“I’m well aware of your skill set,” Frank said in a stern voice. “Just make it fast, I have my eye on a 1955 Cabernet.”
“Italians and their wine.”
“Russians and their vodka.”
“Touché.”
Frank pulled into the darkened parking lot. Two lights flickered on the empty street, one above a metal door, the other above a garage.
“Looks inviting,” I said in a hollow voice.
“Soundproof.” Frank said before turning off the vehicle. “Nobody can hear the screams.”
“I tip my hat to the architect.”
Nixon was already opening the door to the warehouse by the time Frank and I made our way out of the car, the rest of the bosses followed in silence, the only sound was our footsteps against the dusty cement floor.
We stopped in front of a second door, still metal, but brand new. Nixon punched in a code, the door unlocked, making a sucking noise as he pulled the five inch contraption from the wall and allowed us all to get in.
There was nothing comforting about the sterile and bare room.
A single light illuminated a man sitting in a metal chair, his hands zip tied behind him, his mouth gagged.
Blood caked down his cheeks.
The minute he set eyes on me, he started shouting profanities against the gag, rocking in his chair back and forth.
“Hmm,” Tex tapped his chin. “I’d say he’s pissed you’ve come over to the dark side.”
“Funny.” I mused. “And here I thought I’d left it.”
“Gag on or off?” Tex asked, being more helpful than I expected.
Mil, Frank, and Chase stood near the door, each of their hands trained on a gun, watching, waiting.
“We need information, therefore we need it off, just expect lots of spit and snarling, that is until I can sedate him.”
“Suki!” Boris gnashed his teeth then spat at my feet. “Suki!” He kept repeating the word over and over again, boring me to tears. Russian for traitor. Then again, he was truly calling the kettle black. After he’d found out as much as he could from Petrov, he’d started selling secrets to the FBI resulting in a few unseemly arrests for Petrov at a few of his ports in San Francisco. Boris was lucky the Italians had retrieved him before Petrov lit him on fire as well and forced him to jump off a building while still breathing. He’d been a Byki set on a future where he wasn’t simply an enforcer for Petrov but one of his most trusted individuals, leading his own band of criminals around the United States.
Selling secrets was not the way to earn trust.
“Boris” I said his name calmly. “Do you remember me?”
“You.” His accent was thick. “The Doctor! Petrov will kill you for this!”
“What makes you think… he has not sent me to deal with our embarrassments?”
Boris seemed to process this information, his skin paling more, the world would end before Italians and Russians would join forces but he didn’t need to know that. I just needed to plant a seed of doubt to get him calm enough so I could manipulate him.
“But—” Boris eyes fell to the bosses behind me. “He would rather be in prison.”
“Perhaps.” I shrugged and rolled up my shirtsleeves, then very calmly breathed in and out, over exaggerating my gestures so that Boris would mimic without thought. It was always easy to manipulate those who were weak minded, and Boris’s mind was Play Doh.
It would be so easy to reach into the depths of his consciousness and squeeze.
Then again, it was easy for any of Petrov’s soldiers.
Because every Byki was controlled… by me. Another reason that Petrov had decided I needed to live—he had fifty remaining soldiers who he had tested and altered with brainwashing, allowing me to test my theories on them until I owned them.
And I could turn those very same men on him, by the simple snap of my fingers.
By simply willing it.
“Boris…” I tilted my head to the right, my eyes searching his. “What have you been up to?”
He squirmed in his seat. They always did when you made eye contact.
“Spokoystviye,” I barely whispered it before he blinked and then, blinked harder as if he couldn’t keep his eyes open. “Ah, there, that’s better. Don’t you feel better, Boris?”
“What the hell kind of voodoo did he just do?” I heard Chase mumble behind me.
“It’s the word for calm in Russian,” Frank explained, surprising me with his knowledge of my language. “It’s probably one of his triggers.”
“Boris.” I slapped him on the side of the head. “No sleeping, Boris. I’ll let you sleep when you give me answers.”
“I’m tired,” he replied.
“Of course you are!” I laughed loudly. “You’ve been up for seven days straight!”
“I have?” He shook his head. “Makes sense, so tired.”
“And hungry. You’ve been complaining about your lack of food for days now… but the worst… is the thirst, is it not?”
Immediately he croaked as if he had no spit left in his mouth. “It feels like sandpaper.”
“And it will continue feeling that way until you give me the answers I need, not the ones I want to hear, but the truth, do you understand, Boris?”
He nodded, or it appeared to be a nod as his head fell forward, chin touching his chest. “Yes, Nik.”
“Sergio Abandonato. You broke into his home… twice. How?”
“Which… time? Will I get water?”
“One answer, then we shall discuss water.”
“Andi.” His head fell forward again.
I slapped him on the right cheek. “Stay awake, and explain. Did Andi know she was helping you?”
“No.” He started crying. “Thirsty, Nik, give me water!”
“Boris.” My tone was demeaning. “Vody.” I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Good job, Boris. You’ve had your water, now tell me about how you broke into Sergio’s house.”
