Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Zahkar
As we enter the hotel lobby, the receptionist approaches us before we can reach the exit.
“Sir, there’s a guest here waiting for you in the waiting area.
” Rodion raises an eyebrow and glances over my shoulder to where the woman is gesturing.
He’s feeling cautious after yesterday, and rightly so.
The tension on his face eases as Rita, the real estate agent I’ve been communicating with via email and phone calls, rushes over.
“Mr. Vetrov, sir,” she says, her voice upbeat yet professional. Based on our correspondence and the photo on her website, she's younger than I anticipated.
She extends her petite hand toward me, and when we shake, my larger hand completely envelops hers.
“Sir,” Rodion remarks playfully, biting his lip in a mischievous manner as he grins at me. “I like her.”
“Of course you do,” I reply, unable to suppress a small smile.
“It’s so nice to actually meet you in the flesh. Emails can be so impersonal,” she continues, her cheeks flushing a soft pink when she catches Rodion’s lingering gaze on her face.
“Yes, they certainly are,” he retorts, his tone light and teasing. “Flesh is much more personal.”
“Behave, brother,” I warn, my voice firm, but laced with amusement.
Rodion tends to act out whenever he feels rejected or betrayed. I lost track of how many bodies he brought to our bed after Alyona left us. This is his way of coping, and now that we've discovered Alyona was hiding more than just her presence from us, Rodion will need an outlet.
“I thought you were coming to my office today, but when you didn't show up, I decided to drop by and deliver the good news in person.” She smiles brightly and rummages through her oversized purse, pulling out a set of keys and a folder. I’d forgotten I was supposed to go to her office today.
“I've never closed on a property that quickly before, but given the urgency you expressed, the sellers appreciated the offer over the asking price.”
“Hmmm, money often gets things moving,” I remark, taking the items from her. Happy to have the house sorted.
“If there's anything else I can assist you with, please let me know.”
Rodion positions himself firmly between me and her, intertwining his fingers with hers before bringing her hand to his lips for a lingering kiss. “Oh, we’ll definitely let you know, right, brother?”
“Right,” I grunt, trying to mask my amusement.
Her eyes have widened, and her bottom lip quivers as she takes quick breaths of air. Rodion has that effect on most people when he gives them his full attention, and she’s not immune.
“In fact,” he glances between us with a glint in his eye, “we’re having the grand re-opening of our newly acquired nightclub in a few weeks. We’ll make sure to send you a personal invite.”
He still hasn’t released her hand, his gaze practically undressing her right here in the bustling lobby.
There are at least eight different surfaces in my eyeline that he’d happily fuck her on.
Little does he realize that no matter how far he pushes this interaction, it won’t satisfy his hunger, because it’s not her he truly desires.
Snatching her hand back when Rodion flashes his teeth, she backs up and nods her head. “Wonderful, I’ll look forward to it.”
Chuckling darkly, he replies, “Us too.”
Ten pairs of eyes, filled with shock and disbelief, stare back at me with their mouths agape.
“You want to close the club and we'll still be getting paid?” one brave bartender asks.
When we arrived an hour ago, Rodion quickly fired the barmaid who served the nun assassin. “If you can’t distinguish between a real ID and a fake one,” he had stated firmly, his voice echoing through the empty club, “you won’t be working here anymore. Gather your belongings and get out.”
While his tone was undeniably harsh, it conveyed the seriousness of the situation. It was a necessary lesson, especially after the barmaid confessed that a police detective had come in earlier today, inquiring about the fucking nun woman.
With the type of business we want to run, errors that can bring any law enforcement to the premises cannot be tolerated. The doorman will go too when he decides to fucking show up because he let her through the doors with the fake ID in the first place.
“We’re having some renovations done and it will only be a few weeks, a month tops,” Rodion tells the staff, his ass sitting on the lip of the desk I’m sitting behind. His arms are folded over his chest, his dominance well and truly asserted. I like it when he’s in boss mode.
It costs nearly as much as the property itself to get people to work on short deadlines to have the lower level renovated, but it will be worth it once it’s exactly how we want it.
“I will be bringing in our bar manager from Moscow at that time of the re-opening who will shadow you, Riley,” I tell the club floor manager. “Her name is Nikita, and she knows how we like things done.”
Riley looks a little apprehensive as he asks, “So, I still have a position here, or will she be replacing me?”
“Of course you have a place here,” Rodion answers for me, sensing the concern in Riley’s voice. “We do have a more hands-on approach with our clubs but you will still retain your position as long as you do a good job of it. Those who work hard and to our standards will be well rewarded.”
We will take the necessary time to conduct background checks on all our employees to determine for ourselves who is trustworthy enough to join the lower-level team. In the meantime, Nikita will be bringing along a few of our trusted staff members with her.
