“We’re going to pay that bitch a visit. I just got word from my mother that that stripper has moved in with Kolya. White picket fence and everything. That’s just a little too close for comfort, if you ask me. We know nothing about her. Bitch needs to know she better walk the Bratva straight and narrow.”
Anastasia laughed softly and shook her head. “You don’t trust her, Roksana, but then again you don’t trust anybody.”
“I trust you and Oleg. And Dmitriy.”
“And yet you don’t want the guys involved because…why?” Anastasia asked.
“It’s a girl thing. She needs to know it isn’t the men she needs to be afraid of.”
Anastasia laughed again, “Well, we all know the Bratva women are much more lethal when it comes to matters of the heart.”
She had to move quickly to keep up with Roksana. The two women rushed out to Roksana’s black SUV, hoping to be on the road before anyone noticed they were gone. Roksana looked over her shoulder as she got into the vehicle. “I don’t know if we’re more lethal or not, but I know we’re sneakier.”
“What are you going to do if Kolya’s there?” Anastasia asked as Roksana sped off.
“I’m going to tell him that we’re gonna have a little girl talk. Trust me, he’ll run away as fast as he can with his hair on fire. Men hate girl talk.”
“Good thinking. So, what’s the plan? Are we going to beat her ass?”
Roksana grinned as she navigated a tight turn, and pretended to dab at a tear. “It does my heart good to see you taking your training so seriously.”
“I’m an adventure-loving Bratva woman now. You know this life changes you. Oh, that’s right, I forgot; you’ve always been crazy.” Anastasia leaned in toward the window, taking in her surroundings. “It sure as hell didn’t take long to get here with the way you drive. Aw, cute house…”
“Yeah, she’s living the fucking American dream. White picket fence included, compliments of Kolya Ivanov,” Roksana scoffed as she jumped out and strode up to the front door.
Anastasia joined her just as Roksana rapped on the door. “You know, there’s a doorbell right there.”
“I see it,” Roksana replied serenely, her eyes straight ahead. “I just feel like hitting something.”
Helena opened the door and Roksana pushed past her with Anastasia close on her heels. Helena watched helplessly as the two women strode past her, her heart racing wildly in her chest. She wished Kolya was with her.
“So, you’re here alone. That’s good, because we need to talk,” Roksana declared.
Anastasia leaned against the wall and pulled a knife from her pocket, flicking it open. She shifted her weight to one foot and placed the sole of the other against the wall, leaving a mark as she cleaned her nails with the knife.
“Nice digs you’ve got here. You know, I underestimated you. You really work fast,” Roksana noted conversationally. “The American dream, right? A white picket fence and your very own knight in shining armor. A girl coming from the backstreets of Russia could get used to a life like this. See, the thing is, in our world you have to know how to keep your mouth shut. Stay out of your man’s business until we get to know you—there’s no fast track here, sweetie. I don’t trust you. I don’t like you. And I’m watching you. If you do anything to fuck with my family, there won’t be a place on God’s green earth that you can hide from me. You keep your head down and your mouth shut, and you’ll do fine.”
“What’s going on here?” Kolya appeared in the doorway, a grocery bag on his hip as he looked from Helena to Roksana.
“Oh, you know, just a little girl talk.” Anastasia pushed off the wall with her boot and followed Roksana toward the front door, but not before observing, “You might want to clean that boot print off the wall, sweetie.”
“Or, better yet, leave it there,” Roksana drawled as she stepped outside. “It can serve as a reminder of our special time together.”
As the door closed with a bang, Kolya put the bag on the kitchen counter and pulled a trembling Helena into his arms.
“They’re crazy, Kolya. I swear that was a threat to my life.”
“It was a warning, nothing more. I should have expected it. It only becomes a threat if you ignore it. So, you’ll do what the Pakhan’s daughter said. You’ll keep your head down and your mouth shut. Do that and all will be well. In the meantime, the Pakhan has arranged a private fight event for some VIPs for tomorrow night. The timing seems strange to me but I’m ready. Now, the furniture truck just pulled up so let’s start playing house.”
