“We need to go with them!” Roksana fumed, somehow resisting the urge to slam her fist down on her father’s desk.
An arched eyebrow and stony silence were the Pakhan’s only response to his daughter’s impassioned words. It wasn’t often that she stared him down like this. In fact, the last time it happened he had been staring into the narrowed eyes of a petulant, little red-haired girl, her skinny arms crossed over her chest while one bright pink Chuck tapped slowly on the rug in front of his desk – all because she had wanted to go with him to the warehouse for what promised to be a particularly bloody interrogation.
He had agreed to her demand that night – much to her mother’s horror – and Roksana had made him proud. She hadn’t waited in the SUV, hadn’t cowered in a corner. No, she stayed by his side and never flinched. When it was over, the room was a bloody mess but Roksana was rock solid. Even back then, his only daughter had been a force to be reckoned with. She was so like him: afraid of nothing, determined, and, yes, deadly.
Glazov took a long, measured breath at the memory of the delicious retribution that had awaited him when he had returned home to his wife that night so long ago. She had been magnificent in her displeasure and he had barely been able to move the next morning. But enough of that; if he was going to take a trip down memory lane regarding that particular night, he would make damn sure he brought Kathleen along for the ride.
Novak sat off to the side, taking in the scene before him with amusement. The only thing missing was a bowl of popcorn. He twirled the Russian coin as thoughts scrolled through his mind like closed captioning on a virtual movie screen: Damn…that girl’s got balls of steel. But don’t push it too far on this one, Roksana.
Novak knew few men who had the nerve to stare down the Pakhan like the fiery redhead was doing right now. He resisted the urge to snicker when her husband Oleg discreetly kicked her foot, prompting her to glare at him briefly before turning her gaze back on her father.
“He’s my brother. How could I call myself loyal if I stand back and watch him walk into the lion’s den? All this talk of being Born Bratva counts for nothing if I don’t stand up for my own brother!”
“You have a point, my crazy baby girl. Mind you,” he said as he pointed at her sternly, “it was never my intention to send Kodiak into the lion’s den, as you say. I love my children and, although it isn’t always possible to avoid danger altogether, I would never intentionally put any of you in undue danger. And while I understand your desire to protect your brother, my thought was that Kodiak and Logan would blend in better if it were only the two of them. Bringing a Bratva army into the jungles of Colombia would draw attention—unnecessary attention.” Glazov leaned back in his chair and regarded his daughter solemnly. With his elbows resting on the arms of the chair, he steepled his fingers, slowly tapping one index finger against the other.
Minutes passed in silence and utter stillness. Then, with a nearly imperceptible nod, he leaned forward and clasped his hands on his desk to render his judgment. “Roksana, there was a time when I would have refused to even consider such a request. But I have learned the hard way that there is strength in numbers. I suppose we could consider sending you in undercover, say, as tourists.”
“Hey, I’ll do you one better – how about we send them as fuckin’ missionaries,” Novak snorted.
“As. I. Was. Saying.” Glazov glared at Novak, as if daring him to interrupt again, but even Novak had sense enough to know how far he could push his lethal cousin. Although he was usually able to get away with antagonizing Glazov for sheer entertainment, he knew where the lines were that he dared not cross.
“I’ll call the Ramirez brothers and update them. I’ll confirm that he is securing a Colombian interpreter, preferably one of their most trusted assassins.”
“A Sicario,” Roksana murmured, pleased with the direction the conversation was taking.
“Correct. Only the best. As I said, danger is sometimes unavoidable, but I will not send my children into harm’s way without proper resources. This trip is shaping up to have more to it than meets the eye, and I won’t have anyone caught off guard. You’ll need to be ready for anything, Roksana.”
“I will. Thank you.” She nodded and awkwardly turned to go. Oleg gave a deferential nod to his Pakhan and followed her to the door. Roksana’s hand was on the doorknob when her father’s voice stopped her in her tracks. “As much as I admire your tenacity, don’t make the mistake of questioning my authority. You know better than that.” Roksana turned back to look at her father with her heart in her eyes as he continued, “I freely admit that I probably give you more latitude than I should. You’ve proven yourself as a member of this Bratva cell, but you are also my baby girl.”
“Always, Papa,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.
“And you will never be too old for me to discipline. Severely.”
Her expression went soft. “You have always had and will always have my utmost respect. The love I have for my brother is the only thing that gave me the courage to come in here and ask this of you. I would never disrespect my Pakhan and I would most definitely never disrespect my father. I only asked because it our family is everything to me.”
“Very well, then. You have my blessing. That is all. Now, I need to speak to Novak for a moment.”
She crossed the room, rounded his desk, and bent down to kiss his cheek. As she straightened, his hand came to rest on the back of her neck and he pressed a solemn kiss to her forehead. “Now, go, dushenka,” he whispered.
Glazov waited until he knew Roksana and Oleg were at the other end of the hall before his demeanor softened and he chuckled, “My baby girl is brave. You have to give her that, Novak.”
“Oh, I do. Shit, talk about balls of steel… She kept pressing the issue, even after Oleg fucking kicked her trying to get her to shut up. She really is her father’s daughter.” He shook his head with a smirk as he thought of Oleg. “Poor guy.”
“Oh, I have no doubt she gives him a run for his money, but he seems to think it’s well worth it. I do respect her willingness to put herself in the line of fire for her brother. She was coming from a good place, and she isn’t one to let her emotions dictate business decisions. I’m not really surprised by her show of loyalty. She’s always been protective of him. When I saved him from the fire, she took him under her wing. She is more than I could have ever imagined.”
“She’s a contradiction in terms, that one. Hard and deadly yet loyal and protective – just like her dear old dad,” Novak laughed.
“She’s a good girl.” Glazov nodded fondly as his chest swelled with pride. Roksana would always be his baby girl. “Now, just who the hell are you calling old?”