Nik took a deep, calming breath and stared down at the most exasperating woman he’d ever met. Never mind that those curves of hers could lead a priest to sin. She was a constant source of annoyance and he’d just met her, for fuck’s sake. Explaining himself or his decisions wasn’t normal protocol for him. He was used to giving orders and his men rushing to carry them out. The way it should be. He’d already told her he was acting to protect her, acting in her best interest. She should be grateful for his intervention. She might rebel against his strong-arm tactics, and in other circumstances, perhaps he wouldn’t be acting like such a controlling ass with her, but he’d already told her it was to save her life. What more did she want?

Answers, apparently.

She crossed her arms and legs away from him and gave him a defiant stare. “Let’s start with who exactly you think is after me. You said it was the killer, but I don’t even know his name.”

He exhaled slowly and took a seat in the chair across from her, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “As I said, Tolya’s killer was a dirty police officer. That’s all you need to know for now.” Daphne’s face must’ve done something weird when he said that, because he leveled a concerned gaze at her before finally continuing. “A dirty cop with plenty of friends in the Chicago police department. Worse, he’s a vigilante, willing to do anything to deliver his own brand of perverted justice to those he deems guilty. No judge, no jury, no compassion. This man is well-armed, well-trained, and will stop at nothing to keep himself out of prison for his crimes. Because of him, you can’t trust anyone on the force. Not now. Not until you testify against him in court and he’s put behind bars permanently.”

Daphne remained silent for several seconds, as if contemplating what he’d told her. Finally, she tapped her foot against the hardwood floor. “There has to be laws in place, regulations, legitimate paths to keep someone like him off the streets. This isn’t some Hollywood movie where every cop is crooked. Maybe if I just go across town to a different precinct they’ll know what to do.”

“No. No cops. Not now. Not ever. Understand? If you test me on this, that will be the end of my protection.” Each harsh word scraped his throat and Nik clenched his hands to dispel some of his nervous anger. The longer they sat here arguing, the greater the chance that Hornbull would find Daphne and take her out and he couldn’t let that happen, no matter what he threatened. He pushed to his feet and headed for the door. “Now, we go.”

“I still have more questions.”

“And I’m out of answers.” And patience. It was time to take matters into his own hands. Literally. He stalked back to the sofa and before Daphne had time to react, he’d picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she screamed, hitting and kicking him for all she was worth. Nik grabbed the handle of her suitcase on the way out the door. His car was waiting downstairs and he’d yet to meet a man who would challenge him head on, not when Nik meant business. And right now, he was dead serious about getting Daphne Allman to the safe house he’d set up, whether she wanted to go or not. “Put me down!”

“Not until we’re in the car,” Nik said, wheeling her suitcase down the hall behind him with one hand while he kept her in place on his shoulder with the other. Considering he bench-pressed three-fifty on a daily basis, she weighed less than air to him. And yes, he was worried about them being seen, but what choice did he have now? She wouldn’t go willingly and he refused to leave her behind. Better to make a fast getaway and garner a few stares now than to draw an even larger crowd to their dead bodies when Hornbull killed them like the sitting ducks they were in that apartment. He jammed the button on the elevator and thanked heaven when the doors slid open immediately. All he had to do was get her out of the building and into the Bratva’s armored Bentley and he’d be all set.

“I swear to God I am going to make you regret ever setting foot in my apartment.”

They reached the first floor and the doors slid open to a nearly deserted lobby. His luck was holding out, it seemed. He walked fast through the quiet room, ignoring the curious stares of the passerby and headed out into the bright sunshine of the afternoon. “I already regret it. Thanks anyway,” he told her. Because it was true—he regretted coming to her apartment too because it seemed to have awakened this strange attraction to her that he didn’t need right now and didn’t want.

His driver had parked down about a half a block, per Nik’s instructions, and waited by the curb to let them in. Nik was about fifty feet from the apartment building entrance, however, when his luck ran out.

“Sir? What’s happening here?” a beat cop said, stopping Nik. His heart sank to his toes as his movements froze. “Put the lady down.”

“She’s my wife. We’re having a dispute.” A lame excuse, yes, but the best he could come up with under the circumstances. Nik tried to weave around the officer, but he wasn’t having it. With a beleaguered sigh, he let Daphne slid down until her feet touched the ground, then kept a firm hold on her arm to keep her close. “It’s nothing.”

“Is it nothing, ma’am?” the cop asked her.

“Well, actually—” she started, only to be cut off by the shrill sound of a siren. A black SUV swerved up to the curb nearby, along with another squad car, and more beat officers emerged. She smirked up at Nik. “See? Not all of them are bad.”

