The next morning, Allie awoke alone. She’d been hesitant when Kaz had offered to spend the night at her place. Not that she didn’t want him there, but with Danny staying with her too, it made things a bit awkward. But they’d needed to plan how they were going to deal with Salko, and maybe it was just her, but she felt safer with Kaz around.

She got up and made the bed, then hurried through a shower and dressing before heading out of the kitchen, the tantalizing smells of bacon and eggs drawing her closer. Not sure what to expect when she walked into the living room, Allie was surprised to find Kaz at the stove, whistling as he worked and Danny nowhere to be seen. The sheets and blankets she’d left him to use on the sofa last night were all neatly folded and stacked, with his pillow on top, just like they’d been when she’d given them to him.

“Where’s my brother?” she asked, coming up behind Kaz and slipping her arms around his waist, pressing a kiss to his spine through his black T-shirt. “Don’t tell me he took off last night again.”

Kaz continued to plate their food as he answered. “He was leaving as I started breakfast. He said he was going to see your parents, but I made him swear to be back by noon today.”

“Noon, huh?” She got silverware and filled glasses with orange juice then set them out on the breakfast bar while he carried over their plates.

“That’s the time Salko gave me to meet at his office.”

Any hunger pangs she might’ve had quickly morphed into knots of tension.

“I called him first thing this morning like we discussed.” Kaz leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before sliding onto the stool beside hers and flicking open his napkin before digging into his food. “Don’t worry. I’ll stick to the plans we made last night. I’ve already told Danny and he wanted to go see your parents, just in case.”

“Oh, God.” Allie covered her face, the full reality of what they were going to be facing later that day hitting her hard. “Why did I agree to this? If anything happens to you or Danny …”

“Listen to me, kotenok.” Kaz turned and took her hands, pressing kisses to her knuckles and palms before pressing her hands to his heart. “I swear to you that I will keep Danny safe. But I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

“I don’t know.” After the shock of him beating up Danny, it was a lot to ask. “What’s your plan?”

Kaz bit his lip and looked away. “I can’t tell you that. If Salko were to somehow get ahold of you, I want you to have plausible deniability. The less you know now, the safer you’ll be. I’m sorry, kotenok, but this is where the trust part comes in. But if my plan works, it will end Salko once and for all.”

“And if it doesn’t?” she asked. The solemn look in his eyes gave her the answer she needed. If it didn’t work, they’d all be dead. Great. Just when she thought things were getting better—between them, between her and Danny, with this whole insane situation—another bombshell hit. She stared down at her food, feeling nauseous now. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can, kotenok.” He cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him, the rough pads of his thumbs stroking her cheekbones. “You’re the bravest, smartest, most loyal woman I’ve ever known. And once this is all over, I would very much like to date you.”

The absurdity of his last statement, given the turmoil of the moment and the fact they’d already slept together, struck her as funny. She started laughing and soon she couldn’t stop. Kaz looked confused at first, then angry, then amused.

“What is so funny?” he asked at last, once she’d calmed down a bit.

“You. Asking to date me at a time like this.”

“I like you. You like me too. Why not ask?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, giving him an exaggerated look of concentration, tapping one finger against her lips. “Maybe because we could all be killed by a psycho mobster later today? Maybe because everything I care about, everything you care about, is on the line? Maybe because we’ve already done the deed and dating seems a bit old-fashioned at this point.”

“I see.” He turned back to his food and devoured several bites before continuing. “When we are together at last, really together, I want it to be right. I respect you too much to do otherwise. And to me, that means wooing you, courtship, dating. If these things are old-fashioned to you, then perhaps we are not as right for each other as I thought.”

Her heart leapt at his words. He’d spent time thinking about this. Really thinking about it. She’d never been with a man so thoughtful or determined or annoyingly, terrifyingly wonderful. “Oh, well, I guess us dating would be fine then,” she said, the words feeling lame, but they were the best she could do at that moment. Her pulse was pounding hard in her chest and though she ate her food, it could’ve been cardboard for all she tasted it. Kaz wanted to date her, wanted to have a relationship with her after this was all over. If they survived.

