Nikolai

  By the time we arrived at his house, he'd managed to cool down some but the promise of what this night would bring left me shaking and hot. Nikolai stepped out of limo first and came around to my side to help me out. Even though I'm sure it hurt his still healing body, Nikolai swept me up into his arms to carry me up the sidewalk and into the house.

  I noticed the way Sergei, Kostya and the others didn't follow us inside. Tonight, at least, it seemed Nikolai had regained the privacy of his home. He set me down to close the door but he didn't lock it. Instead, he dragged me close for a loving kiss. He spoke Russian to me as he murmured, "Welcome home, Mrs. Kalasnikova."

  I pressed my cheek to his chest. "It doesn’t seem real. It's like a dream."

  "A good dream?" he asked hopefully.

  "The very best," I whispered.

  "Turn around," he ordered softly.

  Swallowing hard, I presented my back to him. Nikolai gathered the long waves of my hair in one hand and pushed them over my left shoulder. His nimble fingers flicked through the delicate pearl buttons now bared to him. He unhooked the dress and lowered the zipper. I trembled inside when he pressed feather-light kisses to my shoulder.

  "I'll be upstairs in a short while. There are things I must attend first."

  I assumed he meant giving Kostya and Sergei their orders for the night. "All right."

  Nikolai peppered noisy kisses along the curve of my neck. He gave my dress a little tug. "Take this off." He ran his finger along the band of my bra. "And this too."

  My voice left me as excitement and anxiety took hold. All I could do was nod as I gathered the bustled skirt of my dress in one hand and began the slow walk toward the staircase. When I reached the second floor, I turned to gaze at Nikolai. He hadn't moved a muscle. He simply watched me, his eyes blazing with desire and love.

  I waited until I was safely inside the guest bedroom to start panicking and rushing. Even though my friends had warned me not worry about making everything go perfectly, I still wanted to try. After I wiggled out of my dress and draped it over the reading chair, I scurried into the bathroom and stripped out of my undies to prepare myself.

  As I removed my makeup and brushed my teeth, I tried to get a grip. Maybe Lena and Erin were right about keeping my expectations low for this first time. I hoped Benny and Bianca's first times would mirror my own experience. I could live with tender and sweet this first time. I didn't doubt that Nikolai would be patient with me or that he would show me pleasure. I only hoped I could figure out how to make him feel good too.

  When I finished primping, I stared at the ridiculously expensive set of lingerie the girls had given me. I held up the skimpy lacy pieces but didn't feel the urge to wear them. Something told me Nikolai would rather find me naked and waiting.

  I slipped into the pale pink silk dressing gown that matched the lingerie and tied the belt around my waist. Gulping down my nervousness, I finally managed to leave the guest room and cross the hall to Nikolai's—our—bedroom.

  When I opened the door, I found him sitting on the edge of his bed, removing his shoes and socks. He'd already discarded his jacket, tie and shirt. His heavily tattooed chest and back made him look so dangerous and terrifying. I wasn't so blinded by love that I didn't recognize what his myriad tattoos meant but I didn't find him scary or intimidating in the least.

  Like a moth drawn to a flame, I crossed the room to stand in front of him. Spreading his thighs, Nikolai tugged me between his legs. The stiff fabric of his trousers felt strange against my bare skin. Wordlessly, Nikolai pulled on one end of the robe's belt, loosening the knot until both sides of the robe fell open. For the longest time, he simply gazed at my naked flesh.

  "You are so damn beautiful. You're beautiful every day," he added with a smile, "but today you are exceptionally perfect."

  Goose bumps blossomed on my naked skin as his fingertips trailed a straight line from my collarbone to my breast. My toes curled against the hardwood planks as he slowly circled my nipple. The dusky peak reacted to his touch by puckering tightly. Nikolai slid his other hand along my waist to the small of my back, holding me firmly in place as his mouth lowered to my breast.

