Her Silver Fox Mountain Men (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Chapter 19

19

Roman

I didn’t expect to come to Boulder twice in the same month, but Tori insisted that at least one of us be present for this client meeting. Oliver decided to join me, and as we sit around the conference table in our executive board room, we can see why Tori wanted us here.

Seated across the table from Oliver, Tori and me, is Kara Konstantinova.

The name first rang some bells when we received the prospective client brief from Boulder but seeing her in the flesh makes me better understand Tori’s persistence. Ms. Konstantinova isn’t just the daughter of a Bratva head who single-handedly united all the Chicago families under one alliance. I read enough about her on the drive over to know she’s a force to be reckoned with on her own. I needed to know who I was dealing with.

“Ms. Konstantinova, please forgive our minor delay,” Oliver says with a pleasant smile. “I’m sure Tori mentioned where we were driving in from.”

“Somewhere on the other side of the Rocky Mountains,” she replies. “It’s fine. Please, call me Kara. Only my service staff call me Ms. Konstantinova. Hopefully, so will the security detail that you will provide me with if we can agree on certain terms and conditions.”

I nod slowly, giving Tori a quick glance. I’m proud of her. For a combat vet, her comeback into civilian life has been nothing short of stellar. This year alone, Tori has brought us four new high-paying clients.

“By all means, Kara, tell us,” I say. “What can we do for you?”

“I’ve got a few meetings scheduled in and around Boulder over the next month or two, potential property acquisitions among other things,” she replies, and I take a moment to note every detail about her pristine appearance while she speaks. “I suppose you’re familiar with my father, Lev Konstantinov, and his reputation.”

“We are, yes.”

Kara is Russian, with prominent regional features—sharp cheekbones, platinum-blonde hair and icy blue eyes as cold as the Arctic Ocean. She wears a dark grey suit jacket over a pale blue silk shirt, diamond studs in her ears, and a thin, delicate sapphire and diamond choker around her neck. There’s something familiar about her, something I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s as if I’ve seen her before but I know I haven’t. I never forget a face.

“Then you know he has enemies,” Kara replies. “The kind of enemies who would jump at the chance to hurt his loved ones in order to get to him.”

“That’s the risk you take when you lead the Bratva, though, isn’t it?” Oliver asks, a smirk on his lips. “The Russian mob can be as merciless as the wilderness itself, but I know for a fact that the Colombians can be worse.”

“Not just the Colombians. Over the past few years, my father has had run-ins with the Italian mafia as well. These days, it seems as though we only have the Irish on our side.” She pauses to look at me. “You’ve got some Irish blood running through your veins, don’t you, Mr. McTierney?”

“Is that why you came to us?” I shoot back.

She raises a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “Maybe. The familiarity of your name, the associations that my mind made in the process… it might’ve played a part, albeit a very small one.”

“I do hope our experience and success played a bigger part.”

“Of course. You’re all combat veterans, correct?”

Oliver nods. “Most of us, yes. We hire outside the military as well, particularly from law enforcement and other federal agencies, provided they have some field-related training. We’ve also trained a few green employees ourselves.”

“That sounds fantastic,” Kara says, smiling appreciatively. There’s not a hair out of place on this woman and her calmness unnerves me. There’s a hint of the psychopath somewhere beneath that pristine surface. “I brought a couple of my own men from Chicago to accompany me for the trip, but they’re not familiar with the area, the terrain, or the people. I’m hoping your agency can provide me with some local muscle. Once we have that worked out, my men will head back home.”

“Can I ask why they need to be local?” I inquire. “We can provide them, of course, but the more you tell us about your intentions, the better service we can provide.”

She takes a deep breath and leans back into her chair. “I need people who can take me away from danger, no matter where the danger finds us,” she says, “people who know a safe spot nearby where if an incident were to occur, they could get me to safety quickly. My boys wouldn’t be able to do that in unfamiliar territory. The last thing I want is to get lost while fleeing for my life.”

