“Alexi? Hello, it’s Boris Siderov from-”
“The restaurant. Yes, I know.”
“Oh, well… I was hoping you might know where Lucya Dubrovina is. She hasn’t shown up for work for three days, and she’s not answering her phone. I even sent one of the servers to her apartment and the front desk girl said they haven’t seen her either.”
“Why are you asking me?” I snap.
“That night when she went home early,” he’s stumbling over the words, “you called to tell us to hold her tips from the night, that’s how I have your number. She’s never mentioned dating anyone, but… you are the only one I can think of to call.”
Boris is a nice kid, I’ve seen him hustling around the restaurant and the club area.
“She is safe. But she won’t be returning to work,” I say.
“What?” Boris explodes, “Why? Is she all right?”
“As I said, she’s fine. But she won’t be coming back. Lucya is…” I always guard every word that leaves my mouth but this time, the words fly free. “She’s getting married.”
“Towho?” he says, clearly upset. “She never talked about anyone!”
I hang up.
Saying the words out loud makes them real, somehow. I knew my role in my Bratva. I could count on one hand how many men I knew who wereVorsand had a wife and a family, too. It never even occurred to me. Now that it is a fact, a certainty, my dick is hard as fuck.
I’m going to marry Lucya, myKolibri. Someone who will be all mine. This alien feeling of happiness is unsettling, and I spend the rest of the day cleaning my guns and sharpening my knives, trying to regulate myself.
All my hard-earned calm disappears when I open the door to her room to bring in dinner and she’s waiting for me in a pretty green dress that matches her eyes and a hopeful expression.
“I was thinking I could eat in the kitchen with you tonight? It’s not like I can go anywhere.” Her smile falters a bit at my blank stare, but she sticks to it. “Please?”
“You’ve earned some freedom,” I agree, holding the door open for her as she darts through like the little hummingbird she is.
“I really like this kitchen,” she says, looking happy and sated after plowing through her beefpelmenisandOliviersalad.When it looked like she was slowing down, I’d piled more on her plate. “The kitchen in our apartment is white and bland.” Her expression falters. “Though I guess I won’t be seeing it again, so…”
“All your things have been boxed up,” I say, “they’re stored on the second floor of the apartment, you can sort through it when you’re ready.”
“There’s a second floor here?” she laughs, “Any secret passageways or hidden staircases?”
“If I told you, they wouldn’t be a secret, would they?” I put two plates of apple cake on the table.
“Why, Alexi Turgenev, was thathumor?”Lucya teases, “Who are you?”
At this moment, I’m not sure myself.
“Eat your dessert.”
“Will you show me if I eat all this lovely cake?” Her bargaining skills are not strong, her fork is already digging into the cake.
I fight back a smile. “Finish your cake and we’ll see.”
“You’re definitely trying to fatten me up,” she grumbles, just before stuffing an enormous piece of cake in her mouth.
Chapter Fifteen
In which Lucya Takes A Stand. At the most awkward possible time.
Lucya…
Staring at the closed door, I feel like Lucya the Snow Monster again. Not pretty enough, not flirtatious enough. I was straddling Alexi’s lap, I could feel his dick, hard as an iron bar. Still, he put me back in this room.
