Chapter Two
Nika would be the first one to say that she was extremely annoyed at being forcibly removed from her father’s shop. What if Papa was hurt and needed her help? It wasn’t as if Katrina was any use to him these days. The only thing Katrina thought about was her relationship with Ivan. She was so head over heels in love she couldn’t focus on anything else.
Yet when Maksim’s black SUV pulled up in front of a beach house only steps away from the ocean, Nika couldn’t help but be enthralled by the place. It looked like something out of a travel brochure. Flickering torches lit the wide circle drive. The twilight shadows were long on the front porch, and the plentiful windows were lit by a warm glow from within. It looked like Nika’s dream of a vacation destination.
Katrina sighed and exited the SUV. “It’s good to be here where it’s safe.”
“Excuse me?” Nika frowned. She didn’t quite understand the significance of this place.
“This is Ivan’s safe house,” Katrina explained. “Or at least it’s one of them.”
Nika took in the dense vegetation on all sides of the little bungalow and noticed a squat dwelling a few hundred yards from the main house. “Who lives there?”
Katrina shrugged, already starting to walk up to the front door. “Ivan’s men stay there.”
“So they don’t stay in the big house?” Nika wondered if her sister even got the significance of her choice of words.
“Of course not. There’s only one bedroom.” Katrina smiled and grabbed Nika’s hand. “Let’s go find Ivan.”
Nope. Katrina didn’t understand at all. When had her sister become so numb to the opulence of this lifestyle? If Nika had been allowed to live like this she would soak up every second of the luxury. Hell. Most days a hot shower would have been a luxury.
Katrina dropped Nika’s hand when she hit the front porch steps. Ivan was waiting in the open doorway. Katrina launched herself into his arms and the two embraced as if they hadn’t seen each other in centuries. Nika stopped walking. She really didn’t want to see this.
Maksim nudged her none too gently from behind. “Keep moving.”
“I’m good, thanks.” Nika thought about the fact that there was one bedroom in this place. She had no desire to listen to her sister and Ivan fuck like bunnies all night long.
“Inside you go, so I can shut the damn door,” Maksim growled.
Nika took one step past the doorway and glared at the big pain in her butt. “Here. Happy now?”
“Thrilled,” he retorted, slamming the door behind her.
“Come on in,” Katrina urged warmly. “I’ll show you around while the boys talk.”
Nika stared at her sister, wondering if she was really as dense as she seemed, or if she was just that comfortable with this lifestyle. “The boys?”
Maksim took his surly self off after Ivan and the two men shut the double doors of what Nika could only assume was a den. She really would have rather listened in to their conversation. She wanted to know what was going on and what the plan was to keep her father safe. Instead she was relegated to submitting herself to her sister’s incessant hostess efforts.
“This living room is one of my favorite places to read.” Katrina ran her fingertips along the back of a white leather couch. “I swear Ivan has this same living room furniture in every one of his homes.”
“How many are there?” Nika asked, dumbfounded by the idea of having so many.
Katrina shrugged. “At least six that I know of.”
“Good God,” Nika breathed. “That’s crazy!”
“It really is,” Katrina said ruefully. She led the way into the open kitchen. “I keep telling him we should sell off some property, but he refuses. Something about tax shelters or some such nonsense.”
“Nonsense?” Nika demanded. “You do realize what he does for a living right? He needs to keep as little capital around as possible or risk the Feds stringing him up.”
“I suppose.” Katrina opened the fridge. “Would you like something to drink?”
Nika gazed around at the well-appointed kitchen with its airy light-blue walls, white cabinets, and gourmet appliances. If this place was a safe house they used only occasionally, she couldn’t imagine what one of his regular homes might be like. Gilded columns and cherubs painted on the ceilings maybe?
“Here. Have some tea. You look a little pale.” Katrina handed Nika a glass. “Papa is going to be fine, you know. He’s loyal to Ivan and Ivan protects the people in his territory.”
“What’s the deal with the cops anyway?” Nika wondered how much her sister actually did know. It wasn’t as if Katrina was stupid. The woman was getting a degree in diplomatic relations for goodness sake. Surely she knew something useful.
“Well.” Katrina took a long drink of her own iced tea and leaned back against the countertop. “Remember that disastrous brunch you and I had at Mamacita’s coffee shop?”
“The one where the police showed up and pulled their guns?” Nika had been rather disappointed that she and her father had to flee before she got to see how it all ended.
“Yes. That one.” Katrina snorted. “Those were Hollywood PD, but there was also a man working on the police force who is related to the Tretiak family. He was working with one of Ivan’s men to get Ivan arrested.”
“But Ivan’s taken care of that by now. Right?” Nika couldn’t imagine letting some turd walk around after he’d threatened her life. And surely if Ivan wasn’t man enough to take care of it, Maksim would have. That guy had manliness to spare.
Katrina bobbed her head. “It was taken care of, but the cops are still dirty. And apparently they’ve decided our family is their ticket to taking down the Petrovs.”