A small crowd had gathered around them now, people gawking or taking selfies with their phones. Nik tried to catch the attention of his driver and signal the guy to pull the Bentley closer, but there was too much going on. Next thing he knew one of the officers pointed out his tats and then another shoved him hard into the granite wall of the apartment building while Daphne stood nearby, wide-eyed and trembling. The Bratva and local law enforcement weren’t exactly best buds, but they had unwritten rules. Live and let live, in most cases. Hornbull had to be behind this somehow, Nik’s instincts told him and his radar went on high alert. The same tough-guy cop shoved him again and Nik gave him a low warning. “Touch me again and there will be consequences.”

“Yeah?” The fucker pulled a Taser and juiced it up. “Want to threaten me again, you piece of Russian shit?”

Daphne’s eyes widened slightly and her confident smile fell. “Hey, you don’t have to hurt him. I’m fine.”

“He’s a scumbag who needs to be taken down a notch,” Taser cop said.

Nik had his hand at his sides, just waiting for an opportunity to bust this guy’s ass. No one showed him or his family this kind of disrespect and lived to tell the tale. The cop leaned forward and Nik prepared to smash his jaw when another squad car screeched to a stop nearby. Nik’s heart kicked into high gear. Fuck. He’d let his emotions get out of control and now Daphne was at risk. Hornbull could be anywhere, he could be…

The SUV door opened and Hornbull got out.

Shit.

“Oh, my God,” Daphne looked from the cop to Nik, fear dawning on her face. “It’s him.”

Before the beat officers could react, Nik punched Taser cop in his face, grabbed the handle of the suitcase and Daphne’s arm and took off running toward the Bentley. “Hurry!”

Behind them, he heard Hornbull yell and the sound of a commotion, but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t look back. They had to reach the Bentley, had to get safe. He waited for gunfire, but it never came. They neared the car and Nik yanked the back door open and shoved Daphne inside, followed closely by her bag, and then dived in after her. Moments later the sound of screeching tires filled the air and he could finally breath again. Daphne sat huddled in the corner, shaking and pale, while Nik hazarded a glance out the back bulletproof window.

Hornbull stood on the sidewalk watching their escape and—this was the part that bothered Nik the most—the man had a smile on his face.  

* * *

“Where are we going?” Daphne asked, more to herself than anyone, since Nik was already talking on his phone in rapid-fire Russian. “I can’t believe you were right about him being a cop. I recognize his face from the—from the night the murder—” She couldn’t even say it—the memories of that night crashing over her—all of them awful. Her entire body trembled and she hugged her arms around herself, the shock of it all hitting her hard.

Nik sat still and straight on the opposite end of the seat, as far away from her as possible given the interior of the vehicle. He’d not said a word to her since their escape and she had no idea what he was saying now, but whatever it was, he didn’t sound happy. Not that she blamed him. That had been a close call. Far too close for her comfort.

A new thought occurred, more terrifying than all the others. Without thinking, she fumbled for the door handle, needing to get out, needing to escape this nightmare before it went any further, needing to protect the only person she had left in the world. “My mama. She needs protection! Can you—”

“Already taken care of,” Nik said, ending his call without looking at her. “I have my men stationed around her nursing home. No one will hurt her, I promise.”

Despite his snarled tone, Daphne believed him and a bit of her tension eased. After all, given the fact they’d been alone in her apartment, he could have easily killed her there but didn’t. “Thank you, I think.”

He gave her a side glance, then went back to texting on his phone.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, settling into her corner of the seat, her shoulder pressed tight against the car door to avoid any contact with him.

Nik sighed, the sound full of frustration. “A safe house owned by my Bratva.”

She sniffled and stared out the window next to her, at the scenery flashing by. From the steady deterioration of the properties they passed it looked like they were heading south. She filed that information for later and hugged her arms tighter around herself. “You’re sure my mother is safe?”

“Yes. I’ve reconfirmed that my men are in place at her nursing home. Never fear, Daphne. I will take good care of you. Right now, you’re my most precious asset.”

A slight shiver ran through her at his words. So, that’s how he saw her. A piece of property, a thing to do with as he wished and nothing more.

The Bentley stopped a short a while later and Nik got out and scanned the area, she assumed to make sure they weren’t being followed, then came around the car to open her door for her. Daphne squinted into the bright sunshine then held a hand over her eyes while Nik pulled her suitcase from the backseat floor. They were in a parking lot in front of a dilapidated strip mall. Potholes and weeds abounded in the worn asphalt and several of the storefronts were boarded up and taped shut. In fact, the only shop open was called Discount Pawn and Bail Bonds. Not exactly the quiet little duplex she’d imagined when Nik had mentioned a safe house.