At the moment, she wasn’t sure what made her more nervous, facing Salko face-to-face or really making a go of what she felt for the enigmatic man beside her.

* * *

Nope, it was definitely the meeting with Salko she decided later as they set off for the south side of Chicago. She kept fidgeting in her seat, pulling at the black sweater she’d thrown on over her black tank and pants. What did one wear to meet with a crazed mafia thug? She had no idea. Black seemed appropriate, however.

And it will hide any blood stains too, her brain supplied morbidly.

She shook off the disturbing images of all three of them getting their heads blown off in Salko’s office and stared out the window beside her. “What’s he like?”

Kaz frowned over at her from behind the wheel of the Cutlass. “Who? Salko?”

Allie nodded, and Kaz went on. “Like a self-centered asshole with too much power. Why?”

Danny gave a snort from the backseat and Kaz glared at him in the rearview mirror. “You do not get to laugh about this. This is not funny. You are the reason your sister’s in danger, you pathetic piece of shit. If I did not need you for this meeting, I would consider shooting you myself.”

Allie sighed and glanced at her brother over her shoulder. “He’s right, Danny. I’m sorry, but this time you’ve gone too far. I hope you learn a lesson from this, but you probably won’t.”

He shrugged. “I never meant to hurt anyone. I just get these ideas, you know? And I feel like I have to get them going right away or I might miss out.” Danny shook his head. “I’m not perfect like you, sis. You’ve always been the smart one, the reliable one, the successful one. Me? I got nothing but bullshit and my winning personality to get me through.”

This time Kaz was the one to chuckle. “I’d rethink that last one if I were you.”

“Wait a minute,” Allie said, shifting farther so she could look her brother in the face. “You’re the one who always got the special treatment at home, the one who could do no wrong in Mom and Dad’s eyes. They barely even knew I existed.”

“Right. They never had to worry about you because they knew you’d be great. They always had to help me because I’m nothing but a screw-up.”

Allie slumped back against the car door and crossed her arms, seeing her memories of the past in a new light. She’d always considered herself the second-best child in her parents’ eyes because of all the attention Danny got. But if what he said was true, then that made sense. Her parents didn’t worry about her because she was always so responsible and focused on achievement. They didn’t need to coddle her the way they did Danny.

When all this was over, if they made it out alive, she made a promise to herself to be kinder to her parents. They were all doing the best they could under the circumstances.

Minutes later, Kaz signaled then pulled into the parking lot of a dilapidated strip mall. The only shop in the place that looked like it was still open for business was a pawn shop. He pulled to a stop at the curb and got out, coming around the big boat of a Chevy to open her door for her. Danny climbed out of the backseat to stand beside her on the sidewalk.

“What’s going on?” Allie asked, frowning as she got out. The sun was still shining bright and the black of her clothes held the heat against her skin, making her even warmer. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stared at a large neon-orange sign taped to the inside of the pawn shop window. Our prices have hit rock-bottom. From the looks of the place, the prices weren’t the only things at the bottom of the barrel. Weeds stuck up through the cracked pavement of the sidewalk and several of the empty storefronts had cardboard taped up or wood nailed over them to cover broken glass. Salko might be a shady mafia collector, but this place seemed like a step down, even for him. “This is where the office is at?”

Kaz didn’t answer, just walked over to the pawn shop door and opened it, the bells jangling merrily against the glass at direct odds with the smell of stale cigarettes and bad decisions reeking from the place. “Follow me,” was all he said.

As the trio weaved their way through the cramped store piled high with all sorts of crap, Allie caught the eye of the gal working behind the counter. She looked young, maybe early twenties at the latest, and was quite pretty in a Slavic ice princess sort of way. Even her hot pink Mohawk gave her an exotic air. The look she gave Allie was cool and assessing, mixed with a hint of sympathy. Given she and Kaz and Danny could be on their way to facing a literal firing squad, that seemed appropriate.

