by Kenya Wright
And I didn’t judge him for it. I just had to stay in my place and have the courage to leave, when it came up.
Pushing those negative thoughts away, I studied more of his ink. Barbed wire crawled over the inner bicep of his other arm. I touched it. “What is the barbed wire mean?”
“Every spike is for every year of jail.”
I counted the spikes. “Six years.”
“My prison tattoos look rough. Not as nice as this one.” He slipped his fingers along my tree, tracing over the lines. “Yours was with ink. My artists used other things.”
“Like what?”
“There’s not a big ink supply in prison. So, they used melted tires.”
“This is rubber?”
“Da.”
“But the lions and stars are ink. You didn’t get these in prison.”
“Correct. My Uncle Igor did these. He did the lion when Luka and I escaped from prison. That same morning. We sat in his office drinking vodka and getting tattooed by him.”
“Did Luka get a tattoo?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I’m intrigued.”
“He got a bear.”
“He seems like a bear. Is that his animal?”
Kaz raised his eyebrows. “Animal?”
“No disrespect, but it seems like your…group likes to tag people with animals.”
“Good analysis, mysh.” He laughed. “People do refer to Luka as The Red Bear.”
“Why?”
“Because when he kills, he’s always covered in blood and looks like a big red bear.”
I swallowed. “Luka is messy with his kills?”
“He can be.” Kazimir moved away as if the moment was done and we needed to return to reality. “Russian folklore takes its roots in the Ancient Slavs’ pagan beliefs.”
“And your men take from Russian folklore?”
“In some sense. In old stories, animals are just as important as human characters—foxes, sheep, roosters, etc.”
I considered that. “What animal is Sasha considered?”
“The White Wolf. He looks like one on a snowy night.”
“I barely remember what he looks like. I’ve only seen him once.”
“When I cut off his head, I’ll take a picture for you.”
Damn.
In between the sex and eating on this plane ride, Kaz updated me on reasons why Sasha would’ve wanted to kill him. Sasha’s father was in charge before Kaz. Apparently, Sasha should’ve been the next in line, but Kaz had gained too much of a reputation by the time of Sasha’s father’s death. And there was the problem of Sasha enjoying the pleasure of men. It didn’t seem like the Bratva was up on liberal trends with homosexuality.
“What happened to his mother?” I asked.
“Sasha?”
“Yes.”
“She was killed.”
“By who?” I asked.
“His mother was probably killed by his father. He’d already met my mother by then. Many believed she bewitched him.”
“Literally or metaphorically?”
“Both.” His gaze appeared far off as if he was in another world. “Mom and many of my other…people.” He paused and smiled. “They still believe in those same pagan beliefs that Russian folktales are based on.”
“Magic?”
“It’s more of a merging of ancient ways and Christianity.”
That should’ve been enough information, but I needed more.
Did he believe in this?
I slipped off the counter. While he’d kept my mind busy with sex for the past seven hours, I needed him to answer questions the rest of the time. I had to take it slow. He wasn’t any normal man. There had to be respect in the tone. For now, I lay in his good graces. For this moment, our goals merged together.
It would be smart to keep it that way.
He stared at me as I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself.
I handed him his own towel.
He took it and raised his eyebrows. “You have more questions?”
“I do.”
He studied me.
“Why are we going to Prague?” I asked.
“My Uncle Igor lives there.”
“He is the one that gave you the lion and stars?”
“Da.” There was something about the way he kept saying it that made me want to play with my pussy. It was like he knew how it made me feel and was teasing me.
“Why are we going to see him, and…” I breathed in and out, worried about the answer. “How can I help?”
He tilted his head to the side. “I’ve been thinking about that since we’ve been on the plane.”
I found that hard to believe. All he’d been doing was fucking me until my body shattered into itself. But I wouldn’t correct him. “Where do you think I can fit in?”
“Many places, mysh.”
It all sounded like his cock would be the main thing fitting inside of me. But there would have to be more to my position than sucking him off, no matter how much I enjoyed it. Anyone could suck cock, but how many people could keep him alive?
I’d made myself valuable by helping him avert that bomb. In turn, he saved me from the FBI and a possible serial killer hunt that would have inevitably hit my doorstep one day, without me knowing it.
My head hurt when I thought about it and I got a little dizzy. I pushed through it. Kazimir eyed me, studying my face as if he could read every emotion.
I turned away from him. “What will I be doing in Prague?”
“Keeping your eyes and ears open. Listening to others as much as you can. I want Maxwell and Xavier in on this too. Anything they hear, they come to you about it.”
I sighed, happy he was taking me seriously. I wasn’t a trophy wife type. God bless any woman that could live a lavish life based solely on her looks. But I worked with what I had and played my own position. I carved out the arena to dominate the game. If we survived the Prague trip, it wouldn’t be due to my panties. It would be my brain.
I turned back to him. “What am I listening for?”
