Chapter 17
Aleksandr
Certifiable
The following week after Kinsley came to the club, my brothers and I met to discuss her case. Deep dives into the other girls on the list had been completed, and there was nothing suspicious in their backgrounds. No unanswered questions, such as we had with Kinsley’s.
We were in the process of doing a thorough analysis of Owen Taylor and had hit a few snags. Which only increased our interest in uncovering the connection he may or may not have had with Mikhail Romanov.
Nik had several inquiries he was trying to get answers from, so we had to table some of the investigation until we had more information. Pavel Lenkov was even more sure that Kinsley was his former dance partner. Nikolai met with him to provide the documentation that we had gathered.
Nik didn’t share any information other than everything Kinsley had told Pavel checked out on her end. And that, to our knowledge, she wasn’t his old dance partner. A simple case of mistaken identity or having a doppelg?nger.
It was easier to keep him in the dark than to potentially risk his life by involving him or encouraging him to dig deeper. Until we knew what that connection was, he was better off not knowing.
“If Pavel is right, someone went to great lengths to convince the world that Mischa Natalya Dmitrieva died,” Nik said.
He was talking about the car accident in which the little Dmitrieva girl died, along with her parents. Having family in Russia, we were able to get official reports of the accident and information about the family’s funerals.
It was confirmed that the family of three had an accident coming home from the little girl’s audition, and that alcohol was a contributing factor. The car lost control, went over a cliff, and burst into flames. The child was approximately eight years old.
Simple math showed that Kinsley was the same age as the Dmitrieva girl. But other than being Russian, neither parent had been involved with or related to any high-ranking Bratva person.
There was so much we didn’t know. We were completely stumped, but there was enough in Kinsley’s perfect life on paper that gave room for doubt to creep in.
One being that she’d never been enrolled in a traditional school. Records showed her with online transcripts from accredited schools, so she was educated. But with her not cooperating, it made finding the cracks damn near impossible. If she was Mischa, why was she hiding? The case was so frustrating.
“I still can’t believe she called Marcel,”
I remarked, pulling up my phone and checking her location. She was at the café this morning.
“Man, you’re becoming obsessed. What the hell, Brother?”
Ivan kicked my foot, getting my attention.
“Shut it. I don’t recall asking your opinion.”
I glared at him as he smirked. He leaned back into the chair he was sitting in.
We had placed a tracker on her phone while she was in dance class to keep a closer eye on her. A full twenty-four-hour surveillance team was unwarranted at this juncture, so it was all Nik would agree to. Damn him for being the voice of reason. I could override him, but I didn’t want to give them more ammo to give me shit about.
“She still not giving you the time of day? Look, if you need some tips, I’d be more than happy to help you win her over,”
Nikolai teased. Asshole.
“Seriously, ask her out already or move on, because you’re so damn distracted lately. Did you get the email I sent you on our newest target?”
Ivan rubbed his eyes.
“Yes, Brother, I did, and I agree. I’m on board. Happy now?”
I ignored both of their comments, tuning them out while they discussed our newest target.
I hated to admit they were right. She had me distracted. Getting her to go out with me seemed damn near impossible. She was quite challenging, but I was enjoying the chase. Was it slightly obsessive? Probably. But that made it all the sweeter.
I’d never been the chaser, so this was new for me. I chalked it up to that stupid existential crisis I was trying to ward off. Smiling, I thought to myself, time for another round of questions for Kinsley. I took out my phone.
“You guys got this? I need to make a call,”
I lied, excusing myself.
“Girls like gifts. Flowers and shit,”
Nikolai called over his shoulder, leaning back as I walked down the hall to find Marcus. Little did he know, I was two steps ahead of him.
“Marcus, I’m going to need you to do something for me today.”
I decided to try a different approach with her. This playing hard to get was driving me mad.
“Absolutely, Boss. What do you need?”
“I ordered a dress for Kinsley. I’d like you to pick it up, as well as some accessories.”
“Accessories?”
he repeated with a mischievous glint in his eyes, his lips curled up in amusement.
“Yes, a little something for underneath.”
I imagined her tight body in black thigh highs and sexy lingerie with heels.
I grinned at Marcus as he shook his head. Just thinking about her in the lingerie set had me hard as fuck.
“I’d ask if you have her sizes, but something tells me you do.”
He shook his head as he opened the car door while I smirked at him. Of course I had her sizes—the little shit was barely five feet tall.
I may have agreed not to wire her house, but that didn’t stop me from doing a quick walk-through while she was at work three days ago. The guys would kick my ass if they knew I had been in her house. Hell, I’d kick their asses if it were the other way around. Not that this was the first time any of us had broken into someone’s house.
Normally, it was to dig up dirt on assholes who’d end up on the other end of Ivan’s blade. I’d learned quite a bit, though, while going through her house—information I hadn’t shared with the guys.