They stopped before a metal door in the back of the store and she waited while Kaz cha-chunked them through into what appeared to be a hidden room behind the shop. This space was done up in various shades of faded red velvet and upholstery fabric and looked like every bad Russian mafia film reference she’d ever seen come to Technicolor life. As the metal door clicked closed behind them, all eyes turned to them. There were maybe ten men, all of varying ages and sizes, all with the same flat, stoic look on their faces, scattered about the room. There was a full bar against one wall, several flat screen TVs mounted on the walls, and three octagonal shaped poker tables. A layer of smoke hung near the water-stained ceiling.

Nervous, she crowded against Kaz’s warm back and whispered, “Is this where we’re meeting Salko?”

Kaz took her hand and drew her in beside him, looking down at her, his expression guilty. “No, kotenok. This is where you will wait and watch as Danny and I meet with Salko.”

* * *

“Like hell it is,” she said, pulling away from him even as he tried to keep her close. She gazed around at the other men in the room, all Kaz’s trusted colleagues and loyal supporters in his fight against Salko’s bullshit. “I’m not staying here. I’m going with you. This was not part of our plan.”

“No. You’re staying here, sis.” Danny stepped in, for once acting like a man and not a mouse, in Kaz’s opinion. “I need to do this myself. This is my mess to clean up. Not yours. And certainly not Mom and Dad’s. Kaz and I discussed it before you got up this morning.” He met Kaz’s eyes over the top of her head. “I’ll handle this.”

“We’ll handle this,” Kaz reiterated. He led Allie over to the bar where they had a modicum of privacy. “Please, you have to trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” she said, tossing her purse down on top of the bar. “Because I thought we were partners in this.”

“We are.” He took Allie by the arm and walked her over to a chair facing one of the large flat screen TVs on the wall. With a nod to one of his men, Kaz watched the black screen flicker to life. On it was a view of Salko’s empty office. He got Allie seated, then pointed to the screen. “You’ll be able to see everything happen from here. Salko has hidden cameras around his office in case he wants to blackmail someone later.”

“Nice. And this is supposed to make me feel better about all this how?”

Hating the quiver in her voice, Kaz knelt beside her chair. He wanted to pull her into his arms and assure her that everything would be all right, though there was no way he could know it would be. There were too many variables that could go wrong, even with all his plans and support. Now, more than ever, he needed her to trust him. Not caring about the others in the room, he cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him, savoring the velvet smoothness of her skin beneath his fingertips like an inmate on death row savors his last meal. “I will do everything in my power to protect your brother, kotenok. You must trust me on this. Much as I love having you by my side, letting you accompany me into Salko’s office would just be a distraction we don’t need. I need to know that you’re here and safe and protected. That will give me the strength to do what must be done today with Salko. Understand?”

The confusion in her too-bright eyes said she really didn’t understand at all, but at last she nodded. He leaned in and kissed her quickly and sweetly, then stood. She grabbed his hand before he could walk away.

“I swear to God, if you get yourself or Danny killed, I will never forgive you.”

Kaz smiled and squeezed her fingers. “Understood.”

After this was all over and life got back to normal—or as normal as it could for a guy like him—he wanted to start over with Allie. Start a real life and a real relationship with her, explore this crazy, electric attraction between them and follow where it led. That, more than anything else, spurred him on and kept him going where Salko was concerned. He could never have that chance with Allie as long as Salko was still in power. He could never have his shot at normal until this was over, once and for all.

“Zashchishchat' yeye svoyey zhizn'yu,” Kaz said to his men on his way out the door, Danny at his side. Protect her with your life.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in the parking lot outside the rundown industrial park on the shores of Lake Michigan. Kaz had never understood why Salko didn’t invest a bit of his ill-gotten cash and rent a decent office space somewhere that didn’t reek of dead fish and factory chemical waste, but now he was glad for the remote location. It would make putting his plan into effect that much easier.

Danny looked pale as a ghost in the passenger seat, his eyes wide and his throat working convulsively as he swallowed. A bald patch showed through the unconvincing comb-over at the top of his head. “I’m not sure I can do this. I want to do this, but what if I can’t? I swear I never meant for all this to get out of control. I was making an investment, that’s it. I never intended to cheat anybody.”

