17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

T oula

I leaned against the wall, letting my smile fade. It was four in the morning, and I’d just finished my first hosting. Nothing was official, but I had taken over duties as the lady of the house. If only my mother could have seen me. She’d still have some little thing to nitpick, telling me I had more to learn.

Taking one last deep breath, I grabbed a warming tray and headed into the kitchen to help with cleanup. Anna kept smiling at me when I caught her eye, and it was comforting.

“There’s nothing further to do until dinner. The men won’t be back for lunch.” She kicked me out of the kitchen, with my heels in my hand, once the dishes had been done.

“I have a feeling you wouldn’t tell me even there was.” I meant it honestly. Anna and I would have to find our rhythm, and when my schedule normalized again, I wouldn’t be in her space all the time.

“No, I would. I understand because I was one of the few who worked in both houses. You’re competing with a memory that doesn’t exist here.” She smiled and patted the few stray hairs underneath the bun she wore before heading towards the staff quarters. “Seriously, there’s nothing until later.”

I yawned, not sure what to do or where to go. If I had been in my father’s compound, I would have just gone to my room for a nap, but this wasn’t my home. I’d gotten lucky, finding the kitchen relatively easy, but I wasn’t comfortable roaming around by myself. What if I walked into an area that was off-limits? There were too many questions, and I didn’t want a story floating around at my expense. Instead, I sat on the sofa in the living room, laid my head on the back, and held my shoes in my lap. My eyes closed on their own.

“You’ve had an eventful morning.”

“That’s not your usual line. Try again.” I didn’t open my eyes, but a smile danced on my lips as I heard him approach from behind me.

He laughed. “Why do I always find you without a guard?”

“Supposedly, I have a new guard.”

“I heard Vlad introduced himself. The other men were afraid he was too abrasive with you. They told me they would correct his behavior and it wouldn’t be an issue.” I felt the sofa sag underneath me as he sat to my right.

“He was fine, but you might lose a soldier to business school. He’s excited to write in new notebooks with nice pens,” I teased.

“You’re the top of your class. If he picks it up and actually understands, I’ll think about sending him.”

I opened my eyes and turned my head, watching him. “You would do that?” My father wouldn’t have. If a soldier showed promise, he’d promote him but never give them an education. I was the only one my father had ever sent to college. There was always a fear of someone smarter becoming more powerful. My father would never voluntarily surrender the family he’d built on his back with blood equity .

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? If he graduates, he’ll be a better asset than a bodyguard.” My Russian shrugged. “You’ve earned some fans today, malenkaya lisichka. The men don’t normally manage each other, but they made it clear they’ll handle him.” He laid his head back on the cushion, turning his face toward me.

“I met expectations, not exceeded them. There’s no reason to fanboy over that. It was just some eggs and bacon.” A yawn escaped. “I helped with cleanup, but the kitchen staff told me there wasn’t anything else until dinner. I’ll be there if they would like another chance to gawk.”

“Tired?” he asked me, rubbing his thumb underneath my eye.

“You?” I retorted, my hand reaching up to wrap around his wrist.

“I asked you first.” He smiled at me.

“The adrenaline is wearing off, and I haven’t been sleeping well. It didn’t feel right, roaming around on my own.”

He made a non-committal noise.“I have to head out in a bit, but I wanted to get you settled before I go. The staff is right, if you want to take a nap. There won’t be anything going on here until dinner, and that’s assuming any of the soldiers appear. They all have their assignments until the raid is no longer a threat.” He stood from the sofa and pivoted towards me. “One day, you’ll feel safe enough to sleep soundly here.”

I thought he’d hold out his hand, but he reached underneath me. Lifting me into his arms, he carried me bridal-style out of the room. The heels fell off my lap, and I heard them hit the floor, one-by-one. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding tight, not caring about anything else. Laying my head against his shoulder, I didn’t bother memorizing where we were heading. I’d get a tour later. Sleep sounded too good to pass up.

I tightened my hold on him when he walked up a flight of stairs .

