Chapter 20 - Katya
The casino is almost overwhelmingly loud, accompanied by the occasional chime of a jackpot through the music pumping through the overhead speakers. Laughter, cheers, and the occasional curse punctuate the chaos, easily reminding me that this isn’t my usual scene.
I’ve been in a casino or two before, but I’d rather invest than gamble. But given the way Sergey moves through the place, he feels more at home than I do.
Given his relaxed and vaguely smug stride, it’s clear he belongs here in a way, and he knows it. He carries himself through the place with all the confidence of someone who owns it, and knowing him, he likely does.
I trail a step behind him because I need the distance after we’ve been crossing into more comfortable territory tonight, even if I’ve been somewhat of an instigator.
Whether it’s a fluke or a sign that things are getting better, we’ve been civil with each other.
Friendly, almost like we’re seeing eye to eye.
But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how we ended up here in the first place.
The opulence of the place is clear. Between the gold trim along the walls, the velvet chairs, new-looking tables, and suited men who take one glance at Sergey and seem to know exactly who he is and what he’s capable of, it all screams decadence. And a kind that Sergey isn’t a stranger to.
Me, however…I’m the outlier. The reluctant bride still trying to piece herself together and understand where she belongs in all of this.
Regardless, I can’t deny it’s been a good night so far. Annoyingly so.
Finally getting back on the road and feeling the familiar power of a Ducati beneath me was more refreshing than I thought possible, and the shooting range reminded me of what I was capable of. Of the skills I had tucked away and tried so hard to forget about.
For a moment, I even felt like myself again, as hard as it was to believe. But here, in Sergey’s world, that makes it harder to hide the more dangerous aspects while surrounded by everything he represents, the distance between us becomes evident all over again.
To accompany his relaxed yet powerful demeanor, Sergey pauses long enough to let me catch up to his stride, and he keeps me close. The possessive edge to that gesture isn’t quite as loud as usual, but it doesn’t escape me. Surprisingly, it sends a small shiver down my spine.
I pretend to study the roulette table, but in truth, the steady, reliable warmth of him next to me holds most of my attention while he speaks to the dealer, who looks at him with unwavering respect.
Then, something catches my eye.
More so, someone.
Near the bar, a man stands alone while he nurses a drink and keeps his gaze low. But his face is exposed enough for me to take in those features.
They don’t fully register at first, but a sense of familiarity moves through me while I try to rack my brain for how I know him.
Something about the man reminds me of New York. It’s an odd thought, but it’s true.
Then, as he glances to the side, I catch a glimpse of a snake tattoo peeking from beneath his jacket.
And it hits me even harder. I know that face.
He’s one of Yuri’s.
I don’t have a name to place to his face, but there’s no questioning it. I recognize him from before everything.
He was never a high-ranking employee, but he rotated around my father when he was in charge, and now he likely serves my brother if he’s still on the payroll. He had been loyal, which means he’s dangerous. And right now, he’s too close for comfort.
Even seeing him there makes my pulse speed up, and I can’t look away.
Hypothetically, I could go to him and ask for help. Maybe I could use him to escape this whole situation.
It’s a tempting thought, but it isn’t that simple, and I know it.
He scans the room, just barely pausing for a moment when his eyes slide past me. Even if he tries to make it less obvious that he’s watching, I know he is. He’s here for a reason, and I have every reason to believe he’s likely under strict orders, too.
And I also know what that would mean.
Yuri has wanted me to join him since the moment Dad’s body went cold, and now, he probably wants me to surrender.
He’ll want me to crawl back to him and to become a pawn in his games.
I just barely escaped whatever plans he had for me before, and something about giving in now doesn’t sit right with me.
But that’s exactly what would happen if I went to his man for help. If I begged for a way out of my current situation, then Yuri wouldn’t hesitate to pull me into the fold in exchange. I’d have no choice but to do as he asks, all for the sake of saving me from this fiasco.
Either way, I’ll be stuck in the lifestyle I never wanted to begin with. It’s one captor or another.
Sergey guides me over to a table, and it doesn’t take long for a bottle girl to come over with a tray carrying two glasses of whiskey.
He hands me one, giving me a lopsided grin until his gaze sharpens while he inspects me closely.
His eyes follow mine, not taking long to discover who I’m looking at.
Really, I should’ve tried harder to make it less obvious and leave my options open.
He stiffens slightly, and his voice comes out lower while he studies me. “You know him?”
I can already imagine the various thoughts churning through his mind right now, but it isn’t like that, and I don’t want him acting jealous for no reason.
Nodding carefully, I debate again whether I should tell him while I pull my attention away from the man.
I could lie. I could walk it back and say I mistook him for someone back home. I could convince him that he looks like someone I know, anyway.