Kaz exhaled slow and stared out over the murky water in the hazy, overcast light. “That’s the problem, Danny. Your intentions never play out quite right, do they? You just run from one get-rich-quick scheme to another, hoping the next idea will be ‘the one.’ When it doesn’t work, you cobble together some solution to the problem out of thin air and bullshit. I’ve known a lot of men like you in my time, seen them come and go, but you need to pull yourself together this time. Not for yourself, but for your sister. Her life—hell, all of our lives—are at stake. I won’t lose her.” He gave Danny a pointed stare. “I won’t.”

Danny took a shaky breath then nodded. “You love her, don’t you?”

“I do. Crazy as that sounds. I will do whatever is necessary to make her happy.”

The two men sat in silence for a moment before getting out of the Cutlass. Kaz walked to the trunk and made sure he had ample ammunition for the Glock in his shoulder holster before leading Danny over to a rusted metal door in a seedy little office building near the corner of the complex. Tall grass waved in the steady breeze off the lake and a few seagulls gave a mournful cry overhead. Kaz paused with his hand on the door handle and gave Danny a final look. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

They walked into the dimly lit building and headed down a short cement hallway to another door, this one wood-paneled. A small brass plaque on the wall proclaimed MS Holdings, LLC. Kaz gave the thing a disgusted look before knocking briefly and pushing inside. Danny stumbled through the door beside him, looking like he might puke at any second. That was good. Kaz wanted the guy scared shitless. Maybe if he was frightened enough, he’d never pull this kind of crap again. Though, knowing Danny Charman, that was a long shot.

Salko looked up from behind his messy desk as they walked in, a gloating smile spreading across his face. Two bodyguards flanked him on either side, watching Kaz and Danny with impassive looks, their hands clasped in front of them and their weapons on full display.

“Well, if it isn’t my best errand boy, Kazimir Volkov. And look, he’s brought me a present.” Salko leaned forward, glaring at Danny. “A worthless, cheating piece of shit.”

Kaz and Danny took a seat on the couch as Salko’s men had moved into position in front of the desk, just for this occasion, Kaz assumed. As he sank down into the threadbare cushions that reeked of old booze and musty sweat socks, he gave Danny a quick glance, praying the guy kept it together. He’d moved past the nauseous look now into what appeared to be full-blown panic, his eyes wild and his body trembling with a mix of adrenaline and pure terror.

“He was supposed to be dead,” Salko said, turning to Kaz once more. “Why is he still breathing?”

“I told you, dead people can’t pay.” Kaz kept his tone measured and calm. “I figured you’d rather have some money than none at all, per our original agreement.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the copies of the deeds to Allie’s shop that he’d made the night before and tossed them onto Salko’s desk. “Here.”

“What the fuck is this?” Salko scowled at the paperwork.

“It’s paperwork liquidating the inventory of Allman’s sister’s shop. It’s not the full amount owed to you, but it’s a partial payment and a start.” Kaz reached into his other pocket and withdrew a second check for the rest of the amount. Between the funds he’d won in the poker game and calling in a few favors from his half-brothers, he’d managed to scrape together just enough to cover the amount owed. “And this takes care of the rest. Debt paid in full.”

Salko snatched the check from Kaz’s hands and stared at it, eyes narrowed. “This is from your personal account.”

Beside him, Danny gasped. Okay, so maybe he’d not shared the entire plan with the guy, but that was because he didn’t trust him either. Kaz couldn’t afford to lay all his cards on the table. Not yet. Not until…

“I don’t want your fucking money, Kaz. You can’t buy your way out of this one this time. This asshole owes me and I intend to collect, in any way I choose.”

Kaz sat back, crossing his arms, knowing he needed to spell it out so there’d be no doubt in the minds of those watching on the hidden cameras. “So, let me get this straight. You’d rather violate your original agreement with this man, turn down the two-hundred-and-fifty thousand that’s yours for the taking, all so you can add another kill to your ever-growing list of sins? And you want me to do the dirty work for you?”