“And, from now on, we’re no longer serving any cheap liquor,” I declare firmly, locking my gaze onto the waitress who served us those shit drinks the other night.
“You’re going to promote the Rainbow Vodka, not just because it’s our in-house brand, but because it’s crafted with high quality ingredients and it's delicious.” The staff exchange glances, nodding in unison.
“Excellent. Help yourself to a bottle of Rainbow Vodka on your way out. Get to know it and enjoy it.”
Once we’re alone in the bar, a delivery driver finally arrives clutching two bags of fast food. I eagerly take it from him and shove a wad of cash in his hand.
I start to unwrap the first burger before he’s even left, when Rodion interrupts.
“Do you think we should check in with Alyona?” he asks unexpectedly, his voice cutting through my hunger.
Usually, I can read Rodion’s thoughts and emotions better than I understand my own, but this question completely throws me off balance.
“Do you want to check in on her?” I respond, my curiosity piqued, wondering what has shifted in his mind. The anger and disappointment I feel toward her is still simmering under my skin.
Before he can answer Viktor steps into the bar, his arms outstretched in a welcoming gesture.
“So, it’s all yours,” he declares with a broad smile, his eyes flashing with enthusiasm.
Like us, Viktor, clad in a perfectly tailored Tom Ford suit and tie, always takes pride in his appearance and exudes sophistication.
“Thanks to you.” Rodion raises a glass.
“It was your money,” Viktor responds with a playful grin, shrugging his shoulders.
“Burger?” I offer, gesturing to the mountain of fast food.
Looking over my offering with a furrowed brow, he says, “I’m surprised to see you indulging in junk food.”
“I don’t typically make a habit of it,” I admit, chuckling lightly, “but when in Rome…” I trail off, taking another huge bite of my burger as he roams his gaze over my physique.
Where Rodion likes to fuck his feelings out, I tend to eat mine.
Taking a seat on the barstool beside Rodion, Viktor tilts his head thoughtfully. “By the way, I heard about Jeremiah and Adam.”
“Unfortunate news.” I scoff, finishing my burger in two bites.
“The woman?” Viktor queries.
“A gift from your father,” I say, swiping my hand across his mouth, my voice dripping with disdain.
Viktor’s jaw flexes, his otherworldly amber eyes sparking bright. “I see.”
“Apparently, she’s not the only one who was sent here to spy on what we’re doing with the club,” Rodion informs him as I move around the bar to pour us drinks.
“I’ll look into it,” he says, his tone steady. “The police chief, Stanton, also owes me a favor.” He leans back slightly, his gaze focused. “So, if there’s anything that needs to be swept away regarding this situation, just let me know.”
I hesitate, not wanting to delve into how that favor came to be, but I nod in acknowledgment, appreciating the offer. “That’s good to know.”
Suddenly, Rodion interjects with a sharpness in his tone. “Did you know about Alyona’s child?” The question is jarring and hangs between us. I can see confusion flicker across Viktor’s face as he turns to Rodion.
“What about her?” he asks, a look of bewilderment crossing his features as he glances back and forth between us, clearly trying to piece together the implications of Rodion’s inquiry.
"So, you did know she existed,” I say, my expression darkening, revealing more than it should.
“I did, but I didn’t realize there was something between you and her when Alyona arrived here,” he says, his tone neutral but eyes narrowing with intrigue.
“We trained her and fucked her, that’s all,” I reply bluntly, sliding the drinks across the bar toward them, the glasses clinking against each other. I fucking wish that was all.
“If you say so,” Viktor replies, a sly grin spreading across his face, his amusement evident as he leans back, clearly enjoying the unexpected turn of the conversation.
“We do,” Rodion adds, crossing his arms and nodding in my direction.
As if we had just summoned her by mentioning her name, Viktor raises an eyebrow at the sound of his phone ringing. “Speak of the she-devil,” he taunts mockingly. “Ally, sweetness, what do you need from me? I can provide you with a wide array of services.”
Rodion and I exchange uneasy glances, tension coursing through us at the casual way he addresses her, fully aware that he’s only trying to provoke a reaction. His dark, playful smile fades in an instant as he gets to his feet and begins pacing back and forth.
“Hold on. I'm coming over.” His tone is no longer flirtatious but concerned. Ending the call, a cloud comes over his eyes as he says, "There’s something wrong with her."
All the anger, the hate and confusion over what I feel about her evaporates at his words.
Flashes of her wounds flicker in my brain, and then of the assassinated woman in her house, and then of a little girl I can’t even put a face to, and all that’s left inside me is an overwhelming need to get to them.