Page 5 of Baby for the Bratva

3

Yuri

I reach for my gun the moment I hear the sound of the door opening, but I drop my hand when I see a pair of wide eyes looking at me from the doorway. She looks like she’s about to scream.

Bad news. If she starts making a scene, I’m going to be in trouble before we even leave shore.

I raise my hands to calm her. “Hello… funny thing just happened,” I say, struggling to find the right words in English. I’m usually quite good with Americans’ simple language, but under stress things start to break down.

The woman in the doorway is dumbfounded, totally unable to speak, which is probably a good thing, considering the circumstances. I have no valid reason to be in her room, and I’m not going to be telling her the truth about what I’m doing in here.

Lies are always easier for civilians to stomach, but coming up with a good one on the spot is difficult.

“This is my room, right?” she asks, leaning back and checking the number on the door.

“Ah, right, that’s what I was about to say,” I say with a forced laugh. “I have the wrong room. The door wasn’t locked, so I thought it was mine.”

She raises a doubtful eyebrow. “I saw you before, in line.”

“Are you suggesting that I followed you to your room?” I ask, feeling a faint glimmer of excitement at the mere idea. She’s a beautiful woman, and I wouldn’t mind sharing a bed with her in the future. If I wasn’t here on business, I might’ve followed her just to know where she was staying.

But I wouldn’t have broken in. I would’ve knocked before barging in and tearing her dress off.

The woman in the doorway gives me a look like she’s already done with my shit. Looks like she’s already been through enough, judging by the sweaty hair stuck to her forehead.

“I think we’re getting off on the wrong foot,” I say, stepping forward and holding out my hand. “My name is Yuri Silnov, and I am staying in room B676.”

She takes a moment to process my words, then she takes my hand and gives it a light shake. Her skin is as soft as whipped butter, melting in my grip just as easily.

A smile graces her pouty lips as she pulls her hand away. “My name is Stella. Stella Rey.”

“Pretty name,” I mutter. “Fitting for a pretty woman.”

“Thank you,” she replies quietly, trying to hide another smile. “I kind of knew you would be here, actually.”

“Oh?” I ask, intrigued by the sudden change in her tone.

She nods. “Yes, your cologne smells very nice. I could smell it from down the hallway.” She laughs, and I smile with her.

“Maybe I wear it too strong.”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “It’s just right. I was going to ask what kind it was.”

“Maybe you’ll find out,” I reply, stepping past her toward the door as I remember what I came here for. I don’t have much time to check the room on the other side of mine before someone else arrives. Getting caught once might look like an honest mistake, but twice will get the police called.

“I’ll find out? What does that mean?” she asks, the annoyance in her voice making it obvious that she knows what I’m implying.

“I’m sure I’ll see you later. I’m next door if you need anything.” I move out into the hallway, using my all-access bootleg keycard to skip my room and slip into the next one.

As a Bratva boss, it pays to be cautious, and checking the rooms on either side of mine for listening devices and suspicious equipment pays off when I travel. I’ve been followed by police before, and the Brazilians have it out for me ever since they discovered how much cocaine I was moving across their borders.

One mistake, and I’m spending the rest of my life behind bars in a mildew ridden cell, using a hole in the floor as a toilet and trading English lessons for cigarettes. Don’t get me wrong, I love my adventures in Brazil, but I wouldn’t want to be locked up there.

I’m quick but thorough with my search, the very real possibility of finding something suspicious fading quickly when I realize the room is clean. I got lucky this time. I can conduct business without the fear of being spied on.

And there’s a woman who puts supermodels to shame in the room next to mine.

Jackpot.

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