Chapter 9

CHAPTER

NINE

NATASHA

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows as I descended the stairs of Dimitri's house, my heart racing with anticipation. I could already hear the familiar rumble of voices from the kitchen—Ronnie's soft, soothing tones and our cousin Max's deep, commanding voice. When Ronnie mentioned it last night, I didn't think he'd show up here, but I should have known better. Dimitri was going to murder us — like dead and buried. Their relationship was a complex one.

Dimitri had left home at fifteen after Max had shot their father. He wasn't exactly interested in the whole hoopla of the Bratva. I bit my lip as I rounded the corner. We should have given Dimitri a heads-up. Maybe Ronnie did already, hopefully. I wasn't sure what Max was thinking either to have come down here to this small town. It wasn't his usual venue. He would have had to fly to Phoenix and then drive to Haverboro.

As the pakhan of the Volkov Bratva, Maxim Volkov was a busy man, so I'd be grateful for the time he took out of his schedule for us. I always tried to remind myself of this whenever I was annoyed by any of his overbearing ways that anything he did took effort and time. It was a sign of care, and Ronnie and I could use all the family and love we could get. However, inside, I was desperately hoping that Ronnie didn't tell him about the serial killer. That wouldn't go over well at all.

I found them seated at the kitchen table. Ronnie was pouring coffee while Max sat with that air of authority he naturally seemed to have that filled any room he was in. Despite his stern expression, there was a warmth in his eyes as he glanced up and saw me.

"Natty," he greeted, enveloping me in a bear hug. "It's been too long." I rolled my eyes at him, looking over my shoulder at Ronnie mouthing to her. Why is he here?

"Cousin, it's good to see you." I kissed both cheeks dutifully, my stomach turning as I thought about how Dimitri would react to him being here. "You just saw me two weeks ago. You didn't have to come all this way."

"Of course I did," he replied, his tone brooking no argument. "Ronnie called, and when family needs help, I come." He was dressed in a full three-piece suit that looked fresh from the tailor, complete with a pocket square, but his eyes softened for me for a minute. "It's been a couple of weeks since I've seen you, and you're my favorite."

"You just said I was the favorite!" Ronnie was setting his coffee cup down and gave him a playful scowl. She was definitely the favorite. "It's so good to see you, Max. I knew you wouldn't let us down."

Max released me and returned to his seat, looking between Ronnie and me. "You're both my favorites. Let's get serious now for a minute. I hear there's some trouble. I don't like trouble. Especially not when it involves my family." He was wearing his pakhan face now, the one that people were wary of, with good reason. I suppose it would have been too good to be true for him not to know about what was going on down here.

I sat beside Ronnie, feeling the weight of the conversation to come. "It's complicated, Max. You knew we came down here because of a case. Well, things are starting to surface that... well, let's say it's getting dangerous."

"I knew that Dima called you down for a friend of his." He narrowed his eyes at me, ready to call me on my shit. "What I did not know was that there was some serial killer out here carving people up. Honestly, Natty, you should have called for Enzo or Luca once you had an idea of what you were dealing with." He looked more disappointed than angry, making my gut squirm with shame. Ugh.

The front door opened, saving me from having to say anything. Little footsteps clattered against the hardwood as Olive ran inside. "Ronnie, Ronnie! Let's make pancakes!" She skidded to a stop in the kitchen, taking in Max with his fancy suit and styled hair. "Who are you?"

"I am your Uncle Maxim," he said easily.

"Why don't you go find your kitten to show Uncle Maxim," Dimitri suggested. "Cats are his favorite." He had strolled in with Hollis, undisturbed by the fact that his brother lounged in his house. I shouldn't be surprised that he knew already. Dimitri's security was a little scary for me, even. "Hello, Maxim." He gave his brother a cool nod. "This is my fiance, Hollis." Olive scampered off, searching for the orange cat that Dimitri had gotten for her. Max hated cats and was oddly afraid of them. He scowled at Dimitri.

"Nice to meet you, Hollis. Welcome to the family. I apologize for not coming to meet you sooner." He gave her a polite but distant nod. Max was tough to get to know. Stiff and cold during the best of times. "You might have chosen the wrong brother. That one is an asshole." He smirked at her, which was his attempt at humor.

There was a shrug from Dimitri. "Or you're the asshole for coming here without an invitation," Dimitri suggested mildly.

"The girls need me to find them a house. They invited me," Max said with a satisfied smirk. That pit in my stomach opened up, and I threw a look at Ronnie, who had the good sense to look ashamed of herself.

"Really?" Dimitri picked his nails with his knife. "Did you hear that, malysh ?" Hollis leaned against Dimitri, looking unperturbed.