  "Oh!" The shocked gasp left my throat the moment his soft lips closed around my aching flesh. He suckled me gently, each pull of his lips around my nipple transferring the wicked tugging sensations straight to my throbbing clitoris. Overheated and trembling, I gripped his shoulder and prayed my knees wouldn't give out. "Nikolai…"

  When his mouth began to sensually torment my other breast, he tweaked my wet nipple between his fingertips. The bright arcs of sensation raced through my chest and down into my core. My thighs flexed as I tried to assuage the dull ache building between them. I'd been excited before but this was a whole new level of arousal.

  Without a word of warning, Nikolai picked me up and dropped me in the middle of his bed. In an instant, he was crawling over me. With one knee between my legs, he pinned me to the mattress and crashed his mouth to mine. I relished the feel of his hot skin against mine.

  We kissed frantically while we clutched and caressed. I could feel myself growing wetter as Nikolai's hands glided along my curves. I desperately wanted him to touch me there but he kept his hands above my waist for now.

  Nikolai shifted until both of his legs were between mine. The rigid length of him tented the front of his pants. Wanting to feel the weight of his steely heat in my hand, I reached between us to unbuckle his belt. My coordination wasn't good enough to kiss and unbuckle at the same time so Nikolai rescued me from my fumbling attempts.

  Brushing aside my hands, he quickly took care of his belt and zipper. Taking my smaller hand in his, he dragged it down between our entwined bodied. When my fingers encountered the blistering heat of his cock, I experienced a desperate need to caress and stroke him.

  Nikolai groaned as my small hand closed around him. His tongue thrust into my mouth in a way that mimicked what he intended to do to me very soon. I couldn't breathe now. I shuddered with anticipation and excitement. Red-hot currents raced up and down my body.

  When the blunt tip of his cock stabbed against my sex, I moaned and tore away from his mouth. "Wait," I begged breathlessly.

  The sound of my voice seemed to startle him. Nikolai went perfectly still above me. Before I could explain that I didn't want him to stop, only to slow down, he lifted his hips and pushed up onto one knee. He broke all contact with me—and it hurt.

  Breathing hard, he ran his fingers through his hair. When he looked at me, that old mask of indifference had returned to his face. The icy wall he'd used to keep me at arm's length for so long slammed down between us, leaving me utterly confounded.

  He bent down to brush a tender kiss to my forehead. "It's been a long day. You should rest."

  "But—" I didn't even get a chance to ask him what I'd done wrong. He fled the room without even zipping his pants. Alone in our bed, I stared at the closed door now between us. Embarrassment twisted my gut.

  What the hell had just happened?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Fuck. Fuck.

  Safe in the hallway, Nikolai zipped his pants and pressed his forehead to the wall. Shame gripped him. He'd nearly lost control with Vivian. He'd promised himself that he'd take his time with her and show her real pleasure, but instead he'd let his dick take control. He'd been seconds away from taking her virginity like a fucking ogre.

  The way she'd practically begged him to stop made his stomach churn. He could only imagine what she thought of him right now. She'd trusted him to be gentle and he'd frightened her.

  As he rubbed his hand down his face, he heard the front door open. Irritated, he pushed off the wall and stormed to the stairs. Kostya stood just inside the entryway and glanced toward the second floor. The look in Kostya's eyes chilled Nikolai's raging lust.

  Expecting the very worst, he asked, "What's happened?"

  "Someone left you a wedding gift at Samovar."

  The ominous statement left
him uneasy. Unwilling to face Vivian so soon after he'd fucked everything up between them, he headed downstairs to the laundry room. He found a pair of jeans and a shirt in the clean stacks the housekeeper had left on the folding counter and pulled on clean socks and his boots. Once on the porch, he gave Sergei and Danny strict orders for keeping Vivian safe.

  Certain she was in safe hands, he slid into the front seat of Kostya's SUV. During the drive, images of Vivian's gorgeous body bombarded him. He could still feel the silky heat of her skin beneath his fingertips. Her soft moans and excited whimpers echoed in his ears. He thought of all the ways he could apologize for scaring her and of the ways he might earn her trust.