“This is it?” she asked, nose wrinkled.

“Come.” He gestured for her to follow him inside the pawn shop. She was immediately surrounded by dim light and the dank smell of must and old cigarettes. The place was virtually deserted, except for one pierced and tattooed chick with a purple Mohawk working behind the counter. Yellowed fluorescent lights buzzed from the ceiling and the stained carpet sucked at the soles of her sneakers as Daphne walked. If this was where he expected her to stay until the trial, she almost wished he’d gone ahead and shot her instead.

The clerk didn’t bother looking up as they weaved through the racks of crap in the store and through a metal door in the back. As the door cha-chinked closed behind them, Daphne halted to allow her eyes time to adjust to the even dimmer light back here. It looked like some kind of movie set straight from the Godfather—all smoky air and cheap red velvet furniture. Against the back wall of the large room was a bar with bottles of booze prominently displayed on the wall behind it. Several pool and poker tables scattered the room and there seemed to be a card game in progress as they walked up to an octagon shaped table with cracked brown leather bumpers on each side. Two men sat on opposite sides.

“Daphne Allman,” Nik said, one side of his sculpted lips tilting into a half-smile. “May I introduce my half-brother, Kaz Volkov.”

She glanced at the man, flashing him a nervous smile. He was nearly as handsome as Nik, with the same dark brown hair and pale green eyes, but there was an intensity about him that put her on edge, far more than Nik did. Kaz looked lean and hard and lethal to the core.

“And this is Rezan,” Nik indicated the other man at the table. He was thin and wiry, with a long face and hooked nose that reminded her of a weasel. “He’s my top Krysha.”

“What’s a Krysha?”

“An enforcer,” Rezan said, giving her a strange look before transferring his attention to Nik. “I protect the family from other outside…influences.”

He said something in rapid-fire Russian and Nik’s stoic expression dissolved into a scowl, a small muscle ticking near his tense jaw. Whatever it was, it must not have been good.

As Nik glared at his enforcer, curiosity got the better of Daphne. “What did he say?”

“You don’t want to know.” His words were bit out, harsh and sharp as razors. Nik ground out a reply, also in Russian, and his half-brother snorted while Rezan’s posture stiffened. Dots of crimson stained his bony cheeks and he lowered his gaze in deference. Beside her, Daphne could feel the heat and stress radiating off Nik in waves. It set her own pulse racing from adrenaline. “Miss Allman,” he said, his tone flat and measured, his gaze locked on Rezan, “was witness to Tolya’s murder. You will protect her with your life until she can testify against the dirty piece of shit who killed my friend. You will not touch her, you will not even look at her without her permission. Is that understood?”

Despite the assurance of Nik’s warning to the men, she was certain letting Nik bring her here had been the worst mistake of her life. Not that she’d had much choice, but she could have run, could have gone with the cops. Except now she knew the murder she’d witnessed had been carried out by a dirty police officer, one who’d shown up again and seen her face to face. Her already pounding heartbeat kicked a notch higher. Her whole world had turned upside down, where the good guys were bad and the bad guys were good and…

“This way, Daphne,” Nik said, breaking her out of her near-hysteria. “I’ll show you too your room.”

She took one last look at the men at the table then followed him to another metal door in the back corner. They pushed through and into what was surprisingly a neat and tidy apartment, with sparkling clean hardwood floors and white painted walls. The only thing missing were windows. A staircase in the back corner led downstairs to a fully renovated basement complete with a second bathroom and a wet bar. Overstuffed leather furniture and a large flat screen TV filled the space. There were game consoles and a huge DVD collection along with some dubious looking modern art on the walls, even a small gym area in one corner with weights and a treadmill. Not quite as bad as she’d started to expect, given the pawn shop/bar that preceded it.

Nik explained the overall layout and how groceries and other necessities would be delivered to her when needed as he led her back upstairs and into a well-appointed master suite with a king-sized bed covered in a deep-red velvet duvet—Russian red, as she was coming to think of it—and a gorgeous master bath with a jetted tub and walk-in tile shower. Okay. So maybe staying here a few days wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe she could convince herself she was at a spa. A windowless spa, but still.

He set her suitcase on top of the bed, then walked to the door. “I need to speak with my men in private. I’ll leave you to get settled. Do not open the door for anyone but me, understand?”

Daphne gave a mute nod, her breath catching as the apartment door clicked shut behind him and the slight grate of metal against metal sounded. He’d locked her inside.

* * *

“Explain to me again why you brought her here?” Rezan said in Russian.

