by Piper Stone
The news was stunning.
Solntsevskaya.
I stood in the same place for a full minute after my father left. Peter was Russian. The entire game of blackjack just changed significantly and unfortunately, Peter held all the kings and aces.
* * *
I pulled the gun from my desk drawer, checking the ammunition before sliding it under my waistband behind my back. I had to be careful.
I walked into the bedroom, prepared to make certain Willow followed orders. Every plan had to be expedited and handled very carefully. I also knew what the girl was hiding, the truth about her heritage. There was a very good possibility that she’d played me the entire time, realizing that if she could get close to me, she’d learn the plan I put into place, thereby notifying her brother.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Not now.
Not ever.
As I was prepared to confront her, my intentions were thwarted just by seeing her lovely sleeping figure. She lay partially on her side, her long locks fanned out on the pillow. The sheet had fallen, exposing her breast, her rosy nipple succulent and inviting. For a brief few seconds, all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed, spending the day enraptured by her beauty.
Unfortunately, my father had been right about one thing. Weakness wasn’t allowed in any manner. She was my prisoner and under my strict requirements to follow through with her end of the deal. Whether or not she was Russian royalty couldn’t matter.
She was going to follow my rules.
I eased onto the bed, ready to rouse her when she opened her eyes, taking a deep breath.
“Mmm... Your scent woke me,” she purred.
The night before had been spectacular but not real. I reminded myself of that again before I spoke. “Time for you to get dressed. We need to make contact with your brother. I suspect he has a private number that you know by heart.” I moved to a standing position, heading for the door.
“Wait, Aleksei. Has something happened?”
“Why do you ask?” I countered, loathing distrusting her. What if she was as much a victim of her brother? There were too many possibilities, none of which had a good ending. I couldn’t allow her to get too close.
“You’re entirely different than last night. You’re also wearing your gun.”
I shot her a look over my shoulder. “I’ll be leaving for a meeting as soon as the arrangements are made. You will stay here and there will be no escape attempt.” I kept my words even. Cold.
Willow sat up, dragging the sheet over her breasts, her eyes darting back and forth. “I don’t understand. You acted like you gave a damn about me last night, as if we were close. The intimacy was amazing.”
“Last night was about your submission and you did extremely well. That is all that occurred.” Fuck. I could see the look of hurt covering her face as she pinched her lips together. The knot in my stomach was raw, gut-wrenching.
“You bastard. Why bother acting like you gave a damn? Why? Did you have fun doing that? Did you get your jollies from making a fool out of me?”
I exhaled, fighting every urge to go to her. I had to think about my family. “As I said, you did very well. Now, get dressed and meet me in my office.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t allowed in your fucking office,” she huffed as she climbed out of bed, still yanking the sheets.
“This is business.”
“And what about the information you were going to show me?”
I thought about her request. Perhaps seeing her reaction was necessary. “I will allow you to see various facts. Then you will make a call.”
“Fine. Sir.”
I walked out, waiting until I was at the end of the hall before smashing my fist against the wallboard. The anger was overwhelming, taking me to my own private hell. Perhaps that’s exactly where I belonged.
She was my weakness.
And I wanted her.
No, I needed her to keep me from the fire pits of purgatory.
Willow found me only ten minutes later. She’d swept her long hair into a ponytail, had donned another pair of black jeans and matching tee shirt. She’d become the assassin once again.
She stood in front of my desk with her arms folded, her legs far apart, the glare icy cold.
“Show me,” she commanded.
I eased the file across the desk and even though I’d removed certain portions, I’d left enough for her to understand just how powerful and devious her brother had become.
At first, her defiance remained, yanking the pages as she turned them. Then I could see that her eyes had glazed over, her mouth twisting as she read everything more slowly.
Taking in the various items.
She slowly lifted her head, her face ashen. “Where did you get all of this?”
“I have certain friends I work with, colleagues of sorts. They alerted me to what was really going on with Church Exports.” There was no sense in lying, although she’d never learn about the Sons of Darkness. I studied her face, the light sheen covering her porcelain skin and the way her pupils were slightly dilated. If she was playing an act, she was a damn good actress.
“Colleagues,” she repeated, slowly lowering the file to my desk.
“Yes. We look out for each other. Besides, they were concerned about the attack on other territories.”
“Attack. You say that like my brother is intentionally out to take you down.”
The truth was the man was indeed brilliant. He’d hidden any connection with the Solntsevskaya Bratva well, living life as a simple American. “I believe, as do my colleagues, that his intentions are clear, and it is also my belief that he has the manpower to do it.” If other Bratva were already in the United States, he could call upon an entire army.
“My brother has maybe two hundred employees. How in the hell do you think he’s going to manage to take over several cities in different states?” She looked away, as if a thought came into her mind.
“Tell me about your father.”
She seemed taken aback. “He has nothing to do with this. He’s dead, for God’s sake.”
“Just tell me, Willow. It’s important.”
