Page 15 of Beautiful Deception

Before I can ask her more, she whisks away to do her job, leaving me to mine.

Chapter Three

Inessa

Ifindthecleaningsuppliesin the hall closet.

Then I get to work.

All the bathrooms are pretty much clean already but I do my job and clean them even more. Any spot of dirt, I wipe away. Any speck of dust, I sweep up.

It takes me hours to clean every bathroom and sweep the entire house.

By the time lunch comes around, my body is already aching from bending over so much. I usually do yoga but I’m not sure that’s going to help me right now.

“How is today going?” Mrs. Green asks me as she hands me a plate with a sandwich and apple on it.

I scarf it all down.

“Slow down,” she gently scolds. “You don’t want to make yourself sick.”

“I’m just hungry.” Since I haven’t had much money lately, I haven’t had the chance to eat a lot. There have been many nights I went without food because my father gambled away any money that could be used for sustenance.

“Did you eat breakfast?”

“No,” I admit. There was no money for it and the motel doesn’t have anywhere to store food.

“Why ever not? Are you one of those girls who starves themselves?”

“Just don’t have enough money.” That’s the truth of it.

Mrs. Green’s eyes soften. “Well… you have a job now.”

“But I’m not going to have enough money to support my family tonight. I need the money now but I can’t ask Viktor – Mr. Smirnov – for it after one day’s work.”

“No. You cannot. Your family will just have to deal without the money for the time being.”

I think of my father getting thrown from the motel. How he’ll probably go to a casino and gamble away more money he does not have. I shouldn’t feel bad for him.

But he’s still my dad at the end of the day and I can’t bear the idea of losing him. Not after I’ve already lost my mom.

“They really need the money.”

“Well, they can fend for themselves, I’m sure.” She takes my empty plate away and starts doing the dishes. At least that’s one thing I don’t have to do.

“Mrs. Green, are we the only people here? I haven’t seen anyone else.”

“Mr. Smirnov told me that he sent his sister away to stay with family in France, so it’s just him. But he did tell me he would be inviting a woman over sometime this week. A potential wife, is my understanding.”

“So, it’s just him? And us?”

“Yes. And a few guards who patrol the house.”

“Guards?” I have to play dumb and pretend I don’t know that Viktor is a Bratva man.

“Yes. Mr. Smirnov is wealthy. He has guards making sure no one can break in. That’s what he told me.”

“And did he tell you what he does for a living? I know he owns a few nightclubs.”

---