His gaze trailed along my feet and then slipped up my body as if he hadn’t seen me naked before or had not just been fucking me for seven hours straight. “I want you to listen for loyalty.”
“Okay.”
“It makes sense that Sasha would try to kill me, but I’m wondering if anyone helped him.”
“And your Uncle Igor’s place is a good starting point?”
“Yes.” Stress covered his face. Kazimir usually had so much control, so this new display of his fear didn’t make me comfortable at all.
“I know my uncle well,” he continued. “I just want to look him in the eyes. If he has guilt, then I’ll see it. If there’s sadness, then he’s still loyal.”
“It wouldn’t be that easy for me.” I shook my head. “I would want to know more to put all the pieces together.”
“That’s why you’re coming with me. I’ll be using my heart with my uncle, while you’ll be using your brain.”
“That’s my only job?”
“Be careful.”
“Always. Do you want me to stay close to your uncle too?”
He laughed. “No, mysh. That’s not a good idea at all. I’ll handle him. In all truth, I don’t think he could ever go against me. I just have to make sure.”
“So, you want me to make sure the people around him didn’t have a part in this?”
“Exactly.”
“And then after Prague, what will we—?”
“Let’s get through Prague first.”
I fisted my hands on my side, needing to know more and have utter control.
Be patient. Stay focused.
He smiled. “After Prague, we go to Moscow. My home.”
More questions sat on my tongue, but I kept my mouth closed.
“Not satisfied?” He nodded. “Okay. We’re going to Moscow because that’s where I will kill Sasha. He’ll be heading to the throne. My throne. My castle.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Do you think Sasha will bring my brother to Moscow?”
“It matters on how useful he thinks Daryl is.”
Then, that’s a no. There’s not much use with Daryl.
He crossed those big arms in front of his chest. “You’ve put a mask on your face just now. Why? Talk to me.”
“I don’t know how I want to deal with my brother.”
“Which is why I’m going to deal with Daryl.” He leaned against the wall. “I haven’t decided how yet. It’s a tricky spot since you care about him.”
That last sentence spoke volumes about Kazimir and I. Should I dare to think too deeply about those words, it would suggest that I had a lot of power with Kazimir. I could stop him from killing his proven enemy. My brother had helped plot to kill him. I was sure that any other time, that would mean automatic death. Kazimir was holding himself back and thinking about what he would do to Darryl and it was all due to me.
A tornado of emotions spun in my chest. Part of me wanted to cry in relief. The other ran confused at Kazimir’s display. Had I earned his loyalty or was it something more? Would I owe him or were we now…friends? More than lovers? Or simply elaborate and very dangerous fuck buddies?
I need space from him. I should get dressed and go out there with Max and X.
“Thank you.” I tightened the towel around me. “Thank you for everything—helping me. Helping my family. Thank you for…the sex…everything.”
He remained silent as he watched me.
He’s definitely a lion, always looking like he’s in a wooded brush and spying on prey.
“I should check on Max and X,” I whispered.
“They’re fine. Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll order something.”
“Thank you, but I’ll grab something in the front.” I began to walk past him.
He stopped me from leaving the bathroom, grabbing my wrist with one hand and putting his finger under my chin to make me look up at him. “You know how I like to be thanked.”
“Do I still have more thanking to do?”
He lifted part of his lip up in a lustful sneer. “Not at this time.”
I cleared my throat to remind myself and him of our true relationship. “Then I’ll do my thanking by being your eyes and ears in Prague. Language barrier or not.”
I’ll figure it out.
He smiled. “I know you will, but most of all, stay safe.”
“I will. Maxwell will be with me.”
“Hmmm.” A muscle under his eye twitched. “That’s good, but Luka remains with you too.”
“Okay.”
Fuck it. I probably need Luka now. This won’t be Harlem.
Releasing my wrist, he took a step toward me, crowding me in the doorway, towering over me. He made no move to touch me, but he placed his hands on either side of my body, caging me in. His smell invaded my senses, making it hard to think. “You seem uncomfortable with this situation.”
“I like answers to all my questions, but I understand I won’t get all the answers with you.”
“What other questions do you have?”
I looked up into his eyes. “After our brothers…after everything…what do you want from me, Kaz?”
He leaned in. His mouth was just a breath from mine. “I want everything from you, mysh. Every fucking thing.”
His words sent a rush of desire through me, making my pussy warm and clench.
It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer. I didn’t know if I could give him everything. In that moment with him so close, I damn sure wanted to try.
But in the long term, would that be a good idea? How long would a lion want to play with a mouse before he became bored and ate her up?
Nevertheless, his eyes were so intense, I believed him. It felt too good, and I wasn’t used to anything feeling so good—especially not a man’s touch or attention.
What is he doing to me?
As if he thought I didn’t hear him, he whispered again, “Everything.”
I didn’t know why. For some reason, being in the air made me act on emotions instead of rational.
“I’ll try.” I should’ve moved away, but instead, I closed the sliver of distance between us, latching my fingers behind his neck.
