Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
VIKTOR
TWO AND A HALF WEEKS LATER
I’m going to regret this, I can feel it bone deep.
But there’s no going back. I’m a man of my word. And paying back a debt of someone saving my life is worth whatever chaos is about to disrupt my life for the next couple of days.
My SUV idles along the curb as I scan the crowds for Geliy’s unruly mop of hair. A hand startles me as it slams on the side of my door. My hands tighten on the steering wheel as I turn to see Geliy’s grinning face.
“Viktor!” He shouts too loudly even through the glass.
I grit my teeth but plaster on what I hope at least looks like a welcoming expression to the man who once served alongside me in the military. Rolling the window down, my chin dips in greeting. “Geliy.”
“Thanks again, man.” Despite his years in the States, he still has an underlying Russian accent, but it’s not as strong as mine.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Can we grab a bite first? I’m starved.” Geliy doesn’t wait for my answer as he rounds the car and slides into the passenger seat. “Fuck, it’s hot.”
“Uh-huh.”
His hand cranks up the AC, and my jaw tightens. Another stab of irritation hits me when he turns the radio on.
I look over my shoulder and pull from the curb. “Where’s your stuff?” I ask.
“Oh, I gotta pick my luggage up later. It’s, er, with a friend right now. Look, I can’t tell you how great it is you’re letting me stay for a couple of days.”
Great? That’s not the word I’d use. In fact, I want to shove him out of the door and into traffic as he cranks up a loud song causing the base of the speakers to pulse. The man might have saved my life once, but it seems his lack of boundaries is still the fucking same.
It takes us all of ten minutes to pull into a restaurant’s parking lot.
It’s one Grigory and Matvey have recently added to our roster as a way to expand the business—or rather to provide another front for our real work.
Matvey has told us a million times that we can’t launder money solely through our casinos.
Apparently, we need to add restaurants and other ventures to keep the books from looking too doctored.
“Nice place,” Geliy comments.
“It has good food,” I say without so much as looking at him as I adjust the radio knobs back into their proper positions as he makes a beeline for the entrance.
“So, what have you been up to, Vik?”
“Nothing important.”
“C’mon, it’s been years. Got a girl? Settle down yet?”
“No.”
“Right,” Geliy says. “Forgot you have that weird kink.”
“Kink?” I say with a frown.
“The no touching thing.”
My jaw tightens a little more.
“You know, you should let me hook you up with some girls,” he suggests.
“That’s not—”
“C’mon, it’s the least I can do.” Apparently, he’s still very much the same man he was before. A douchebag and unable to read a room. “Or if you’d prefer, I can hook you up with this game.”
My brow arches as I sip my water. “Game?”
“This video game I’ve been playing nonstop is just awesome. You run a porn empire. Best fucking thing ever. Makes me wish I had the funds to do it in real life. I could make bank from it.”
My lip curls. What the actual fuck? Who the fuck talks about this shit? But that’s Geliy for you. He makes the stereotypical deadbeat look like Prince Charming.
“Maybe you guys should add that to your lists of businesses. I could totally do it for you.”
My brow climbs higher. “What?”
“I should get a sit down with your boss man. He’s like some big mucky-muck right?”
“Grigory?” I splutter.
Geliy nods. “Yeah! I heard he’s like some business tycoon.”
The balls on this man. Grigory would eat him alive. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a great idea. He’s busy.” Killing people and ruling Vegas.
“Think about it at least. Maybe I’ll bump into him tonight and bring it up.”
Once we finish, we make our way back to my SUV. Inhale. Exhale. This man saved my life. I owe him and can do this.
I drop him off at some shady-ass apartment and give him the address to the Kremlin so that he can make his way there when he’s ready. Once he’s out of the SUV, I turn the AC back to where I like it and turn the radio off—again.
Eight. I’m already at a score of eight, and the day’s just fucking started.
I drive off. I have things to do, and I’m not going to let Geliy’s shitstorm of a life ruin my day.
Later, we’re seated around big trestle tables in the courtyard as we eat dinner.
The main building surrounds us on three sides, while the open side of the courtyard looks onto the grounds, giving us an impressive view of the mountains in the distance.
The rest of compound houses barracks for the soldiers and various other buildings.
The courtyard is a relaxing space with lush palm trees surrounding us.
It’s as different to Russia as you can get, but I like it here.
The conversation is low, filled with mostly talk about business and our plans. Soldiers come and go, but the core of us stay.
“So, where’s this guest of yours?” Matvey asks, taking a swig of his drink.
I shrug. “Getting his luggage, last I know. I got busy.”
“Still up for poker?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I reply.
“Going to actually pay attention this time?” Nikolai asks.
“Maybe.”
“The game starts in twenty.” He gets up from the table, giving me a nod as he passes.
I finish eating in silence. Then pushing from the table, I make my way toward the rec room where the others are already setting up. Matvey and Nikolai are stacking their chips. I sit down across from them, piling my own chips as the others start to file in.
