Page 29 of Bred To Be Owned

“I figured, and I’ll reach out later. Your mother is setting an additional plate on Sunday. Dinner is at five, sharp. I expect you to be on time.”

“Okay, Patéras. I’ll see you then.” I looked up at the Russian again as I hung up the phone.

“Is your father alright?”

“Yes. He knew you were here and said he’d reach out later in the week.”

He nodded his head. “I’m not surprised. I was at the compound for dinner tonight, expecting you’d be there.” He buttoned his shirt and grabbed the rest of his clothes. “Are you ready?”

I stood, throwing my purse over my shoulder, and grabbing the locked bag. When I approached him, he held out his hand, and I didn’t hesitate to give him mine. He kissed my knuckles and then reached for the door. Adrik was waiting, leaning against the wall with a gun in each hand. He handed one to my Russian before we used the back alley to escape.

It was imperative the men get back to their territory and secure their interests. Until more information was available, the men would assume they were next on the raid list, even if they weren’t. I remained silent as the Russian fielded more phone calls from his men. The sounds of clipped Russian echoed in the car as I watched the scenery pass.

I wasn’t overly familiar with this part of the city, and it was too dark to even guess where we were. My stomach tightened into knots atthe thought of entering the home Irini had shared with the Russian. I was panicking, sweat pouring from my forehead. We’d made good sisterly memories there, and I wanted nothing to tarnish those. I laid my forehead against the cool glass of the window, trying desperately to calm down, but it felt like a rubber band was constricting my chest. I needed to be strong, not draw attention to myself.

My Russian reached for my hand and interlocked our fingers. The touch startled me as I tried to focus on the present. The panic didn’t subside. It settled heavily on my chest, and I felt like I couldn’t take a full breath.

“It’s alright.” He unbuckled my seat belt, steering me so that I sat next to him. Letting go of my hand, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and guided my head to lay on his chest. He pointed out the window at a pair of gaudy gold gates, the double-headed eagle crest prominent in the middle. “This is my home, and my men have homes in this community. There’s too much activity here, and Irini would have never been comfortable. I made my realtor look for an older, quiet neighborhood, and when he found that home, I bought it. She was safe in her own place.”

I wrapped my arm around his middle and squeezed. I lacked the words to describe the meaning of that gesture to me. It was easier to breathe knowing I wasn’t replacing her. I gave myself a few more seconds to take comfort in his arms before I sat up straight. I needed to show his men that I was strong enough to support him.

The Russian held my hand as we walked through the front door. Turning towards Adrik, he started dictating orders. “I want my brigadiers here in an hour with reports. They should have already started lockdown procedures. Anyone not here better have a damn good reason. I have no problem replacing them permanently.”

“Got it, boss.” Adrik walked off with his phone in his hand.

“Come, Toula.” He led the way to his office and sat me down on the couch. He squatted near the ground between my legs and put his forehead on my thighs. “I am sorry, malenkaya lischka. I have waited too long to rush with you.”

“It’s alright,” I told him as I threaded my fingers through his hair. “Your men need you more than I do right now.” I kissed the back of his head. “I’ll find the kitchen and see what’s available to make for breakfast. Once you’re done, they’ll be able to get something hot to eat.”

“You’re perfect,” he said from my lap.

I gently pushed on his shoulders so he’d let me stand, but he didn’t make a move. He just raised his head to stare into my eyes. We had sacrificed to get to this point, but we had forged our bond on a patio long ago. I bent down and kissed him lightly before leaving the office.

The layout of the home was like my father’s compound, and it didn’t take me long to find the kitchen. There was no one there when I walked in, and I took a minute to situate myself. The Russian had decked his home out in commercial-grade, stainless steel appliances. I should have expected it, given his legitimate businesses. They shined underneath the recessed lighting, making it seem as if everything sparkled. Taking a deep breath, I straightened my shoulders and walked over to the two large pantry doors.

My heels clicked on the tiles, and I had to chuckle to myself. I had never wanted to be my mother, but here I was, starting breakfast in the middle of the night, during a crisis, for my Russian’s soldiers. It was hard not to find the irony in the situation as my mother’s voice rang in my ears. I would never tell her she’d been right, but all the times she’d beaten cooking lessons into me were going to pay off. I was a Greek cooking for Russians who had more skills than I did.

Opening the pantry doors, I stood between them, trying to figure out what would be quick and easy. I didn’t know how long their meeting would last, but the men would be out most of the day, and they would need some sustenance. The pantry was a rectangle with bulk dry goods on one half and the other half housed the serving essentials. Grabbing a few of the serving warmers, I placed them on the kitchen island and went over to the refrigerator.

I was busy pulling the ingredients out for a basic breakfast when a noise startled me. Lost in my world, I hadn’t noticed the kitchen staff standing in the far doorway, staring at me. There were two young girls crowding the entrance, but an older woman gently pushed on their shoulders until they let her through. I recognized her. She’d been the head chef at Irini’s home, always laughing at the four of us as we gobbled her food like we’d never eaten before.

“Mistress,” she said to me. Her hands were making placating motions as she took a few steps further into the kitchen. I didn’t think she was trying to startle me, but this was new to both of us.

“Toula,” I said, holding four cartons of eggs in my hands.

She shook her head. “No, Mistress. If you’ll let us, we can start breakfast for the men. We were thinking something simple, so they can grab and go, depending on their assignment. We have to-go containers.”

If I wanted to earn their respect, I was going to have to fix this. “No. Call me Toula.” I smiled, trying to soften the blow. “I was thinking the same thing. Why don’t you take over with assignments and tell me where my spot is?” I sat the egg cartons on the counter near the stove. The heels made a commanding noise, and I decided they had to go. I kicked them off and threw them out the way.

Anna, the chef, turned away from me and directed orders at the staff who’d been watching us. The two girls in the front immediatelywent to the refrigerator and pulled out the rest of the ingredients. Bacon, sausage, and fruit, among other things, were lined up on the kitchen island. Another man took the warming trays I had pulled from the pantry and walked out the door to what I could only assume was a dining room.

“Miss Toula,” Anna said, catching my attention. “We’re okay here, if you would like to rest. I can send someone for you when the men are ready to eat, so that you’re here.”

Was she implying that I take credit for their work?I found the suggestion appalling as I contemplated how to handle my response. I didn’t know how other households were run, but I wouldn’t take part in pretending. “Anna,” I said. Her eyes lit up as I addressed her by name, probably thinking I hadn’t recognized her. “Please tell me which station you need help with.”

She nodded her head. “If you would like to scramble the eggs, it would be a help.”

I nodded back at her, but before I moved, I needed to fix the implication. “No one gets a free pass around here, including me.”

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