Page 41 of Taming Mika

My gaze shifts back to hers, and the warmth in my sister’s eyes is so genuinely hopeful, it knots my stomach.

I know who she’s talking about, but I still ask. “Mika?”

My heart skips a beat just saying her name, and Nina smiles, joy lighting up her face.

“Yeah. If you’re willing to go through all this to be with her—” She steps close to wrap her arms around my waist.

My sister is such a hopeless romantic. When the time comes to find her a match, I hope my choice doesn’t crush that in her, because I adore how optimistic she is. It’s sweet that she wants me to find love, and I wrap her in a hug as I think about her words.

I do care about Mika. Honestly, I’ve never cared about a woman like this before, and my instinct to protect her is incredibly powerful. In some ways, since she didn’t grow up in the mafia world, she’s just as vulnerable as Nina—just as unprepared for the violence I’ve introduced into her life. I saw that firsthand yesterday when she went into such deep shock, but Mika also has this unshakable strength that draws me in and keeps me coming back for more. She’s not just beautiful, fiery, and challenging. She’s resilient, and I respect that. Nina’s right. I might just do anything for Mika, and that realization solidifies my resolve.

Grasping my sister’s shoulders, I hold her at arm’s length. “Pack a bag. I have some business I need to handle in town, then I’m taking you upstate where you’ll be safe.”

“To the barn?” Her face lights up with anticipation.

“Yes, but this isn’t a vacation, Nina. If the Kapranovs intend to target the house, you can’t stay here. With you and Mika both in the same place, I can reinforce your defenses better until I put an end to this.”

Nina presses her lips together as if to suppress her smile, but it’s impossible to hide her excitement, and I sigh. Maybe growing up in our world jades us to the danger, but I wish my sister would take this kind of thing more seriously.

“Just be ready by this afternoon,” I tell her firmly.

Nina nods enthusiastically, and I chuckle before turning for the door.

“Alfie?” she says, and I pause, turning back to look at her as my fingers grip the handle. “Be careful.” Her expression is serious now, the concern returning to her eyes.

“I always am,” I assure her, then I walk out the door.

Marco and Vincent are waiting for me, and they fall into step with me as I head back down the hall to the stairs.

“Where’s Nikolai?” I demand. I ordered men to track him down after yesterday’s attack and haven’t heard back yet, but I need to know if I’m going to face him.

Vincent shakes his head, his square jaw clenching. “He’s gone underground. The men have scoured every inch of the city, but he’s not there, and he didn’t return from the racetrack.”

Glaring at my head of security, I keep my growing frustration in check. “I want him found. Where’s Dominik?”

“He came back to town with the sister.”

“And?”

“It seems he’s managing things in his father’s absence. He visited several of their clubs yesterday. No word yet on where he is today. They don’t seem to be planning to target the business side of things yet, but it sounds like they’re gearing up for a conflict. They’re ready for us to retaliate.” Vincent’s steady gaze is carefully devoid of opinion, though I can read the tension in his shoulders.

The precarious peace we’ve maintained with the Russians for years is balanced on the edge of a knife, and any decision I make could be the final push in one direction. I need to get things back under my control, and he knows it.

“Figure out where I can find him,” I state. “If I can’t speak to Nikolai, it’s time Dominik and I sat down for a chat.”

“You think that’s wise, boss?” Marco asks reluctantly, and I stop in my tracks, turning to look at him. He flinches, seeming like he already regrets speaking up as he immediately starts to backpedal. “All I meant is Dominik has a reputation for being less predictable and more violent than his father. You sure meeting with him alone won’t make this whole thing blow up in our faces?”

I’m well aware of Dominik’s reputation, and in that regard, Marco has a point. The Russian heir apparent has a violent temper and a stature that could end someone’s life in the blink of an eye. I’ve heard the stories of what happens when Dominik enters a boxing match, but I’m not interested in challenging him. I just want to talk, and personally, I’ve started to wonder if the younger Kapranov might not be the more reasonable of the two. But it’s hard to get a proper read on him, even after he’s attended all my meetings with Nikolai about this alliance. Dominik says little and always looks like he would rather fight than talk, but to me, that does make him more predictable.

“In case you haven’t noticed, it’s already blowing up in our faces, Marco. You just missed the fireworks yesterday because you left with Nina.” I turn my gaze back to Vincent, who looks more confident about what needs to be done. “Tell me as soon as either of the Kapranov men surface. I want to speak face-to-face with one of them today. It’s time to get this shit locked down.”

“He’sa giant of a fucking man with a Russian accent and a penchant for violence. How the fuck can he be this hard to find?” I shove aside the BLT on rye I’ve only taken a few bites out of because I’m juggling too many balls to take a break and eat lunch. I already skipped breakfast, and I’m sure that’s contributing to my short temper. Still, the main reason is that Nikolai is in the wind, and I need to deal with this before he decides to do anything more irrational or aggressive than he already has.

“He must be holed up outside of town somewhere,” Vincentsays. “The men have confirmed he’s not at his Pennsylvania estate, though, and his jet’s still at the private airfield near his house. He wasn’t with Dominik and Ana when his Escalade brought them back to the city. No one’s seen him since he left Saratoga yesterday?—”

I growl, planting my elbows on the glass desk in the library—where I’ve set up shop until my study is repaired—and I press the heels of my palms into my eyes as I fight back a fresh wave of frustration. I should have put men on Nikolai’s tail as soon as he took off from the Saratoga parking lot, but I was too focused on Mika to think about the big picture. I figured we could pick up on the trail once he came back to town.

“And Dominik?” I ask.

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