Russian Mobster's Secret (9 page)

“Might I guess that it involves Roland?” Susan bit her lip. Wherever her confidence was coming from, she hoped it wasn’t making her a little too brave. “Since the cash cow incident, he’s been treating me like his personal assistant. He gives me his files and tells me to get them done. Yesterday I refused. So I’m guessing that he’s made some sort of claim that I’m threatening him.”

“Exactly. I’m so sorry that this has happened, Susan. I’ll speak with human resources immediately and see if we can’t get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. No one should have to work in such a hostile environment.”

“Thank you, Jason,” she said warmly. “I truly appreciate it.”

He nodded and headed off down the hallway looking excessively troubled.

Susan actually felt better. If her meeting with Oksana went half as well, she would consider the event a rousing success. And judging by the clock, she needed to get moving.

It was a quick trip down the elevator and out front to the same bistro where she and Oksana had met Vlad only a few days ago. Her friend was already waiting at a table when Susan sank into her seat.

“You will never guess what I just did,” Susan eagerly told her friend. Regardless of the mess with Vlad and Kirill, Susan was feeling more than a little self-satisfied about her handling of Jason and Roland.

“Is this the part where you explain to me why you keep running out of the club without telling me where you are going?” Oksana said irritably.

“No. Yesterday I told off the cash cow jerk, and today I laid out for my boss everything that’s happened. He’s going to look into it and see if they can take action or something against Roland!” Susan was too excited to let Oksana’s obvious bad mood ruin things. “I feel so relieved. You were right, you know. I just needed to have a little confidence in myself.”

Susan reached across the table and touched her friend’s hand. Oksana looked upset. Maybe this had nothing to do with Kirill. Perhaps there was really something wrong with Oksana herself.

Finally Oksana sighed. “I’m glad you told off the little prick who was humiliating you. I knew you had it in you. I told you that, yes?”

“Yes.” Susan chuckled. “You were right about so many things, actually.”

“How?” Oksana’s mood seemed to lift. “I do so enjoy being right.”

“Yeah, that’s not a secret,” Susan said teasingly. “And what I meant was that you were right about knowing my value and the fact that it would make me feel better. Nicolai was fun, and it made me feel flattered that he was even interested.”

Oksana leaned forward eagerly. “And then? What happened when you told him to take a hike?”

“I realized that I could do so much better,” Susan said honestly. She thought for a moment about Roland the Prick. “And I realized that the idiot who was making fun of me at work was doing it because I intimidated him.”

“Exactly! The man doesn’t know what to do with a woman who has a brain. Can I call them or what?”

“So I wanted to thank you for all of that support. It really meant a lot to me.” Susan nibbled her lip. This was the part where she wished she knew if Vlad had tattled or not.

Oksana touched Susan’s hand. “And now you’re with Vlad, and things will be perfect!”

“Not exactly.” Susan struggled to find the right words. “Vlad and I aren’t going to see each other anymore.”

“Why not?” Oksana’s countenance darkened like a storm.

Susan shrugged. “Honestly, I was a little disappointed that he wasn’t willing to make a little more of an effort. We hit a—little snag—when he discovered my previous association with another man, and he basically quit the field.”

“Quit the field?” Oksana appeared to be gearing up for a tantrum. “And what other association with what man? Is he being a blockhead about Nicolai?”

“No. Nothing like that. I, uh. That is to say that Kirill and I had a short fling.”

“
What
?” Oksana roared the word with all the subtlety of a rampaging giantess. “You cannot be serious?”

“Actually, I am. Kirill and I get along surprisingly well. And you’ll be relieved to know that he’s not nearly as bad as you think he is.”

“Really? Because I do
not
feel relieved when I find out that my best friend has been going behind my back and sleeping with my
brother
!”

Her friend was so loud that the entire bistro seemed to be staring at them.

Susan glanced around, feeling awkward. “Look, I would have told you, but initially it was only supposed to be a one time thing.”

“You had a one night stand with my brother!” Oksana was practically shouting. “He is a loser with no future! Why would you do that? He does not deserve a woman like you. Vlad does! I set you up with the perfect man, and you mess it up because you have a thing for my brother? Are you insane?”

