Alexei (Her Russian Protector #8) (45 page)

“I’m glad you like them. Would like to add on any other waxing services?”

“Not today.” The last thing I wanted was some stranger I hardly knew getting up close and personal with my lady parts.

“Would you like me to make a note about a return appointment? I usually see my eyebrow clients on a three to four week schedule.”

I considered my normal plucking routine. “We should probably aim for three weeks.”

“Okay. I’ll make a note, and Billie or one of the other front desk girls will get you scheduled.” She gestured to the door. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to your manicure and pedicure appointment.”

The quiet, relaxing hallway lined with rooms used by aestheticians and massage therapists led to a bright and open space where clients were pampered used by the nail technicians. Large potted palms filled the corners of the room and gauzy drapes gave the wall of pedicure chairs a luxury cabana feel.

Unlike the usual black pedicure chairs I was used to at the nail salons I had always visited, the chairs here were a creamy leather and had adjustable tabletops and shelves along each side for holding purses and shoes. Instead of black plastic foot baths, these chairs were attached to mosaic-tiled basins with gleaming faucets.

Emily led me to the kaleidoscope shelves lined with nail polish bottles and then wished me a good day before grabbing her next client from the spa waiting area. There were so many colors I wasn’t sure where to start.

“Try a plum shade,” a woman suggested from behind me. “It’s a hot color for the fall.”

Turning toward the sound of her voice, I discovered a dark-haired woman close to my age seated in a pedicure chair soaking her feet. She had one hand resting on a very prominent baby bump while the other held a home décor magazine. Diamonds glinted on her hands and ears as she added, “You should try the shellac.” She flashed her paint-stained fingertips at me. “It’s good for girls like us who work with our hands.”

Bewildered, I asked, “How do you know I work with my hands?”

Her mouth slanted with amusement. “We haven’t met, but we actually run in some of the same circles and have some of the same friends in common.”

“Oh?”

“Hadley, Kylee, Alexei,” she ticked off three names. “And, of course, my husband, Nikolai…” She held my gaze, and it was clear in that moment that she knew everything. “He speaks very highly of you.”

Of course. I recognized her finally. Black hair. Blue eyes. Pigment-stained fingers. Vivian Valero.

Well. Kalasnikov now.

She was right. We did have friends in common. Kylee and Hadley had known each other when they were younger. Hadley had become one of her loyal customers, buying four or five of Kylee’s designs every year. She also carried one of my tote bags and a hobo-style handbag. A few times, she had asked me to visit her art center to teach leather working classes.

With a gentle smile, Vivian touched the seat next to her. “Pick out your color and come sit next to me.”

Like her husband, Vivian was not the kind of person I could refuse. “All right.”

Taking her advice, I chose a deep plum shade with a hint of sparkle. Mandy, the nail technician assigned to me, seemed to approve the choice. She guided me to the chair next to Vivian. She offered me another mimosa but I turned it down in favor of a cup of tea.

“That’s a beautiful bag. Is that one of your designs?” Vivian gestured to my handbag sitting on the shelf of the chair.

“Yes.”

“I’ve actually been looking for something similar to that for a diaper bag. I want a leather tote but with more structure, you know? And with pockets and compartments.”

“I made a bag similar to that a few months ago.” I reached into my purse for my phone and started scrolling through the photos in my Dropbox app. When I found the right one, I showed it to her. “Something like this?”

“Yes!” She scrolled between the photos. “Exactly like this! But maybe in a brown leather? I’m not really a fan of black.”

“All of my handbags are made-to-order. I can do any color you like.”

“Do you have a shop?”

“I work out of my house right now. Well,” I corrected myself, “I’m working out of Alexei’s house at the moment.”

“Oh! Well that works nicely. We live a few blocks away. I can pop over sometime if that’s okay.”

“It’s definitely okay.”

Vivian sipped from a water bottle and shifted in her chair. She swirled her feet through the hot water. “I work from home now. It’s nice. I like being able to just walk downstairs and go to work, especially lately when I’m up all night with heartburn and insomnia.”

As she rubbed her pregnant stomach, I was struck by the realization that we weren’t that far apart in age. Seeing her so obviously happy about starting a family left me feeling conflicted and maybe even a bit envious. Alexei and I had been playing a dangerous game together, forgetting to use protection more often than not. Even though my usual cravings for salt and the discomfort of sore breasts seemed to confirm Aunt Flo’s impending visit, there was always the slimmest possibility that I was wrong. It didn’t scare me nearly as much as it should have.

“Where is your shadow?”

“My shadow?”

Vivian smiled as if we shared a secret. “Stas.”

“Oh. Right. He’s at the coffee shop next door. I assume your shadow is nearby, too?”

“Shadows,” she corrected. “Two for me.” She touched her stomach. “Two for him.”

“I guess I should stop complaining about Stas. At least there’s only one of him following me everywhere.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad.
Krisha
is just part of this life.”

“
Krisha
?”

“Roof,” she explained. “It’s what they call the protection arrangements we have. Like a roof protects the house, you see?”

“Oh.”

“You’ll get used to it. My four shadows are like family now.
Ten is really just a big teddy bear once you get to know him. Boychenko is a sweetheart. Ilya always has the best gossip and stories. Danny sneaks me
pan dulce
from Benny’s bakery once or twice a week. Honestly? It’s like having four seriously overprotective brothers. I was an only child and I always wanted brothers. It’s like wish fulfillment twenty years later,” she laughed.

Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the cushioned seat and enjoyed the hot water bubbling around my feet. “One older sister has been enough trouble for me.”

“It will be all right,” Vivian said softly. “Alexei won’t let anything happen to you, and I can promise you that Nikolai won’t either.”

