5. Yuri

I called Tasha to see how meeting Katya had gone. She picked up on the first ring.

“Report, Tasha. How is she?”

“I have nothing to compare it with, but I think she’s smart, independent, and confident in one thing at least: that she doesn’t want help from you. She says I’m not necessary and doesn’t need my services.”

“She’s not allowed to do that,” I say.

“I can’t force her.”

“No, but you could follow her, show her you’re just as stubborn.”

“That’s your job, isn’t it? I will shadow her, but you know this without me telling you: she must want protection or else she’ll slip me at the first opportunity. I can lead a horse to water, but I can’t make her drink.”

I can . “I’ll call you later. Proceed as if she was agreeable, okay? I’ll check in after I convince her.”

I headed straight for the apartment to see Katya. The apartment building is a fortress, I had renovations done all week since the initial report by Anton and Maxim concerning Petya Antipov came in. But living in a fortress only protects her if she stays inside, which she has no intention of doing.

I barged into her room and launch into the angry speech in my head I had been repeating over and over:

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Tasha is trying to protect you, and you tell her no?”

“I don’t need her to protect me. Or you.”

“No? I’ve done some research on this Petya Antipov. Only preliminary but what we know so far isn’t good. He’s a real piece of shit. You want to know the things he does to women? Crucifies them when they displease him. Or else disfigures them with boiling oil on their faces. We’re getting pictures and corroboration, and I’ll show them to you if you want. I could kill your father for even suggesting you marry a guy like that.”

“You’re lying.”

“This is Petya,” I take out a picture of him and put it in her hands, “if you see this face, run the other way. I might be lying, but do you want to run the foolish risk that I’m not? If it’s true, without Tasha or me around, you stand to learn a very sharp lesson.”

She didn’t say anything.

“I won’t let you learn that kind of lesson. If no Tasha, you stay here… you work around my schedule, and if I'm not available, you get locked in your room… Tasha was here because I’m not always available. Without her, you get less freedom.”

“That’s not freedom at all.”

“Freedom is a sliding scale. You get more here with me than you ever did home, with your father. But it’s not unlimited.”

“It’s barely registering,” she says, crossing her arms.

She’s just being a jerk now. I try a different approach. “Is Tasha not acceptable? Would you like someone else?”

“What? No,” she hurriedly answers. “No Tasha is great, I’m not rejecting her, I’m rejecting you.”

“Okay, good. Some people are threatened by her because they’re insecure or jealous, but not you. Some people even assume we’ve fucked.”

“Assume? You’re paying for her M.B.A. – even before she was assigned to protect me. You don’t just do that for someone.”

“I have a specific job for her where analyzing financial records might make the difference, that’s why I’m paying for her M.B.A. She’s smart and has been valuable to me and Bratva in the past. I have no problem spending money when it’s worth it, as an investment. That’s why I’ll run the Bratva better than your father ever did.”

“He didn’t always mismanage it; he was fine before Dmitry died in that accident.”

“You’re wrong on both, kiska. He mismanaged it before Dmitry died – and it was no accident .” I wait to see her reaction.

A furrowed brow, thinking, then the flash of anger, driving away any confrontation with the truth. “You’re a liar, why should I believe anything you say?”

“You’re a liar too, but far worse because you lie to yourself, ” I grab her arms and pull her next to me. “About me, about your father, about your brother. Even about yourself.”

Katya struggles against me, trying to get free. Her tits press into my chest making my cock rock hard. I’m trying to have a serious conversation here, but my dick is thinking something else.

I release her wrists, expecting her to retreat but she doesn’t back off, she presses closer. Does she not know what she’s doing, or does she know exactly what she’s doing to me?

“Asshole, you’re evil.” She slaps at my chest, feebly. Tries to push me back, out of the room I guess. I don’t move.

She has more fight in her, so I let her tire herself out.

“You’re terrible,” she whispers.

The insult turns me on.

“I’ve given you everything to make your desires into reality, but you refuse every chance I give you. What do you really want?”

She stares at me, anger burning in her eyes, like holding an angry wild animal. Then the anger slowly fades, she calms herself, resolves herself. I can see a plan forming inside her. She has no poker face at all.

Oh, kiska, sweet Kat , I sigh in my head . There’s so much you don’t understand about this world. You think you know, being Viktor’s daughter, but you barely know Viktor or what he’s capable of. And you won’t even listen.

Hands on her hips, “How about we make a deal?” she asks, batting her eyelashes like a coquette. Is she flirting? Does she think I’ll melt for that?

I pretend I care, “What do you have to offer me?”

“I’ll accept your help and Tasha’s presence, but the cost is I get freedom of movement. Around the apartment, around campus, all without you and without a visible Tasha. Deal?”

“That’s a rational ask.”

“Does that mean yes?”

I nodded. “It’s a yes.”

I can read her poker face.

It’s clear as day.

She plans another escape.

And this time I’ll let her.