As we walked downstairs, Gennadiy was rubbing my ass through the thin fabric of my dress, delighting in my lack of underwear.I hope it’s a short meeting.Wearing dresses still felt new and strange. I still mostly wore jeans in public, but I was gradually building up my confidence and showing my legs more.
Downstairs, the Aristovs were gathering. We ran into Mikhail and his dogs first, and we spent a happy few minutes giving ear scratches and being batted by fluffy, excited tails. Then Valentin appeared. Like Gennadiy, he seemed a little lighter since the two of them had talked. I looked at the necklace he wore, the silver bird catching the light. Who was Ruslana? And was he ever going to be able to let go of her and heal that broken heart?
Bronwyn and Radimir arrived just as we were moving through to the dining room. I was still coming to terms with how Caroline had betrayed me, but just as I’d lost one friend, I’d made a new one. Bronwyn and I were getting to be close: both of us were new to all this, and she was helping me to navigate both the Bratva and the lifestyle that went with it. She’d made me an appointment with her personal stylist to help me dress the part but, just as importantly, we’d had some deep conversations over coffee at her bookstore. As Radimir and Gennadiy marched ahead, I pulled her aside. “How’d it go? Did you have the talk?”
Bronwyn nodded. “I told him I wasn’t ready, after the poisoning. I told him I’m just not sure it’s safe to bring a child into our world.”
“How’d he take it?” I asked.
She smiled. “He said,Krasavitsa, take all the time you need. I’ll wait forever.” Her smile became sad. “I just hope I can get past this. I want to make him happy.”
“You already do,” I told her firmly, and gave her a hug.
We took our seats in the dining room. Radimir was with Bronwyn at the head of the table, the king and queen. Gennadiy and I were at the far end, Mikhail on one side with his dogs, and Valentin on the other. I felt a big, warm swell of emotion. After years of searching, I’d finally found the family I’d always wanted.
Then, as one, they all turned and looked at me.Wait, what? What’s going on?
Radimir leaned forward. “We called this meeting to discuss something with you.”
I gaped, utterly thrown. I’d thought it was just a standard family meeting. I glanced at Gennadiy, and he gave me a reassuring nod. “O…kay,” I managed.
Radimir took a deep breath. “When we first met, I didn’t hide what I thought about an FBI agent so close to our family. But I have come to trust you. Without you, I doubt we’d all be sitting here today.”
I nodded hesitantly. I had no idea where this was going.
Radimir put his elbows on the table and clasped his fist in his other hand. “Grushin was operating right under our noses. He was blackmailing Yakov; he had control of the head of the gaming board, the DA, senior people at the banks…and we had no idea. It took you to uncover all that.”
“What we’re saying,” said Gennadiy, “is that maybe…” he looked around at his family, “maybe the bad guys need cops too.”
“There are always people, within our organization and outside it, trying to steal from us,” said Mikhail. “Or run their own schemes without our knowledge. Or even plan a coup. We would like you…to stop them.”
I looked around at them, dumbfounded.
“You are already part of our family,” said Radimir. “This is different. We are offering you a job.”
“I’ve needed someone to share the load with for years,” said Gennadiy. “I’ve never found anyone I can fully trust…until now.”
I turned it over in my mind. A year ago, everything had seemed so simple. There were good guys, like Calahan and me, and bad guys, like the Aristovs. But now I’d seen a guy who was meant to be a cop corrupt the whole system, right up to the DA. And I’d seen that there were far worse people in the world than the Aristovs. If Chicago had to have crime, better that they were running things than people likeGrushin. I’d get to do what I loved: detective work, figuring things out, catching bad guys. Just in a different way.
It was a big step.Am I really going to do this?
I looked at Gennadiy. A chance for the two of us to work side by side. To solve mysteries, catch bad guys…okay,worseguys. To maybe even do some good.
I took a deep breath…and nodded.
When the meeting broke up, Gennadiy whispered, “Come with me. I have a surprise for you,” and nodded to the hallway. As soon as we were out of sight of the others, he pushed me up against the wall. His hand was under my dress and roving up my thigh even as his lips came down on mine. I moaned as his hand brushed over the bare spot on my hip where the waistband of my panties would have been. Then his fingers were gliding sideways, over my naked skin, between my thighs… His tongue slipped into my mouth at the same instant his fingertip pushed inside me, and I groaned, my knees buckling.
“Your surprise can wait,” he muttered.
I opened my eyes. “Wait, this isn’t the surprise? There’s an actual surprise?”
He looked down at me, eyes glazed with need. “Mmm. But now I’m distracted.”
He kissed me again, and I moaned and pressed myself against him. Then I broke the kiss again. “What’s the surprise?”
He mock-scowled at me…then sighed and smiled. “Fine.” He wagged his finger at me. “But the second we’re done with the surprise…”
I saluted.
