Page 145 of For a Price

* Ya dolzhen byl znat’, chto ty eto sdelayesh’. Ty trus -I should have known you would do this. You’re a coward.

* Ya umnyy, Zver. Umneye tebya -I’m smart, beast. Smarter than you.

CHAPTER 43

Katerina

Crap.

Crap. Crap. CRAP!

The single word is on repeat inside my head at the sight of the sovietnik inside the elevator.

I back up several steps, but I’m only kidding myself. I’ve been caught red-handed. If the sovietnik’s seen me, then that means his men are in the area. It means they’ve had eyes on me probably from the moment I breeched the property.

I’m screwed.

I half-turn to run off but he repeats exactly what I’m thinking.

“I would not bother if I were you, devochka,” he wheezes. He points toward a button on the side of his golden cane. “I push this, you are ambushed by an entire group of security guards. How long do you believe it will take them to make it to you? I give you five seconds.”

He’s probably right. It’s a miracle I was able to make it inside the hotel the way I have. But it’s swarming with not only the Midnight Society’s security, it’s full of the bratva that the pakhan and sovietnik must have brought with them.

There’s another option.

I’m armed. We’re alone… at least for the next few seconds. He’s a feeble old man that I could probably handle on my own…

I reach for the Glock strapped to the side of my hip and pull it on him. I’ve never shot a gun before, but I’ve watched plenty of others throughout the years I’ve been in criminal circles. I loaded it myself and made sure the safety was off.

The sovietnik is unfazed being on the wrong end of my gun. He blinks at me dryly and then spits, “Ty glupaya devochka.”

It takes me a second to piece together what he’s said using the limited Russian I’ve learned.

“You stupid girl?” I repeat slowly.

“So youhavebeen learning.”

The nod of approval he gives confuses me even more. He beckons at me with the liver-spotted hand that’s not clutching onto his gold-encrusted cane for support.

“Get on,” he says. “We have places to be.”

I take another cautious step back. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Oh? Then where were you headed, girl? Upstairs to the party? An army of one woman? How will that play out for you?”

Not great.

I’ve already visualized all the ways this could go wrong.

Killed on the spot. Taken and put back up for sale at the marketplace. Tortured and violated. The list of grim possibilities seems endless.

But what other choice do I have?

I can’t get on the damn elevator with the sovietnik. He’s Roman’s father and has been despicable enough to go against his own son in war.

…or has he?

Once again, the feeble older man seems to follow the train of my thoughts. He coughs out a laugh like he finds it funny.“There is so much happening. So much that you do not begin to understand. If you are smart, you will come with me.”

---