Chapter 4
Volodya
When Vasily had finally got around to texting me Kaylee’s picture, I’d wanted to throw my damn phone against the wall because the woman in that photo is most definitely not the woman that I’ve just kidnapped.
She’s short and brunette, yes, but that’s where the similarities end.
The real Kaylee may be pretty, but she’s nowhere near as beautiful as the woman tied up in my chair.
I hadn’t expected her to catch me in the act of killing, but I’d be lying if I said chasing her didn’t get me harder than I think I’ve ever been.
Her pissing on me hadn’t made my cock soften, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of that.
Seeing her completely at my mercy, her big, grey eyes wide with fear, fuck, it had done something to me on a deep level.
“I can’t believe you kidnapped the wrong girl,” Vasily says again in Russian.
“It’s your fucking fault,” I remind him. “How long does it take to text a goddamn photo? Besides I wasn’t the only one who mixed her up. The guys we have watching the house told me they’d seen his sister right before Scott left, but obviously they’d mixed her up with this girl.”
“You like her,” he teases.
The glare I give him makes him laugh. “What the fuck are we? Ten?”
“You could just marry her like I did Nina, then you wouldn’t have to worry about any of this.”
“That’s not going to fucking happen,” I growl at him.
He knows damn good and well that I have no plans to ever marry.
Our father’s death destroyed our mother.
She’s a completely different person now, a shell of the vibrant woman she once was.
We didn’t just lose our dad that day; we lost both our parents.
Being a Bratva boss means your life is always in danger, and I won’t put another person through that.
I’m happy my brother found love, and I wish him the best, but that’s not going to be me. I won’t allow it.
“Should I ask why it smells like piss?”
“She ran,” I growl at him, not elaborating.
He ignores my foul mood and says, “Nina’s going to love hearing that not only do you have a live-in maid now, but that you also think she’s beautiful.”
I groan and scrub a hand through my hair. I need a shower and some aspirin. I have dried blood and piss on me, and I’m starting to get really fucking grumpy about how this night has gone. I’m also irritated that I’m so curious about Maddie.
“So where’s the real Kaylee?” Vasily asks her.
“She went on a date earlier with some preppy asshole.”
“What’s his name?”
“Preston Winterborn III,” she says, giving me a tiny smile when I laugh at the ridiculous name.
“Thank you,” he tells her and then says to me in Russian, “You want to still handle this, or should I get someone else?”
“I’ll fucking do it,” I growl at him. “I made the mistake, and I’ll be the one to fix it.”
“Sounds good. I’m going to go home. Let me know if you need anything. We can question her tomorrow about Scott. She may know something that could be useful to us.” Turning to Maddie, he raises his hand in a wave goodbye. “See you later, Maddie.”
“Bye,” she says and then gives her pretty head a soft shake, the surreal moment making her head spin. When she’s got control of herself again, she turns her attention back to me, waiting on the rules.
The truth is, I don’t need a maid. I’m kind of a neat freak, and I have no problem keeping my own house clean, but by putting her on the payroll, I’ll be able to keep a close eye on her. I can let her go once all this is settled and I know she’s no longer a threat. For now, she’s my responsibility.
“Why do you need money?” I ask instead of going over what I expect from her.
“I just do.” She wiggles in her seat before finally holding her hands out to me. “Can’t you at least untie me now? It’s going to make cleaning very difficult if I can’t separate my damn hands. And I need a shower,” she quickly adds.
“Yeah, so do I,” I say, fighting a grin at the way she blushes.
“That was your own fault,” she whispers.
I don’t argue. We both know she’s right. Instead, I lean closer, extending my arm out to her, waiting for her to put her bound wrists in my hand.
“Tell me,” I say, waiting for her to speak before I start to slowly untie her.
“My mom is sick, and her insurance sucks,” she finally says.
“Sick how?”
“Breast cancer,” she whispers, keeping her eyes locked on my fingers. “That’s why I was working for Kaylee and Scott. They pay me under the table, so I’m able to put all of it towards my mom’s treatments.”
“How much did they pay you?”
“Two thousand a month, and I got to live there for free.”
“I’ll pay you five, and I’m not charging rent.”
Her eyes meet mine as she lets out a startled gasp. “What?”
“I’ll pay you five thousand a month, and you can stay in this room for free, but I want something from you in return.”