Kinsley’s home was very modest. Again, another thing that stood out to me for someone with an estate the size of hers. Everything from the sheets on her bed to her panties was plain Jane, the absolute opposite of how I saw her.
With the exception of the one black dress in her closet, she didn’t own anything deemed sexy. I spent at least five minutes fingering the material, wishing it were falling from her body as she stood in front of me.
Fuck, these thoughts were not helping.
Kinsley kept the same schedule. She worked, she danced, she worked. Her favorite pastimes were hiking, reading, and baking. She was quite good at singing, as well. From what I could find, there wasn’t a boyfriend in the picture, which made her fair game.
She responded to my kisses, which was another reason I was so bothered. Why wouldn’t she go out with me? The guys were right; I needed to get her out of my system. She might not be aware of it, but she would join me for the gala event. I’d introduce her to the chief and get her to see I was harmless.
Ha. The thoughts I had about her were hardly harmless. The things I craved to do to her…I just needed to win her over and get her consent. I’d never met a woman who didn’t give it. I’d be damned if I lost now.
All the thoughts about her begging me to fuck her got me worked up. And now I’d need to work in a session at the club. It was a good thing I was headed there, anyway. I spent my morning doing orientation with a new club hire. She wouldn’t be ready to play for a while, but I set her up with a phone interview with Marcel to ensure her mental status.
It was something all of us agreed to early on. All girls would have to undergo a mental health evaluation before they could be officially hired. After speaking with her, I went to find Alisha. She wasn’t there, so Jenna offered.
Halfway through my impromptu session, I got bored. Jenna was trying, I’d give her that. But it wasn’t doing it for me. I actually pulled out my phone—while her lips were stretched around my cock—to check Kinsley’s location. Distracted didn’t even begin to describe what Kinsley was doing to me.
“What’s on your agenda for today?”
I mumbled under my breath, scrutinizing the dot to track her movements. She was still at the café.
“Hmm?”
Jenna popped off my dick and looked at me.
“Lips around my cock,” I barked.
Within minutes, I was coming down her throat. I thanked her, left, and then had Marcus drop me off a block down from Kinsley’s work. It looked like she was headed to her second job. As she walked, my cock roared to life again at the mere sight of her. It didn’t even matter that I’d just gotten off with Jenna; this fucking girl riled me up to no end.
Her jeans hugged her perfectly rounded ass in a way that made me jealous. My hands itched to caress her as her hips swayed, mesmerizing me. She wore her hair up in a ponytail, and it swished, keeping time with her hips. I’d love to wrap it around my fist as I mounted her from behind.
She was utterly clueless that she was being watched. When she turned her head to the side, I noticed earbuds. Sneaking up on her would be easy. She was putting herself at risk, and she would learn today how bad an idea that was.
My boots thudded against the pavement as I stepped up my pace to catch up with her. I tapped her on the shoulder, and she whirled around, disbelief in her eyes when she saw it was me. I could hear music now that I was close enough.
“You should be more aware of your surroundings. Don’t listen to music with the volume so high,”
I reprimanded, looking down at her. Damn, she was small without heels. I was practically a giant towering over her. If she was nervous, it didn’t show.
“Not you again? I thought I got rid of you.”
She moved to walk around me, but I blocked her. She tried again, and I blocked her again.
“Look, if you’d like to dance, join Mr. Dulaine’s class. I’m busy. Get out of my way.”
“I might just do that. I’m actually excellent on the dance floor,” I teased.
“Do you always share irrelevant information about yourself? What are you looking for? A good for you? Is that supposed to make my heart flutter with a desire to see if you speak the truth? Move.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You’re bossy for such a little thing.”
I grinned, shaking my head. “I’m actually here because I thought we could begin your training.”
“Don’t ever use the word training with me, Aleksandr. Ever.”
She poked me hard in the chest, and the look in her eyes made me step back. Something about it made me realize I’d crossed a line. For some strange reason, I wanted to uncross it. Hearing my name on her lips did something to me I couldn’t explain.
“Sensitive much? Let’s see, let me rephrase it. Making you my bitch starts today. I don’t know, that sounds abrasive for an adorable kitten,”
I drawled.
She put her hands on her hips, clearly unamused.
“Let’s see, this is better. Your educational journey begins today.”
I had to cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile.
“You’re not funny. There’s nothing you could possibly educate me on, except, maybe…”
She paused and struck a deep-thinking pose. Her eyes lit up with humor, and she added, “Nope, I already know the exact areas I could cut you. I also know how long it would take for you to bleed out. Go away.”
She made a move to step around me once more, trying to shove me.
Grabbing her hand on my chest, I leaned in and whispered, “Keep telling me your secrets, kitten. I love it.”
I caressed her face and down her neck. “I’ll go away only when I get what I want from you.”