"I did hear that. Girls, you are planning to move out? Olive will be devastated. You just got here. Wait until I tell her you won't be here to make her pancakes anymore." Hollis pouted, but I knew it was just for show. Hollis didn't pout. We were in trouble if she was throwing us under the bus.

"That's not fair, Hollis," Ronnie whined. "Don't tell Olive that we're leaving. It wouldn't be like we're leaving town."

"MOMMY!" Olive's voice called from the upper level. She was having trouble locating the thing. I could tell her Luna was sitting in its favorite sunning station in Dimitri's office, but I didn't bother since I'd rather she not be present for any argument Max and Dimitri would have.

"Please," Ronnie looked upset. "We're leaving for your safety." Her mouth snapped shut. "Oops." Hollis shook her head lightly and headed off to attend to Olive's needs. Oh no. The men went on high alert. For fuck's sake, I thought to myself. Ronnie had done it now.

"Just because things have escalated doesn't mean you should be leaving," Dimitri argued. "Or be calling Maxim. I could have found a house if you wanted a separate residence. What does Ronnie mean you're leaving for our safety?" His face had turned red.

"Things are at a delicate stage," Ronnie hinted. She'd been cryptic when she insisted we get our own place, and I'd still not been able to get an answer from her.

"That's why I'm here," Max said, his tone turning serious. I want to make sure you two are safe. I've arranged for you to move into the house I bought nearby. It's more secure, and I'll have men stationed there. You'll be protected," he paused. I would have preferred it if you'd agreed to come home. His brow lifted, but I shook my head.

Ronnie laughed, her expression softening. "We appreciate it, Max. We do. It's just... I'm not sure I was expecting guards and stuff." She picked at a nail and looked over at her computer longingly.

"I know," he said, his gaze steady. "But things are different now. The stakes are higher. And I can't risk losing either of you."

I reached across the table to squeeze his hand. "We get it. We do. And we'll move. But you have to let us handle some of this alone, too. We're not helpless."

Exchanging a look with Ronnie, I indicated to her that she should say something encouraging, but she only shrugged slightly. "You know how he is, Natasha. Overbearing and protective," she said, her eyes twinkling with affection.

"Overbearing?" Max raised an eyebrow. "I prefer 'responsible.' And maybe a little 'caring.'" Dimitri watched the entire exchange incredulously.

"Caring?" I echoed, a playful smirk on my lips. "Is that what you call it when you hover like a mother hen?"

Max chuckled, shaking his head. "Call it what you want, but it's kept you both alive, hasn't it? Things are different now. The stakes are higher. And I can't risk losing either of you." Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know you're both strong, capable women. But that doesn't mean you don't need backup."

"Backup, yes. Babysitting, no," I countered.

Ronnie nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We're a team, Max. We can do this together."

He looked at us both, a mixture of pride and frustration in his eyes. "Fine. I'll ease up on the hovering. But you have to promise me you'll stay in contact. No going off the grid."

"Deal," I said, a grin spreading across my face.

"Now, about this house," Ronnie interjected, her curiosity piqued. "You didn't mention anything about buying property here."

"Yeah, Max ," Dimitri laced the shortened version of the name with disdain. "You didn't say anything about buying property. Why is that?" There was no getting around the idea that he bought a property here to be close to his brother.

Max leaned back, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "It was a recent acquisition. A precautionary measure. It's got all the security features."

Ronnie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You and your precautions." Dimitri scowled, but I could practically hear the thoughts rolling around in his brain. He and his brother didn't exactly have a relationship. What did it mean that he'd bought a house here? It was evident to me, but maybe not so obvious to Dimitri, why he'd done it. Even though we'd only reconnected with Max for the last five years, I knew Max missed his brother terribly. He had difficulty trusting people, and when Dimitri called him this year, he'd been so pleased.

I reached across the table to squeeze Dimitri's hand. "We get it. We'd have you here for protection and all your security measures, but you have Hollis and Olive here. It's better if we move. We're not helpless, and we'll have extra security, too." Initially, I'd not intended it that way when Ronnie had brought it up. My thoughts had run along a small bungalow, just the two of us, but that was foolish and naive when I looked back on that. It was a fever dream that wasn't possible, especially right now. Max wouldn't allow that to happen.

"I don't like it. You should have told me," Dimitri grumbled. If I was honest with myself, he looked pretty scary when he was mad.

"I know you don't like it, and we should have told you. It was disrespectful," I agreed.

"This is just a ‘better safe than sorry' scenario," Max piped up. "Especially with the trouble they've managed to stir up."

"Hey, we're not the ones stirring up trouble and running around slashing throats. We're just trying to get to the bottom of things," I said defensively. That wasn't cool. "And you're the one who always said to follow the truth, no matter where it leads." That had always been what he'd tell me when I was stuck on a case. ‘ No matter what, Natty, follow the truth.'