We’re one round in when a loud thud sounds from down the hall. Matvey, Nikolai, and I exchange glances before I shove to my feet, ready to deal with the threat.
“There he is!” Geliy’s voice booms, and I wince. “Sweet set up, man.” He brings his stuff in, dumps it out of the way in the corner by the bar, and pulls up a chair to join in the game.
Four rounds later, we’ve all lost money to him, and the men are pissed. Geliy is shamelessly cheating, and it’s clear that he hasn’t changed much since I first knew him. He always used to cheat at cards then as well.
I decide to get myself a drink. But as I approach the bar, I hear a slight sound come from Geliy’s luggage. Then there’s a high-pitched squeak. And a red beam is suddenly shining at me.
“Fuck!” I yell.
Has Geliy brought some sort of weapon in here to compromise us?
Is this a fucking trap?
I sprint toward the pile of luggage with my gun drawn.
And point my gun at…
A baby.
What the fuck? Behind Geliy’s huge backpack, a baby is strapped into a car seat and playing with what looks like some toy that beams lights and shapes.
I lower my gun and take a small step closer.
But it—the baby—squawks, making me jump out of my skin.
By now, Geliy and the other men have come over to see what the commotion is about.
“Oh, don’t mind that,” Geliy drawls.
Not likely. “Why the hell is your luggage squawking?” I growl at him.
“It’s a baby, dumbass.”
“Okay, dumbass, but you said you were collecting your luggage earlier and definitely didn’t say anything about a baby.”
He gives a casual shrug. “Semantics.”
I really, really hate it when people don’t just say what they mean.
Geliy shoves his hands into his pockets. “Look, my ex dumped him with me.”
“What the hell is going on?” Nikolai says as he and Matvey come over.
The baby coos loudly, and I can feel my brow scrunching as I study the infant with green eyes and coppery curls. I put my gun away. “Why didn’t you tell me you have a kid?”
“Didn’t think it mattered. Like I said, my ex, Avelina, is on some dumb vacation and couldn’t take the baby. She’s a flighty bitch. Anyway, you won’t even notice Leon’s here. Plus, Avelina is, um, about to start the trip back home, so she’ll be here to finally take him back soon.”
“This isn’t what we agreed,” I grit out.
“What’s the big deal? He’ll be no trouble. He’s practically self-sufficient.”
“It’s a baby,” I huff. “They need stuff all the time.”
Geliy waves his hand dismissively. “It’s easy. I barely pay attention to him, and he’s just fine. Look at him.”
Jesus, what is wrong with this man? Nikolai and I exchange glances as Matvey sighs deeply. “Grigory has to have the final say,” I say slowly.
“Perfect! We can ask him, and then I can run that idea by him.”
“I don’t think that’s—”
“C’mon, man.” Geliy slings his arm around my shoulder, the contact making my body go rigid. “Just five minutes and Grigory will be so glad to hear my business plan!”
“And what idea is that?”
I step away from Geliy’s touch as Grigory’s large frame comes into view from around the corner.
“There’s a bit of a problem,” I say, ignoring how Geliy drops himself onto an armchair like he owns the fucking place.
“What kind of problem?” Grigory asks.
I step to the side, showing the baby in his car seat, his cheeks ruddy and his curls falling over his eyes.
Grigory freezes. His gaze flickers from the baby to me, then back to the baby. “Is it…”
“No, it’s definitely not mine,” I say in a hurry.
Grigory makes a face as he nods. “Then whose is it?”
“He belongs to Geliy. I didn’t know he had a kid when I said he could stay here.”
Grigory’s cold gaze moves to Geliy, and the man flinches. Most people do. Grigory has a look that sizes people up in a split second, and he’s honed it over the years into something even his bastard of a father would be proud of.
“The mother?” Grigory asks.
“She’s on her way back from some vacation,” I explain.
Grigory’s gaze moves back to Geliy, who’s busy playing a game on his phone as if we’re not discussing his child’s fate in this house. How can Geliy be so dismissive?
Grigory arches his brow at me in a silent question.
I can only shrug in response.
“Are you guys okay with it?” he asks the other men.
“Doesn’t bother me as long as it doesn’t scream bloody murder,” Nikolai says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Or throw up,” Matvey adds.
“Viktor?” Grigory asks.
My eyes flick to the baby. He’s just some innocent kid who has a shitty parent…or parents. I sigh. “It’s fine.”
“Fine,” Grigory says.
“I’ll show you where you two can sleep,” I say, walking toward the stairs.
I don’t like this. I don’t like Geliy just left out this huge detail.
I don’t like that he’s sitting on his ass looking at his phone instead of paying attention to his son.
Or how he refers to the kid’s mother as a bitch in front of their kid.
Sure, the baby won’t understand, but it doesn’t sit right with me.
But then again, I don’t know this woman.
Nikolai and Matvey spare me a look, and I can tell they’re just as unsure about this whole thing as I am. A baby under our roof? That’s asking for trouble, and we all know it.