6. Rurik
6
RURIK
A fter watching Kelly wake up in the library then hustle to leave, I went to the bar where she was working. I shouldn’t have even known that she was employed there, not when the expectations for watching the drug trades meant a more general security of the college campus. No one had called me out on watching Kelly specifically, though. Until I could figure out how to see if I could start something with her, I was careful not to expose myself by following her or watching her. If anyone else were to comment, they’d say I was stalking her.
Eva had asked me to check up on her, and doing that included watching her do more than nap at the library. Either her subject matter was really boring and tedious or she was that exhausted.
My opinion was that it was a combination of both.
As she started going through the bar with dirty cups and plates to take into the back, I noticed how weary she looked.
Is she stressed?
Not sleeping well?
Still dealing with the effects of being drugged and knocked out?
I hated the lines on her face, the dark bags under her eyes. Her beauty hadn’t diminished, but the mask of fatigue worried me.
My fuller beard and hat seemed to be enough of a disguise that she didn’t notice me sitting at the bar. Every time she passed by me, she kept her head down and didn’t make eye contact. She didn’t lift her face high enough to acknowledge anyone, not just me. Like Eva said, she was a very hard-working woman. But I had to wonder if she was nervous and anxious to look at anyone directly, and that was why she kept her head tucked down. Her shoulders were tense too, braced like she was waiting for a hit.
Why are you so tense?
What’s going on?
Once more, I hated that without Eva here, I had no excuse to hang around and be here to watch over her. Too many gaps remained in the effort of watching over her. If I had taken the risk to claim her as my woman, then I would have more permission to protect her, but so far, with her so guarded and distant from me, I lacked the encouragement from her to assume she’d want me.
Seated at the bar, I fell into the role of just being one of the guys. Blending in came with ease for me. No matter what the mission or assignment, I enjoyed fitting into a scene so I could eavesdrop and listen in to what others were saying. The trick was to zone out—yet not—and appear like I had a million things on my mind to not care about what was happening around me.
Sure enough, as I nursed a beer, the men around me started talking. When I heard Petrov and Ilyin names being dropped into their conversation, I pieced together that these guys were security guards from the campus. Off duty guards who’d just gotten off their shift.
“The vic was someone from the Petrov group,” one said.
Vic? A victim? Of what? If a Petrov was killed on campus, that was news to bring home.
“I’m sick of all those Mafia fuckers on campus,” another complained.
“Well, they’ll always be there,” the first said. “It’s a prime location to sell drugs.”
“I heard that there’s a lot of disruption in the drug trades from their trying to increase the amount of product on campus,” another said. “My sister’s fiancé works for the port, and he says the Petrovs’ and Ilyins’ dealers are cutting down the routes there because they’re focusing on the campus so much right now.”
Interesting. But this wasn’t new news for me. Oleg and Lev had been briefing all of us Baranov brothers for a while now that Igor Petrov and the Ilyin leaders wanted to claim the college area as part of their turf. Oleg had no interest in engaging either of those rival families in a drug or turf war.
I listened in for a little longer, not really learning anything else that interested me. None of them talked about this Petrov victim, and that was what I was most curious about.
If someone had killed a Petrov on campus since Vik’s cover was blown and Irina left school, then this would be just the kind of news that Oleg would want to know about.
Kelly didn’t come back out from the back of the bar for a long while, and through gaps in the door when the swinging door was pushed open, I caught sight of her near a massive dishwasher. I knew she worked here but not what position she had. If she was just a dishwasher, I couldn’t count on her to hang around out here for much longer.
Disappointed not to have more time to watch her, I gave up and left to report back at the mansion.
Eva, Lev, and Oleg were all finishing up a late dinner in the massive dining room when I arrived. I almost felt guilty to interrupt so soon after their family meal, but they welcomed me inside anyway.
“You’ve been hanging around here more often lately,” the Boss said. “Too bored at home?”
I nodded. “Honestly, I’ve been bored everywhere while I’m told to take it easy.”
Lev smiled. “But you couldn’t have been taking it easy while you were out checking up on Kelly Garnet on campus.”
