by Bella Rose
He took a breath to argue, but she laid her palm flat on his chest.
“No. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have killed Vasily,” she clarified. “I’m just saying it would have required more than just money to convince him to take that sort of risk.”
“So you’re suggesting that someone might have offered him immunity on something else?” Feliks had to admit the turn of her mind was far cleverer than he ever would have suspected.
“Papa likes to operate on his own terms. So if someone offered to look the other way, he would be inclined to make a deal.”
“Look the other way on what?”
She sighed. “I don’t know much about his business. I’ve tried to steer clear.”
“Has he said anything recently that would make you suspicious?”
“This morning,” she began slowly. Then she made a tiny noise. “Or should I say yesterday? I’m so tired I can hardly keep track of how long it’s been since this all started.”
Feliks rubbed her arms, telling himself that he was only doing it so she’d be more relaxed and give him the information he wanted. It had nothing to do with feelings of affection. “What happened this morning?”
“He wanted me to take a note to the FBI office for him.” She snorted, the sound angry and derisive. “He swore that the note would clear up a little misunderstanding and that the only reason he couldn’t take it himself was because of that same misunderstanding.”
“And you thought that was a lie?”
She pushed away from his chest and wrapped her arms around her midsection. It was getting cold. Full dark had fallen long ago and the temperature was dropping quickly. Feliks needed to think of what to do next, and he needed answers. Quickly.
“You have to understand my papa,” she told him softly. “His first concern is always for himself and his business dealings. Everything else exists only as a tool to help him achieve his goals. He’s very driven.”
“Meaning that he’s used you to further his own plans most of your life,” Feliks said flatly. “The man is insufferable, Annika. And what I cannot understand is why Orlov kept assuring the council that you were the linchpin to making your father pay for his crimes. That he loved you so dearly he would be completely destroyed if you were harmed.”
She actually laughed. “He would be sad. I’ll give him that. But I would be stunned if it went beyond a moment’s notice. He was granted citizenship here in the U.S. when I was a teenager. That ended my only purpose in his life.”
“And since?”
She shrugged. “He initiates contact when he wants something. Other than that, we leave each other alone.”
He took her hand and began walking in the direction of the train station. “I think it’s time we initiate contact and extract what we need from your father.”
Chapter Nine
Annika’s stomach was in knots by the time they arrived at the South Boston warehouse where her father worked and lived. It was strangely quiet. There was no moon, and the breeze was brisk and unfriendly. She couldn’t decide whether the night truly felt ominous, or she was dreading the errand that had brought her to Vadir’s doorstep.
She tried not to let her hand shake when she buzzed the delivery bell on the warehouse’s ground level. There was no doubt in her mind her ultra paranoid papa would have cameras watching her every move.
A muted crackle accompanied her father’s disembodied voice on the intercom. “Come to change your mind about the task I assigned you?” he asked in Russian.
“Nyet.” She ground her teeth, trying to hold on to her temper. “I came to talk about the syndicate thugs who made an attempt on my life.”
“What?” There was a low buzz and a click as the door popped open. “Come in, and quickly!”
Annika grabbed the door and held it open as Feliks slipped from the shadows and entered the building before her. She followed on his heels, wondering if this was going to be the night her loyalties were sorely tested. Vadir Polzin was a bastard, a liar, and a cheat. He had used her just as he’d used her mother before her, but he was still her father. He was all she had and all she knew.
Yet as Feliks carefully ascended the metal stairs leading from the warehouse floor to the loft apartment upstairs, she couldn’t help but think that in a way, Feliks was her future. She was having this man’s baby. What kind of loyalty did that require her to give him, if any?
“Annika!” Vadir appeared at the top of the stairs. Then he saw Feliks and began cursing in Russian. “Why have you brought this murdering fiend with you? Have you turned traitor on me? My own daughter?”
They reached the top of the stairs. Annika saw her father go for his gun. Feliks was already aiming his at her papa. She knew what would happen next, and it would do none of them any good.
“Stop!” Circling around Feliks, she placed herself between him and her papa. “No, Feliks. You can’t kill him or we’ll never get any answers.” Then she turned to Vadir. “And you! You owe me an explanation. Feliks could have killed me a dozen times over today, but he’s saved my life every time instead. If you had one ounce of fatherly feeling, you would lay down your weapon and thank him for taking care of your daughter after you put her in danger.”
“Me?” Vadir sidled toward the loft’s kitchen area. Annika knew he had more weapons stashed around his drawers and cabinets. Even when she’d been a child he’d kept an arsenal in their kitchen.
“Papa, stay put.” She glanced at Feliks. “He keeps a gun and a bunch of throwing knives in the kitchen.”
Vadir stopped and turned, staring at Annika as though he’d never seen her before. “It wounds me to think that my daughter has thrown in with my enemy.”
“Was Vasily your enemy?” Feliks demanded. “Is that why you murdered him?”
Vadir’s soft laugh raised the hair on the back of Annika’s neck. “This young pup thinks he knows everything that is going on in his precious syndicate, Annika. But he doesn’t.”
