hearing wasn’t what it used to be.
“Papa!” she called again.
“Nika?”
She finally spotted him in the front display window, rearranging some of the dried floral arrangements they kept on hand. He turned and took two steps in her direction before opening his arms wide.
Nika flung herself at her father and sighed with happiness when his arms folded her close. “Papa, I’ve missed you!”
“My little Nika,” he murmured. “My wild girl. How have you been?”
She drew back a little, wanting to show her father that she was truly all right. “I’m happy, Papa. I really am. It’s been a little adventure.”
His knowing gaze almost made her blush. Then he chuckled. “My girl needs a little adventure in her life. No? I think life here is too boring for you sometimes.”
Maybe he had seen more that she gave him credit for. Nika allowed herself to be tugged toward the two stools where they sometimes sat to eat their lunch during quiet moments. She sat down and thought about boring and exciting and what role those desires might play in her life.
“Papa, did those policemen hurt you?” Nika asked. She hated to think they had left her father to face the dirty Tretiak cops alone. Perhaps if Katrina hadn’t been there she and Maksim could have kicked some butt.
Her father waved away the worry. “Things have been fine here, daughter. The police know that they cannot push me around. Not anymore. I pretend to be neutral. They know I am happy for my daughter, but they
also realize I have no information to give.”
“Is it all over then?” Nika absently stroked the fronds of an orchid. “Is everything back to normal?”
“Are you asking if it is time for you to come home from your vacation? Then the answer is yes. I will be glad to have my girl back.” He glanced around the shop. “It has been busy and I’ve missed you sorely.”
That wasn’t what she wanted to hear though. And as her father patted her on the arm and suggested she might find her favorite pair of shears exactly where she left them, Nika had the thought that she was sliding right back into the unfulfilling life she had left such a short time ago. This wasn’t what she wanted. Not really. But unfortunately it was where she belonged.
Getting down from her stool, Nika moved to the little table in the back of the shop where she had been sitting on that day when they’d had to leave and go into hiding. She could recall every detail of that day with such perfect clarity. Katrina’s gushing about her upcoming vacation. The way her father had taken pleasure in her sister’s happiness, and her own sadness and frustration at being left behind yet again.
Nika picked up a rose and snipped off the thorns. It was so odd to think that she had spent years of her life doing exactly this. What purpose did it serve? What purpose did she serve?
The bell over the front door jingled, signaling a customer’s entry into the store. Nika heard the familiar timbre of her father’s voice. And then she heard something else that was equally familiar. It sent a shiver of awareness down her spine and made her wet between her legs.
Maksim.
“Have you been telling tales on us, Sokolov?” Maksim asked roughly.
“Of course not, Mr. Petrov. I would never dare.”
Nika put down her shears and got up from her seat. How long had she been there anyway? Ten minutes? Twenty? Time was simply a drop in the bucket when she was here at the shop. Now Maksim was in here threatening her father again? But why?
There was a rustle and a thump, and then something crashed to the floor. “I believe we told you what happens to people who betray the family, Sokolov.”
Nika burst out from behind the counter as though she’d been shot from a catapult. “You cannot be serious!”
She found herself gazing at a stone-faced Maksim. Her father gave a tiny shake of his head, but that didn’t deter Nika. There was no way she was putting up with more bullying. The Petrovs were trying to get away from that. She’d seen it! So why was her family still getting the short end of the stick?
“If you think I’m going to let you come in here and bully my father, Maksim Petrov. You’ve got another thought coming!” Nika got right in his face and curled her lip with as much anger and disgust as she could muster.
***
Maksim could not imagine a sweeter, more appropriate torture for this situation than to be so incredibly close to Nika and unable to do a damn thing about it. Saying she was angry barely scratched the surface of what he could see in her eyes. His hands itched to cup her face. He wanted to brush the softness of her lips with his thumbs and then kiss her until she was done yelling at him.
Unfortunately he couldn’t do that. There was still a strong possibility that the police were watching this shop. It was vital that he keep things as normal as possible. That meant Maksim needed to demonstrate that there was no partiality on the part of the Petrovs toward the Sokolovs.
“How can you do this, Maksim?” The strain in her voice tore him up inside.
Was there anything he could say to make this better? No. “It’s the way of things, Nika.”
“The way of things? Seriously?” She put her hands on his chest and shoved him back a step. “How can you do this? I know you don’t want to. I know you, Maksim.”
“Do you?” He wished he knew if this was true. The two of them had connected on a deep level he’d never experienced with another person, yet the fighting never seemed to end. “Or did you just think you knew me because we were forced to spend a few days in each other’s company?”
“Forced?” Now there were tears in her eyes. “Is that what you think?”