I sat, shaking my head. “I have minor issues with my arm healing. I’m not an invalid.” I picked up a roll from the bread basket and waited before biting into it. “But it’s just as well that Eva asked me to follow up on her friend because I happened to hang out around some security guards who were talking about something interesting.”
“What’s that?” Oleg asked.
“A Petrov was killed on campus recently.”
He huffed. “Not by a Baranov.”
“So, what? We won’t care if an Ilyin is killing the competition there?” Lev asked.
“No, no.” Oleg put his napkin down. “We most certainly do care. But I care most about it not being a kill that I’ll need to claim or worry about.”
“If the Ilyins are killing or attacking the Petrovs, then it means they won’t be focusing on us,” I added. “Or you.” I gave the Boss a pointed look, to emphasize how he’d been the latest target to be shot at of the Baranov Family.
“I agree. I feel like this is something that we should stay on top of.” He looked me over and nodded. “Are you feeling up for it?”
Yes! I nodded. “Absolutely, Boss.”
“Wait a second here,” Lev argued. “He’s still recovering.” He shook his head, ready to make my hopes fall flat. “I know you’ve been bored since you were hit, but nothing good will come of your thinking you’re stronger than you are, if you rush getting back into action when your body isn’t ready.”
“But if I’m just keeping an eye on things, scouting it out and seeing what’s going on, then I won’t have to act on anything or put my recovery at risk.” I hated that I had to feel weak or held back at all. Yes, I understood that I needed to give my body a chance to recover, but I hated to have to do it when I was desperate to be in on the action—even from a distance.
“We’ll have more men there,” Oleg said, not going against what Lev stated or my wishes to be included in this effort. “If you see something and need backup, it’ll be there. But I believe it is in our best interests to be watching these situations more closely.”
Oleg got up and left the room, already busy on a call with someone in Russia. He tucked his phone between his shoulder and ear as he lit a cigar. A trail of his signature cigar smoke hung in the air after him.
Facing Lev and Eva, I waited for the backlash. He wouldn’t appreciate my not doing as he said, but as of yet, he was only the second in command, not the boss at the top of the organization.
“I’m glad,” Eva said.
Lev shot her a hard look.
She patted his hand and smiled sweetly. “Rurik won’t overdo it.”
I finished eating the bite of the roll and nodded. “I won’t.”
“I’m glad that you’ll be there to also keep an eye on Kelly.” Eva turned her smile to me. It wasn’t as appeasing and saccharine as it was for him, but sincere and worried. Maybe appreciative too. “If she sees you, you’ll at least be a recognizable face. Someone she was familiar with.”
I couldn’t help a laugh. “When did we have a chance to get familiar?”
“She saw you with me and the other guards on duty,” Lev said. “Of course, she’d be familiar with you.”
Not as familiar as I want us to be with each other.
“I did see her,” I told Eva. “She fell asleep studying at the library.”
Eva allowed another slight smile with a little chuckle. “Probably a math exam.”
“She woke up startled,” I admitted. “Maybe she’s still dealing with a little bit of post-trauma stress from when she was drugged.” I hated to recall that incident, wishing stupidly that it never could’ve happened.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she were,” Eva said.
“Maybe not,” Lev argued. “I doubt that Kelly’s a delicate flower who’s going to be sensitive and withdrawn from a trauma. If she survived a childhood in the system, she had to have seen some cruel truths about the world early on.”
“I agree, but she definitely looked…” I shook my head, sad to report this to Eva, who seemed to still want to be her friend. “Weary. Tired.” I shrugged, unable to describe it in any neutral way. “Beat down.”
Eva raised her brows. “Physically?”
“No. Just like she’s stressed and overwhelmed by all that’s happening in her life.”
Lev furrowed his brow. “I guess it’s just as well that you could check in on her. Maybe she’ll have something to tell you about all that’s been going on since Vik’s cover was blown.” He blew out a harsh breath. “We didn’t pull out all the men, but I was never in favor of cutting down the eyes and ears we had on campus. The Petrovs and Ilyins can fight each other all they want, but if one of them claims that turf, it’ll have a lasting impact on the whole area.”
None of us wanted that.
And I personally didn’t want to stand back and let Kelly be stressed, traumatized, or overwhelmed either.
It was fine time for me to get off light duty and be on top of both angles of spying at the campus again.