Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Amy
My sister was sick, but not sick enough not to tell me not to go into work the next day, which was sweet but not practical. I needed to work so I could pay for her medical bills. It wasn’t like her insurance would cover even half.
I’d kissed her cheek and left her on the sofa in the small apartment we shared.
Usually, she slept in the one bedroom, but she had wanted to get up, so I had let her.
It was good to see some color in her cheeks, even if the short walk from the bedroom to the living room had made her out of breath and tired.
By the time I got to work, I was tired as well, but it was nothing a coffee wouldn’t fix.
Pausing in the parking lot, I let my eyes sweep over the front of the building.
Everything had been fixed, and a fresh coat of paint covered the bullet holes.
A cold chill swept up my spine, and fear locked my breath in my lungs.
I didn’t want to go back in there, not after yesterday. I wanted to go home and curl up on the sofa with my sister and just be still. Only I couldn’t.
Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed open the door and greeted the temp receptionist. Carla had been shot yesterday. It was only a flesh wound, and she was fine, but I doubted I would ever see her again, which was a shame because I liked her.
I didn’t have the option to quit or even take a day off.
“The old Russian is kicking up a fuss for you,” the woman said tartly.
“Nikolai?” I speared her with my eyes. “His name is Nikolai. He’s a sweetheart.” I glanced down at the paper she handed me. There was only one name on it. His. Today, I would only be caring for him.
“I’d best get to him then.” Giving her a cheery wave, I moved quickly through the home until I came to his room.
“Good morning, Nikolai.”
His smiling face beamed at me. “Amy, you came back.”
“Of course.” I threw him a smile. “Couldn’t leave you alone, could I. Now, what shall we have for breakfast this morning? What do you fancy?”
“I wish I could take you to my favorite restaurant for breakfast, docha.”
“Nikolai, are you flirting with me?” I teased playfully.
Instantly his face creased into a frown. “Of course not, docha. I am far too old for you. But do you have a man at home?”
I ignored the question for a second, as I prepared his clothes. “No, just a sister called Allesia.”
“That makes sense. No man would let you work as hard as you do.” He nodded his head, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He had some old-fashioned ways of thinking. Lots of couples worked. It wasn’t the nineteen fifties anymore.
Not that I told him that.
“You deserve a good man to look after you.”
“Maybe one day.” Neatly folded, I placed his clothes on the bed. “Let’s get you up.”
“Do you look after your little sister?” he asked, cutting me off.
“Allesia is five years older than I am. But yes, I look after her. She’s sick. I mean,” my lips twisted. “She has this heart problem. It’s no big deal.”
Cool blue eyes studied me. “So, you care for your sick sister, and then you come in here and care for me?”
“I don’t mind,” I said in a rush. “She looked after me when our parents died. It’s the least I can do.”
He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me until I felt uncomfortable.
“What?” I didn’t mean to sound so abrupt. “I mean.”
“You really are a caring soul, docha,” he said with a shake of his head.
“What does—” I didn’t get to say anymore as the door swung open and his grandson strode in like he owned the place. Suddenly, the airy, spacious room felt too small. He seemed to take up so much of it. His eyes found mine and narrowed.
“Good morning.” Gathering my wits about me, I flashed him a smile that he didn’t return.
The air in the room turned cold. I didn’t know why, but he didn’t like me. I could tell by the icy way he looked at me.
“Well, I’ll go and get the breakfast tray and give you two a few minutes,” I said in a rush. The trays wouldn’t be ready yet, but I needed out from under Alexei’s piercing gaze. He made me uncomfortable. Now, I could see him being some kind of Russian gangster much more than Nikolai.
Neither one of them looked at me. Instead they spoke in rapid-fire Russian. Both of them glanced at me every two seconds, so it was clear that they were talking about me. And like a fool, I just stood there, unsure of what I should do.
“Don’t leave, docha,” Nikolai said when I stepped towards the door. “My grandson would like to take you out for breakfast.”
I did a double-take. I didn’t know any Russian, but their exchange sounded heated. Alexei wasn’t looking at me like he wanted to take me anywhere. In my chest, my heart sped up a fraction. There was danger here.
“That’s every kind of you, sir, but I have work.”
Alexei rolled his lips together. “My grandfather will clear it with your boss.”
“But—” wildly, I looked between the two of them. Why did I suddenly feel like a pawn in a game of chess that I didn’t know I was playing? “I’m very sorry, but I need the money from this shift.”
The younger Russian rolled his eyes.
“It will be fine, docha,” Nikolai said softly. “I will make sure you won’t be short of money.”
“I…uh.” Chewing on my lip, I weighed up my options. Not that it looked like I had many. I didn’t want to be rude. “Why do you call me docha?”
One large hand curled around my bicep, and I glanced up nervously to see Alexei’s handsome face towering over me. “It means daughter,” he said gruffly. “Or I guess in your case, granddaughter-in-law.” His eyes flicked down to mine. “He wants us to get married. Let’s go.”
He dragged me away before I could say a word. And even if I could speak, what could I say? No? Alexei didn’t seem like the type of man who took no for an answer.
None of the staff stopped him either. They just looked at me with wide, sympathetic eyes because they knew. Shit, they knew what he was. I’d thought it was just all rumors, but it was all true. They were gangsters.
Shivering, I wrapped one arm around myself. The other one was still held in a death grip in his hand.
“Where are you taking me?” I squeaked. The wind picked up my voice and tossed it away like it was nothing but falling leaves, which was kind of apt because that’s exactly how I felt right now—like I was in free fall.