“How long have you had this house and why haven’t you moved in before now?”
He kissed her forehead and grinned, then took a few backward steps toward the door as he said, “I’ve had it for a while. I guess I didn’t want to move in until I could actually live in it – couldn’t do that until I actually had a life, could I? I think I’m going to enjoy playing house with you.”
“Let me go to the bathroom, then we can get started.”
“Hurry back, I need you to tell me where you want them to put everything and we need to go out and buy a Christmas tree.”
“A Christmas tree? Wow. Okay, I’ll be right back!” She gave him a happy peck on the lips and hurried down the hall. Once in the bathroom, she locked the door and faced her grim reflection in the vanity mirror.
Before she could change her mind or lose her nerve, she took a deep breath and dialed the number she had found on Kolya’s phone. A deep voice answered.
“I need to speak with Alexander Glazov. Um, his daughter Roksana told me to call him,” she lied. Her heart was thumping in her chest so hard that she could hear it in her ears. Feeling a bit lightheaded, she lowered the lid on the toilet and sat down.
“This is Glazov. Who is this?”
“Sir, my name is Helena.”
“Ah, I see. Kolya’s woman. I’m intrigued. What do you want?”
“I have some information that may interest you.”
“Mom really pulled out all the stops this year, didn’t she?” Natasha commented as she and Nikita walked along the edge of the Glazov property. It was a perfect night for a stroll through the elaborate outdoor Christmas decorations. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground with more in the forecast and the air was crisp beneath the starry sky.
“That she did.” Nikita rubbed Natasha’s ice-cold hands vigorously between his, pausing only long enough to cup his hands around hers and breathe a stream of warm air onto her skin before resuming his efforts. He was glad they had opted to use the front carriers instead of the double stroller tonight, so they could keep the babies snuggled up against their chests and still hold hands.
They were, of course, flanked by Pavel and Yafon. They had given Pavel the evening off, but he had returned unexpectedly before dinner – his demeanor more grim than usual -- and upon learning of their plans, had insisted on accompanying them. The two men stood off at a discreet distance to give them a bit of privacy, but Pavel had made it clear that they would be close by. This late in the evening, most of the tourist traffic had dissipated, but you couldn’t be too careful.
“So, we’re three weeks in, how do you think we’re doing so far?” Nikita asked Natasha with a grin.
“Well, they’re each still in one piece and they seem to be happy babies. I’d say we’re doing okay. Heaven knows we have enough help.”
“Now, not that again. Katya and Ludmila have been lifesavers. We would have been fine without them, but you have to admit it’s been a big help to have them around.”
“Yeah, I know. Once again, your mother knows what she’s talking about.”
“So,” he murmured softly as he brought her hand to his lips, “when do you see the doctor again?”
“Three more weeks, Nikita,” she drawled. “Three weeks. I think you can make it until then.” She looked over her shoulder at their burly escorts and lowered her voice to ask, “Are you seriously complaining? Haven’t I been taking care of you?”
Nikita groaned at how well she’d been taking care of him while she recovered from childbirth. Her pussy may have been temporarily out of commission, but she was more than making up for it with sheer creativity using her mouth, her fantastic post-pregnancy tits and – fuuuuck – even her feet. His dick had developed a serious foot fetish.
He was leaning in to agree wholeheartedly and make a filthy request for later that night, when Yafon’s arm swept around them both and he pushed them off to the side of the property near the security fence. “Get down!” he bit out.
“What’s going on?” Nikita asked, instinctively reaching for his gun, realizing too late that he had left it in their bedroom. It hadn’t seemed right to have a gun holstered so close to the infant carrier he was wearing. Fuck!! The babies! Little Alex was strapped onto him and there was nothing he could do except use his body to block him, Sasha, and Natasha from harm. He had never felt so useless.
“On the ground. Now!” Yafon bit out as he directed them both to crouch down behind a service vehicle that the landscapers had left parked overnight.