  When they arrived at the restaurant, Nikolai noticed the grim faces of the men who waited outside. No one would meet his eye. His chest tightened as he entered the restaurant through the employee entrance, crossed through the kitchen and stepped inside the dining room. The lights had been dimmed to their lowest setting and the shades were pulled to prevent anyone from getting a look through the front windows.

  At first, he thought the men were playing a trick on him. He spotted the shapes of customers sitting at tables. It took him a full ten seconds to finally grasp what he was seeing.

  Bodies. Dead bodies. Frozen stiff. Sitting at his tables.

  "Jesus Christ." Nikolai had seen some crazy things in his many years living in the underworld but this topped them all. He approached the nearest body and held out his hand. The wispy curls of vapor as the icy cold body defrosted wafted against his palm. "How long have they been here?"

  "An hour?" Kostya guessed.

  Nikolai glared at his right-hand man. "Who the fuck was supposed to be watching the restaurant tonight?"

  A young kid, maybe nineteen, was shoved forward to face his wrath. He didn’t know the boy personally but he'd been vouched for by one of the captains. No doubt the kid was going to get a good smack later.

  He visibly gulped before stammering, "B-boss, I-I'm sorry. I didn't think that—"

  Nikolai raised his hand to put a stop to the sniveling apology. "What happened?"

  "Well…um…I was outside doing a walk-around like Arty told me and…um…this van pulled up. This guy got out and he asked me for directions, said he was taking his girls to a party."

  "A guy?"

  "Yeah. He had some tats on his neck. Not like ours though. They were, like, skulls and lightning bolts."

  Skinheads. "What happened next?"

  "I took a look at his map and got him situated, you know, and…uh…he sort of offered me a reward."

  Nikolai crossed his arms. He knew exactly where this story was going. "A reward?"

  "Right," the kid said nervously. "And, you know, the girl was really hot and then he threw in another girl and so it sort of lasted longer than I'd expected."

  Snickers erupted as the men found humor in the kid's story and unintentional double entendre. Nikolai's hands clenched. The urge to smack the irresponsible little shit nearly got the better of him but he held it in check.

  "How old were those girls?"

  The kid blinked. "Well—I don’t know. They looked legal."

  "They looked legal," he repeated dryly. "Do you want to know what the inside of a prison cell looks like? Because that's what happens to stupid little punks who shove their dicks into underage prostitutes."

  "I didn't think—"

  "I'm not surprised. It sounds as if the only head you ever use is the one tucked between your legs." Aggravated, Nikolai growled his next question. "What happened when you were finished with those girls?"

  "So-so when I was done and the van pulled away I came inside and I found them." He gestured to the frozen bodies. "I called Arty and I guess he called Kostya and…well…you now the rest."

  "Do you know what today was, Genya?" He'd finally remembered the skinny kid's name.

  "Your wedding day, sir."

  "And do you think I wanted to spend my wedding night here, in this fucking makeshift morgue?"

  Genya shook his head. "No, sir. I've seen your wife. I'd want to spend the night in her. With her," he hastily corrected. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

  "Arty." Nikolai cut off the kid before he dug his hole any deeper.

  Artyom stepped forward. "Yeah, Boss?"

  "Get him out of my sight. Find out what he remembers about the van and the driver and those girls."

  Arty gripped his nephew by the back of the neck and walked him out of sight and into the kitchen. Nikolai crouched down in front of one of the bodies to study it. The man wore all black and it spurred the memories of that terrible night Vivian had been taken. A single gunshot wound to the middle of the head had ended this man's life but he had marks of torture on his belly and chest.

  Judging by the positioning and stiffness of his body, he'd been shot while tied to a chair and left there to freeze. There were walk-in meat freezers big enough to hold this many bodies on ice. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to keep the bodies hidden.

  "Now we know why we couldn't find any of the men," Nikolai addressed Kostya as he stood. "It looks like someone tied up all the loose ends before I was even out of the hospital."

  "Da." Kostya poked the stiff's cheek. "The girls who kept Genya busy were probably some of the ones who were held with Vivian."

  Nikolai's stomach soured at the memory of finding Vivian tied up in that dog cage. "That means they're keeping them in town. We can still find them."