“Andi had a listening device sewn into her suitcase, a camera was positioned near the handle. A gift from her adopted father, it was brought in and left in the entry by the kitchen.” Boris took a deep breath. “It was dumb luck.”
“And the second time?” I demanded.
“Stupidity!” Boris yelled. “He did not arm the house. Italian thought he hit the right buttons, it malfunctioned. The alarm did not go off when it should have. Our plan was to trip the alarm and grab him, we knew we had seconds, and that we could disarm at least five of the men left behind. He would send men with her, not with himself.”
I sighed. “You’ve done well, Boris.”
“Thank you for the water.”
“You’re welcome, Boris.”
“One more question and I’ll allow you sleep.”
“So tired, Nik.”
“I know, Boris. I know.” I leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Is Petrov done with the Italians?”
“For now.” Boris answered quickly. “Licking wounds... his daughter needs his help.”
“Daughter?”
“Maya.” Boris chuckled. “He’s going to kill her.”
“Thank you, Boris.” I slid a knife from my pocket and cut off his zip ties then handed him the same knife. “Thank you for your help.”
“Can I sleep now?”
“Of course, Boris.” I took a step back. “You will never wake up again.”
“Thank you!” Tears streamed down his face. “Oh, thank you.”
Another step back. “Slit your throat.”
Before the men behind me could say anything, Boris ran the edge of the knife across his throat then fell to his death in a pool of blood.
“We could have shot him,” Tex offered.
“I could not allow Russian blood to be on Italian hands.”
Boris’s arteries continued to pump blood through severed veins… I watched, indifferent, the medical side of me taking over as he hiccupped, struggling for one final breath.
D
eath, in my experience, should always be swift.
With a sigh, I walked over to him, grabbing the knife from the floor and severed the rest of the carotid artery beneath his left ear. The blood pumped more quickly, the gurgling stopped, and he went limp as the last remnants of life left him.
“Gotta admit,” one of the guys said, I couldn’t tell who without turning around. “Something extremely calculating about knowing exactly what artery to cut. Know any other tricks?”
I turned to find Chase staring at me, a smirk across his face. The man loved new ways of torture, I was surprised he wasn’t kneeling next to me pointing at the bloody mess and asking questions like an eager student.
“Plenty.” I stood, wiping the knife on my slacks, and making a mental note to burn the pants later, no loose ends. “But it would take a lifetime to teach you, and with the way you run your mouth I don’t count on you living very long.”
“He’s got you there.” Nixon snorted out a laugh then pushed away from the wall. “Thanks Nikolai, we owe you.”
“No.” I swallowed the lump of emotion in my throat, not because blood was fresh on my hands, blood was always fresh on my hands, but because I would never be able to repay them for what they did for Andi. “I believe I still owe you.”
“In that case.” Frank pulled out his keys. “You may buy us a case of wine.”
“Always with the wine.” I shook my head.
“Wine to Frank is both a peace offering and a necessity of life. I’d take it.” Chase slapped me on the back.
We shuffled out of the room just as a few men walked in, I imagined they were the Cappo’s cleanup crew. They spoke in hushed tones with Tex and Nixon, then gave a wide berth to Phoenix as they made their way past us in the hall.
Clearly, there was still unrest between the families if they weren’t acknowledging Phoenix much. He’d taken over as the Nicolasi boss even though he wasn’t Nicolasi by blood, and blood, to the Italians was everything.
Frank was silent on the way back to Nixon’s. The car turned off, I reached for the handle, but Frank put a hand on my arm. “You’ll speak. At the funeral.”
“I was planning on it.” I was also dreading it.
“This is good.” Frank released my arm. “Thank you.”
“How is he…?” I asked. “Really.”
Frank chuckled. “Offer it all you want… your power of brainwashing, promising to help him forget her. He’ll always say no. Why would he want to forget the lightest part of his existence?”
“Why, indeed.” I pressed my lips together. “But the offer will always stand for him, it is the least I can do… if the pain is too much.”
“The pain will always be too much,” Frank whispered. “Life is full of pain, just like life is full of regret. It is how we react to pain in that very moment, that defines the type of person we will be. When you stop feeling pain… when you stop wanting to? That is when you have lost your humanity. The question then, should not be, should I make myself forget the pain? But, should I go on living, when it no longer makes me want to act?”
His words haunted me long into the evening while we shared a few bottles of wine. It had been ages since I’d allowed myself to lose control and drink more than I knew my body could handle.
But Italians and their loudness had a way of making me feel like family, something I’d never truly had.
I had Jac.
But did she really count anymore?
Blood stained us both.
Blood ruined my entire line.
I half walked, half stumbled to the bedroom Nixon had set aside for me, kicked off my boots, and tugged down my pants, then pulled my shirt over my head. Completely naked, I pulled the sheets back and gulped at Maya’s sleeping form.
I drank her in.
From her toes all the way to her mouth.
And nearly had a heart attack when she opened her eyes and said my name.
“Yes?” I answered.
“You’re naked.”
“You’re in my bed.”
“Was I supposed to be naked too?”
I gritted my teeth. Hell yes. Naked. I could do a lot with her naked, writhing body, I could do so many things, things she would actually remember.