Her grey eyes widen at my words, making me let out an annoyed grunt.
“Relax, kiska, I don’t fucking bribe women for sex.
I want loyalty. You speak to no one about anything to do with me or my family.
Not a fucking word. You’re free to come and go as you please, but someone will be watching you every time you leave this property. ”
Pulling the last of the rope off, I massage her wrists, bringing the circulation back, watching her pupils dilate as she tries like hell to not enjoy it. I wait until her eyes meet mine again. “If you disobey my rules, you’re out. I don’t give second chances.”
“I understand.” She looks around the room. “I don’t have any of my stuff. My clothes, my phone, nothing.”
“I’ll get them for you.”
“I really need my phone in case my mom calls.”
“You’ll have it before the sun rises.”
When I realize I’m still lazily stroking her inner wrist with my thumb, I pull back and stand up. “Wait here for a minute.”
Leaving her, I walk upstairs to my own room and find a pair of joggers and a white T-shirt.
They’ll be huge on her, but it’s better than sitting around in pee-soaked pants.
I also add in some bathroom supplies and on a whim I grab a hooded sweatshirt and an extra blanket from the foot of my bed in case she gets cold.
Returning to her room, I set everything on the bed.
“The clothes will be too big, but at least it’s something for you to wear until I get back with your stuff.”
She runs her hands over the clothes, noticing the shampoo and new toothbrush. “Thank you, Volodya.” Looking up at me, she asks, “Should I call you Mr. Medvedev?”
“Volodya’s fine.” I’d usually insist on something more formal, or at least my full name of Vladimir, but I like hearing her say the shortened form of my name.
I nod towards the bathroom that’s connected to her room.
“This is all yours, so feel free to shower or whatever. I need to go take care of some things. We can set up your payments tomorrow and get everything else sorted out.” I toss the remote onto the bed.
“I have all the streaming shit, so just make yourself at home.”
“What about my car?” she asks, grabbing onto the clothes and toiletries.
“Which one is it?”
Her cheeks turn a little pink when she says, “The Ford Escort that you parked next to.”
My expression must say it all because she gets a little huffy and says, “It runs great and has never broken down on me.”
I raise a brow in disbelief but don’t comment. I also don’t tell her I’ll be buying her something more reliable. Before I walk out the door, she says, “You’re going to have to introduce me to your dogs so they don’t rip my throat out when I need to dust the living room or whatever.”
“Tomorrow,” I tell her, trying not to laugh. My dogs are going to maul her all right, but it’s going to be with sloppy dog kisses and big tail wags.
Shutting her door, I send a quick text to Oleg, telling him to meet me at Scott’s house and to gather whatever info he can about where Kaylee is.
I don’t bother with a shower. I know it’s completely fucked up, but I keep my dirty jeans on and get back in my car.
Boris steps closer when I stop at the gate.
“The young woman you saw me with is Maddie. She’s my new maid, so make sure you spread the word. She’s not to be bothered, and if I hear about anyone putting their hands on her, they’re going to have me to answer to.”
He seems surprised, but wisely keeps his damn mouth shut.
Usually, I’d let my guys fuck whoever they want as long as the girl is willing, but I don’t want anyone trying shit with Maddie.
She’s an employee, and the thought of her sleeping with my men doesn’t sit well with me.
Refusing to psychoanalyze it, I give Boris a nod and drive off.
If I didn’t enjoy being in my car so much, I’d be irritated about having to get out and re-do the evening.
Parking behind Oleg in front of Scott’s house, I watch as his white-blonde head emerges from his car.
He’s been one of my top men for years. He’s a sneaky little bastard who can get in and out of just about anywhere.
He’ll be disappointed when he finds out I just need him to watch my back tonight.
He eyes the large mansion and the set of windows on the third floor. “Need me to get up there?” he asks. Even in a whisper, I can hear the hopeful tone of his voice.
“Sorry, man. It’s just lookout work tonight and help with a kidnapping. Did you find anything on Kaylee?”
His pale eyes run over the house, and I know he’s already mapped out several ways he could get his nimble ass up there.
Without taking his eyes off the mansion, he hands me his phone, showing me the social media account of a woman who really likes to document every fucking second of her life.
I see the photo Vasily sent me as I keep scrolling through her feed.
“How many damn photos can one woman take of herself?”