Chuckling, Salko reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a gun, aiming it between Danny’s eyes. “Yep. That about sums it up. But I guess if you’re too much of a softhearted pussy to take care of this worthless fucker for me, I’ll just have to do it myself.”

Salko cocked the gun and Kaz was surprised Danny didn’t die of heart failure then and there. He didn’t though, to his credit, just sat completely still, staring down his executioner.

With a snort, Kaz stretched out, doing his best to appear unfazed as he hiked his chin toward the bodyguards near Salko. “You won’t kill him. Not here. Not with all these witnesses around.”

“Idti,” Salko said. Go. And the men beside him filed out silently as Salko grinned. “What witnesses?”

One moment of tense silence stretched into two, then three. Outside, the lake still battered the shore, the gulls still shrieked, and farther away the traffic off the expressway groaned low. In the office, Danny’s ragged breath created a soundtrack to his imminent demise. To most anyone including, Kaz imagined, those watching on the hidden camera feeds, things looked pretty dire.

Salko stood and came around the desk, his maniacal grin widening even more, to give him the appearance of a demented clown. He walked up to Danny and pressed the barrel of his gun directly to the guy’s forehead.

Danny’s non-stop raspy whispers grew louder until Kaz was able to pick out the words of the Lord’s Prayer. The clock on the wall ticked-ticked-ticked as time seemed to slow. Where was his backup? Where was the…

Danny jumped as the phone on Salko’s desk rang and Kaz winced.

Salko’s finger jerked on the trigger. “Fuck it. Let it ring. I got more important things to take care of right now.”

Except whoever was on the other end of the line didn’t give up. That desk phone kept ringing, ringing, ringing. Soon, Salko’s cell phone joined in the chorus. Then Kaz’s phone. Even Danny’s phone in his pocket jangled merrily.

Knuckles white as he gripped the butt of his gun tight, Salko gritted his teeth. “Fuck!”

Tearing back around the desk, Salko yanked the receiver of his desk phone off its cradle. “Whoever the fuck this is, it better be life or death because I swear to Christ I will hunt you down and shoot your fucking ass if it’s not.”

Slowly, as the person on the other end of the line spoke, Salko seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. All his color seeped away, leaving a shaken, broken old man with no future ahead of him. Getting a call from your pissed off Pakhan would do that to a person.

Kaz pressed his lips together tight to stifle a satisfied smirk. Those men he’d left Allie with were not just other men from his family. They were the hierarchy of his Bratva, the leaders of their crew. Thankfully, Kaz’s ties to them went far deeper than Salko could ever hope to achieve, because of his father’s loyal service. He knew who was on the other end of that phone line and when he’d needed them the most, his mafia family had his back.

* * *

Back at the safe house, Allie was a confused wreck. From the minute Kaz had walked out with Danny, she’d felt like a shroud of dread had descended upon her. Of course, it didn’t help that she was surrounded by a room full of scary looking older men who’d walked right off the set of the Russian mafia remake of The Godfather either.

Not one person had spoken to her since Kaz and her brother had gone. They all just stood around scowling at her or at the scene unfolding on the TV screen before them. At least they hadn’t threatened her in any way, which she’d feared. In truth, they’d been almost respectful in their dismissal of her presence.

Then Kaz and Danny were herded into Salko’s office onscreen and the atmosphere at the safe house had taken a definite turn for the frigid. One man, in particular, seemed more interested than the others in Salko’s cockiness and utter contempt toward Kaz and her brother. Still tall and stately despite the fact he had to be in his early seventies, that man now stood by Allie’s side, the large diamond cufflink glittering in the sleeve of his expensive tailored shirt just visible beneath the cuff of his black designer suit. Given the way all the other men in the room deferred to him, this man must be someone important. What had Kaz called their leader? Pacman? No, that wasn’t it.

She shook her harried head to clear it.

Pakhan. That was it. She’d bet good money this man beside her was their leader.