“Okay, you’ve really got to calm down.” Susan put a note of firmness in her tone. “And I don’t know why you think your brother is the devil anyway. He’s really not a bad guy.”

“The man believes himself to be Orlov mafia,” Oksana snarled in a slightly quieter tone. “How is that not bad? How can you want that for yourself?”

“It might not have been my first choice, but Kirill and I are good together.” Susan realized as she said this that it was true. “I’m sorry if you don’t like it. And I never meant for something like this to happen behind your back, but it did. Now, though, we want to be up front and honest. We’re a couple, and we would like your blessing. You’re my best friend, Oksana. I don’t want to lose you because of a man.”

“He’s not just a
man
! He’s my brother!”

KIRILL KNEW WHEN he walked into the bistro that things were not going well between his sister and Susan. He took a seat beside Susan and casually draped his arm around her shoulders. Pressing a light kiss to her temple, he took her hand and threaded their fingers together. He wanted her to know that she was not in this alone.

Oksana hurled a few choice insults at him in Russian. Then she gestured to Susan. “You have ruined her! Vlad will never have her now.”

“Why is this such a big deal?” Kirill wanted to know. “Why are you so dead set on being right about Vlad and Susan?”

“Because
he
is the best choice for her!” Oksana’s voice held such a tone of superiority that Kirill had to grind his teeth to keep from hurling a choice insult at her.

Susan laid her hand on his arm and then gazed at her friend with a sad expression. “We’re having a baby, Oksana. Can’t you be happy for us?”

Oksana’s gasp very likely sucked every ounce of air from the bistro’s atmosphere. She stood up so quickly that she flipped her chair over backwards. “You whore!”

Kirill pulled Susan closer. Her face had gone bright red as everyone in the bistro stopped talking to stare at them.

Kirill pointed to Oksana. “Stop. Right now. Just because you feel you must be the center of attention is no reason to treat your friend like this. You told me you wanted her to be with Vlad because she needed a good man to take care of her and heal past wrongs. What if
I
am that man?”

“You—” Oksana pointed her finger right in his face. “—are nothing but a petty thug.”

“I am neither petty nor a thug. I am a member in good standing with the Orlovs. Just because you do not understand or respect my job does not make it less important.”

“You are so full of shit!” she fired off in Russian. “Our papa would be ashamed of you.”

“That might be true,” Kirill allowed. “He was never a fan of the Orlovs. He pledged his loyalty to the Pasternaks, but our father would not have respected the Pasternaks as they are today. He would support me, Oksana. I know he would.”

“You lie,” she ground out. Putting her hands flat on the table, she glared at them both. “You are both dead to me. Do you understand? Until you put this foolishness behind you, I want nothing to do with it.”

Oksana turned and stalked out of the bistro like an angry warrior heading for a rampage.

“That went slightly better than I anticipated,” Susan murmured.

Kirill glanced at her as though she’d lost her mind.

“No really, it could have been a lot worse.”

He couldn’t argue with that. In fact, it could get a lot worse before his sister calmed down.

Chapter Twelve

Kirill followed Jacob’s lead through a dark alley not far from where their target was supposed to be. Tonight was a very simple contract. Shoot to kill. In fact, had it not been for the oddity of the other night, Kirill would have been alone.

The alley’s rank smell made Kirill wrinkle his nose. Not that the scent of an alleyway deep in the city was ever pleasing, but there was something festering in this one. Kirill caught up to Jacob and gave him a nudge.

“Smells like death,” Jacob murmured in Russian.

Kirill broke protocol and pulled out a tiny flashlight. He clicked it on and swung the narrow beam back and forth across the far corner of the alley where two buildings butted up against each other.

“There.” Jacob pointed to a stack of pallets that appeared to have been knocked over.

They approached cautiously. Kirill kept the light low, searching for signs that something had been disturbed. Finally, they both spotted the oddity at the same moment. Squatting on his haunches, Kirill picked up a stray scrap of wood and poked at what appeared to be a human arm. A little further probing uncovered a hand attached to the arm. It was missing a thumb, as though the digit had been intentionally severed after the victim was murdered.