“Will you tell me what the hell is going… Oh, fuck.” Nikita pulled his son closer to his chest as he took in the grisly sight before him.
Pavel had subdued someone and had them down on the ground in a chokehold, his beefy forearm clamped tight around the man’s neck. In his free hand, Pavel’s switchblade glinted in the moonlight as he held it to the man’s throat.
“You ready to die?” Pavel gritted out, easily subduing the man. “Why don’t you tell me who sent you? Then at least you can die with a clean conscience.”
“L-Lambda Chi Alpha.”
“Who the hell is that?” Pavel snarled.
“Um, Lambda Chi Alpha sent me. It’s a fraternity. It was a dare. You see, I’m a transfer student from Alabama but I missed Rush but I’m a Legacy so they made an exception and this was my initiation tonight so I’m supposed to come back to the frat house with one of the Christmas figurines and--”
“Shut up. Just stop talking. Well, shit. All of this over a fucking frat boy.” With a snort of disgust, Pavel shoved the boy away from him and stood. A string of epithets flew from his lips as he shook his head at Yafon and raised his watch to his mouth.
“Ha! Better you than me,” Yafon said.
Pavel flipped him off as he turned away. “Yeah, we’ve got a trespasser by the back gate.” Pavel rolled his eyes heavenward as he explained to the person on the other end. “How the fuck am I supposed to know? You’re in charge of exterior security for the winter wonderland we’ve got going on out here. Apparently, a local frat house decided to use the Pakhan’s Christmas display for a scavenger hunt.”
The frat boy attempted to get up, but Pavel used his booted foot between the kid’s shoulder blades to shove him back to the ground. “Stay where I fucking tell you.” He shook his head as tinny laughter rang out from the tiny speaker in his watch. “Oh, fuck you, Novak. Just get somebody down here to pick him up. Oh, and bring some sweatpants or maybe some fucking Depends, I think he pissed himself. And since you’re Father Fuckin’ Christmas when it comes to security for Mrs. Glazov’s Christmas lights display, maybe you can ask around and find out how a frat boy breached the security perimeter and was wandering through the Christmas lights while the Pakhan’s grandchildren were ten feet away.” Silence reigned for a long moment. “Yeah, I fucking thought so.” Pavel pressed a button on the side of his watch to end the transmission. He turned and raised his hand in greeting at the security staff in the utility vehicle that was pulling to a stop a few feet away.
Natasha and Nikita simply stared. They had never heard Pavel say so many words at one time. Entire sentences, one after another…
“Wh-what’s gonna happen to me?” Frat Boy whimpered as he pulled his hoodie tighter around his body.
“I don’t think you’ll be on Glazov’s Christmas card list, let me put it that way,” Pavel muttered. “They’ll take you inside to clean up, but after that it’s not up to me.” He knew perfectly well that Novak would probably have a little fun with the guy to discourage any future such field trips, and then he’d let the guy go. Hell, the asshole would probably get laid tonight just for surviving to tell the tale.
Pavel followed Yafon and the Glazovs back up to the house, but waved Yafon off when they reached the grand staircase. “I’ve got it from here,” he said. Yafon nodded and headed down the hall, no doubt on his way to the Pakhan’s office to give his report to Novak.
Little Sasha was crying to wake the dead by the time they arrived back at the nursery. Katya was waiting for them and cast a worried look Pavel’s way before helping Nikita put a sleeping Alex in the crib. She turned to assist Natasha, only to notice that the baby’s crying had abruptly stopped. Pavel had Sasha cradled in his arms while Natasha got settled in her rocking chair to nurse. The baby’s tiny hand was clinging to Pavel’s pinky finger as she blinked up at him. Reluctantly, he laid her in Natasha’s waiting arms.
Katya couldn’t resist clearing her throat and shooting him a grin when his eyes met hers. “Looks like somebody’s smitten,” she teased as she passed by on her way out the door, closing it quietly behind her.
“Looks that way,” he sighed.