Doing her best to concentrate on the scene playing out onscreen again and not succumb to the terror racing through her blood, Allie watched the flickering black and white images. Even with the crackling sound from the cheap speaker attached to the hidden camera, Salko’s aggression toward Kaz and her brother was evident in his hateful tone.

“I don’t want your fucking money, Kaz. You can’t buy your way out of this one.”

A collective gasp sounded from the men surrounding Allie and all eyes turned to the leader at her side. The Pakhan remained stoic, though she could see his fist clenched at his side tighten to a white-knuckled grip, proving perhaps he wasn’t as cool and collected as he seemed. Kaz had told her he had spent years building up his connections and reputation within the Bratva. She prayed those old loyalties would be enough now to save him and her brother.

Then, next thing she knew, Salko pulled a gun from his desk and aimed the barrel directly between Danny’s eyes. Her brother looked horrified and Allie swallowed hard against the bile burning her throat. This was it. She was going to be witness to her brother’s execution, would have to see his brains splattered all over the filthy walls of Salko’s office.

“…I guess if you’re too much of a softhearted pussy to take care of this worthless fucker for me, I’ll just have to do it myself,” Salko snarled and the sound of his gun being cocked echoed in the silent safe house lounge. Allie covered her face then, unable to look anymore. She heard Kaz’s voice and Salko’s too, but couldn’t register the words. Danny was going to die. Kaz was going to die. And what would happen to her? How could she go on after seeing her brother and the man she loved killed before her eyes?

Yes, she admitted to herself. She loved Kaz. Crazy as that sounded. She did.

Now, though, she might lose him before she ever got a chance to tell him.

Eyes stinging with unshed tears, Allie barely registered the weight of a strong, warm hand on her shoulder. Dazed, she blinked up to see the Pakhan gazing down at her, the anger and determination in his eyes both comforting and scary. A quick glance at the TV showed it was just Salko, Kaz, and Danny in the room now, Salko at her brother’s side, gun pressed to his head and ready to fire.

As she watched, the Pakhan nodded to the other men, then pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Within seconds, the phone on the desk onscreen rang shrilly. Salko ignored it, his gun still trained on her brother. Allie squeezed her eyes shut and said a silent prayer that her brother would be saved, by some miracle.

Soon, the safe house lounge filled with the sounds of continuous ringing from the office on TV. The noise was nearly deafening and Salko seemed to snap at last, stalking around his desk to snatch the phone off his desk to answer. His face was a mottled mask of rage as he all but screamed into the receiver, “Whoever the fuck this is, it better be life or death because I swear to Christ I will hunt you down and shoot your fucking ass if it’s not.”

The Pakhan beside her spoke slowly and coldly into his cell phone in Russian. The words were short, concise, chilling even though she had no idea what they meant. “Tebya net dlya menya.”

Whatever he’d said, the effect on Salko was instant and devastating. All the color leached from his face and his hands were visibly shaking. Before he could even hang up the phone, the two bodyguards returned and dragged Salko from the office, their expressions grim as death.

Onscreen, Kaz and Danny stared at each other—Kaz smirking and Danny stunned. Neither Salko nor the bodyguards returned and finally a sense of relief swamped Allie. It was over. The nightmare with Salko and her brother and losing her shop was over at last. All thanks to the men in that room with her.

The Pakhan patted Allie’s shoulder and gave her a small smile. “All is well now, da?”

Unable to stop trembling, Allie nodded and managed to whisper, “Da.”

His smile widened into a grin as he thrust his cell phone into her hands, a number already dialing. “Talk to him yourself.”

It was an offer she couldn’t refuse. Fingers shaking so badly she feared she might drop the thing, Allie held her breath until Kaz answered. The sound of his deep voice was the sweetest she’d ever heard. “Are you all right? How’s Danny? When are you coming back here to get me?”

“Patience, kotenok.” Kaz chuckled, the low, rich sound flowing over her like honey and going a long way toward soothing her frazzled nerves. “I’m fine. Your brother is fine. We have a few loose ends to tie up here, then I will be back at the safe house to get you.”

