Chapter 17

Chapter 17ViktorMy sweet little Olivia had done quite well, all things considered. But she also seemed somewhat terrified and conflicted. I even caught her looking at me with worry, as if she half expected me to pull the trigger on her next.I could understand it, but it was intolerable. I didn’t want my woman looking at me with fear. There were many, many brutes in this business who treated their women with possessive disdain and sometimes cruelty. They liked being feared by a woman. Small men, weak and frightened and craving that feeling of power that always eluded cowards.When Olivia looked at me, I wanted to see her innocent blue eyes full of trust and desire. Perhaps even love. Not this.I wanted to eradicate her fear of me just as I’d eradicated those men to protect, not just myself, but her as well. The desire to have her look at me as her safety, not her danger, overcame me in that moment so strongly I almost didn’t understand it.“I’m sorry,” I said finally, as I warred to keep my tone even, despite the odd way my heart jumped. “I did not want to bring the darker aspects of my…business…into your life. But it seems that my enemies just would not let it lie.”She was quiet for a long while. “I think this was why I ran away before. Not so much because I was worried you’d hurt me, but because I was worried you’d draw trouble. That I’d start drawing trouble too.”I nodded slowly. “My enemies may connect us now. Though it is gratifying to hear that you don’t consider me a monster.”Even as the words left my lips, I had to wonder at them. Since when did I care what anyone’s moral judgment of me was? Since when did my gut tighten with worry at the thought that a woman might choose to turn from me should she find out the true darkness of my world, my life?“You’ve never seen anyone killed before, have you?” I asked her softly, when all she did was continue to stare at me, hesitation tightening her shoulders as her eyes jumped nervously over me.“No,” she murmured, shaking her head. “I haven’t had anybody try to kill me before either.”“Your world is so different from mine.” I stifled the urge to run my fingers through her soft red curls soothingly. “I was born in this one. I first ducked gunfire when I was ten. Now, sometimes…well.” I laughed a bit awkwardly. “It feels no more troubling than bad weather.“But I don’t want you to look at what happened back there and think that I’m all right with it.” I shook my head as she continued her appraisal of me, an appraisal that I wished more than anything would come out favorably. “I didn’t want this, Olivia. Not this street fight, not those men dying, and not having your safety jeopardized like that, especially. I don’t want you even near danger.”She hummed softly, considering my words. “I can’t be near danger. My son—our son…”“Yes.” I kept my tone as gentle as I could, even as I wondered, half in distaste with myself, and half with shock, at when I had become so in need of the approval of a woman. Was this what weakness looked like? Could this be my downfall in the end? I couldn’t make myself care enough in that moment to stop. “He needs you safe and happy. I want you to be safe and happy. But I also want you.” The truth of those words hit my chest like a ton of bricks. “And my world is not always safe.”“It was like being in the middle of a war,” she mumbled.“It was a war. But instead of a war between nations, it is a war to control this city. The men who have done this thing, they don’t think about who gets hurt or who loses. They only care that they win. They killed one of my best friends. They have tried to kill me. They will go after Michael and you as well if they find out about him.” I went quiet, the words ‘Let them try,’ floating through my mind with such ferocity in that moment that I felt it as a physical force.“What should we do?” her voice sounded ready to break, and I once more resisted the urge to touch her soothingly while I was trying to drive.“You and I are going to lie low for a few hours, have something to eat and a stiff drink, and…” I smiled slowly as I turned to eye her, hoping to distract that worried look right out of her. “Find some way to occupy ourselves until you can safely return home.”“I kind of mean everything else.”I sighed gently, although my smile remained as I turned my eyes back to the road. “I suppose we’re just going to have to make all of the other auctions, invitation only.”***The safehouse was actually a small apartment complex built in a U-shape around a courtyard garden. Four of my men lived in the complex, with the top floors reserved for guests and those I wanted to protect. I had used the safehouse several times during the last local war, when Uncle Mischka would call and warn me that the main house was being watched again.“I still can’t believe that the rest of my staff didn’t even realize there was anything going on. They even missed the gun shots.” Her eyes were wide with incredulity as she read the messages on her phone. She’d told her boss that she’d had to leave suddenly because Michael was sick, and they’d bought it without question.“You’d be surprised how much people don’t notice.” It wasn’t entirely a surprise to me. Between the auction house’s stone walls, the heavily soundproofed inner walls, and the extreme traffic noise outside, the gunfire had been mistaken for old cars backfiring. My men had cleaned up the mess. Everything else could be explained away.“Yikes. Makes me wonder what I’ve just walked past without thinking anything was up.” She winced, and I chuckled again as I pulled her car into the underground parking garage.“Probably a few things. If the criminals involved are discreet enough, you could walk past a murder without realizing it is going on.” That didn’t seem to comfort her. “However, you do seem pretty observant, just inexperienced. It’s possible you haven’t missed much of anything without noticing it.”