But I think about Yuri again, and how it might be to follow his every command. To find myself locked into a kind of servitude I’d never want for myself, or to end up being caught in some deal he made on my behalf.
As much as I want to hope I could trust my brother, I know that’s wishful thinking.
Yuri has always been like Dad in the ways that scared me the most. He took on his determined, relentless personality, and if he’s just as serious about taking Vegas as our father was, then he’d have every reason to use me to my full potential in his eyes.
I could take advantage of the situation and get away from Sergey, or I could find myself trapped in a different sense, only to end up in a far worse situation.
Being stalked and taken from my home was always very low on the list of things I was willing to endure, but I’m still alive. Sergey may be a dangerous man from an even more dangerous family, but he hasn’t done anything to truly harm me.
I won’t condone his actions, but at the very least, he has kept his word in that regard. He doesn’t want to hurt me, and dare I say, he’s been trying to connect with me lately. Even through all of my iciness, he has stuck it out and seems just as determined to break my defenses in a good way.
He hasn’t said it outright, but I’ve noticed, and that has to count for something.
It’s either surrender to Yuri or make the conscious decision to stay loyal to a man who may not deserve it at times.
If things had been different between my brother and me, I wouldn’t have hesitated to go to him. But knowing how he is, being pulled into his chaos is the last thing I want.
Finally, I let go of a breath. “He’s one of Yuri’s men. I’ve seen him before, and he can’t be here by coincidence.”
Sergey’s expression shifts at once, and his easy charm fades into something far deadlier. His protective instincts go from idle to overdrive in a blink.
“Yuri’s trying to plant his men in our turf now…he’s likely looking for someone, and if I were to wager a guess, I’d say that someone is you.”
“Or you.”
He shrugs. “Maybe both of us, then. Either way, we’ll keep an eye on him.”
I nod, already sure I won’t be able to get my attention fully away from him now. Not while knowing he’s within reach, meaning Yuri won’t be far either. As much as I want to trust Sergey’s abilities, the thought still leaves me feeling uneasy.
He glances at the man, then back to me again, and this time, his gaze is full of something harder. It’s a kind of concern and anger that gives away how serious he is about the very thing he promised to do for me. How he’s hellbent on keeping me safe, regardless of my previous doubts.
After a moment, his eyes reveal a subtle gratitude, and maybe even a touch of hope.
“You did the right thing telling me.”
I find myself nodding again, not trusting myself to say more.
While it doesn’t necessarily feel wrong to divulge that information to Sergey, the man I’m legally bound to, part of me loathes choosing to take his side. To offer my loyalty despite everything.
There’s a subtle squeeze in my stomach at the thought of not running the second I had the chance.
Regardless of the man looming in the background, we work on our drinks and try to ignore the tension hanging in the air. Even if he doesn’t say it, I can tell Sergey is somewhat annoyed by the damper it places over our night. How his efforts have been overshadowed by my brother.
Eventually, the two of us move deeper into the casino while Sergey keeps a protective hand against the small of my back like he’s letting everyone know that I’m with him. That if they tried anything, he wouldn’t hesitate to unleash everything he’s been holding back for some time.
People watch us go by, sometimes nodding respectfully to Sergey if they know him, or they eye me with something caught between curiosity and suspicion. I do my best not to think about it.
“Try to relax,” Sergey says with a subtle grin that just barely hides his caution. He leans in while we’re surrounded by various tables. “I brought you here to blow off steam, not pile on more.”
Forcing myself to breathe, I nod.
Right…I should be more present, even if I’m in this strange limbo of not entirely hating Sergey while knowing I probably should.
Still, curiosity tugs at my mind as I look up at him. “And why did you bring me here, of all places? If you wanted me to blow off steam, you could’ve done that a dozen different ways.”
“Sure, I could’ve. But I wanted you to see this part of it,” he murmurs, subtly gesturing to the casino floor around us. “Not the blood, the violence, or the calculated moves. Just what we built. And what it looks like when it’s not falling apart.”
Glancing around, it’s easy to see what he means. The place emanates pure power and wealth, and given how busy the place is, that wealth only multiplies with every passing night.
Money has always been a strange part of my life, and while I don’t live to obtain it, even I can admit that what the Lukovs have accomplished is impressive. Not many can say they’ve reached similar heights.
“It’s still a facade,” I comment, unwilling to entirely stroke his ego tonight.
“It is to some capacity, but it’s a damn good one,” Sergey says, handing me a chip while he smiles at me with a touch of mischief in his eyes. “Pick a table, wife…we’ll see if luck is on your side tonight.”
My eyes narrow at the way he so casually throws the word around, but I don’t press. Instead, I take the chip and remind myself that there are some perks to being married to a Lukov.
If he wants me to have fun, then I’ll have fun. And if it’s on him, then I won’t complain.