Mind still whirling a mile a minute, she couldn’t help replaying the events of the last few minutes through her head. The Pakhan walked away to join another group of men and she whispered. “How did you know they’d choose you over Salko?”

“I didn’t,” Kaz said, shrugging. “But I had to risk it. And knowing what an asshole Salko is helped. The guy can’t help but hang himself with his actions. He was always too greedy, too cocky, too concerned about the advancement of his own agenda over the Bratva’s. It was only a matter of time until he showed his true colors and threatened me. I’m just happy it was today, when all eyes were watching him. Do me a favor and look up at the big screen, kotenko.”

When she did, he mouthed the word she’d been longing to hear but never dreamed he’d say.

I love you.

Allie laughed, she couldn’t help it. Not because anything was funny, but because it was all finally over. Danny was safe, Kaz was safe and he loved her. She kissed her fingertips then pressed them to the screen over Kaz’s gorgeous face.

“I love you too,” she said, intending to tell him face-to-face as soon as he arrived back at the safe house.

She sensed a presence beside her again and looked up to see the Pakhan had rejoined her. He took the phone from her and put it on speaker. “You should never have doubted I would pick you over Salko, Volkov.”

Onscreen, Kaz looked a bit taken aback at the sound of his leader and he bowed his head in deference. “Yes, sir. I’m very grateful, sir,” he said.

“As you should be,” the Pakhan said, winking at Allie before continuing in his heavily accented English. “But then you are a good, strong fighter and a sensible Boyevik. In the end, there was no choice. You have served me well all these years, Kazimir Volkov. Such loyalty is to be rewarded. Salko, on the other hand, has stepped over the line again and he will be dealt with accordingly. As I said to him, he is dead to me now.”

A shiver ran through Allie at the man’s lethal words, but better Salko than Kaz. Or Danny. Before she could speak to Danny, however, the Pakhan ended the call and walked away. If she hadn’t been afraid of her knees buckling on her, Allie would’ve gotten up and grabbed her own purse, which was still sitting on the bar.

An hour later, Kaz had barely walked into the lounge when she was in his arms, not caring about the others in the room, not caring about her brother’s sarcastic snicker, not caring about anything but the man she loved, in her arms, safe and sound. They kissed deep and long, until Allie finally pulled back to smile up at him, her heart pounding with joy. “I love you Kazimir Volkov.”

“And I love you too, Allison Charman.”

“What about me?” Danny said from beside them. “Anybody love me?”

“I do,” Allie said, not looking away from Kaz. “But we have some things to discuss.”

“Uh oh,” the Pakhan said, walking over to them as the rest of the group began to leave. Allie stepped back as Kaz assumed his deferent at-ease position before his leader, head lowered and hands clasped behind his back. “Those words are never good.” He gave Danny a sharp stare. “Do not cross me again, boy. Things will not end so well for you next time. Understand?”

Looking suitably petrified, Danny nodded slowly and swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

The Pakhan clasped Kaz’s shoulder and said something in Russian to him before leaning in and kissing him on both cheeks, in the old European tradition. He then turned back to wink at Allie once more. “You have found yourself a good man, here. Be sure to treat him with respect and loyalty, as he will you. Always.”

She nodded, a bit stunned as the man walked out of the lounge, leaving Kaz and Danny and her alone again. When she hazarded another glance at Kaz again, he looked shaken to his core. She rushed to his side and slipped her arms around his waist. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“He said my debt to them is paid. I’m released from my contract with the Bratva.”

“What?” she asked, shocked herself.

“I’m a free man.” His voice still held a note of awe as he pulled her into his arms once more. “My service to the Bratva is done.”

Allie’s slow smile spread into a wide grin. “You’re not a free man. You belong to me now. And I may have a few ideas about what you can do with yourself.” She leaned in and laughed as her brother rolled his eyes and walked away. “You can start by kissing me.”

Kaz picked her up and twirled her around in his arms. “I’ll never enjoy obeying an order more in my life, kotenok.”