Inhaling her scent, I wrapped my hand around her ponytail, pulling slightly so her face had to tilt up toward mine. Her eyes were glued to my lips. I wondered if she was aware her hand was rubbing my chest. I let go of her hair and moved my hand toward her face, rubbing her bottom lip with my thumb as I lowered my lips to hers.
“What are you doing?”
she squeaked, stopping me briefly, her hand clenching my shirt in her fist.
“I’m going to kiss you. Again,”
I murmured against her cheek before my tongue slid across her lower lip.
She blinked madly, and then her lips parted, allowing me access to her sweet mouth. And hell if I didn’t taste honeysuckle. Losing myself in her sweetness, her innocence, I kissed her gently.
She stumbled back, and my arms instantly went around her. She grabbed my forearms, squeezing them tightly. A soft moan escaped her parted lips, and her body pressed into mine.
I pulled back, even though I didn’t want to, and looked down at her. God, she’s fucking beautiful. Her lips were parted, and her eyes showed her reaction to the kiss: surprise, mixed with arousal.
“Wear only one earbud from now on.”
I needed her to understand she was needlessly putting herself at risk.
I tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. This was a new, confusing feeling for me. I’d never been this turned on by simple kisses before. I wondered how many boyfriends she’d had. My mind was racing, and my thoughts were everywhere.
“I don’t need you to tell me what to do,”
she huffed, her eyes narrowed as she pouted.
“Really?”
“I meant what I said. I want nothing to do with whatever this is,”
she breathed.
Her actions betrayed her words because she was actively running her fingers over my chest and practically outlining my nipples. I grinned down at her.
“And I don’t want your advice or even need it.”
She finally made eye contact.
“Yes, yes you do, kotyonok. Anyone could grab you without you even hearing them. I’m serious.”
I needed her to understand and to promise me she’d pay more attention to her surroundings.
She tensed as she looked around her. I studied her reaction closely. Her eyes flashed with fear at my words. Good. Maybe she was finally hearing me.
“I’m very serious about the volume. It’s not safe. You should come by the gym. My brother and I could teach you some self-defense. We have classes for women all the time.”
I brushed my hand along her cheek. Her skin was so soft I could touch her for days and still not get enough.
Both of us stood there in each other’s arms, lost in the strangeness of the moment.
“Kinsley?”
A new voice startled us out of our moment.
She tensed and turned to look behind her. A young, casually dressed man approached us. She instantly broke away.
Who the fuck is this?
“Oh, hi, Brian.”
She took a step toward him, and he grabbed her in a hug.
Glaring at him, I wanted to smash his face for daring to touch her. He held on for a moment longer, smiling, and then stood with his arm right by hers. His pinkie grazed hers a few times. It was a casual gesture, one clearly for my benefit. She jerked away quickly.
“Who’s your friend, kitten?”
I growled, narrowing my eyes.
“Wow, really? This is Brian. We work together.”
She introduced him with a sigh.
I immediately felt relieved, and then I frowned. “You hug all your male coworkers?”
I asked, ignoring him. This woman had me so twisted. I deserved all the shit my brothers had been giving me.
“Brian, would you excuse us for a moment, please? I’ll be right in,”
she said, patting his hand.
I pulled her into my arms, aiming a glare at this Brian guy. “I wish you would have called in today, kitten. I swear I can’t get enough of you,”
I said, loud enough for him to hear. He frowned but walked away.
“What the hell? You can’t do things like that—like this.”
Her hands resumed their exploration of me, and it took everything in me not to laugh.
I leaned in and kissed her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed as my lips trailed kisses on her flesh. She tilted her head to the side, allowing me access and sighing sweetly. A small shiver trembled through her. God, she was perfect, responding to me instinctually.
“I do what I want.”
I kissed her neck. “When I want.”
I pulled the delicate skin between my lips, sucking ever so slightly. “Where I want.” I sucked a little harder, but not hard enough to mark her. I’d save that for later.
“Alek,”
she moaned.
“Now, I’ll let you go if you promise me you won’t wear both earbuds while walking.”
I placed one last kiss near her earlobe.
“Fine, I promise. Now, can you please stop? I know this doesn’t mean anything to you, but I have to live in this town. I go to church with these people and work with them. I don’t want them thinking that…”
She trailed off.
“What? That you are fornicating with a man? This isn’t the dark ages. I promise you this: agree to one night with me, and you won’t give a damn what these people say.”
My dick throbbed at the thought. Just one night. Oh, the things I wanted to do to her.
“You really are an ass, aren’t you?”
She pushed me away, the spell she was under clearly broken. “I’m pretty sure I’ve been quite clear with you, Aleksandr King, so let me say it another way. I don’t want to fuck you.”
“Careful now, I wouldn’t want someone to hear you using such foul language,” I teased.
“I give up. You’re certifiable. There’s no reasoning with you,”
she exclaimed and walked into the restaurant.
“You’re not wrong there,”
I mumbled under my breath as the door closed.