“You have free rein to roam around this place. The only thing I’ll caution you about is that my office is on the first floor. Most of the traffic congregates in the hallway. It can get crowded, depending on what’s happening.” He turned the corner at the top of the stairs. “When you’re ready for your own office, I have a spot in mind. For now, the library is ready for you.”

“You have a library?” I asked, not bothering to move in his arms.

“Yes, but I didn’t always. I had one installed right after the dowry dinner, when I found you curled up in the chair.” My Russian stopped and kissed the center of my forehead. “Like I told you, my men have homes in the community. They can all be here within three minutes, if there’s a need. Adrik is the only one who will stay when he feels like it. Otherwise, it’s just me, and now, you in the house.”

He walked to the door at the very end of the hallway and opened it. It was a large bedroom, decorated in mahogany and cream. My Russian sat me on the edge of the bed. “Stay here.”

I was too tired to move, and my limbs felt like rubber. I watched as he strolled over and opened the door to a walk-in closet. His back disappeared, and I imagined neat rows of suits hung by color with a dresser full of shirts and ties to match. My Russian always dressed impeccably, but I was too tired to inspect his closet. He wasn’t gone long, coming back with a red shirt in his hand.

Throwing it onto the bed next to me, he leaned over my shoulder and pulled the zipper down on the back of my dress.

“This is the third time we’ve been in this situation. I’m thinking you’re not a sure thing, Russian,” I joked.

“When I take you, you’ll be fully awake. For now, I’ll have to settle for knowing you’re in my bed.” He laid me back on the bed and wiggled the dress over my hips until it fell into his hands at the bottom of my feet. Setting it next to me, he asked if the hose were important. I shook my head, and instead of rolling them down my legs, he ripped the waistband, letting them fall in shreds onto the floor. I sat on the edge of the bed, as he grabbed the red shirt.

“Arms up.” He waited, scrunching the shirt in his hands.

I stuck my head through the opening and pushed my arms through the sleeves. “This is your superhero shirt.” It was the one he’d worn in at school.

“I don’t have any clothes for you, so this will have to do.” He took a step back and admired me. “That’s hot.”

“What if it was one of your dress shirts?” I watched as the planes of his face shifted while he considered the image I’d created.

“No. That’s a negative.” He walked around the side of the bed and turned down the covers. “Come here,” he said, lifting me back into his arms as he rounded the edge of the footboard. “When you wear my dress shirt, I want the full experience. The shirt, and nothing underneath.”

“What do I get?” He laid me in the middle of the bed and waited until I was situated.

“My undying gratitude?” He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, and finally, my lips.

“You cook dinner.” My hand came up to caress his cheek as he adjusted the surrounding covers.

“Get some sleep, malenkaya lisichka. You’re going to need it when this is all over.” He sat on the edge of the bed, running his hand lightly over my hip as he waited for me to fall. As my eyelids drooped for the last time, I heard him whisper, “Finally.”

** *

T he streets were quiet. No one was talking about the raid on the Italians.

It had been a few days, but I was finding my rhythm in a new normal. I helped the kitchen staff with breakfast in the mornings before I worked on my homework. I’d emailed my professors and told them I had had a family emergency. It wasn’t a stretch, and most of them had just given me the assignments to complete on my own. After lunch, I worked on my club, but I had given the management team a heads up that I wouldn’t be present for the week. Truthfully, they didn’t need me. I could monitor them from afar if I chose to.

I had taken a break from reading one afternoon, deciding to make dolmades for dinner before the staff came into the kitchen. As the days had progressed after the initial panic, most of the men had gone back to their regular schedules. There were still a few that visited for every meal, but it was more about meeting the new wife, rather than the actual food.

I hadn’t seen Adrik since the first night, but when he walked into the kitchen, my guard was instantly up. I wasn’t afraid of him. He’d never hurt me, but I was uncomfortable. He thought I wasn’t good enough for his brother, and he had no problem reminding me. I didn’t stop rolling the dolmades while I watched him bring his plate to the counter and take a seat across from me.