Max's expression softened. "And I stand by that. But following the truth doesn't mean you have to do it alone. You aren't an island." He sent a glare at Dimitri. It was a clear shot at how he left the family. It was evident from the tightening of Dimitri's mouth that what Max meant wasn't lost on him either. "We're family. We stick together," Max said tightly. "We're stronger together."

Ronnie and I shared a glance, but our bond was stronger than ever. "That's true," she echoed.Ronnie and I both believed in our sisterhood over everything. It had been the dominating factor in all of our life decisions. We had folded Max into our family to include him, but that mantra wasn't wrong. We were stronger together. I believed that.

Max nodded, his eyes reflecting a mix of determination and love even over his grumpy pakhan exterior. "Good. Now, let's get you two moved. I've got everything arranged."

"I'm sure you do," I laughed. I did wish that Ronnie had left me a note or text — something so I could have started getting my things together.

"I don't really like this, but if you think it'll help everyone involved stay safe, I'll go along with it," Dimitri said. "But there are conditions." One of his eyebrows hitched up menacingly.

"Do tell, little brother," Max joked. He was enjoying this with a little too much zeal.

"Security system, cameras, and bodyguards." He ticked off the items on his fingers as Hollis and Olive returned to the room carrying Luna, her kitten.

"Already handled." His face went pale as he spied the cat, his eyes wide in horror as he looked at the orange fur ball. I giggled, trying to stifle my laugh at how afraid the big bad pakhan was of cats.

"Look, Uncle Max," Olive stuck the kitten straight into his face while he lurched as far away as he could. "This is Luna. Hold her. She's soft, and I'm sure she'll love you so much. Daddy carries her all around the house on his shoulders. Here." Olive dumped the kitten straight up onto the shoulders of his fancy suit, and we all lost it.

"It's cute. Look at all those teeth." Gingerly, he stood up, the kitten clinging to his collar. Max looked helplessly at his brother. In Russian, he spoke rapidly, "Get it off, Dima. This is torture. Please take the little beast."

"Fine, but you'll let me help set the security for Nat and Ronnie."

"Fine." The kitten sealed the deal, and Dimitri removed poor Luna and placed the kitten on his shoulders, where it curled around his neck.

Max shuddered, "That's disturbing."

?

The house Max had bought was cute. I wasn't sure there were mansions in Haverboro or Morinrock, but he'd picked a hell of a house. He'd apparently been looking for a home since Dimitri moved here and quietly bought the old farm between Haverboro and Morinrock under an alias. It had been renovated and retrofitted with everything a Bratva boss could need. Granted, it was more than we needed, but it was still beautiful with its stucco walls and courtyards. I could see why the location appealed to Max with the privacy, the desert, and the thick walls, but I like the solitude.

"This looks like it took some time, brat ," Dimitri said with a scowl as he went through the grounds. He slammed cupboards angrily even after Hollis told him to stop and glared at Max for good measure.

"It was a good find, what can I say." Max shrugged nonchalantly. "Are you cranky that I'll be your neighbor?" he joked. Max could be pretty funny sometimes, but this seemed new to Dimitri because he looked at him owlishly.

"You're going back to San Diego, right?" Ronnie piped up from behind us. She'd been downstairs examining the office that Max had promised her was there with computer equipment ready to go. Ronnie's main specifications were good internet, good internet, and good internet in that order. I would have sworn that the girl was more attached to her computers than anything else.

"Don't you want to share your office?" he laughed at her. "Not to worry — it's all yours, Ronnie. I have to return to California anyway. Business. There is no moving until Luca and the other guards arrive tomorrow. They'll move your things," Max said sternly. Ronnie rolled her eyes.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, and we can move our own stuff, right Nat?" She looked to me for support, but I wasn't sure she was right. Dimitri already had it out with Max about his plans to bring in guards and more Bratva presence, and I didn't want to rock the boat more than it was already.

I hadn't given much thought to the idea of us moving to a different house. My mind had been full of my case, the killings, and Pike. The thought of him made me want to call him and find out what he was doing. He was such a different man from anyone I knew, haunted by the past, but at the same time, he seemed willing to open up to me. Most men I had been around were equal parts stoic and closed off. They'd have never shared such private information. It made Pike so much sexier to me — although he didn't need any more help in that department. I would confess that one of the reasons I'd agreed to move was so that I'd have a little privacy and could have him over. That'd been impossible in the close quarters at Dimitri's. Even having him out on the patio was an issue since Dimitri saw every move on security cams. Here, at least, I'd have some semblance of privacy.

Hollis and I started a deep dive into the cabinets in the house to see what Max had brought in. He'd said he'd had the house "supplied," but we weren't sure what that meant, so we left the men talking as we explored. Shockingly, whoever had been tasked with the chore had seemingly thought of everything from Q-Tips to dry goods.