“You expect it to be that bad?” Oliver inquires.

Tori gives him a nudge under the table. Kara spots it and laughs lightly.

“It could get that bad, yes. I like to prepare for any possibility and/or worst-case scenario. Besides, I need locals for more personal reasons as well, not just my physical safety and business endeavors.”

“The more you tell us, Kara, the better we can tailor our security package for you,” I say.

She gives me a long, drilling look and, for a brief second, I feel a tingling sensation in the back of my neck as if Kara Konstantinova has somehow figured out a way to scan my brain and read my thoughts.

It’s not a feeling I enjoy. It makes me feel vulnerable.

“I’m looking for someone,” Kara says, “someone whom I need alive.”

“We can provide investigative support,” I say. “What is this about?”

“A family member. I cannot give you all the details at this point as I’m still trying to ascertain a possible location and a way to reach them before somebody else does. Let’s just say I’m going off the books here. I must be able to rely on your discretion.”

Tori nods vehemently. “Ma’am, I can assure you, discretion is at the forefront of our principles as an agency. We sign iron-clad NDAs with each of our employees, contractors, collaborators, and clients.”

“Good. As I’ve already mentioned, I will require a crew to escort me around Boulder and a couple of other locations. A dozen men should do, though, if I were you, I’d keep a backup crew to jump in at a moment’s notice,” she says, never taking her eyes off me. “Your men must understand that they could lose their lives in the process.”

“Is there a mob war coming?” Oliver asks.

He’s trying to sound as unimpressed as possible, and I totally get his nonchalant angle, but I think we both know that Kara Konstantinova is one of our highest-paying—and highest-risk clients—to date.

“There might be if your men fail to protect me,” she responds with zero emotion.

“We’ll need to do a risk assessment,” I cut in. “My colleague Tori will go through that with you after you sign the prospective NDA. Then, once I’m satisfied that we’ve gathered all the appropriate details—including a brief history of incidents you’ve dealt with over the past three to six years—I’ll personally handpick your team: a dozen agents, and another dozen on standby, always at the ready.”

Kara seems pleased with my conclusion. She glances around the table, measuring each of us carefully before she goes on to analyze the rest of the conference room.

“Where are you gentlemen living these days?” she asks almost out of the blue.

“Why do you want to know?” Oliver replies cautiously.

“I’m curious. Word on the wire has you among the most powerful men in the private security sector, yet you moved your central operations here to Boulder. The rumor mill says you have taken up residence elsewhere in a very remote small town. I’m trying to understand why.”

“Boulder is less conspicuous,” I begin. “Our staff enjoyed the move, especially since there are so many places to go for training and leisure. The Rockies aren’t just for sightseeing, Kara. They’re an optimal training ground for a number of specializations within our agency. Once they’re prepped, our agents can handle any environment across the country and even abroad.”

“We also wanted the peace, quiet, and anonymity that the big city couldn’t offer,” Oliver adds.

“That’s fascinating,” Kara says. “I’d never leave Chicago for a smaller world.”

“I said the same thing until I moved,” I reply, smiling. “You’d be surprised by how easily we were able to leave it all behind, how eager we became to let it all go for the sake of peace and quiet.”

Kara nods slowly. “So, I’ll ask again, where do you live now?”

“A small town on the north side of the Rockies.” It’s a lie, but I know there’s an ulterior motive for her line of questioning. I’m not about to disclose our personal residence to her, not even if she offers to pay triple the usual fee.

Oliver gives me a knowing glance and a subtle nod of approval.

He understands her angle. He, too, can sense the undertone, the ulterior motive. I reckon Tori has become aware of it as well. This entire case requires our full attention, and we have to be at the top of our game. Kara’s protective detail could turn out to be quite the challenge for our company, but I welcome a good challenge. Whatever she’s doing in Colorado, Kara will be safe in our hands.

I just need to make sure that we’re safe, too.