“Because she’s the only eye witness we have to Tolya’s murder.” Nik took a swig of Stoli straight from the bottle and leaned back against the bar. His nerves were shot after the shitty morning he’d had. First meeting his every female fantasy come to life wrapped up in a tight little package of don’t-touch-me, then running into that motherfucker Hornbull on the street. He’d known that asshole was well past giving a shit at this point, but damn. He was either the bravest man alive or the most reckless to taunt the Bratva like that. Not to mention the danger Hornbull put Daphne in. If anything happened to her at this point, their whole case against Hornbull could evaporate and Tolya would never get the justice he deserved. Nik vowed to do everything in his power to ensure that didn’t happen. “We keep her alive, protect her. Until she testifies. End of story.”

Rezan grumbled under his breath as he cleaned up after the poker game. Kaz stayed in his seat, watching Nik with a wary, half-lidded expression. He crossed his heavily tattooed arms across his muscled chest and cocked his head. “And you’re sure this has nothing to do with her being beautiful?”

“Nyet.” Nik took another long gulp of vodka, enjoying the burn in his throat. So, he hadn’t been the only one who’d noticed Daphne’s charms. Of course, he wouldn’t be. She looked like a men’s centerfold come to glorious life—even in her dowdy jeans and T-shirt. A guy would have to be blind and castrated not to notice. Didn’t mean Nik liked the attention she got any better. “But if either of you lays a hand on her, you’ll lose it. Understand?”

Kaz chuckled. “Whatever you say, brother.”

A loud banging on the door to the apartment sounded, followed by a female voice yelling, “You can’t keep me locked up in here forever!”

Nik closed his eyes and dropped his head back, praying for patience. This woman just might be the death of him, if he wasn’t careful. Time to lay down the law with her and explain a few things—mainly that he was in charge and she would be doing whatever he asked, whenever he asked, until the trial was over. Never mind the fact the trial wasn’t for another five weeks. He’d keep her in line just as he did his men—with cool, calm, collected logic. He took one last draw from his Stoli bottle then set it aside and walked over to the door, halting with his hand on the knob as Rezan started bitching again.

“If she saw Tolya’s death then we need to question her ourselves, find out exactly what she knows.”

Nik rounded on his enforcer, grabbing the man by the neck and slamming him up against the wall so hard the nearby pictures went cockeyed. It felt good to release some of his pent-up energy, even if he was overreacting. “Are you questioning my conduct?”

Rezan clawed at the hand squeezing his airway and shook his head, his feet dangling uselessly off the floor. His black eyes were filled with shock and fury. “I was just thinking out loud,” he managed to rasp out.

“You aren’t paid to think,” Nik said, letting him go at last then watching as the guy slid down the wall to his butt on the floor, holding his neck and gasping for oxygen. “Now go guard the front of the store while I talk to our new guest.”

He waited until the other man was gone before walking back to the door again.

“He’s not wrong, you know,” Kaz said from behind him. “About questioning the girl.”

“I know,” Nik admitted. They did need to talk to Daphne, but first Nik wanted to talk to her himself, alone. To put her at ease, to comfort her a bit. Both were odd urges, especially for someone who prided himself on his reputation as a ruthless killer, but it seemed she’d awakened something in him, some dormant compassion that he’d thought long dead. He hadn’t been lying earlier when he’d said he knew what love was. But he also hadn’t been lying about keeping that part of him separate from his work. So far separated that he hadn’t thought the two might ever meet. He shook himself, trying to clear his head. What was he thinking? His protectiveness had nothing to do with his attraction to Daphne Allman and everything to do with loyalty to Tolya. “Later. I’ll speak with her myself first.”

“Watch yourself,” Kaz said, still lounging in his seat, long limbs sprawled out and a smirk on his face. He raised his glass of bourbon to Nik as if in toast. “To dangerous women and dangerous times.”

“Da, ya znayu,” Nik answered with a nod. Yes, I know. And he did know. Daphne was dangerous to him, with her killer curves and smart mouth. But it was a risk he would gladly take if it meant vindication for his friend’s wrongful death.

He entered the apartment and found Daphne sitting alone on a small sofa against the wall across from the open-style kitchen. They’d originally kept this place as a hideout for the Pakhan and his mistress to use when the Pakhan’s wife was in town, but it had since become a hiding spot for brotherhood members who needed to lay low from the law or their families when they were on the run.

Daphne visibly tensed when he entered and Nik cursed himself inwardly for manhandling her earlier at her place. He’d not meant to pick her up and carry her outside, but after her arguing and refusals that had seemed the most expedient means to his end. And these days, Nik was all about efficiency.

