Her Russian Mafia Protector (2 page)

It had been years. No one should have died.

His phone buzzed, and he checked the ID. Clenching his jaw, he held it up to his ear. “Nikonov speaking.”

“Fedor will see you in an hour.”

Kaz shook his head as he hung up the phone. The bastard had given him a week off, but now he was being called back to his job before three days had even passed. So much for grieving. And investigating.

But when Fedor called, no one dared to ignore him.

Tucking his hands in his pockets, he got up and strolled down the street. Years of training had him keeping a close eye on what was going on around him. Although the wind was blistering, everyone ducked their heads and continued on their journey down the streets. There was no reason to complain of the cold in Russia. Nothing ever changed.

This part of the city was rundown. Every other store was a pawnshop, and brave vendors huddled on the corners, hoping to sell a few things during the day. Fedor didn’t own any of the stores in this part of the town, but he offered certain protection for a fee. A few of the men who sat on the benches were familiar to him, but none acknowledged him. Kazimir worked for Fedor, but he rarely promoted his business. There were some jobs that required a more covert touch.

Kazimir entered the mansion through the back. The guards let him in with a nod of their heads. Kaz had earned their respect and ranked only lower than Fedor within the area. What would these men do if they found out what he was planning?

He found his boss eating lunch in the kitchen. Fedor was a tall and intimidating man. He kept his hair dyed its natural brown color. Kazimir had a feeling that the grays had long ago given up. While the man still looked youthful in appearance, there were lines developing around his eyes.

Fedor rose and hugged Kaz. Clapping him on the back, he took Kazimir’s hands and looked deep into his eyes. “My friend. I am sorry that I’ve had to call you in during your time of grieving.”

“Anything for you,” Kaz responded. He felt certain that his heartfelt words didn’t quite sound as sincere as he would have liked.

The older man sat and gestured to the chair. “I have a very personal matter that I need attended. It’s a year-long commitment. I have so few men I trust to take care of the matter.”

Kazimir’s eyebrows went up. “A year-long job? Are you trying to infiltrate your rivals again?”

“No.” Fedor picked up a sandwich and took a bite. “How are you, Kazimir? You aren’t thinking of doing anything drastic, are you?”

Bending his head in respect, Kazimir hid his eyes. “I trust that you will do everything you can find to the one responsible for Nikolas’s life. I merely wanted time to grieve.”

“Rest assured, Kazimir, that I will do everything in my power to bring them to justice. And when I do find them, you will be first in line. Nikolas was like a son to me.”

But not his son. Fedor still hadn’t found the one responsible for his own son’s death, but Kazimir didn’t bring that up. Instead, he nodded and lied. “I trust you with my life, Fedor.”

“And I will trust the life of my daughter to you.”

“What?” Kazimir couldn’t help himself as he snapped his head up. “Something has happened to Veronika?”

“It seems that education has happened to Veronika. She informed me this morning that she is not coming home. She’s found her way into a graduate program in Moscow. I did my best to keep her applications from going through, but it appears that I’ve missed one. It’s too late now to yank her application, and I cannot seem to convince her to come home.”

“You have a detail on her,” Kazimir said slowly. He didn’t like where this was going.

“She has demanded that I pull her detail. I’m inclined to agree. Having five men follow her everywhere tends to draw attention. But having one man following her is far less conspicuous.” Fedor turned a sly eye toward him. “It has to be someone close to me, Kaz. You are easily worth five men.”

Kazimir’s heart dropped. There was no way he was getting roped into bodyguard detail. Not only could he not be away from Fedor for a year, but he couldn’t get tangled up with Veronika. The woman was known to twist men up and toss them out.

“With all due respect, boss, I don’t think this is the right job for me. Veronika isn’t exactly in any danger. And she’s only a few cities over. Surely you have someone else who’s more suited for this detail.”

“I understand. You think this job is below you. And it is. Your talents are far more useful to me here, but she is my only child, Kazimir. I cannot lose her. There were several attempts on her life in the past four years. I will get the details to you.” He smiled gently. “Besides, you wanted time to grieve.”

There was no way of getting out of this without looking suspicious. Immediately his mind began to race. Who did he trust to keep an eye on Fedor and provide updates while he was gone? Who was willing to rebel against the mob boss?