“My grandfather wants a breakfast burrito. So, we will have breakfast there and discuss this arrangement.”
I swallowed hard. “What arrangement?” I asked, only I knew what he meant because I had heard what he had said upstairs.
Nikolai wanted us to be married. The old man must be senile. It was the only possible explanation.
“Get in the car, Amy.” Loosening his grip, he walked around to the driver’s side of a sleek sports car that was probably worth more than my whole apartment.
Pausing with his door open, he rolled his lips again, a look of pure annoyance tightening his features. “Get in the car now, Amy, or should I drag you in?” he threatened, but it was more promise than threat. He would do it.
I hesitated for a split second and then climbed inside.
The interior was just as lavish as the exterior, but sterile, kind of like Alexei. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him as we pulled into traffic. No one spoke. He didn’t even look like he wanted to.
I didn’t either, but I had questions. “I think we may have to get a specialist in to see your grandfather. This idea of his—” I fell silent, biting my lip as his head snapped around.
“There is nothing wrong with him,” he snapped, and I almost peed myself at the cold anger in his voice.
Catching my look, he sighed. “We will discuss the particulars of the engagement when we get to the restaurant, Amy. Until then, I suggest you stay quiet.” Ice blue eyes roved over me.
“Where is your coat? You will freeze in this weather.” He reached to turn the heat on.
“You didn’t exactly give me a chance to grab my coat or bag, Alexei,” I retorted.
For a second, his eyes widened. “Are we on a first-name basis already? Well, I suppose we should be.”
My mouth opened and no sound came out. Falling silent, I tried to memorize where he was taking me in case I needed to run. But the restaurant was only three blocks away. So even if I did, I wouldn’t have far to go to get my belongings.
It was closed, and it looked like it had been closed for a long time. Alexei stood on the sidewalk and scowled at the boarded-up windows like if he got angry enough then it would magically open.
Joining him, I shivered. “I know a place not far from here,” I said quietly.
“I didn’t ask,” he began to say and stopped himself. “Lead on then, Amy, and here.” Before I could stop him, his own jacket was off and settling over my shoulders. It swamped me, but God it was warm.
I led the way forward, a million thoughts rushing through my mind, and he fell into step beside me. Every single person who walked past us stared at him. Some of them quite openly, some moved out of his way like he was a king.
It was fascinating to watch how much respect he commanded.
“This is it?” Forcing a smile, I motioned to the small hole-in-the-wall bistro. “It doesn’t do anything fancy.” I pushed open the door and was hit in the face by the smell of warm cinnamon-scented pastries. “But I think your grandfather might enjoy something from here.”
Alexei glanced around, an almost sneer on his face as he pointed to a table in the corner. “My grandfather has always had simpler tastes.” He speared me to the spot as I took my seat.
It was pretty clear that the simple thing his grandfather liked was me.
“Personally, I have more refined tastes, but my grandfather is very special to me, Amy, so I’ll do what he asks.”
The blood drained from my face. “I’m sorry—what?”
“Us getting married.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Signaling to the waitress, he ordered for the both of us.
“You can’t be serious,” I said finally, because what else could I say? Maybe he was as crazy as his grandfather.
“Deadly.” Steepling his hands together, he leaned forward. “My grandfather is very taken with you after you saved his life.”
My eyes went wide like saucers in my face, and I leaned backwards. He was too big and too close, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“I didn’t do anything of the type. I just did my job.”
“That’s exactly what I said, but he wants you in his life and my life as well, it seems.”
He didn’t sound happy about either of those things. And neither was I.
“He tells me your sister is sick, but he didn’t say how sick.”
Tears sprang into my eyes, but I couldn’t find the words to tell him she was dying. I didn’t even want to think of how little time I had left with her.
“I see,” he sighed. “Well, I think we could help each other out then. Me with your sister and you agreeing would make my grandfather very happy in his last years.”
“You want to help my sister?” Through my tears, I searched his face.
“As my wife, she would be my sister as well. And family is very important to me.”
“This is crazy.” Reaching up, I dragged my hair free from the clip so that the curls fell around my face. “You can’t be serious?”
“Deadly. My grandfather wants us to be married, and I’ll do whatever he wants. I owe him that much.”
For the space of two heartbeats, I stared at him.
“I can see that you care about him deeply, but this is nuts. You can’t encourage these kinds of delusions with him.
It’s not healthy.” Standing up, my chair scraped back against the tile with a screech.
I shrugged his jacket from my shoulders. “I have to go back to work.”
“Sit down, Amy,” he snapped, and my stomach twisted at the sound of the order in his voice. He was the kind of man who was used to being obeyed.
“Now.”
My heart lurched into my throat, but my shoulders straightened. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that, and I can’t marry you either. This whole situation is,” I paused, and a giggle left my lips before I could stop it. “Absurd. Have a good day, Alexei. I am sure I will see you when you visit Nikolai.”
Still giggling to myself, I headed towards the door. What a weird situation to be in. It wasn’t just crazy. It was ludicrous, like something out of a movie. And it was even crazier than Alexei seemed willing to marry me, just because his grandfather wanted him to. He didn’t even like me.
What kind of people were they?
“Amy,” Alexei’s voice called out after me, shaking with anger. “Come back here right now. This conversation isn’t over.”
I stepped out into the street and didn’t look back.
Oh, I knew what kind of person he was. Bossy, egotistical, and dangerous.
Just what had I got myself into?