Chapter 7 - Lev

After leaving Parker in my bedroom, I knew that I needed to discuss this situation with Sergey. He'd be less than thrilled to know I settled for a hostage instead of money, but he'd be happier that I'd come away with anything at all. Pavel was a slippery fucker, as they were all now learning, and there was a nagging feeling in my bones that suggested he was far from done pulling his shit.

I made my way to the downstairs study, locking myself inside as I had the guards on standby at the door. Before I called my cousin, I went to the small wet bar in the corner of the room, hidden in a false globe. I needed a drink for more reasons than I cared to consider—and one of them I'd just left alone in my bed.

"Ugh, no. Enough of that."

Grumbling to myself wasn't going to help matters, of course. My blood was still humming, a tingle in my fingers, as I thought back to Parker wide-eyed and right there on the mattress, ready for the taking. I made the mistake of touching her jaw, and the electricity that zinged through my nerves of the contact had been far too much to be a good thing.

But he'd hurt her, and keeping Parker under my lock and key felt even more crucial after confirming the fact.

I poured myself a few fingers of the vodka in the center of the globe's storage and knocked it back hard and fast. I appreciated the burn that melted down my esophagus. I needed it more than I cared to admit, I sighed before going to my desk to have a seat. Struggling briefly to get my phone out of my pocket without brushing against things and starting a problematic trajectory, I pulled up Sergey's number and rang him.

The line opened in only a few seconds. "Lev. So, what's the word?"

"Pavel's a piece of shit, is what. He'd definitely been skimming, more than I think we realized. Unfortunately," I sucked in a frustrated breath, my eyes closing, "he lost it all. Fucking gambling."

Sergey's growl tore through the phone. I'd expected as much, so I was quick to provide the good news, shaky though it may be.

"The asshole offered up his own daughter to pay off debts. I've got her locked up, and we can use her for leverage. He should definitely be watched."

The line was silent for a moment, and I could sense the tension bleeding off Sergey wherever he was.

"I need to know he's not trying anything else. Who the fuck let him bet?"

I sighed. "Independent. Lenny Dotson. And yeah, I feel you. It doesn't make sense that Lenny would keep going for him once he learned where the money was coming from. He's an asshole, but he's not dumb. Lenny knows better than to mess with us for too long."

"Fucking hell, Lenny? You've got to be kidding me." Sergey's anger matched my own.

Sergey and I had a lot in common, and I enjoyed working with the guy. Always keeping things in the family was a priority for both of us, and he'd proven himself to be a strong leader here in Chicago. It's the only reason I'd been willing to hand things over in New York when he wanted me here for expansion.

"Lenny, though." I listened to Sergey's intrigued hum, having an idea where he was going with it. "Question him. I doubt gambling away our money came with no backup plan. Pavel's a shit, but he knows to cover his ass. Find out if he'd been spouting information about the Vadims or appeared to be keeping any secrets.

I leaned forward in my chair, resting my elbows on the desk as I let my neck relax. Exhaustion was pulling at every inch of me, and I knew I couldn't go any longer without at least a few hours of sleep.

"Already on it." With a sigh, I got up from the desk and went back to the bar for another shot before bed. "I'll have feelers out everywhere to see if he's been tracking our information."

"Ask that kid of his. And keep her locked up. She could be just as dangerous as she is useful."

I scoffed at that. Having spent even a few minutes with her, I could confirm that Parker was quite dangerous, just not in the way Sergey thought.

"She's not very useful, unfortunately. Collateral. I questioned her, and I can tell she doesn't know shit about this world. Blissfully ignorant to it all. But she's premed. She may have some skills we can exploit."

"How does she not—Whatever. Just get the information on him." Sergey exhaled loud enough for me to hear on my end of the line. "I don't like this guy. I want him controlled or eliminated. And fast. Got it?"

With a glare he couldn't see, I squeezed the phone. "I'm not a rookie, Sergey. I know how to handle this kind of asshole."

A hard chuckle cut through Sergey's voice. "I know. Good man, Lev. Report back when you have more info."

"Will do."

With that, I hung up, all too ready to pass the fuck out in my own bed.

***

"Oh, yeah."

When I got back up to my room, I remembered that I had an unexpected guest who was currently sprawled out on my king like she owned the thing. Sighing, I slipped into the closet to change, locking the door from the inside in case she just happened to be a damned good actress and was lying in wait to make a move.

Nothing happened, of course, but it never hurt to be careful, and I came back out of the closet wearing a thin pair of plaid pajama pants and a black tee. Parker was still thoroughly asleep, and really, I should just shove her over and take my spot on the bed. It did fucking belong to me, after all. But…

I just couldn't.

There was something about the way she was lying there, vulnerable and ignorant. I couldn't bring myself to disrupt her sleep, and I didn't like that one fucking bit. Softness got you exactly nowhere in this world, and I shouldn't be concerned with waking Parker up from her damn beauty sleep. But my body didn't appear to be down with listening to reason because as I padded to the side of the bed, I abruptly stopped.

I spun on my heel, going for the long chaise near the opposite window, and laid down. This was fine. I just didn't want to deal with her right now. I wasn't here for distractions, and conscious Parker was a distraction. The chaise had been my bed many a time, and this was no different than pulling a late night and crashing there because I was too lazy to take my shoes off.

Yanking the thin blanket from the back of the lounger, I sat down on the plush cushions and laid back. I draped the fabric over myself. It was plenty warm in the room, so I wouldn't be cold. Hell, I was actually a little hot right now—and I did not want to examine that.

"Ugh, just go to bed."

I kept my voice low, but Parker stirred, just barely, beneath the covers of my large bed. My attention flicked to her, and it was the last thing I wanted. She'd been in her pajamas when we'd taken her from that shit hole of an apartment, and as much as the fleece set had kept most of her details to a minimum, they didn't hide the fact that Parker was a curvy little thing under those layers.

Still not understanding how it was quite possible, I remembered vividly how Parker's figure had been a perfect hourglass. She was a striking woman, her form reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe or Jessica Rabbit, minus the ridiculous proportions on that last one.

Parker even has red hair.

The light red hue was similar to copper, several times as pretty as any penny and a million times more rare. The fact that she had green eyes to boot meant Parker had won the genetic lottery. And as I tried to sleep away my thoughts, those shiny peridot irises gleamed behind my lids. My cock twitched against my leg.

No. You do not have time for this.

But my mind wasn't listening. I was already picturing what Parker might look like beneath those fucking PJs of hers. How far did the freckles on her cheeks and neck extend? Did they cover breasts? Would they lead a trail to her pert nipples, oh so ready to be sucked between my teeth?

I gripped my dick beneath the flimsy blanket, but I would not be doing that. Not now and not anytime soon. Doing that meant she did excite me, did have power over me, and I wasn't about to let Pavel's fucking daughter claim a bit of my attention like that—no matter how fucking stunning and delectable she happened to be.

Sweet, innocent Parker. Count your fucking lucky stars, pet. You're actually getting a good night's rest.