Huffing, she began to pace the floor. I could see goosebumps along her arms as she wrung her hands. “I didn’t know him or my mother, not really. They died when I was just a child. I was four years old. I remember my mama’s face, but even that is fading. Peter took care of me as my guardian. Why?”
“I need to understand why Peter would do this, his motivation. I always gather intel about every enemy.”
“Just like you did on me?”
I had to smile. The woman was tenacious indeed. “Actually, you’ve hidden your tracks well. You have no Facebook or Instagram accounts. I can’t find your social footprint anywhere. There are no indications that you ever graduated from college.”
She wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes. “That was at Peter’s insistence. He was always cautious, something he said my father had required of him early on. I never asked questions.”
“You’re a formidable woman yet you never rebuked your brother? You never asked questions as to why you couldn’t have a normal life? Why he turned you into a trained killer? Don’t you want to fall in love and get married, have children and grow old without constant fear and having to look over your shoulder?” I allowed the words to linger. “I find that difficult to believe.”
Her eyes flashed as she moved closer to the edge of the desk, shaking her head several times. “You don’t understand. Peter was there when no one was. He sent me to the finest private schools, made certain I didn’t have to work summers when I was in college. He wanted me to have the best education, unfettered by the bullshit going on in the world.”
“Then he turned you into a killer.”
She opened her mouth as if to retort then dropped her head. “Every time I asked questions, he shut me down. Peter isn’t always the kindest man. He was never compassionate or loving, but I accepted that. I just...
”
I heard a single sob and it yanked at my heart. Had I turned out the same way? Cold? Heartless? The answer was sickening.
“Unfortunately, Peter played on your love of family. He knew that you looked up to him. He needed as assassin because he was building an empire.” Why kill me? Why risk bringing the wrath of my entire family down on his head? And who was going to be next? The answers were becoming clear.
This has been on his agenda from day one. He’d simply waited for the right time, making certain all the pieces were in place.
When she lifted her head, she seemed resigned. “The truth is that Peter is a cruel man. I don’t know why and we are certainly not close. I have no idea about his grandiose plans. He wouldn’t allow me to enter his realm.”
“So you will set up the meeting without hesitation?”
She thought about the request, tipping her head to stare out the window. “Yes. While I do hope that you can come to some sort of an arrangement with my brother instead of killing him, I realize there isn’t anything I can do to stop you. I mean nothing to him and I want nothing to do with Church Exports. You’re right, Aleksei. I want a life. My life. And damn if I’m going to allow anyone, including you or my brother to stand in my way.” She held out her hand. “Give me the damn phone. I will get in touch with him.”
I realized that she could easily send a warning to him, although at this point, Peter would have already figured out I was gunning for him. He’d be cautious in every manner and no doubt attending the meeting with soldiers surrounding the location. I pulled a burner phone from my desk, hesitating for a second before handing it to her.
“If you attempt to warn him in any manner, I assure you, you will be punished. Am I clear?”
“Crystal. Sir. I am many things, but I’m not a hero or a martyr. I do want to live.”
“You’re to tell him that there will be a meeting at eleven tomorrow morning. He will be texted the address thirty minutes prior. You are to tell him it’s at the request of the Petrov family and if he chooses not to attend, there will be consequences, including sending you back to him in several boxes.”
She laughed bitterly. “What if he simply doesn’t give a shit?”
While I loathed her question, the consequences if it was true, I knew I had to consider the concept. Peter just might be the most ruthless son of a bitch I’d ever met.
“You can also tell him that there will be no additional shipments coming into any port.” The anger was building deep within me, the kind that would allow me to remain sharp. Cool.
Calculated.
A killer.
Nodding, she took a deep breath before dialing a number, her hand shaking as she brought the phone to her ear.
There had to be several rings before Peter answered. “Peter. This is Willow. You need to listen to what I have to say. I’m scared and... I don’t want to die and...” She gave a stunning performance of a terrified baby sister, complete with natural sounding sobs, providing every detail exactly as required.
“Will you... be... there?” she whispered, allowing another woeful moan to escape. She finally looked me in the eyes as she waited for his answer, nodding when he acknowledged.
I was no fool. No matter how stringent the security or how many soldiers I placed both in and around the area of the meeting, Peter would have his soldiers dispatched the second the text was sent.
I had to make certain of every detail.
“Thank you. Thank you so...” Willow ended the call as if the phone had been ripped from her hand. A sly smile crossed her face as she held out her arm. “I think that will do.”
“You did very well,” I said, sliding the phone into my back pocket.
She lifted an eyebrow as she watched the action, smirking. “Afraid I’ll call him back?”
“I am a cautious man, Willow. There is a tremendous amount at stake and I can’t be too careful. As I mentioned, I have a meeting. When I return...” I thought about the various chances that Peter would try to hunt me down. That would be my first instinct. “When I return, we are leaving on a short trip.”
“What? A trip? Where?”