“Well, that’s kind of terrifying,” she said with a sarcastic tone.I pressed my lips together against open laughter and steered us into one of the open parking spaces. “I’m sorry. I just want you to know that I take your safety, and that of my son, very seriously. I know how to watch for trouble, and I’m going to do everything I can to keep it away from you. I want you to look forward to seeing me, not fear the next time it happens. That’s very important to me.”Her mouth worked, and she glanced from me down to her hands. “I noticed, but it’s going to take me some time to get over this. And probably some alcohol.”I tutted at her gently. “I might have to drive you home if you keep talking about that. It’s not an issue if you get a bit drunk on me, but it will be if you drive.”“I guess that’s fair.” Her voice was shaky. I wanted to slip an arm around her, but I was busy parking the car. Done, I went around and opened her door for her.“I can’t believe I just survived that,” she mumbled as I helped her out of the car. She was shaking. She looked ready to cry. But she was still here, still with me.“I was not going to let them harm you,” I murmured as I helped her toward the elevator.She wiped a tear, hanging onto me desperately. I felt another stab of guilt.“I’m sorry,” I continued softly. “I did not want to expose you to the dangers of living in my world.”“Seems to me it’s a package deal.” She choked slightly. “Does that cordite smell ever get out of people’s clothes?”“It may take dry cleaning.” I smiled apologetically. “I’ll handle it, and supply you with a substitute.”She blinked up at me, then shook her head. “I don’t even know why I brought that up.”“Because talking about clothing care is easier than talking about what just happened.” We stepped into the elevator together. “But we must.”I didn’t want to talk right now. The adrenaline and triumph of the fight had set my blood on fire. I regretted being forced to kill, of course, but the Puerto Ricans had bought their own deaths by taking aim at me—and at Olivia. And despite my distaste for taking life unneeded, I was never going to hesitate. Not ever, and certainly not with Olivia’s safety on the line.And now, in the aftermath of the fight and the chase, I wanted my woman, in my bed.But not until I knew she was all right.“I’m just glad they can’t easily trace the car back to me.” She smoothed back her hair, fingers trembling. “Oh God. What if they do?”“It’s quite simple, my dear,” I insisted gently. “You and my son will go into hiding under my protection while we arrange for your leave of absence from work for health reasons. I’ll even ensure the place you move to is nicer than the one you have now, and certainly more secure.”I saw her open her mouth to protest my generosity, and held up a silencing finger. She blinked, then sighed, caving with a sad but grateful little smile.“If I do not make these allowances for your safety, I suspect you would flee the area entirely for my son’s protection and your own. You’re too smart to stick around if you’re in danger.”“That’s true. Michael’s not going to like it if we suddenly have to move and hide. I’d do it, but, Viktor…what’s happening? Who were those men, and why did they take the risk of attacking you in broad daylight?”The elevator stopped at the fifth floor, and I stepped out with my arm around her. “Inside for that conversation,” I insisted, and she nodded. Unit 503 was one of my private safehouses. I swiped a keycard and let her in, following and locking up behind her.“I have mentioned that there may be trouble brewing in the streets in this region before,” I said quietly as I led her from the entryway to the great room that took up most of the space.It was clean and cozy, with insulated curtains on the windows, hardwood floors, and a huge couch separating the living and dining areas. The whole thing was done in muted creams and browns to go with the woodwork—not my favorite, but easily replaced if something unexpectedly messy happened. I had used a safehouse before to wait for my men to fetch one of our medics, and bled generously on the couch in the process. It would have been much harder to replace on short notice if it had been, say, royal purple velvet.“Yes, you did. You didn’t elaborate. I was glad at the time, but right now I’m worried about what happens if I’m caught up in this against my will from now on.”I felt my heart sink a little at her words. I didn’t want her to run from me. “I’m still hoping that we can avoid that,” I said quietly. “Many of us are married, and of those, most avoid including their wives in Bratva matters. Lovers, even more so.”That sad smile again. “Is that what we are?”“I think that what we are is something we’re still figuring out,” I clarified as I brought her over to the couch. “Though clearly Michael’s presence necessitates that we have some kind of relationship.” I smiled back as gently as I could manage, trying to keep my eyes off the shine of her hair or the way even that modest dress clung to her curves as she sat.“Yeah, that’s the thing. It’s too soon.” She forced a smile. “I prefer to at least be going steady before my first car chase, though.”I laughed a little, and then cupped her cheek. She was still trembling, her pulse beating fast below the corner of her jaw. “Well, you’ve kept your sense of humor and you haven’t run from me. Those are good signs.”Her smile was wobbly. She was scared and exhausted. There would only be so much I could do about that.“Over the last several months we have become aware of a local rival gang moving in on our territory. They have always lived here, but now they have decided to branch out into areas where we have had a local monopoly. The competition is unwelcome. But I still hoped for a sane treaty with them that would avoid bloodshed.”I brought her a cold lemonade, with cut strawberries floating among the ice cubes. “This should get the taste out of your mouth. And besides, best not to drink on an empty stomach.”She frowned at me, but sipped obediently while I put a bottle of champagne on ice. “I guess. So these guys, they want a war. You don’t want a war, but you can’t afford to back down either.”