With a soft sigh, she turned on her side, her eyes boldly gazing at my body, I felt her stare, felt the heat of desire building as she licked her lips.
“Maya,” I ground out. “We can’t.”
“Okay.” She reached for me.
I tried to push her away, gently, but I wasn’t controlled in my movements, and she was able to grip my hand and tug me onto the bed.
I straddled her.
I wanted to do so much more than straddle her.
“This feels…”
“Right?” I guessed.
“No.” She frowned. “Familiar.”
Listen more, talk less. –Russian Proverb
“BEEN DREAMING ABOUT ME, ZVEZDA MOYA?”
Warmth filled my chest. “My mother used to call me her little star.” It was one of my favorite memories of being a child, one of the rare things I actually did remember before my sixteenth birthday. Memories from before then had been… locked away, or so it seemed. I remembered fragments, my father said it was because of the car accident, apparently the trauma had been too much, and my concussion had caused long term effects.
“Maya,” Nikolai whispered my name between our mouths, linking me to him, making me want nothing more than to kiss him, it wasn’t just familiar, it was right, like he said, it was… as if we fit, we were meant to be.
The fear was still there.
But it wasn’t from him.
It was for us.
And I had no idea why.
“Why are you frowning?” He asked, one hand caressing my face while the other cupped the back of my head, pulling me closer to him.
“You said never to ask questions,” I teased.
His lips twitched. “I deserved that.”
“I don’t know why…” I worried my lower lip as tears pooled in my eyes. “I have no idea why my dad sent me to your offices, or why he would sign my life away… why you would take it. I’m confused more than ever about what we’re really doing with the Italians and why they would swear to protect a hated enemy. There are so many questions that my head is spinning, but I know the answer to one. And if I know the answer to one, then I’m doing okay, right?”
“Absolutely.” He tensed slightly, as if holding his breath. “And what is your answer?”
“You,” I said simply. “It all leads to you. Everything. And I think, for now…” I leaned up, brushing my lips across his. “That’s all that matters.”
“And if I’m the key to both your survival and your destruction, what then?”
“You mean what if your water is poison?” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Then I want to drink.”
There were two seconds.
Two brief moments in time.
When I felt my heart race and wondered if it matched his as Nikolai took a steadying breath… then swallowed hard.
One beat against my chest, and his lips were touching mine.
Two beats as my heart picked up speed, and I could feel the heat of his mouth as he slid his tongue across my lower lip.
I moaned in response, reaching around his neck, grasping fistfuls of his hair and tugging as his body moved against mine. Without breaking the kiss, Nikolai found the hem of my cotton T-shirt, lifted it and pulled it over my head, our mouths parting for seconds before, with a sizzle of heat, they met again, and again. Each time our lips grazed it felt new, and yet familiar, like we’d shared hundreds of kisses, thousands of embraces.
He leaned back and helped me to a sitting position, his muscles flexing from holding his own weight. Moonlight shone across the planes of his firm chest. Something about Nikolai’s masculine beauty was lethal, so dangerous that my heart raced even harder. He frowned, pressing his palm to my chest as if trying to calm me
down.
I wasn’t safe.
Not in his arms.
But I was where I belonged.
I was complete.
The sensation washed over me with such a rightness that I wanted to cry, like I’d been waiting my entire life for that very moment. Images of us kissing flashed in my mind.
I touched the sides of his face, my hands soaking in the warmth of his cheeks.
“I’ll never be free of you,” Nikolai turned his head, whispering against my open palm, then his head descended as he kissed slowly down my neck, each breath tickled against my skin as his tongue left wet possessive trails down to my collarbone, his lips sucked as his hands moved down to my hips and pulled my shorts free.
He was right about one thing, as his smooth hands trailed down the sensitive skin of my thighs, neither of us would be free of this moment, it was going to bind us together forever.
Nikolai’s breathing increased as his hands cupped my ass, and he pulled my body farther down the bed then braced a hand on either side of me. Holding his weight off me, he continued kissing down my arm, stopping at my fingertips, then sucking each finger, like he wanted to taste every single part of me and wouldn’t be satisfied with just my mouth.
I nearly bucked off the bed when he moved to my hips.
“Sensitive,” he mused, I could feel his smile against my skin as he kept kissing. “I could drink you like this…” His mouth moved to my core. “And like this.” I let out a pitiful moan as tingling sensations spiraled outward from where his mouth caressed me. “Every damn day.”
“Nik—“
With a growl he splayed his hands across my hips forcing my body down when it wanted to go up, to move against him. It was the sweetest torture, and an ache built within me. I squeezed my eyes shut as a warm explosion washed over me.
It felt the same way it had in my dreams.
Only better.
I wanted more of those feelings, more of Nikolai. No, not more. All. I needed all of him.
Police have confirmed that the Pier Killer is not a suspect in the most recent homicide at Pikes Market. –The Seattle Tribune
“MOY,” I WHISPERED AGAINST HER SKIN. “Moy.” My body screamed as I branded her with kisses. Mine, mine, mine, she had always been mine.