An hour later, Oliver and I are sitting with Tori in her office, going over the papers that Kara filled out and signed. There’s a sense of uneasiness in the air as we steal glances at one another.

“Clearly you didn’t like her asking questions,” Tori says after a long period of silence, her gaze fixed on me. “What’s up with that?”

“A mobster’s daughter wanting to know where we live? Of course, I didn’t like her asking me questions,” I reply with a cool grin.

Oliver nods in agreement. “Certain clients can pose greater risks than others; we were well aware of that possibility from the moment we started this business. That just means we have to be even more vigilant, especially with this case.”

“She could just be curious. You two forget how easy on the eyes you both are,” Tori shoots back, chuckling as she puts the papers away. “I’ll send these through the system before the day’s end and have a list of available agents ready for you within the hour.”

“Thank you, Tori,” I say.

Oliver laughs lightly. “I suppose she wouldn’t be the first mobster’s daughter who would want to get to know us better. Remember that Irish don’s great-niece?”

“How could I forget? I was prepared to legally change my name in case she wouldn’t take no for an answer,” I mumble, remembering that particular situation all too well.

“The point is, we’ve come across all types of people in this line of work, Tori,” Oliver says. “We’ve seen pretty much anything and everything. But caution still reigns supreme.”

“I get that part,” she replies. “But here’s what I don’t get. What is a Chicago Bratva princess doing all the way out here in the Rockies? I’m not buying the whole business opportunity shtick. I looked into her daddy’s businesses; they’ve got nothing established in Colorado, absolutely nothing. It doesn’t make sense.”

I nod in agreement. “I’m right with you there, Tori. And I am equally intrigued.”

“It’s worth keeping an eye on her movements,” Oliver suggests. “We’re compelled by our NDAs to not divulge information unless it pertains to crimes that they’re about to perpetrate. I reckon Kara knows that all too well.”

“We just need to be careful,” I say. “We’ll keep our eyes open for sure. The last thing we need is to get dragged into something on the other side of the law. It’s bad enough we’re putting our agents at risk by supplying her with a security detail.”

Tori takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “They know what they signed up for. It’s part of the job, Roman. Now, tell me, how are things in Rustic? How are y’all liking your mountain man lifestyle?”

Oliver and I exchange amused glances.

“It’s going great actually,” I say. “Better than I expected.”

“Don’t you get bored? There is such a thing as too much peace and quiet.”

“Funny you should ask. It’s not as peaceful and quiet as it used to be,” Oliver quips. “We found ourselves a gal.”

“Please tell me she’s not a Shauna 2.0. I remember what the three of you went through with her, what it was like after that particular hot mess ended,” Tori groans.

“No, no. Nothing like her. In fact, I think you’ll like Elise,” I reply.

Tori is one of the few people in the world who knows about our lifestyle, about our ability to love and share a woman. I trust Tori with my life, and so do the guys. She was, in fact, the first to signal some issues about Shauna right after they met during a weekend here in Boulder. James thought Tori was overreacting, but in the end, she turned out to have spotted the rot while we were still drunkenly infatuated with the woman.

“Elise?” Tori asks. “Where is she from? Is she a Rustic native?”

“Nah, Chicago,” Oliver says.

“No kidding. What do you know about her?” she asks.

“Enough to understand that she’s a good woman,” I reply. “Go easy, Tori. If everything works out, we’ll bring her over, and you can grill her then.”

Tori laughs. “Forgive me, fellas. Hazard of the job. Interrogating is in my DNA.”

“Yeah, we know,” Oliver says, then gets up. “We’re going to go back to Rustic tonight. Once we get that list of agents from you, the boys and I will handpick Kara Konstantinova’s security detail.”

“Roger that, boss.”

I still can’t shake the subtle uneasiness I felt around Kara Konstantinova. Without fully understanding how deep her Bratva blood runs, I can’t ascertain how big of a potential threat she is. She came to us for protection, stating she would be sending her Chicago goons home once her security detail is assigned.

And so I’m curious as to what it is that really brought her here.