"Is this an actual job?" Hollis asked, pulling her head out of the bathroom cabinet. "Check this out." There was a full cart of medical supplies, including what looked like a suturing kit and the necessary medicines, such as painkillers and antibiotics. "Our house is slacking. I need to up my game," she muttered. This is crazy."

"Mobsters." I laughed. "They have the weirdest people working for them." It was the absolute truth, though. "My mother kept her housekeeper, who worked for my dad. She was nutty as a loon but made the most insane pavlova, and she could stitch like nobody's business." Hollis wrinkled her nose at me as if I was saying something outlandish, but she hadn't been with my cousin that long. I'd wager that she'd be having to up her first aid skills before long.

Instead, she diverted the conversation and asked, "Is pavlova that meringue stuff?"

"Yeah, exactly right. They make a little nest of it and put custard in the middle with fruit. My mom loved the way she made it. I'm not even kidding when I tell you that was why she brought her." I wasn't even lying. I wouldn't say I liked pavlova, but my mom — whew, she'd pick it every time for dessert.

"Crazy," Hollis sympathized. "Well, I'm pretty sure we looked through the whole house. What room are you picking?" We had already decided that the farmhouse was just about perfect and that I would steal it from Max. I was in love with it and with Arizona.

"The one facing the private courtyard with the fountain. I'm guessing that Ronnie will want the one downstairs anyway." I didn't mention that it was because the courtyard was nice and secluded. I could open the doors and put my bed right in front of the doors. It'd be like a fantasy with the fountain and the desert air. The things Pike and I would get up to as soon as I moved — I shifted uncomfortably. We'd had an incredible night in more ways than one. Pike was a giving and talented lover, but the fact that he opened up to me moved me the most. Most of my experiences with men in my life had shown me that they weren't willing to show me their hearts and their emotional struggles. How could I be a partner if they wouldn't do that? Of all people, Pike surprised me with how willing he was to share his inner thoughts with me. If I was honest, I was falling hard for the biker.

"Figured. That one is so perfect," Hollis was saying. Drawing my attention back to her, I nodded as we continued through the house.

Ronnie had already staked her claim to the downstairs of the house. I'd looked briefly, but it had a bonus room, a bedroom, and a large office that she'd declared would be perfect for her computers since there was a daylight basement, and they'd stay cool. I'd prefer the upstairs where I could get plenty of sunshine anyway.

After Max reminded us about Ronnie's appointments with her doctors in Phoenix and warned us about the guards, he handed over the house keys. "I'll say goodbye then."

"Thank you, Max," I said, squeezing him tightly. He'd been very kind to us over and over, staying in touch with my mother regarding Ronnie's medical issues that were still a concern and forking money hand over fist for private doctors. I wasn't sure how much Ronnie appreciated his mother-henning … but I remembered what it was like without it.

"When will you make an honest man out of my brother?" He asked Hollis, keeping clear of her, careful not to crowd her. I'd noticed that she preferred men not to touch her unless it was my cousin, and it was evident that either Max had taken note or that Dimitri had told him. She seemed comfortable with Maddox, but he didn't ever hug her goodbye. I hadn't asked about it, and she hadn't explained. We had just met, but I hoped we'd become good friends. I'd keep her secrets if she ever wanted to share them.

"Soon," Hollis hedged. "Maddox and Helena are getting married first. I want them to have their day to shine. We might elope." She winked at me. We had chatted about this topic a few days earlier. She'd had some of the wedding magazines out around the house. Hollis wasn't sure she wanted a fancy wedding, which I understood. She just wanted to be married to Dimitri and be able to wear a dress he bought her from Colombia. Other than that, she couldn't care less. I had mentioned she could get married on their patio with a small group of friends, and she liked that idea but thought they'd wait until after Maddox and Helena got married. She didn't want to ruin their moment, which was thoughtful. If I ever got married, I would never want to have a fancy church ceremony with a million eyes on me. I'd been to a couple of those for friends from law school and a few for the family — the bride stuffed like a sausage into some cupcake dress, barely able to move.

"As long as you elope and invite me," Max said darkly to Dimitri, narrowing his eyes so they were just slits. "Don't say those vows without me, mudak . I don't want to miss it."

"I should go back to not talking to you," Dimitri grumbled, but I could tell he didn't mean it. He clasped Max tightly across the back, holding him to him for a moment and whispering to him in Russian so low that I couldn't hear, but Max closed his eyes in relief.

Finally, we said our goodbyes, and Ronnie and I headed back to Dimitri and Hollis's, but we were excited about the prospect of moving to the farmhouse. I couldn't wait to tell Pike about it.