Chapter Sixteen Sarah
After Maksim once again left me, I found myself alone with another impossibly built, tattooed Russian. He even had dark hair like Maksim’s. I was starting to think you had to be a certain size and height just to work for Maksim, so that you could match his and his brothers’ genetics.
The man stood stiff and formal in the doorway. He reminded me of how Lev acted earlier like armed assassins were going to burst in at any moment.
Making my way over to him, I extended my hand. “I’m Sarah.”
Ignoring my hand, he replied, “Oleg.”
Like the Beast, he had a Russian accent. Tilting my head at him, I said, “I have a question, Oleg.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do any men under six feet and two hundred pounds belong to Bratva?”
Although his lips quirked, he remained staring straight ahead. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Just none of them are around here, huh?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Are you allowed to say anything but yes or no to me ?”
Once again, his lips quirked. “The pahkan informed me to provide protection, not companionship, to you until he returns.”
I furrowed my brows at him. “What is a ‘pahkan’?”
“Our leader.”
My mind began to spin. “Wait…Maksim is the pahkan?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I brought my hand to my forehead. “Holy shit.”
I wasn’t about to give treatment to just any Bratva member–I was treating the leader. While not much else about my predicament scared me, that fact did. It shouldn’t have, but it did.
Considering Maksim didn’t scare me, I don’t know why his position did. I hadn’t been wrong when I surmised he was very powerful. But this seemed like an entirely other level of power.
Maybe my fear came because I felt more responsibility than before to deliver the best treatment I could. It also made me appreciate his backstory even more.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, “How long has Maksim been pahkan? I mean, he’s awfully young for such an important position.”
Oleg’s jaw ticked, and I could tell he was torn about talking to me. So, I decided to switch tactics. “Look, I know he told you not to be my companion, so I will tell him I was lonely and forced you to talk to me.”
A nervous laugh burst out of him. “That would be even worse.”
“Why?”
“He’d have my balls for letting a woman gain power over me. He might even demote my position.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Ugh, it sounds like Bratva is full of misogyny.”
His dark brows creased. “I know not the meaning of that word.”
Waving my hand, I replied, “It’s okay.”
Since I didn’t want anything to happen to Oleg, I decided it was best to cut our conversation off. Not to mention, I wanted to stay on good terms with Maksim myself. Especially now that I knew he was the leader of Bratva.
“Right. Well, I think I’ll go take a dip in the pool.”
Relief flashed in Oleg’s blue eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”
I brushed past him out of the living room and started for the massive staircase to change into my swimsuit. Thankfully, I’d known about the pool when I went home to get my things, so I tossed in one of my more demure suits.
When I entered my bedroom, Voxie raised her head from her cocoon of blankets on the bed. Sweeping my hands to my hips, I shook my head at her. “Just when I think things can’t get any crazier, I go and find out my patient is the boss of the Russian mafia.”
Voxie’s response to my somewhat life-altering news was to yawn and lay her head back down. “What do you know,” I muttered to Voxie as I went to dig my bathing suit out of my suitcase.
***
After a swim, I tried relaxing in the hot tub, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t turn my mind off. I’m sure no one who found themselves in my current dilemma would be able to totally unwind and relax. Finally, I gave up and watched a True Crime podcast on my phone.
When the sun started going down and my skin was officially pruned, I got out. I donned one of the fluffiest robes I’d ever come in contact with to go back in the house. When I entered the backdoor, Oleg met me. “Dinner is ready in the dining room.”
Glancing down at my attire, I wondered if I should change. “If you would like, I can bring it to you in your room,” he suggested.
While I knew he was being kind, I also thought he was conveniently giving himself an out where he wouldn’t have to make conversation with me at dinner. “That would be great. Thank you.”
Once again, I disappeared upstairs and into my room. As I collapsed onto the bed, I stared up at the ceiling. Twenty-four hours ago, I was in my room at the manor house preparing for the hunt.
In just a day, I’d been thoroughly fucked by a masked stranger, kidnapped by him, and then entered into a speech treatment plan with his boss, who happened to be the head of Bratva.
“Jesus,” I muttered as I rubbed my eyes.
It was a hell of a lot to process. While ninety percent of my life was rigid, precise, and rule enforced, the other ten percent of wild abandon still hadn’t adequately prepared me for all that had transpired.
A knock came at the door. “I have your tray, Ms. Whitfield,” Oleg called.