Not many, but there were some who could be blackmailed into it. And these days, that was all he needed. “Anything for you,” he said with a smile. “When do I start?”

“You’ll leave this evening.” Clearly pleased with himself, Fedor smiled. “I know you won’t let me down.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Kazimir stood and looked the older man in the eyes. A small smile splayed on Fedor’s face. It was if he knew what Kazimir was up to and wanted him out of the city. But that couldn’t possibly be right. Because if Fedor knew what Kazimir was planning, Kazimir wouldn’t still be alive. And he certainly wouldn’t be sent anywhere near Veronika.

***

Kaz made one stop before heading to the car rental shop. A man his own age leaned against the cold stone in nothing but an unzipped leather jacket while he smoked a cigarette. They said that Dmitri Bovarin was the most dangerous man in Russia. And Dmitri didn’t work for anyone but himself. As a contract killer, he refused to align himself with any of the bosses. Instead, he took the jobs that required the upmost secrecy, the jobs the bosses didn’t even want their own to know about.

Luckily for Kazimir, he knew Dmitri personally. For Dmitri owed him a favor.

He wouldn’t call it a friendship. They certainly didn’t grow up together, and they didn’t socialize. They just happened to be at the same place at the same time, and Kazimir did the unthinkable.

He saved Dmitri’s life.

It wasn’t so much a calculated move as it was instinct. He hadn’t expected Dmitri to offer a favor down the road in repayment, nor had he wanted the man’s respect. He’d simply seen a man in danger and reacted.

After all these years, Kaz finally called him this morning. And today, he’d call in that favor. “Three years is a long time to hold a debt over someone’s head,” Dmitri drawled as Kaz approached. He didn’t offer his hand, and Kaz wasn’t offended.

“I wasn’t holding a debt over your head. I simply didn’t have need for your services,” Kaz said with a shrug. “And now I do.”

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to like what you have to offer me?” Dmitri said as he crushed the cigarette butt on the side of the building and let it drop to the ground.

“You’re not obligated to take it. If you’re not careful, it could mean your life.” Kazimir wanted revenge, but he wouldn’t put another life on the line involuntarily. Fedor was a cruel man.

Dmitri’s eyes slid to the bag that Kazimir carried. “You look as though you’re going somewhere. Might as well spit it out.”

“I’ve been assigned to Moscow for a year. It’s fine except that I’m in the middle of an investigation. I need someone to help me with that investigation. To go where I cannot go.”

“If you’re looking for Nikolas’s killer, you can forget it,” Dmitri said flatly. “I don’t do investigations.”

Kaz took a deep breath. “I know Fedor ordered the hit. I need proof. It’s no secret that there’s no lost love between you and Fedor. Do this for me, and I will let you know where Fedor’s weaknesses lie. You can add the hit to your impressive resume.”

“You’re ordering a hit on Fedor Saiko for the murder of your friend?” Dmitri said slowly. “I must admit, that’s not what I was suspecting. Why do I feel like there’s more to it than that?”

“That’s all you need to know.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, old friend. For me to get proof, I’m going to have infiltrate the organization. I’m going to have to show my face, and I don’t like doing that. So you’ll tell me everything now, or I do nothing for you.”

Kaz glowered at him. The man sure did have a hard time understanding what calling in a favor entailed. “That’s not how this works, Dmitri. I have to know that I can trust you.”

Dmitry stared at him for a moment. “Fine. But you must show me your whole hand soon.”

 Kazimir glanced at his watch. “Do we have a deal?”

“What makes you think I don’t already know where Saiko’s weaknesses lie?” Dmitry said as he struck another match.

“If you did, Fedor Saiko would be dead,” Kaz said without hesitation. He knew the rumors. Dmitri only got into this business because of his father’s death. And most believed that Dmitri’s father was killed by Fedor. His boss had never required Dmitri’s services, and most thought that was because Fedor believed that the assassin would be his end. And he had constant protection around him.

Dmitri considered him for a moment before shrugging. “It’s not like I have anything else to do lately. You have a deal, but it has a time limit. I won’t be doing this for a year. You have three months, and then we’re done. Do you understand?”