“Exactly.” I set the ice bucket with the champagne aside on the counter, poured my own lemonade, and came to sit beside her.“You never told me who these people are.” She looked up from her drink, her manner almost timid.“They’re a Puerto Rican group known as the Pueblo. Part of a larger organization based mostly in Puerto Rico, partly on the East Coast. We are the northernmost group that has ended up butting heads with them.”“Why were they so hot to attack you?”Basically, because they had a chance of finding me there. I do not know why they decided to incite violence, but this isn’t their first assassination attempt against my organization. It’s simply the first unsuccessful one. In part thanks to your quick thinking.”She blinked rapidly as she tried to hide her expression behind a sip of lemonade. “I wasn’t about to let Michael’s father die at the hands of these guys. I mean, what would I tell him if I went and did something like that? How would I explain?”I smiled lopsidedly. Of course, it was too soon for me to be that precious to her personally. And yet I was still moved by the risk she had taken. “You were very brave. And I will make sure that your courage is not repaid with more danger.”“See, you keep saying that, but I don’t know how you plan to do it.”“Besides putting you and Michael somewhere safe if it comes down to it? I’ll have a man watch your work in case they decide to drop in on you.”It was the wrong thing to say. She moved away from me slightly, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. I restrained myself from moving closer or reaching after her. “What is it?” I asked gently instead.“This is all too much. Maybe where you come from it’s a normal day when you shoot three people in the middle of an active assassination attempt, but for me, this is all…it’s just…” She went quiet, gesturing in frustration as she struggled to find the right words.I found that I was bracing myself. She hadn’t run from me yet, but perhaps I was making her feel smothered. Perhaps she was working her way up to running.“Take your time,” I urged softly. “You’ve been through a lot.”She leaned her head on my shoulder mutely and I put my arm back around her, letting her shelter against me. She made a small, unhappy sound, and eventually asked, “When did you first end up in a situation like that? You’re as cool as if we spent the day at a museum or something.”Now it was my turn to force a smile. “I grew up in the business. This isn’t the third time or even the dozenth that I have been in a firefight. I wish I could say otherwise, given the look on your face. But I will not lie to you.”“Well, I’m glad about that part. But how old were you when it started?”I took a long swallow of my lemonade and looked at her, weighing how much to tell. My life was so far from anything that someone like her would consider normal.“I was an orphan. I grew up on the streets in Russia. For someone like me, crime wasn’t so much an option as it was a necessity to survive.”She blinked and gave me a startled look. “But I thought your uncle—”“He adopted me legally so I could inherit. He did not raise me. He’s not even a blood relative. In fact, by the time I met him, my childhood was well over.”She nodded, glass halfway to her mouth. She noticed it and blushed, then hastily took another drink. “I see. So you didn’t have any family either. Not until you joined up with your…brothers.”“That is correct.” Then I caught the either, and it was my turn to look surprised. “I thought you had a sister.”“What? No…”“You said Michael was staying with his aunt today, Anna…”“Oh!” She blushed and looked down momentarily. “Sorry, I didn’t mean… She’s not a blood sister. She was just my neighbor growing up in the group home. We’re very close and Michael sees her as an aunt. As a matter of fact, I see her as a sister, myself. Her family was always busy and her brother was already working, so a lot of the time she didn’t have anyone either. We bonded quickly, growing up.” She was clutching the glass with both hands, not seeming to notice it or the shaky way she took her little drinks. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell her about today.”She again looked on the verge of tears. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell anyone!”I took her gently by the shoulders and looked at her firmly. “My men were discreet. The most that will be discovered once they are done cleaning up after the Puerto Ricans’ mess is that someone tried to break in a side door during the auction. You don’t have to give the real details.”She swallowed and nodded, eyes wet. “I already told my boss that Michael was sick. But I’m not comfortable lying like this, Viktor.”“That is exactly why I wanted to keep you out of all this bloody business.” I couldn’t keep the frustration out of my voice. “I lost my innocence at ten. I’m used to this. But I know that you are not, and I…” I sucked air through my teeth, trying to find the right words. “I do not wish to scare you off.”She let out a harsh noise, half laugh and half sob, and buried her face in her hands. “Oh God,” she mumbled, and I realized she was trying to hide her tears from me.“Olivia.” I let all my regret out into that one word. There were a million things I wanted to explain, what separated me from the men who had tried to kill us, that I had a code, that I did not hurt innocents nor allow them to be harmed if I could do something about it. But it was too much, too soon.I held her instead, bundling her onto my lap and nestling her against me, letting her hide her wet face in my neck.“It will be all right,” I promised her, though I knew I couldn’t actually predict that. “Trust in me. I will find a way to work every bit of this out with you. You will be safe. Michael will be safe.”She looked up at me, her eyes lit with tentative hope. “Do you promise?” she whispered.“I swear it,” I said, and prayed that time and circumstances would not make a liar out of me.