She glanced briefly at Feliks, willing him to be silent. “Then why don’t you explain it to us, Papa?”
“Vasily’s killer was your own Yuri Orlov,” Vadir said arrogantly.
That wasn’t enough for Annika. “But you were there.”
“Yes. That was the deal.”
“Wait. What deal are you talking about?” She frowned. “If Yuri killed Vasily, why were you even there?”
Vadir sighed. “I was expecting a shipment that night. Orlov knew this. I’ve been paying him off for years so that he would leave my business alone.”
It was obvious that Feliks was having a hard time digesting all of this. His jaw was clenched, his hands fisted at his sides. “Orlov has been taking bribes.”
“Yes. But your Vasily found out.”
“So they lured Vasily to the place where you were meeting Orlov to give him his percentage,” Annika guessed.
“Da, but I didn’t know that Vasily was going to be there. I thought for sure that Orlov was screwed.” Vadir didn’t seem disturbed by this possibility. “Then Yuri stepped out of the shadows and killed Vasily. He shot him twice in the chest and once in the head to make sure.”
Feliks covered his face with his hands and cursed over and over again in Russian. The anguish in his tone was enough to break Annika’s heart.
She knew they needed to press on. “So why are they trying to kill me? The whole world knows you value yourself first, your business second, and then me if there’s any time left in the day.”
“I’m not quite that bad a father,” Vadir mumbled. “Though I’ll admit I’m not the attentive sort.”
“Now isn’t the time,” Annika snapped. “Why me?”
Vadir gestured to Feliks. “This has nothing to do with you or with me. I suppose that in a perfect world the Orlovs would like me dead, but I also provide an important source of income independent of the syndicate.” He gestured toward Feliks. “If he gains power on the council, he could put a kink in that deal.”
“So why not kill h
im?” Annika frowned. She was still missing something.
Vadir snorted. “Killing him would be far too suspicious. But if they can prove he’s a coward who cannot do the tasks necessary to win his position, he is no longer a threat of any kind.”
Feliks began to laugh. Low at first and then louder, until the sound rolled across the room as though it came from the depths of his soul.
“What?” she demanded. “You’re totally creeping me out here.”
“They’ve set me up to be a coward by using my scruples against me.” He made a vague gesture in her direction. “Killing women and children is anathema to most men. Yet if it becomes necessary, it must be done to protect the syndicate. By proving that I can’t perform, they’ve rendered me powerless.”
“But you would have happily killed me had I not…” Annika glanced toward her father, unwilling to share anything more while he was listening.
Vadir gave Feliks a speculative once over. “So this is the man who sired that bastard you’re carrying.”
“Can you shut your mouth and let me think?” Annika suggested irritably.
“What is there left to think about?” Feliks turned away and walked toward the bank of windows overlooking the Neponset River.
IT HURT ON a level Feliks had never experienced to think that Vasily had been murdered for something so petty and pointless. Behind him, Annika was still pumping her father for information. He didn’t care. It was hardly necessary. Feliks now understood what was truly going on. There only remained to discover how many council members had been privy to this information.
“You’re exhausted,” Vadir snapped. “Look at you. Do you care so much about this assassin that you would put your health and that of your child in jeopardy?”
Vadir’s words called Feliks on his behavior. Annika did look exhausted. In the soft light of Vadir’s kitchen, Feliks could see the dark circles beneath her eyes. When was the last time she’d eaten or rested? This was the mother of his child. He wanted to be better to her than her father obviously had been.
“Enough,” Feliks said, turning around. “Can we trust you to watch our backs while we rest awhile?” Feliks nodded to Annika. “She needs to eat as well.”
Vadir nodded. “If my daughter believes you’re not worth the price of a bullet, I believe I can control my urge to see you dead on the floor.”
“Your generosity knows no bounds,” Feliks drawled.
Annika covered her mouth with her hand, obviously smothering a laugh. “Is my room still there?”
“Yes. Exactly as you left it,” Vadir said in a flat tone. “I’ll leave you some of the stroganoff I made earlier. You can eat that.”
“Thank you.”
Feliks saw the awkward way that Annika and Vadir interacted. It made him curious to know exactly what had happened to turn daughter against father. Then Annika walked to his side. She stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss over his cheek.
“Don’t trust him any farther than you can throw him,” she whispered in his ear. Then in a louder voice, “I’m going to go take a shower. The two of you play nice while I’m gone.”
Feliks had to give Vadir credit where it was due. The man waited until his daughter was completely out of sight and earshot before he came after Feliks. It was no surprise really. Vadir simply reached into a kitchen drawer and pulled out a gun. He leveled it at Feliks and put his finger on the trigger. One tiny squeeze and Feliks would most likely be dead.
Adrenaline surged through Feliks’s veins. He forced himself to stand perfectly still, hands open and loose at his sides. His own weapon was tucked into his waistband in the small of his back. But he wasn’t going to shoot Annika’s father. No matter how angry she might be at the man, there would be no coming back from that action. Not with a woman like Annika.