Kaz hesitated. He thought he would need more than a few months, but it was better than nothing. He nodded. “Three months. I’ll call when I’m settled.”

They didn’t say goodbyes. Kaz headed to the rental place and began to formulate a plan in his head. All they had to do was find the killer, and the money trail would lead right back to Fedor. And Kaz didn’t just want the man behind the gun. He wanted the man who ordered the hit.

He wanted to see Fedor Saiko’s bloody reign come to an end.

Chapter Two

Veronika looked at the online application and sighed. “It’s ridiculous, right? I’m twenty-three, and I’ve never had a job. No one is going to hire me.”

Charley popped her head from behind the refrigerator and laughed. “It’s a college campus. They’re used to hiring people who don’t have any experience. Why are you worried about getting a job anyway? You’ve paid me for the whole year. No one ever does that.”

“That was what I had saved up from my allowance. I’m not taking any more money from my father. I need to learn to live on my own. Besides, quite a few exhibits come through the Art Center. Even though I’ll just be the cashier in the gift shop, I can at least see the pieces.” Veronika shrugged and hit the submit button. “Here goes nothing.”

“Is that the only place you’re applying to?” Charley asked as she pulled down her cereal and mixed it with her milk. Veronika nearly laughed. The girl was eating Lucky Charms.

“Coffee shop, diner, and bookstore,” Veronika said as she counted with her fingers. “They’re the only places that have openings left. I guess I was a little too late getting my applications in.”

“That’s not a bad mixture though. I’m sure one of them will hire you. It’ll be good for you to stick to campus. They have strict rules about the number of hours a student can work.” There was a knock at the door, and Charley looked up. “It’s a little early for visitors. Are you already about to bombard my life with gentlemen callers?”

“Me? Why do you assume they’re here for me? As far as I know, no one is aware that I’m here.”

Charley slid off her seat and walked to the door. “As long as it’s not the hottie downstairs. I have dibs on him.”

Veronika heard the door open. “Whoa. Who are you?” Charley asked in a stunned voice. “Hey! Wait! You can’t just barge in here!”

At the sound of panic in Charley’s voice, Veronika was already grabbing the first thing she could find to use as a weapon. A bottle of vodka. She slipped behind the kitchen door and waited. As soon as the male figure passed her, she raised the bottle over her head and brought it down.

He whirled around and grabbed her arm before she could get him. As pain lanced through her arm, the bottle fell to the ground and shattered.

“Hello, Princess,” he murmured with a cheeky grin.

 Her eyes widened when she recognized him. “What the hell are you doing here?” she snapped.

“Veronika! Are you okay?” Charley gasped from the hallway.

The man released her, and she rubbed her wrist. “I’m fine. And it’s okay, Charley. I know him.”

“You must not like him very much. You wasted a damn good bottle of vodka on him,” Charley grumbled as she grabbed the broom from the closet. “Does someone want to tell me what’s going on here?”

“Charley, this is Kazimir Nikonov. He works for my father, and he’s no doubt here to bully me into going home. Kaz, this is Charley Barns. She’s my roommate, and I’m not leaving.”

It had been four years since she’d seen Kaz, and he still took her breath away. With sculpted cheekbones, piercing blue eyes, and thick dark hair that begged to be touched, he was enough to turn on the hormones of women of all ages. There was a time that she thought he’d be her one and only. But she was just a teenager then. No one could pierce the coldness that surrounded Kaz’s heart.

As if he knew what was on her mind, he sent her a wicked grin. “You look good, Veronika. Like a woman.”

“I am a woman,” she snapped. “And far smarter. You can tell my father that he’s wasting his time. And your time. I’m not leaving.”

“Still as stubborn as ever. As it so happens, I’m not here to make you leave. It seems that you balked against your security detail.”

Coldness washed over her. There was no way that he was here to guard her, was he? Her father would never send Kaz for that. “No.”

“Oh, yes. Your little tantrum has now cost me a year of my life. I hope your couch is comfortable, because I’m going to be sleeping on it.”

Veronika’s temper snapped. Kaz was having far too much fun with this. “First of all, I will not have you following me around for a year. And second of all, this isn’t my home. I’m renting it. And you’re not crashing here. So you can just go back home and tell my father that if he keeps this up, I’m never coming back,” she hissed.