I glanced at her and saw the sincerity in her eyes. “I hope so.”

She reached over and touched my hand. “I know so.”

My cell phone buzzed, and I fished it out of my purse. The snap from Kylee made me giggle. She had taken a selfie with an exaggerated expression of pain as she waited in one of the aesthetician rooms for her waxing appointment. I snapped a quick photo of myself relaxing with a content smile and sent it her way.

“Are you Snapchatting with Alexei?” Vivian had her phone in her hand and seemed to be texting someone. “I’ve been trying to convince Nikolai to let me add the app to his phone for us to use, but he’s all security this and NSA that so…” She rolled her eyes. “I tried telling him that the NSA doesn’t care about our selfies but…”

“This one is from Kylee. She’s in the back about to get up close and personal with some hot wax.”

“Ouch!”

“I showed Alexei how to use Snapchat this morning.” Amused, I admitted, “He sent me a snap of his blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee. I think it’s going to take him a while to figure it out.”

Vivian laughed. “Start sending racy snaps. He’ll figure it out quick enough.” Holding out her phone, she said, “Give me your number. We’re neighbors now. We should get together for lunch or something.”

“I’d like that.” We exchanged phones and typed in our contact information. As I handed back her phone and took mine, Kylee strolled out of the spa, grabbed a funky sea blue shade of polish and hopped into the seat next to me. She leaned forward to wave at Vivian and soon they were chatting back and forth.

My pedicure and manicure finished before Kylee’s so I settled our bills and tips and waited for her in the lobby. I snapped a selfie of my new haircut and color and sent it to Alexei. He responded seconds later with a phone call.

“Hello?” I answered quietly so as not to disturb any of the other patrons.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Feeling giddy at the sound of his deep, dark voice, I couldn’t help but smile.

“I’d like to take you out and show you off, but I have a meeting soon and then promised to do a favor for a friend tonight.”

He didn’t have to tell me who that friend was or why he had to do him a favor. I had a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that Nikolai would expect many such favors from Alexei for the protection he had extended toward me.

“But I’ll make it up to you when I get home,” he promised. “I have to go. I’ll call you when I’m headed home tonight. Stay close to Stas. All right?”

“I will.” We ended our call with softly spoken goodbyes just as Kylee appeared in the lobby. We left the salon together and came face to face with two men in black leather jackets. They both had tattoos like Alexei’s. The younger of the two men looked very familiar to me. He nodded toward me in acknowledgment. “Ma’am.”

I suddenly remembered where I had seen him. He had come to my rescue with Alexei. “Mr. Boychenko.”

His companion laughed and said something to him in Russian that made Boychenko’s ears turn red. I sensed it was good-natured ribbing between two men who seemed close as brothers and left it at that. Kylee and I continued toward the coffee shop.

“What was that about?” she asked.

“Those are Vivian’s guards. One of them—Boychenko—came to help me the other night.”

We exchanged a look, and I could tell that I didn’t need to tell her the rest of it. We entered the coffee shop and found Stas sitting at a table with two men that I assumed were Vivian’s other guards. The bearded one shocked me with his size. Standing at full height, he was probably seven feet tall and all tattooed muscle. With a bear like that at Vivian’s side, she was the safest woman in all of Houston.

Kylee and I ordered drinks and then left with Stas. She had an extra shift to get to so we dropped her off at her apartment. Before she got out of the car, she poked my shoulder. “We’re still on for my birthday tomorrow, right?”

“Of course.” My life might in the worst state of flux right now, but I wasn’t going to abandon my best friend on her birthday. If we didn’t go out as we normally did, it might arouse suspicions. We needed to keep to our normal routines.

“Whatever you two are planning, it needs to be cleared with Alexei,” Stas warned. “And I’ll have to go with you.”

Kylee rolled her eyes. “Comrade, if you want to get dressed up, eat cupcakes and go dancing with us, you just have to ask.” Stas scowled at Kylee who laughed and clambered out of the car. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay. Bye!”

“Comrade? She does realize that I’m not a fucking communist?”

“She was teasing,” I said and put a hand on his arm. “She only said it because she knew it would bother you.”

He grumbled under his breath and put the car in drive. “I need to make a stop on the way home.”

“That’s fine. I’m not in any rush. Where are we going?”

“I have to settle a debt.”

“A debt?”

“That afternoon you and your friend ran away I promised the security guard a payment if he would let me access the tapes. It took me a few days to scrape it all together.”

“Stas!” Guilt clawed at me. “Let me pay it. You shouldn’t have to spend your own money on my mistakes.”

“It wasn’t money he wanted.”

“What did he want?” Stas refused to meet my gaze or answer so I asked again, “Stas? What did he want?”

“It’s not important, Shay. The less you know? The better.”

More and more, those six words seemed to rule my life. As Stas navigated busy streets, I thought of Vivian. Was this how it was in her marriage? Did she blindly accept whatever Nikolai told her and not ask any questions?

No
. She seemed to know a
lot
more about what was happening in Houston. I didn’t imagine Nikolai told her everything, especially not the seedy, nasty, violent things, but I doubted he kept much from her. She didn’t strike me as the type of woman who would take that shit.

So why are you?

It wasn’t the first time I had wondered that. Alexei wanted to protect me by shielding me. I respected and understood that. Sitting here next to Stas, I accepted that there were actually some things I really didn’t want to know. My life was complicated enough right now. I didn’t want to know about the ugly, distasteful things that made the underworld work.

Stas and I no longer had the garage parking permit for the penthouse’s private garage, but he was able to sweet talk the attendant into letting us through because she recognized him. He pulled into a visitor spot that was a tight fit and boxed in by pylons. “Are you coming in with me or staying here?”