“I’ll give you details when I return. Just be prepared. I will be gone no more than two hours.” I walked around the desk, determined to try to put her out of my mind. As I walked closer, the scent of her filled my nostrils, driving me to the point of raging hunger once again. She said nothing as I walked for the door, turning only to wait for her to leave as well. The last thing I wanted to do was give her the opportunity to search through my office.
She gave me a look of disdain before walking past me and into the hallway. “I saw another side of you last night that surprised me. A caring, loving man. For a few hours, I almost believed that there could be something between us. I realize I was dead wrong. You can’t care about anything or anyone but yourself. Have it your way, Aleksei. While you may have more money than God, you’re going to die a lonely and bitter man. How very sad.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she walked quickly to the stairs, taking them two at a time. The ache in my heart was extreme, the pain in my joints even worse. She’d managed to sneak into my private world, the one I’d locked away years before. While I wanted to despise her for it, I couldn’t.
After all, I was falling in love with her.
* * *
I had difficulty focusing as I drove to the location where’d Maksim had taken Peter’s employee. I didn’t know his name and I didn’t want to. I parked the car, staring at the abandoned restaurant building I’d acquired during a particularly difficult acquisition from a client who’d come up short on several debts owed. I’d taken possession of almost every piece of real estate he owned, including this hunk of shit.
It was little more than a sleazy diner in one of the shittiest parts of town, but no one fucked with us, the closest building a solid two blocks away. As I strode into the back door, I heard almost nothing. I knew at least two of my soldiers were here, guarding our prisoner. As I strode into the main dining area, I nearly gagged from the stench of fried food, cigarettes, and booze that had permeated the cheap vinyl seats.
The grease pit had been left as it was the day I’d locked the doors—disgusting. Half-eaten food remained on the tables, the insects already having a feast on the remnants. The young man was disheveled, sweating like a pig given the oppressive heat inside the building. He was chained to one of the chairs, nervously tapping his foot. When he noticed me, his eyes grew wide, the look of utter terror what I’d come to expect.
I walked closer, my eyes never leaving the young man. He swallowed several times, shifting in the chair, the sound of the metal legs sliding across the linoleum floor grating.
“Boss. All’s been quiet,” Carlo, one of my soldiers said. He stood by the single window that hadn’t been boarded up, peering out into the empty parking lot.
“Has he given you any trouble?” I asked casually, stopping only two feet in front of the hostage. He was maybe twenty-five, his white shirt and loosened tie an indication that he certainly wasn’t on Peter’s security detail.
“Nah. Good as gold. Kinda expected him to cry for his mommy, but he hasn’t said much of anything.” Michael sniffed and moved to one of the booths, sitting on the edge of the table.
“Have you been treated all right?” I asked the hostage, even offering a smile.
“Ya... yes, sir.”
“Polite. I like that.” I studied his eyes. What little he knew was likely low level. “Excellent. I do like our guests to be treated fairly.” I yanked one of the chairs, sitting down in front of him. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees and placing the tips of my fingers together. “I have a few questions.”
“Are you going to let me go?” he spat, recoiling as if prepared for a round of violence.
“That depends on how helpful you are,” I answered, able to see Carlo smiling. The young man did have a few bruises, but certainly nothing that would be permanent.
“O-Okay.”
“All right. Now, I need to know how much you know about Peter’s company.”
He bit his lip before shaking his head. “Not much. I just started working there about three months ago. I did accounting work.”
“Ah, okay. That means you probably knew a number of the employees.”
He nodded over and over again, his entire body shaking.
“Excellent. See, you are very helpful. What I need to know if the executives of the company other than Mr. Church. Management. Board of directors.”
“I... I, um, never knew the board, but there were two other people who helped Mr. Church.”
I nodded toward Michael, who was already prepared to write down the names.
“Then by all means, who are they?” I asked as I leaned in closer.
He rattled off the two, even adding a third person who handled the various export accounts. That was a good enough start. “That’s very good. What’s your name?”
“Ke-Kevin, sir. My name is Kevin Reynolds.”
I wasn’t entirely certain why I had asked his name. Perhaps to keep track of him. I didn’t like putting a name to a face. That humanized them, a reminder that life was precious. “Well, Kevin Reynolds, it’s your lucky day. I’m certain you’re aware of who I am?”
“Yesss... sir.”
“Let me hear you say it.”
“Aleksei Petrov, crime boss.”
I chuckled and gave Carlo a look. “Kevin, after I leave, my associate here is going to put you in his car and take you to a drop-off point. It will be close to the office, but you will have to walk a mile or so in order to get there. Is that all right with you?”
“Yes! God, yes, sir and thank you sir,” Kevin blubbered.
“I am a fair man. You did your part. I do have to ask you one more favor.” I sat back, giving him another smile.
“Anything. Anything you ask, sir.”
“Fantastic. Simply find Mr. Church and tell him that Mr. Petrov is giving him a present. That would be you. Tell him that in doing so, my generosity has been depleted. He’ll understand very clearly what I’m saying.” I patted him on the knee and rose to a standing position.