Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the snow-blanketed city, lights twinkling against the night sky like earthbound stars. The ceiling soared overhead, making even Nicolai's imposing height seem proportional.
"Welcome to my den," he said, moving past me toward the windows.
Den. Cute bear pun.
I wonder if he even realizes he was making them.
The space was a study in masculine elegance—dark mahogany furniture, rich leather sofas that probably cost more than my entire life savings, plush throws draped strategically, and ambient lighting that created pockets of warmth in the vast room. A massive fireplace dominated one wall, its flames dancing behind tempered glass.
"Nice place," I quipped, hugging myself against a residual chill that had nothing to do with temperature. "Very crime-boss-chic. Do all mobsters have the same interior decorator or did you pioneer the look?"
Nicolai turned, those intense eyes studying me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "You use humor as a shield," he observed.
"And you use intimidation as small talk," I countered. "We all have our coping mechanisms."
My fingers twitched as I registered the electronic symphony surrounding us—security cameras in discrete corners, motion sensors hidden in decorative elements, an advanced alarm system humming beneath it all.
My ability let me feel each component like individual instruments in an orchestra. If needed, I could conduct them all to my advantage. The security system alone probably cost more than most houses.
Nicolai moved to a control panel near the kitchen entrance, his fingers dancing over it briefly. "I've deactivated the internal motion sensors," he explained. "You may move freely within the apartment without setting off alarms."
"How considerate of you to disable the cage after I'm already in it."
He turned to face me, leaning against the wall with casual grace that belied his size. "This isn't a cage, Mishka. It's sanctuary."
"That’s what you think," I muttered, drifting further into the room, putting distance between us while examining my surroundings more carefully.
A shelf near the fireplace held books—actual paper books, many with spines so worn they had to be decades old. Languages I recognized and several I didn't.
Another shelf displayed what looked like antique Russian nesting dolls beside modern art pieces. The contrasts were everywhere—old and new, traditional and contemporary, refined and primal.
Just like their owner.
I gravitated toward the windows, drawn by the spectacular view. Snow continued to fall, adding to the several inches already blanketing the streets below. From this height, even O'Rourke's men would look like ants.
If they could even find me here.
"Drink?" Nicolai offered, moving to a bar cart that gleamed with crystal decanters.
"I told you earlier—I don't accept drinks from strangers."
"We've graduated beyond strangers, I think," he replied, pouring amber liquid into a glass for himself. "But I respect your caution."
I continued circling the room, noting minimal exits, numerous cameras, and the subtle shifts in Nicolai's posture as he tracked my movements without seeming to. He was allowing me to explore, but I had no doubt he was mapping my every step, just as I was mapping every electronic pulse around us.
"So what's the plan here?" I asked finally, coming to rest against the back of a leather sofa. "I sleep on your fancy couch while O'Rourke's goons circle the block? You parade me around as your new pet electronic manipulator? I become your secret weapon in some underground crime boss showdown?"
Nicolai took a measured sip of his drink before answering. "The plan is to keep you safe until we determine our next move."
"Our next move?" I raised an eyebrow. "That's presumptuous."
"Is it?" He set his glass down and crossed the room toward me, each step deliberate. "You're in danger, Mishka. O'Rourke won't stop hunting you. Whatever your ability is worth to him, I guarantee he's already devoted significant resources to recovering you."
I swallowed hard, acutely aware of his approach. "And what's my ability worth to you?"
He stopped a few feet away, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. "That depends on what you can do with it."
"I could shut down every electronic system in this building with a thought," I said, a hint of challenge in my voice. "Kill the elevator. Disable security. Plunge us into darkness."