“You’ve cooked with the staff all week. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” he stated, taking a bite.

I remained silent, still rolling the grape leaves.

“We’re Russian. We own and operate the best restaurants in the city, and yet, a Greek cooks for us. You could have ordered anything from the staff, and they would have had it delivered.”

I was sure that was an insult, but I wouldn’t show him it had stung. I could have asked the staff to feed the men, but that would have given the wrong impression. My mother ordered my father’s staff around as if they were animals with collars she could yank when they stepped out of line. These people weren’t my family, but I felt it was important to run the house based on mutual respect. I remained silent. I wouldn’t explain my feelings to Adrik when he’d use them against me.

“Did you know that when we are children, we’re taught to cook? Anyone who shows promise is fast-tracked for a restaurant. Ilya was at the top of his age group.”

“No, but that was something he should have told me.” I didn’t want to learn about my Russian from his brother.

“Ilya won’t. He lost his dream when his father passed away.” Adrik took another bite. “Survival mode does strange things to people.”

This was an invasion of his privacy. If my Russian wanted me to know something about his past, he should be the one to tell me. My anger was simmering at the situation, but I kept my hands moving. I was afraid I’d try to reach over and strangle the man in front of me. “Tell me what you want me to know, but don’t betray his confidence.”

Adrik smirked in my direction. “We’ve watched you since Irini’s first wedding, but for the life of me, I never knew what he saw in you. You’re pretty, but there are plenty of other women who are. I would have understood if he had mentioned Katalina.”

I wouldn’t give him the reaction he was looking for.

“You’re smart, but that’s common, if you know where to search. At one point, I thought he had lost his mind, lusting after what he couldn’t have. The men thought so as well.” He raised his fork for another bite. “I get it now.”

I waited patiently for him to finish his lecture. “You get what?” I prompted him through gritted teeth. I stopped rolling the dolmades, but my fingers twitched.

Another bite. I hoped he choked on it .

“Ilya is my blood brother.” He shrugged and continued to eat. “You call them trafficked now, but my mother was a whore. She worked the streets until she figured out she was pregnant with me. The way I heard it, she went to the local Bratva whorehouse and begged for a job. Pregnant women make more. You can’t knock them up, and some men like that sort of thing.” He shuddered.

“She worked the nights, and I ran up and down the halls watching the johns come and go.” He took another bite, chewing loudly. “Ilya’s father was Bratva, well-respected but not very high up. He visited my mother on the regular until he knocked her up again. That time, he moved us into a small home, and we were a fucked-up family.”

I didn’t want to be rude, but I wanted him to hurry and leave. “How does this relate to what you think you know about me?”

“My mother couldn’t keep it together enough to raise her two children. I went without dinner some nights to make sure he ate, his diaper was changed, and he had clothes that actually fit him. He grew like a weed.” Adrik smirked. “My brother is a meticulous planner because he doesn’t like unpredictable outcomes. It makes sense when you think about it. We went from a small house with barely any food to the streets with nothing.” He waved his fork around as if he was analyzing the situation before taking a bite.

“You’re competent in areas that my mother would have never been. She always played the victim, screeching at his father to fix it every time. You won’t, and that’s obvious with your club. They gave you a shit show, and instead of crying about it, you made it work.” Adrik set his fork down, sliding the plate towards me. “It’s why he would do anything you asked. If you need help, he already knows you’ve exhausted all of your options, and he can swoop in and fix it. Feeds his manly pride. ”

He stood from his barstool and walked towards the kitchen door. Right before he exited, he turned around and pointed at me. “Burn him, and I’ll make your life a living hell, sweetheart.”

I stood at the counter, reliving the conversation. Analyzing every part. I wouldn’t let my Russian suffer for my mistakes. As much as I wanted to let Adrik burn for his own stupidity, I wouldn’t. He smelled of expensive bourbon, and the shadows under his eyes mirrored my own. I understood his meaning, even if I hadn’t liked the delivery. However, he would need to silence whatever demons he was holding onto before they ate him alive. His brother would never let him fall, in the same way I had protected my sister.