***
Maksim was ready to take his brother’s man card away. “You cannot tell me that your answer to this entire situation is to take Katrina and go flee to your private fucking island in the Keys,” Maksim snarled.
Ivan rocked back in his leather chair and gazed up at Maksim with an expression of utter calm. “It’s the best solution.”
“It’s a stupid solution.”
“No. You’re being stupid.” Ivan’s gaze narrowed. “What has your panties in a wad over this anyway?”
“You’re leaving your future father-in-law to be bullied by a bunch of dirty cops and you think I’m the one overreacting?” Maksim rubbed his head, frustrated without actually knowing why.
“Denis knows the stakes. He’s not going to talk.” Maksim watched as Ivan swung his chair around and look out the window at the ocean. Night had nearly fallen and the sky looked almost bruised over the water. “He’s loyal to the Petrovs, Maksim. You don’t have to worry that he’ll sell us out.”
“I’m not worried he’ll sell us out,” Maksim argued. “I’m worried he’ll have to give his life in order not to.”
“No.” Ivan paused, probably for maximum impact. “You’re worried about Nika.”
“Someone should be. The girl is a complete loose cannon. You can’t trust her not to do something stupid and get herself killed.” Maksim thought about earlier, when he’d practically had to put her in a headlock to keep her under cover. “She was ready to charge out earlier and fight for her father’s safety.”
“You don’t admire that sort of bravery?” Ivan asked with a frown. “That’s unlike you.”
“It isn’t about what I admire or not. It’s about keeping her alive.” Maksim was disgusted with Ivan for making it seem like he had some other motive in mind.
“Then keep her with you.” Ivan seemed pleased with this asinine suggestion. “You need to lay low for a while anyway. At least until this drama dies down and you have an opportunity to discover if the Tretiaks are behind it or not. Take Nika into hiding with you.”
“I don’t think Nika is the kind of girl that hides,” Maksim reminded Ivan. “She’d be more the type to run headlong into the threat and try to beat it into submission.”
“I knew it! You do admire her more than you’ll admit.” Ivan was positively crowing with glee.
“And apparently you’re the kind of guy who harps on shit until he nearly gets his ass beat.” Maksim didn’t care to talk about this. It didn’t matter anyway. He had his purpose and it had nothing to do with a stubborn little piece of curvy woman named Nika Sokolov.
“What’s it going to be?” Ivan demanded. “Exile alone, or more exciting exile with Nika?”
“Shit.” Maksim wasn’t going to win this. In fact it was getting worse and worse.
Ivan was already pulling a set of keys out of a safe set into the floor beneath his desk. “You can use the house on the Intracoastal. It’ll be quiet, and we have more than a few businesses in that area so the people are loyal to the Petrovs. Plus the place isn’t too flashy. I know how much you hate the flash.”
“You are such an asshole,” Maksim groused. “This is really your solution to the whole problem?”
“No. It’s not.” Ivan’s mood turned serious. “We need to find out who on the police force in Hollywood is on the Tretiaks’ payroll. Obviously Sasha had a cousin, because we saw him that day at Mamacita’s. But there must be more, because you said neither of the men you saw today were the ones from before.”
“Maybe the police really are looking for us.” Maksim had to consider that option. “It doesn’t have to be some conspiracy, you know. It could just be due to our more illegal activities.”
“God forbid we accidentally get caught for something we’ve actually done,” Ivan teased. “In any case, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
“And I’m sure you won’t think about it at all until you come back here.” Maksim wanted to gag at the look of self-satisfaction on his brother’s face. “Be honest, you won’t do a lick of work while you and Katrina are on the island.”
“All work and no play, you know,” Ivan quipped.
Maksim rolled his eyes. “All you do is play these days.”
“Are you going to call Mikhail or not?” Ivan nagged.
“Yes. I texted him a few minutes ago. He and Aleks will be here in about ten minutes to escort you to the helipad.”
“Excellent.” Ivan stood up. “Shall we go tell the women our plan?”
“Sure. Just remind me to stay out of striking range,” Maksim said grimly.
They exited the den to find the women standing about in the kitchen and apparently speculating on possible motives for the policemen to have attacked their father’s shop. Maksim noted that Nika seemed to be spearheading the “investigation.” Not surprising.
“So, ladies,” Ivan began graciously. “Maksim and I have come up with a plan to keep the two of you out of harm’s way.”
Maksim snorted. “This is all your plan, brother. Don’t drag me into it any more than you have already.”
Ivan shot him a dirty look, but Maksim didn’t care. He wasn’t about to take one for the team.
“Katrina and I are going to leave now for our vacation,” Ivan announced. “The plans are already set and it would take no trouble at all to move up the timetable a few days. We’ll leave for the helipad within the hour.”
“And what about me?” Nika looked annoyed. “Anyone willing to give me a freaking ride back to the shop at least?”
“Actually, you’re going to go with Maksim.” Ivan smiled at Nika, but Maksim couldn’t help but notice that she most certainly didn’t return the expression.