“Are you settled in?” he asked once he’d closed the door behind him. She looked so small and scared sitting there all alone that it tugged on his heart. He’d grown up in a family where there was always someone around, either his siblings or his mother or when he’d been much younger, his father Dima. Fond memories of his parents surfaced—smiling, kissing, taking care of each other, supporting each other—filling him with a twinge of melancholy. He’d always imagined finding his special mate and starting a family someday. But work and Bratva obligations had gotten in the way. Nik never mixed business with love. Never.

True love should be soft, but life in the Russian mafia was hard.

“Why did you lock the door?” she asked as he neared the sofa, her gaze lowered. “It’s not like I can get out anywhere. Not with all your goons sitting in the next room and that punk chick in the pawn shop. She looked like she could kick some serious ass.”

“She could,” Nik said, taking a seat beside her, not missing Daphne’s slight recoil. He hid his wince, barely. He didn’t want her scared of him, no matter how tough he tried to play it. He would never, ever hurt a woman, and one as beautiful and beguiling as Daphne? There were plenty of things he’d like to do to her, but none of them involved pain. Unless she was into that kind of thing. He exhaled slowly and swallowed, pushing the thought away. What the fuck was wrong with him?  “Her father’s the Sovietnik to our Pakhan”

She wrinkled her nose. “That means absolutely nothing to me.”

He gave a short laugh and relaxed back into the soft leather cushions, loosening his tie and toeing off his shoes. It felt good to relax, if only for a moment. “The Pakhan is the head of our Bratva family, our leader. The Sovietnik is his counselor, a trusted advisor.”

“Oh.” She eyed him up and down and he felt her stare as a tingling wave of heat climbing his body. Her shoulders sagged slightly and she tucked her bare feet beneath her, burrowing farther into the corner opposite him. “My cell phone doesn’t work in here.”

“Nope. There’s no Internet either. Only regular cable TV downstairs.”

“Guess that explains the gaming systems and DVDs.”

“Yep.” He exhaled and laid his head back against the cushions. “I want to make your stay here as pleasant as possible, within reason. The federal prosecutor’s entire case against Hornbull rests on you. Until the day we go to court, this will be your home.”

Her head snapped up. “Wait a minute. The trial’s five weeks away.”

“Da.”

“Like hell I’m staying here all that time. I’ve got things to do, a job, my mom to take care of. I can’t just leave all that behind.” She started to get up, but he grabbed her wrist. “Let me go.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that.” He tugged her back onto the sofa, closer to him this time. Her arm brushed his and his body tightened. Nik frowned. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman. That had to be it. “I vowed to protect you until you can testify. This is the best way for me to do that.”

“But what about—”

“As I said, your mother is well-guarded at her nursing home.” He slid his fingers down from her wrist to slip between her own. They were long, soft, graceful fingers. Very nice hands. He imagined those fingers on his skin, his body, stroking him just right. His cock twitched. Nik’s frown became a scowl. Still, he didn’t let her go, just settled their joined hands between them on the sofa, doing his best to put the velvet feel of her out of his mind. “I also took the liberty of contacting your workplace. I told them you’d had a family emergency and would be out of town for several weeks. They should be sending family leave paperwork to your apartment by the end of the week. I’ll have one of my men check your mail.”

Daphne gave a derisive snort and tried to pull her hand free. He didn’t let go. “Well then. You just think of everything, don’t you?”

“I try.”

The color in her cheeks and sparkle in her eye said she’d love nothing more than to punch him, but instead she took a deep breath and wrapped her free arm around her middle like a shield. “So, no phone, no computer, just TV.”

“And me.”

“Be still my heart.”

This time he burst out laughing, unable to stop himself. “You have a sharp tongue on you, don’t you?”

Her lips trembled slightly, not with tears but with humor. “I’ve been called a smartass on occasion.”

“I bet you have, baloven’.”

“What does that mean?”

“Baloven’?” He stroked his thumb over the side of her hand and enjoyed her answering shiver. “It means pet in Russian.”

“So, I’m your puppy dog now?”

“Puppy? No.” Nik smiled, his gaze flicking from her blue eyes to her lush pink lips. “More like a feisty little kitty, ready to strike if provoked.”

“Meow.” She hissed and made a claw out of her free hand. Was she warning him to stay away or flirting with him? His mind said the former. His traitorous body craved the latter.

A loud hammering sounded from the door to the apartment, followed by Kaz’s voice. “She ready to be questioned yet?”

Daphne’s posture went from playful to rigid and Nik sighed. So much for relaxation time. He shoved his feet back into his shoes and straightened his tie then pushed to his feet. “Be right there.”

He turned to find Daphne glaring up at him and knew his long day had just gotten a lot longer.