With a groan, I pulled myself off the bed and went over to the door.
The moment I opened it, Oleg quickly shoved the tray at me.
I’m sure he would’ve rather fought a rival mafia member than step foot in my bedroom with me outfitted in only a robe over my swimsuit.
No wonder Maksim didn’t believe that I was afraid of him considering how scared his huge men were of him.
“Thank you,” I said as I took the tray.
Once again, it felt like I had died and gone to posh heaven.
The meal of grilled salmon and steamed vegetables, along with a caesar salad, was served on china plates with crystal salt and pepper shakers.
I shouldn’t have been surprised by the entree–it was the meal I’d chosen to have at the manor house for the dinner there tonight.
The dinner I was currently absent from since the Beast had kidnapped me.
“Kidnapping jackass,” I muttered as I unwrapped my silverware from the linen napkin.
With murderous thoughts about the Beast, I speared a bite of salmon. I brought it halfway to my mouth before I froze.
“Oh my God,” I murmured as the fork clattered noisily back onto my plate.
Did Maksim know I participated in hunts? Did the Beast tell him where he had kidnapped me? The Beast claimed he had taken me without Maksim’s knowledge, which Maksim had corroborated. But surely there had been a discussion after the Beast showed up with me about what had happened.
Part of me wondered why I gave two shits about Maksim knowing I had a kink for masked men and being chased.
It wasn’t like he was one of my work colleagues who might judge me, or question my ability to work with children since I partook in “unsavory and immoral activities”.
Those were certainly not my words, but what I would’ve imagined some of the uptight stiffs might’ve said.
The fear I harbored over my proclivities affecting my job was why I was so careful about covering my tracks.
Nibbling my lip, I then wondered if Maksim knew about the Beast and me.
Somehow I couldn’t imagine he would’ve wanted to tell Maksim that he had fucked his desired doctor.
Even though I didn’t necessarily want Maksim to know, maybe I could use that as leverage to make sure I never had to see the Beast again.
Like that’s what you really want.
With a frustrated huff, I grabbed my fork off the plate and shoved the bite of salmon into my mouth. Before I could worry anymore about the Beast or what Maksim knew about me, I grabbed the TV remote to drown out the annoying voices in my head.
I’d just finished dinner when my phone rang. Eyeing it curiously, my heart surged at Hudson’s name. “Hey,” I answered.
“Hey, Whit-Whit, how’s things with your dad?”
Shit. Thanks to that insufferable kidnapping asshole I had to lie to my best friend. “He’s…the same,” I replied, trying to stay as close to the truth as I could.
“I’m glad to hear that. Listen, Archie and I felt so bad you had to cut short your sexy time that we want to cook dinner for your parents for the next couple of days.”
My heart warmed at his consideration. “Aw, that’s so sweet, but you don’t need to do that, Huddy.”
“Fuck yes, I do. I mean, they practically raised me all those years. Not to mention all of the food I ate.”
I laughed. “You did put it away back then.”
He snorted. “It didn’t help that Silas and I were smoking so much pot we practically had the munchies 24/7.”
Although I smiled at the memory, it also stung.
Those were the last few carefree years before Silas’s mental health deteriorated so terribly.
While most of his friendships became fragmented, Hudson held on until the bitter end, and even then, he remained close with me and my parents.
He also tried to fill in as big brother for Sammy.
“Well, if you’re sure, I know that would really help Mom out.”
“Awesome. Just give me some ideas of what they’d like.”
After rattling off some of Dad’s favorite meals, I added a few of Mom’s. “Are you sure about cooking? I mean, I’m not doubting your culinary abilities–”
“It sounds like you are,” Hudson chuckled.
“It’s more about the fact mom and dad’s food palette isn’t Archie’s and your usual choices.”
“Whatever we can’t make, we’ll order out. We just want to make sure to take some of the burden off you and your mom.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “You’re a keeper, Huddy.”
“I know.”
With a laugh, I swiped my eyes. “You’re also incredibly humble,” I teased.
“Don’t I know it?” he chuckled.
“As Archie would say, you’re being insufferable.”
He snorted. “Archie, she’s using Britishisms again.”
I didn’t quite make out Archie’s response. “Listen, we’re on our way home from the hunt, so for tonight, we’ll pick up pizza from that place your dad used to take us to. You guys got wine, or should I bring some?”