  "And do what with them?"

  "Hand them over to Santos and his police friends." Nikolai generally liked to keep the police as far out of his business as possible but they were the only ones who could get those girls the type of help they needed.

  "Before we save the rest of the world, what the hell are we going to do with these guys?" Kostya nudged another body with the toe of his boot. "I had a couple of the boys drive down to Fresh Start to pick up one of the produce trucks. It's cold enough to haul them out of here without them defrosting and getting messy. I can get rid of a few of them but this high-level disposal here."

  "We aren't going to dispose of them." Nikolai extended his hand. "Give me your phone."

  Kostya didn't question the order. He slapped his phone into Nikolai's hand and continued to move around the restaurant to examine the bodies. Nikolai found the number he wanted and waited for an answer.

  "Kostya!" Besian answered with a laugh. "You're missing a hell of a party."

  The last time he'd seen the Albanian mob boss he'd been dancing on a table at Faze. "Besian."

  "Nikolai?"

  "Get your crew together and meet me at Samovar."

  "Now?"

  "Now."

  Besian didn't hesitate. "Half an hour."

  When he handed Kostya his phone, his cleaner arched his brow. "Well?"

  "Besian wanted to make those skinheads pay for killing Afrim. Here's his chance."

  "Frame them?" Kostya's smile told Nikolai he liked the idea.

  "They were involved in these deaths in some way or another. We'll let Besian get his vengeance and settle that mess once and for all."

  "And us?" Kostya scanned the morbid scene. "This is one hell of a message, Boss."

  It was coming through loud and clear. The longer Nikolai stared at the ghoulish set before him, the more familiar it seemed. He was transported back to a night so many years ago. He'd been a teenager then and living hand to mouth with Ivan on the streets of Moscow. They'd been involved with the family for a little less than a year but were slowly climbing the soldier ranks by proving themselves willing to do any job.

  That was the night he'd first met Maksim, the boss of Moscow. The gray-haired and immaculately dressed boss had pulled up in one of those gleaming black cars he favored and stepped onto the sidewalk.

  The boss had come to check out the club that Grisha ran. At the time, Nikolai and Ivan had been employed there as bouncers. Back then, Grisha's clubs had been some of the highest earning businesses under the organization's umbrella. I
n his mid-twenties, Grisha had clawed his way into the winner's circle by flooding the streets of Moscow with designer drugs and making them readily available in his clubs.

  Nikolai still remembered how nervous he'd been to meet Maksim. He'd recognized that first impressions and reputation were everything in the life he'd chosen. He'd wanted to prove himself as a useful member of the crew. It was the only way to climb higher up that earning ladder.

  He remembered the way Maksim had stopped to speak with them after Grisha made the introductions. It was a brief conversation and mostly a thanks for pulling off a pharmaceutical heist without a single injury or death. Even back then, Nikolai had recognized that the best way to do business was to keep things quiet and safe. The less police presence, the better.

  Maksim had dropped a lighter into Nikolai's palm. It was the same lucky lighter he carried everywhere today. Though it was a small, insignificant gift, Nikolai had treasured it. To him, it had been better than an award trophy.

  But it was the thing Maksim had given Ivan that Nikolai remembered so clearly now. The boss had presented Ivan with a handful of American comic books. Grisha was always teasing Ivan about his reading habits so it was well known that Ivan would do anything to get his hands on a new comic.

  Though the childish habit had annoyed the shit out Nikolai, he'd hidden his irritation that night and allowed Ivan to show him all the colorful panels in that first issue he'd excitedly thumbed through. One panel in particular had caught Nikolai's eye. It was the scene of a villain eating his dinner surrounded by the corpses of his enemies.

  Nikolai remembered thinking it so gruesome and cold. And now, all these years later, he was looking at it—in the flesh, so to speak.

  This was no coincidence. This was a message—from Maksim.

  After the botched hit by Romero, Nikolai had assumed it was one of the local crews trying to take him out before he could build up the Russian presence in Houston. Now he had to wonder if Maksim hadn't sent him here to get him out of the way.