Page 3 of Mikhail Petrov

“Nah. I’m not hungry.”

Leah touches a hand on my wrist. “I’m sorry I dragged you out here, Mikhail. We can head back as soon as I’m done.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” I reply, silencing the vibration in my pocket. Rodrigo’s missed calls are stacking up. He’s probably wondering where the fuck I am. I don’t want to lie to him, nor do I want to tell him I’m with Leah. I’m enjoying this...whatever this is.

Enjoying her company in a way I never have before.

“How are your brothers and Nikolai? Haven’t heard about them in a while.” “Everyone’s good. Doing their own thing. You know how that goes. And Dad is doing better.” She nods, understanding alight in her eyes.

The Castellanos have never tried to conceal who they are, not even from Leah. Being so close to Rodrigo, she was always in the mix as far as I can remember. We taught her how to shoot, throw punches, properly use a Kukri knife, and parallel park.

The important things.

But there’s nothing left of that girl. She’s someone else.

“And you, Mikhail? How have you been?”

“Good.”

She chuckles. “Such a vague answer. Always a man of few words.” It’s my turn to laugh.

“I am good, though. Business is business. Bought a new place. A couple of cars. Low-profile shit.”

Leah leans over the center console. “And do you have someone waiting for you...at that new place of yours?”

Mindlessly, I lift my thumb to her lip and swipe at a breadcrumb. We lock eyes, and she slowly glides her fleshy mouth back and forth against my skin.

Fuck.

“No, I don’t,” I say, my voice low as I drop my hand.

“Not that I’m complaining, but you’re quite the catch, Mr. Petrov. Why so lonely? Are you a serial killer or something?”

I can’t remember when I’ve laughed this much with anyone who isn’t Rod or my brothers.

And I’m not sure how to feel about it. And as far as the single thing goes, she isn’t too far off. I don’t kill for fun or thrills. Only when I need to. And finding someone who won’t call the feds on me isn’t practical in the local dating scene.

Celeste Orlova comes to mind.

My father proposed we get married, unite our families, to increase territory and wealth, a commonplace practice in our world. I said yes, simply to appease him and play the part he expects of his firstborn son. Although I’ve never met her, she’s pretty enough, I suppose.

Pretty enough. I roll those words around in my thoughts as I gaze at the striking beauty of Leah Castellanos.

“I just haven’t found someone who will put up with me. I’m an asshole.” “Well, self-awareness is the first step,” she jokes, playfully patting my thigh. Again, I find myself smiling like a fucking fool.

“And you? I imagine you have someone missing you back in New York. Look at you... You’re beautiful, Leah.”

She suddenly reaches for my arm again, fingers tracing the ink there. My eyes fall on her black nail polish, but I feel the heat of her gaze on me.

“I don’t. There isn’t anyone there that catches my eye. They’re...a little younger than what I like.”

“Is that right?”

A sense of relief followed by dread ripples through me. I’m not supposed to enjoy that she isn’t in a relationship.

Sighing, she lays her head against the seat. “But it doesn’t matter anyway, because I’m not going back.”

“As in, you dis-enrolled?”

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