Page 19 of Lenkov

I nod my head. “These things sometimes happen, Wanda. There’s no reason for you to worry. What’s her name?”

Wanda bites her thin lip and shakes her head. “That’s the weird thing. She wouldn’t say.”

Red flags wave in my mind. “Thank you, Wanda. Continue caring for your customers. I’ll handle her.”

Nodding, she turns on her heel and exits the kitchen like the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. It's no secret that this diner is an Orlov family business. People come here for favors but know the correct channels to follow. We never do business in the main dining room where anyone could see, and we certainly don’t involve the high school-aged waitstaff. This is a wild card. The gun in my shoulder holster seems to get heavier as I prepare myself for the worst. Enemies hide behind many guises, and men have sent women to do their dirty work plenty of times. Babushka is my baby. The family restaurant I oversee and manage while taking care of the darker side of the family business. It’s been an anchor. A haven that’s helped me weather the storms while keeping me grounded. Everyone needs something in our world that helps them stay human and in touch with reality.

Straightening my tie, I smooth down the lapels of my suit and walk from the kitchen, ready to appease and protect if necessary. Here, the customer isn’t right unless I say so. Smiling at the customers seated at the tables, I turn the corner to greet the difficult woman at the small table nestled in the corner and freeze. I know the slender round face, dirty blonde hair pulled back into a chic bun and delicate features.

“Katherine,” I whisper.

Her lips curve upward into a smile. “Lenkov, how nice of you to join me. Take a seat.”

“You’re not welcome here.” I ball my hands into fists.

She pouts her collagen-filled lips colored with firetruck red lipstick. “That’s not nice. I think you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”

“That’d be your first mistake.”

“I’ve waited a long time to find the right...” she tilts her head and smiles slyly, “motivation to get you exactly where I want you. So if you think I’m bluffing, you’re wrong. I never show my hand until I’m absolutely sure. You remember that,” she says sweetly.

I growl as the memories of her betrayal sharpen in my mind. She slept her way to the information, and it was believed she sold it for the right price after she disappeared and the bratva hit a streak of bad luck. We’d all been blind to how she’d slithered her way inside our walls, listened, gathered information, and stored it all up for a rainy day over a couple of years. I’d never thought we’d end up with a house and kids, but she helped me pass the time, and I thought I could trust her.

“Why are you here, Katherine?”

“Not until you sit,” she continues.

Choking down the words dancing on the tip of my tongue, I swallow, ignoring my desire to rip her to shreds and send her packing. I fold myself into the seat across from her.

“Happy?” I sneer.

“Much.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here like this.”

“I’m trying to allow you to save your family, Lenkov,” she purrs.

“Right. For a fee.”

“A favor.” She shrugs.

“I’m listening.”

She beams up at me, batting her false lashes. How this once turned me on, I’ll never know. I’ll chalk it up to being young, stupid, and horny. Or maybe it was her coy act. She let me believe she was something she wasn’t.

“I need to get back into everyone’s good graces. I want my name cleared. It'd be a good start if I’m on your arm.”

Throwing back my head, I laugh. “You’re lucky you aren’t six feet under right now. There’s no coming back.”

“There was no proof I was the source,” she protests weakly.

“You can tell whoever you’re working for it won’t happen.”

Her eyes widen. “I-I’m not working for–.”

“Save it. You’d get us both killed with this bullshit plan. You made your bed, and now you get to lie in it.”

“At the cost of Rylee and your son?”

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