“It would appear that our shadowy friend has gotten to this target ahead of time as well,” Jacob muttered. “How long, do you think?”

Kirill swallowed back his revulsion and pulled off his glove to touch the arm. “He’s still barely warm. Maybe a few hours?”

“I think it’s time we pay our friend Orlov a visit, don’t you?” Jacob looked grim. “If it’s only been a few hours, that would suggest that there are multiple contracts being issued at once.”

“But who would be taking the contract? There are only two assassins in the Orlov ranks.”

“Unless someone is trying to make his mark and earn his rank outside protocol. You came to me the way it has always been done. I agreed to train you. In this way, we eliminate this sort of competition. That does not mean that it does not exist.”

“What would Orlov have to gain?” Kirill demanded, feeling irritated and strangely antsy. Having his position challenged within the family was no small thing.

“Perhaps it isn’t the gain. Perhaps he is simply trying to save money. Competition creates a more competitive market with competitive pricing.”

“Bargain assassinations?” Kirill shook his head in disgust. “What idiot thinks that’s a good idea?”

“I don’t know.” Jacob turned and began walking back the way they had come. “But in my experience, those situations usually end with someone cornering the market once again.”

“Meaning that you cannot expect a group of people with a license to kill to play nicely together.”

“Exactly.”

THE KNOCK ON Susan’s door came from the front, not the kitchen. This only meant that she was a little more cautious when answering. She turned on her porch light and illuminated as much of the dingy space as possible. Then when she looked through the peephole she got a good view of her visitor.

Roland?

This did not promise to be a positive experience. She sucked in a deep breath and prayed for patience. If she were smart, she would send him packing without even opening the door. Unfortunately for her, curiosity was getting the better of her good sense.

Susan opened the front door and stayed behind the safety of her storm door. “Can I help you, Roland? I confess I can’t imagine what would bring you to my home.”

“That was a dirty trick you played on me with Jason,” Roland said angrily. “Telling all of those lies might have bought you a little time, but eventually it won’t save your job.”

“Lies?” She snorted. “Tell me, what did I tell Jason that wasn’t true?” She crossed her arms belligerently. “You were the one who started the cash cow joke. You set up the office pool and collected the data and the money. Am I wrong?”

“Well, no, but…”

“Hmm, what about the fact that you’ve been bringing me most of your workload the last few weeks and dumping it on my desk with some bogus order that Jason requested I take care of it? I believe you actually got a commendation for your diligence out of the deal. Didn’t you?”

“Well, yes.” He looked uncomfortable. “But yesterday you threatened me with sexual harassment!”

“Seriously.” She stared at the pathetic excuse for a man on her doorstep. “You make my life a living hell for more than a month and you’re worried about a threat that will never come true if you just do your fucking job?”

“You threatened me. And then you tattled to Jason today. They’re thinking about firing me, Susan.
Firing
me! Can you believe it?”

“Actually, yeah. I can.” She realized she wasn’t at all sad or sorry or surprised. “Personally I think it’s been a long time coming. You flew under the radar there for a long time with your charm and supreme ass kissing skills.”

“What
happened
to you?” Roland seemed aghast. “It’s like you woke up one day and decided you were a bitch.”

“People like you happened to me, Roland. I got a little tired of being your scapegoat. So while I’m sorry that you’re about to hit the unemployment line, it’s really your problem and not mine.”

Susan shut the door in his face and leaned back against it with a feeling of satisfaction she had never expected to experience. She might not be a mafia bad ass, but she was certainly on her way to getting there.

Thank you, Kirill.

KIRILL EYED THE giant of a man who had answered the back door of the smoky club.

Leaning insolently against the wall, Kirill held his cheroot between thumb and forefinger and blew a stream of smoke straight up into the air. “We’re here to talk to Orlov.”

“Mr. Orlov is busy.” The giant folded his arms over his chest.

“Tell him to make time or bad things will happen,” Kirill said coolly.