Her distress seemed strange, especially since he had been the one to say the “three little words.” She had never indicated more than a passing interest. Or perhaps she had. Maksim’s thoughts were so tangled.
He sighed. “Nika, just take a step back and let me do my job.”
“That’s all this is. Isn’t it?” She poked him with a finger. “It’s just a job to you. Well it’s my life!”
“Daughter, please,” Denis interrupted softly. “Go to the back and let me talk to Mr. Petrov. You are just making things worse.”
“Oh great. Is that what I do now? I just make things worse?” Nika’s voice broke over the words.
Maksim clenched his hands. The expression on her face gutted him. Then she turned on her heel and disappeared into the back of the shop. Maksim turned to Denis, knowing that everything he felt was right there on his face.
The older man’s lips thinned and his gaze lingered after his younger daughter even once they had heard the slam of a door somewhere in the upstairs living portion of the building. Denis Sokolov sighed. “Nika was always a difficult child.”
For some reason, this statement really pissed Maksim off. “Do you really believe that? Or is it just what you’ve been telling yourself all these years?”
Denis looked confused. He set aside the flower he had been placing and gazed at Maksim. His brows were drawn together in a tight line. “Katrina was always the curious one who would ask questions, but who never broke the rules. She tried to please and always seemed to find her place in the world.”
“And Nika would never stuff herself into your mold,” Maksim said coldly. “I know.”
“Nika never seemed to be happy with things as they were. She was constantly trying to shake things up or cause drama.” Denis seemed almost defensive.
“Yes. Because she wanted so badly for you to see her as herself and not just as Katrina’s willful sister.” Maksim realized he and Nika had more in common than he’d known. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to live in the shadow of a sibling like Nika has? Katrina has been your perfect child. You nearly bankrupted yourself and your shop to send her to school.”
Denis waved off the accusation. “She was so bright. The teachers always knew she would make something of herself.”
“And Nika wouldn’t?” Maksim had always respected the old man. This time he was just angry on behalf of a woman who had tried to be the daughter her father wanted, but had always seemed to fall short. “She’s worked by your side her entire life in a career she never even wanted, and yet that’s not enough for you.” Maksim snorted. “Ask yourself why not.”
Disgusted with himself and with Denis, Maksim turned and stalked out of the shop. At least he didn’t have to worry about looking like he and Denis were still on the outs. Anyone watching would think he was as frustrated with the floral shop now as he had been for the last five or six years.
Maksim only got half a block away from the shop when he saw Nika standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Her expression was bleak. He heaved a deep sigh and wondered if there was anything he could say that would make this situation better. He suspected there was not.
“Why?” she demanded once he was close enough to hear.
“To keep your father safe.” He realized that this dead feeling inside him had been present for so long he hadn’t even noticed it until Nika woke him up. Her fire and vitality had brought spice back into his life. Now going back to the way things had been was almost agony. “We all have roles to play, Nika.”
The way she looked at him was like a knife wound. “And now your role is being cold to me and my family? You and I can’t really be together because it would be against the rules?”
“Maintaining the status quo keeps the people we love safe.” Maksim was having a difficult time buying his own philosophy. That wasn’t a good thing.
“I’m done pla
ying a role and I’m done playing by someone else’s rules.” Her chin was set stubbornly and her eyes flashed. “Aren’t you tired of being your brother’s bitch?”
The accusation caused a brief flare of anger, but Maksim had to admit that she had a point. He was Ivan’s bitch as he’d been his father’s before Ivan took over. “When things are settled, perhaps we can choose a new path.”
She shook her head, looking disgusted. “When are things ever settled, Maksim?”
He watched her walk away and realized she was right. There would never be a right time. There would only be differing varieties of wrong.
Chapter Twelve
Nika found it nearly impossible to just go back to work after her little non-discussion discussion with Maksim. How could he say those things? After everything that had happened, it was impossible to just go back to the way things had been. For what? To keep precious Katrina and Ivan safe? To protect the Petrovs’ mafia interests?
She stuffed a rose in a vase and rearranged the greenery so it wasn’t clumped in between the rose stems. Perhaps now more than ever, she knew that she didn’t want this life. She didn’t want to be a florist. She didn’t have any interest in being with Maksim while pretending not to be so he could continue to bully people around for Ivan’s benefit. It wasn’t fair. None of it was.
“Daughter, surely you must understand.” Papa asked quietly.
She shook her head emphatically. “Nope. Actually I don’t understand at all.”
“The Tretiaks are still trying to focus a police investigation onto Ivan’s business activities.” Her father was actually pleading for Maksim’s illegal activities. Nice.
Nika smiled sweetly at her papa. “Then maybe Ivan should stop breaking the law.”
“And let those Tretiak bastards chase him out of his territory?” Her father’s outrage was bizarre considering his hatred for such things less than three months ago.