Groaning, he grabbed my hips and pulled me to him.
A door slammed behind us.
Kazimir left my lips and turned. “Schtoh?”
By now I knew that word meant what. Anytime someone interrupted, Kazimir growled it out in annoyance.
“Schtoh?! I’m with Emily.”
Luka’s face held fear as he stepped in and spoke rapidly in Russian. Whatever he was saying didn’t sit well with Kazimir. He left our embrace, muttered something under his breath, and went to the suite’s windows. Slowly, I followed him, not wanting to get in his way, but needing to see what he was looking at.
What could be outside of the window that would make Luka nervous?
So many crazy things came to my mind. Were we flying into a mountain? Had the pilot gone the wrong way? Were we back in New York?
That last question made me excited a little. The fear of a new country had me on edge. I would rather risk an FBI probe in Harlem than deal with being somewhere new for the first time.
Either way, I was wrong. There were no mountains or signs of New York outside the window. Instead, there were several massive fighter jets—old and new. They looked like they’d come off of a war movie set. Some of the jets had an American flag decorated on the side. Others had the Russian flag.
What the fuck?
Kazimir threw an order at Luka in Russian. The bear of a man left.
I waited for the dread to leave Kazimir’s face, but it never did.
“My uncle spotted Valentina’s plane before anyone else. He had men secure the air space near his home.”
Usually, I would’ve held the question in. It was always better to listen instead of speak. One learned more that way. But this time I couldn’t help myself as I blurted it out, “Your uncle has American fighter jets and he secures the air space for Prague?”
“Yes, but he secures the air space for himself. He’s a little paranoid.”
I scanned the sky. Where there had been only golden rays slicing through puffy white clouds and a clear blue sky, big, booming metal creatures now crowded the space. It was like a war movie scene with all the planes filling the sky and heading to bomb enemy territory.
Instead of Kazimir looking outside, he watched me. “Don’t let this worry you. My uncle is a nice man, once you get to know him.”
“He has American fighters?” I counted them. “Ten.”
Kazimir smiled. “What do you know about fighter jets?”
“Not a lot. I read a Forbes article long ago where Lockheed Martin was selling fifth-generation fighter aircrafts at $85 million each.”
“That’s high.” Kazimir chuckled and began to dress. “Luckily for my uncle, he didn’t buy his jets from Lockheed Martin.”
“Who did he get them from?”
“Me.” Kazimir stepped into his pants.
Yes. Of course, you have another country’s fighter jets. That’s a great way to get you on the Most Wanted List for sure.
I went for my clothes, shaken by all of this. It was one thing to know I’d slept with a man who had power. It was another to realize he was at the top of the food chain when it came to global arms trafficking. The type of person that could give old American fighter jets to his uncle was not the type of man that anybody should fuck with.
Daryl, you damn fool.
Even though my brother set me up for murder and tried to kill me, I still had a tiny bit of worry for him. I’d been stressed over him all my life. But this time, I wouldn’t help him. I wouldn’t even try to step in the way.
I would let Kazimir handle it and hope for the best.
Right now, all I could think about was making sure th
at Maxwell, Xavier, and I survived. Somewhere in between that survival, I would then make sense of this…relationship with Kazimir.
We dressed in silence. Our plane lowered little by little. The fighters flanked us, making the whole moment surreal. I knew Maxwell was in front of the plane and probably shitting his pants.
We dressed and prepared to go.
I put on my jacket and freshened up my lipstick.
“How do we walk in?” I said. It was probably odd to ask, but I had to be careful in everything, even with how we appeared to others.
This was his world. His rules.
He appeared as if in pain to say the word. “Separately.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t want anyone to know how important you are to me yet.” He glanced at the door. “I still have to figure out who’s friend or foe.”
“Okay. I’ll stay close to Maxwell and X—”
“And Luka along with my men.”
“I understand that Luka will still be guarding me, but—”
“Protecting you.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “So, I can go wherever I want to, and Luka will just be with me?”
“No.”
I blinked.
“For now, you go where I say. When we get to Moscow, then you’ll have more freedom.”
“But not full freedom?” I asked. “I’m sorry to push this topic, but I’m big on independence.”
“I like that about you.” He didn’t answer my question, which said more than it needed to.
What were we doing and where the hell were we going with this? Was he my boss or my lover? It couldn’t be both. I’d never had a boss or lover for too long, nothing more than a week. How would we figure this out? Did he understand that I had to be in control of my own life?
Okay. I’ll listen as much as possible. I’ll only break the rules I can’t deal with.
“You’re too busy to worry about independence for now.” He adjusted his jacket. “For now, the focus is this war our brothers have started.”
“True.”
He stood in front of the door. “Are you ready for my world?”
“Yes.”
He opened the door for me. “Let’s go, mysh.”
Scared out of my mind, but feeling safe because he was near, I walked through that door with my head high and hopefully confidence in my eyes.