Page 68 of For a Price

She makes a face as if she disagrees, though she doesn’t push back any further on it. I go from stroking her face to sliding my hand down the column of her throat. She may not like being tamed or taken from her life on the streets, but it’s what’s best for her.

“So, if you weren’t a good thief, what did you do?”

“We did what is known as vstryakhnut?*. In American English, you call it shake down.”

“You mean to tell me, Roman,” she says slowly, arching an eyebrow. “You were the guy who was bullying people into giving you their money?”

“We provided a service. Protection. Security. Peace of mind. None of that is free, devochka.”

“I’d hate to live in your village,” she giggles.

“We were not unreasonable. We did not take advantage. We kept other criminals from wreaking havoc.”

“You know, that’s true. Some say organized crime actually helps deter other kinds of crime. The street crime and pettycrime… like me and my crew. I guess it’s a case of pick your poison.”

My fingers slide under the strap of her slinky nightgown, righting it on her shoulder from where it had fallen. “I already have, kitty cat. It’s you. Ty moy yad.?*”

“I won’t do it again. I promise,” she murmurs, the guilt laced in her tone. “I won’t break your trust.”

“Yes, I know.”

And it’s true—I have always possessed a great judgment of character. If I had any reason to suspect that my kitty cat was not worth the trouble, I would never have saved her. I would not be bothering to hide her from the sovietnik.

But she is worth that trouble and more.

I get out of bed and start toward the bathroom. Katerina sits up to watch me, the air between us lighter than maybe it’s ever been. Her eyes rove over my naked form—I sleep in the nude—and she cracks a little smile.

“Are you aware your big-ass dick is liable to poke someone’s eye out one of these days? You can’t just have it swinging and slanging everywhere! And by someone’s eye out, I mean mine.”

“Why, kitty cat?” I ask. “You managed just fine last night. Come. Shower.”

Days pass where operations in the family take precedence. I wake early and am gone until late in the night. Katerina is left on her own in the penthouse with only my staff to oversee her and provide anything she needs. Despite this, we find small moments with each other.

We develop a routine between us.

Showers in the morning. Dinners later than most would say is reasonable. Conversations in bed where Katerina’s yawning and drifting off to sleep and I’m amused by how she struggles to keep awake.

But she does—she waits up for me each and every night.

Polina and the others report that she refuses dinner until I have returned. She prefers sitting down to eat with me.

When a week passes like this, I realize that I have to be fair. Katerina deserves a night out in the city. I should take her somewhere, though the logistics pose a serious problem. If anyone outside my crew of men were to catch on, there could be trouble.

Questions would arise. Answers would be sought.

I could no longer pretend she’s just a pet like the other women in the family. I would have to explain who she is and why she is with me.

And figure out a way to prevent the sovietnik from discovering the truth about the abduction attempt.

These complications and more are still swirling in my head when I’m called in for a meeting. It’s evening time when I arrive, fully aware that it will be another late night before I make it back to the penthouse and see Katerina.

My men flank me as we approach the sovietnik’s twenty-million-dollar mansion. My father’s men nod respectfully at us and stand aside to allow us entry. Familiar with the long, cavernous halls of the large house, I’m able to navigate myself to my father’s private office.

I step into the room expecting him to be behind his desk with his usual glass of vodka. Instead he’s by the window holding onto the gold-encased cane he uses to move around.

But he’s not alone.

Seated on the couch is none other than Uncle Leonid. His stump of a left arm wrapped up in bandages. The rest of his face still swollen and discolored from the severe beating he took.

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