“I should kill you now,” Vadir said tightly. “For what you’ve done to my daughter.”
“You should.”
His response seemed to throw the older man off guard. “You’re agreeing with me? What sort of strategy is that for staying alive?”
“A realistic one. You’re not going to kill me because despite your selfish choices, you do love your daughter and you know that for whatever reason, she wants me alive.”
“This child,” Vadir spat. “Is it really yours?”
“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer, but it chafed a little. “Annika says that it is, and I believe her.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Vadir lowered his weapon. “Yes. Although sometimes I wonder how I managed to raise such an honest child.”
“I suspect living with a twisted piece of work like you is what made her honest.” Feliks expected the gun to come back up, but Vadir laughed instead. The man was insane. That was the only thing Feliks could be certain of.
“You have kept her safe,” Vadir said grudgingly. “I owe you your life for that. Nothing more. I’ve already told you more than I should.”
“Orlov is a bastard. Yuri is worse.” Feliks considered what his next course of action would be.
“You must kill him.” Vadir made it sound as though it were the most obvious solution.
“One does not murder another member of the syndicate without reason, or evidence.” Feliks wondered how he could obtain that sort of proof.
“The proof is with Yuri himself.” Vadir scratched his sparse beard. “The little bastard cannot help but brag about the things that he does. Even if the council were standing right in front of him he would boast about killing one of their members. He is that arrogant.”
“You’re right. Which means I need a trap to catch a rat.”
“You have bait.” Vadir pursed his lips. “Though I will kill you if something happens to my little girl.”
Feliks shook his head. It was becoming more and more apparent that fatherhood made men lose their good sense. He could only resolve to be the exception to that particular rule.
Chapter Ten
The shower had only just shut off in the en suite bath when Feliks entered Annika’s bedroom. He set the bowl of stroganoff he’d brought on the empty dresser top and took a look around the room.
It was difficult to say with any accuracy how well this place represented her. It was obvious that nobody had stayed in this room for a long while. There was a fine coat of dust on the furniture, and the queen sized bed was pristine. Still, he could easily imagine a teenaged Annika living in this place.
It was neat in a practical sort of way. There were a few landscapes hanging on the wall, as well as a black and white photograph of the Moscow skyline. A single picture sat on the nightstand. Feliks picked it up, struck by the beauty of the woman portrayed in the tiny silver frame.
“That’s my mother,” Annika told him quietly.
He looked up, realizing that she’d entered the room wearing only a towel. Her hair was still wet. The dampness only served to intensify the color. She was blotting and squeezing the length of it with another towel while she stared at him. The shape of her body fascinated him. Her full breasts were the only thing holding her towel in place. The generous swell of her cleavage above the fabric was enticing. There was strength in the firm muscle of her arms and long legs. He couldn’t see her flat belly, but he could easily remember the way it gradually dropped down to the triangle of short hair covering her mound.
He tried to get back to the moment. “Your mother was a beautiful woman.”
“Thank you.” She seemed to spend several seconds thinking about exactly what she wanted to say. “She was a fool for my father. I don’t think she ever really knew what he was.”
“You think he used her?” Feliks had already surmised that much.
“Yes.” Annika tossed the towel aside and picked up a comb. Perching on the edge of the bed, she began to untangle her hair. “And after my mother died, my father continued that legacy by using me in her place.”
“He loves you.” He wondered if he had angered her with that statement.
Feliks was so shocked by her words that he actually took a physical step back. Love? Was she insane? He had been contemplating her murder less than twenty-four hours ago.
She stared at him as if waiting to see what would happen. Then she stood and walked closer. Feliks could hardly breathe. He caught a whiff of her light, feminine scent and blood rushed to his groin.
She reached up and undid her towel, letting it fall to the ground. “I’m not asking for a declaration here, Feliks,” she whispered.
Still he had no response. What would possess her to say such a thing?
“You could have killed me and ended this entire thing.” She stood on tiptoe, letting her soft lips brush his jaw. “But you didn’t. You let me live. You chose to let me live. Don’t you wonder why?”
Of course he did. But at this moment the only thing he could possibly manage to think about was the naked woman standing so close that he could feel the heat of her skin shimmering over his body. There was no turning back. Not now.
He wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his. He devoured her lips, pushing his tongue into her mouth and staking a claim that would not be denied. Cupping her rounded backside in his hands, he pulled her flush against his body. The ridge of his erection fit perfectly against the V of her pelvis. She made a little noise and slipped her arms around his neck. When she scored his scalp with her nails, Feliks could wait no longer.
He let go of Annika and scrabbled to find the hem of his T-shirt. Seconds later she was helping him, pushing it up and over his head so he could drop it to the floor. His pants were next. He unfastened them and shoved them down over his hips along with his boxers.
She grabbed his shaft in her hands before he’d managed to kick off his boots. Feliks groaned and fell back onto her bed. Her soft palms felt so good against the raging hot skin stretched tight over his cock. When she began to pump him from base to tip, he was lost completely.