Fuck. me. Hudson and Archie were planning on arriving at my parents' and finding me playing at being Florence Nightingale. Instead, I was holed up in a mansion where I’d just eaten dinner off fine china. How was I possibly going to explain this without saying too much?
“Um, well, I’m actually not at Mom and Dad’s right now.”
“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll just call you when I head over, and you can meet us.”
“Actually, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Um, well…”
While Maksim had allowed me to have my phone, he hadn’t exactly set any parameters about what I could say. Surely he knew I’d have to tell some people I was doing a work project out of town.
At my hesitation, Hudson blared, “Sarah Grace Whitfield, what are you hiding?”
A laugh burst from my lips at the absurdity of the moment. “Oh no, you’re using my full name. I guess I’ll have to do the same, Hudson Elliot Billings.”
“Quit stalling and start talking.”
“I’m not hiding anything. In fact, I’d planned on telling you guys about it on the way home today.”
“Mm, hmm.”
“I promise, I was. I mean, it’s not that exciting.”
“So what is it?”
Pinching my eyes shut, I searched for the right way to spin this. “You know my dad’s care is going to continue to be expensive, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, a really wealthy man reached out to me to treat him. Even though I said no because I treat children, he offered me too much money to say no.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“No. I’m not.”
“While that’s amazing, what does it have to do with you not being at your parents’ house?”
“He asked me to accelerate his treatment, so I’m staying at one of his properties in the suburbs.”
“You’re staying with him?”
“It’s not like that.”
“How old is he?” Hudson asked.
Although I didn’t know Maksim’s precise age, I imagined he was close to my age. “He’s thirty.”
“Uh, huh. Is he hot?”
“Yes, he’s attractive.”
“Sarah,” Hudson prompted.
“Fine. He’s hot.”
“Damn, girl, tell me about him.”
“He’s not your type.”
“Duh, considering he’s straight, that’s obvious.”
“I never said he was straight,” I countered.
“Whit-Whit, you’re so naive. If he was gay, he would’ve gotten a male pathologist.”
I snorted. “You don’t know that.”
“Whatever.”
“Like I said, he isn’t your type, meaning he’s not a pretty boy gym rat.”
“Archie, she just called you a pretty boy, gym rat.”
I laughed as Archie replied, “Thanks, sweetie.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So describe him.”
“Well, he’s like this hypermasculine, tattooed, bad-boy type.” Oh, and he’s the leader of the Russian mafia whose soldier kidnapped me.
“That sounds like your fantasy type, not real life.”
“I’m not into him like that.”
“Are you sure?”
As Maksim’s face flashed before me, I felt extreme attraction, but not desire. At the moment, there was another I felt that way about. A very unfortunate other person for me.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Are you sure it’s not that you’re dickmatized by the Beast?”
“Please never say that word again,” I replied.
“Seriously though, Archie and I had been dying to know how he was. I mean, you did get to finish the deed before you had to leave, right?”
“Yes, we did the deed. Multiple times.”
Hudson gasped. “Now I know where he gets the nickname.”
“You have no idea,” I mused.
“You lucky bitch.”
I laughed. “If you say so.”
“You are. I mean, you got your back blown out by the Beast last night, and now you’re treating a young, rich, and handsome man. You better make the most of it.”
“I’ll try.”
“Did you and the Beast make any plans to see each other at another hunt?”
No, because he kidnapped me and is busy being a henchman for his Bratva boss. “Uh, yeah, we left the possibility open.”
“Guess you made an impression on him. Rumor has it he doesn’t do repeat performances.”
“I must’ve had the magic touch.”
“Or the magic pussy.”
“Hudson!” I shrieked.
He chuckled. “Okay, well, I guess we’ll count you out for dinner tonight.”
“I’ll miss you guys. Oh, don’t mention anything about the job to my parents. With all the craziness, I haven’t had the chance to talk to them about it.”
“All right. We’ll keep our lips zipped.”
“Thank you.”
“Talk to you soon.”
“Love you,” I replied.
“Love you, too.”
After ending the call, I lay on the bed once again staring up at the ceiling. My traitorous mind could do nothing but hyper-focus on the Beast. More specifically, my time with him in the hunt. As heat pooled between my legs, I growled with frustration.
“You’re a sick bitch, you know that?”
To try and get my mind and body off fixating on the Beast, I pulled myself off the bed and went to take a shower.
But that was a mistake.