Page 46 of For a Price

Meanwhile, we’re both equally as surprised that the other woman is.

“Zver, who is this?” Polina spits.

“Never mind that,” Roman says. “What are you doing in here, Polina? Tell me now.”

She exhales a fuming breath, her neck reddened. “I came to warn you. He is on his way up.”

“Who is?”

She throws me a dirty look, then refocuses on Roman. “The pakhan. He has come to see you.”

* Otvezi nas ko mne. Ubedites, chto nikto ne sledit za vami -Take us to my place. Make sure no one is following.

* Da, Zver -yes, beast

CHAPTER 16

Katerina

“Make yourself scarce.You and all of the staff,” Roman orders Polina. “Bring him to the living room and have the drinks ready.”

Polina nods and then scurries out of the bedroom to make his demands happen. Roman rounds on me.

“Devochka, you are to stay here,” he says. “Do not leave this room. Do not make a sound. Do you understand?”

“But, Roman, what?—”

“Do you understand?” he interrupts impatiently. “This is a matter of life or death for you. He must not know you’re here.”

I fall silent, then give a stiff nod.

Roman dresses quickly. He disappears into what I imagine is a massive closet only to reappear a moment later in another black shirt and cargo pants. Try as I might to keep my face neutral, the way my gaze flicks up and down his body gives me away.

He looks deliciously formidable, even at a time like this, where he seems to be focused on what lays ahead.

He strides out of the closet with the crewneck shirt molded to his muscular chest and the cargo pants making it seem as ifhe’s ready for a war. He’s put on heavy combat boots to finish the outfit, his features clenched and unreadable.

“Devochka,” he says one last time at the bedroom door. He raises his thick brows at me.

I blink and then mutter, “I promise. I’ll… I’ll stay out of the way. I’ll be quiet.”

He nods, then shuts the door. I hear a twist in the lock and watch as the doorknob jiggles. He’s locked me inside for good measure.

I don’t mind at all.

Coming anywhere near the pakhan of the family isn’t in my plan. Being in the same room as the sovietnik was intimidating enough—and he’s his boss.

I swallow hard, nerves fluttering in my belly.

The best thing I can do right now is preoccupy myself. Hopefully the pakhan won’t be here for long. It sounded like his visits are rare, which is why Roman was thrown by him coming by on short notice.

Maybe he knows about me. Maybe the sovietnik told him.

But then I shake my head to myself. Why would the sovietnik rat out his own son?

In the criminal world, double-crossing is unsurprising and common, but in organized crime, there’s usuallysomerules. Some honor code. If Roman’s father feels like his son is going against his best interests, it’s possible he’d turn against him…

“No,” I whisper. “This isn’t that. This isn’t about you. You’re being paranoid.”

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