Page 17 of For a Price

“Same difference. All I know is, if I’m gonna risk my life, it better be for some real stacks.”

Rosita goes on to tell me about some past john she had back when she was still working the streets. I’ve half-tuned out, my mind traveling to days ago when the police flooded Finch’s safe house.

Roman Volkova’s hand was still down my pants. His fingers were stillinsideme.

The police busted down the door and raided the apartment like they were on the hunt for the most wanted man in the world.

In reality, they were responding to the silent emergency call I had placed during the five seconds he had his back turned.

But relief poured through me anyway.

I lay immobile and obedient on the floor as Roman Volkova wrenched his hand from inside my jeans and rose to full height, an immediate, formidable force to be reckoned with.

Fury clenched onto his face, inspiring a flutter of nerves in my belly. He resembled a ferocious wild beast about to strike in that moment, and though I was glad the police had arrived, a part of me was worried for him…

I come back to the present to find Rosita talking about scraping up funds to get Lucero out of the foster system and win back custody.

My teeth rake over my bottom lip. “Sorry, Ros. That’s what part of the bounty for this job was going to be for. I was going to give you money for Luc.”

“Don’t worry about it, Kat. I’ll figure something else out.”

My best friend in the world winks at me before returning her focus to flat-ironing the other half of her head.

I take the opportunity to head out for a walk, tugging on my hoodie and stuffing my hands in the pockets.

I leave the rundown apartment building where I’m staying with Rosita behind and start down the cracked pavements. The two of us have been close friends since we were teenagers, both living on the streets and surviving by any means possible.

For Rosita, that was sex work from a depressingly young age.

For me, it was hustles like pickpocketing and purse-snatching.

Even now, as we’re both struggling, we look out for each other. Rosita’s letting me stay with her while I’m trying to scrape up money so she can get her son back.

But the farther away I get from her place, the more my thoughts wander along with me. I go from thinking about my friendship with Rosita—maybe the only real friend I have, especially in the wake of what happened with JC and the guys—to thinking about last week.

My brief time with him.

The Russian.

I haven’t been able to sleep in days because I haven’t been able to stop turning over the situation in my head. While I’m grateful to be alive and breathing, I can’t help focusing on how incomplete it feels. It’s like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop…

The Russian Bear rushed toward the bedroom door as the police swarmed through the small apartment. He slammed it shut before they could make their way down the hallway and discover us.

“Be warned!” he boomed from through the door. “I will destroy you if you come in!”

Even when threatening the freaking police Roman Volkova sounded terrifying and formidable.

I watched in awe from where I was tied up on the floor. Was he really about to be foolish enough to get into a confrontation with city police?

In Northam, the cops shoot first, ask questions later.

He turned to me and said, “Devochka, you have two choices. Decide quickly. You can come with me or you can stay here and see how that will work out for you. Which will it be? Are you going to trust me or do you choose them?”

“Please…” I gasped. “I just want this to end…”

His top lip curled as he realized what my plea meant.

The police were done waiting on the other side of the locked door. They opened fire without regard to who could be inside the bedroom.

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