Chapter Thirty-Two
That ballsy motherfucker.
Knox’s chair legs grated harsh against the concrete floor as he stood, nearly pushing the damned thing to its back along the way. He opened his mouth to order the women to his suite, but promptly swallowed the command at Darya’s startled voice.
“Oh my God.” With a whole lot of shock and a twist of delight on her face, she slid off her bar stool and hurried to the dining room table, leaving Ninette and Sylvie wide-eyed and silent. Not once on her way toward Knox did her eyes move off the screen in the center. “What’s Sergei doing here?”
Even after a night of recon, Danny and Beckett got their heads out of neutral faster than Knox, practically talking over each other.
“Who’s Sergei?”
“That’s not Ruslan?”
“Considerin’ the lass is smilin’, I’m gonna hazard not.” Typical Axel, he chuckled and reclined against his seat back, stroking his fingers through his beard like he’d just stumbled on one hell of an entertaining show. “Whoever he is, the man’s got style.”
“Never a dull moment in this family,” Jace added with a shake of his head.
On the screens, the two men who’d vacated the front seat stood with feet braced, shoulders back, and hands loosely clasped in front of them. The suit—or Sergei, as it seemed to be—trekked into the lobby toward the imminent two-on-one with Beckett’s guards.
Knox stepped in close to Darya and turned her to face him. “You know this guy?”
Axel was right. Whoever this guy was, she was happy to see him. Maybe not doing cartwheels happy, but there was a definite tilt to her lips. Fuck if that didn’t make him want to punch the bastard on principle. As if she needed one last confirmation, she glanced back at the screen then nodded. “Sergei helped me escape.”
“I thought some dude named Yefim did that,” Danny said from behind her.
Beckett’s phone rang just as two more guards moved into the camera’s view, each coming from the main stairwell’s secured door. Sure enough, one of the main guards had his own phone to his ear. “Yeah, we see him,” Beckett said in way of a greeting. He glanced up at Darya. “Just keep him there for now. Looks like we know him.”
Understanding settled into her features and her mouth parted. “You thought he was Ruslan?”
Jace shrugged. “A dude in a suit pullin’ up in a hundred and thirty thousand dollar car with two men for backup—not exactly a huge leap.”
“No.” She splayed her hand above Knox’s sternum, an urgent touch he couldn’t decide how to interpret. Either she was upset at the concern this guy’s arrival had caused, or she was scared shitless he and his brothers were going to string him up by his nuts and was desperate to stop them. “I told you Yefim called on his own mafiya connections to help me escape. It was Anton’s most trusted avtoritet who actually made it happen.”
“Sergei,” Knox said, hating the way the guy’s name sat on his tongue. Which was thirty kinds of stupid considering if it hadn’t been for the guy, Darya wouldn’t be here right now. “This guy got a last name?”
She cocked her head and studied his face. “Petrovyh.” With her accent, the bastard’s name sounded way too sexy.
Great. One more thing to tweak his ego.
Her lips tipped as though she’d stumbled onto a secret and she moved in close enough to band her arms around his waist. When she spoke, her voice was low and only for him. “I have known Sergei for many years and I owe him much for his actions. But you should also know that he is fourteen years older than me and was raised by Yefim from the age of twelve.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that in the time I knew him, he treated me as a little sister. Nothing more. And even if he’d had an interest in me, his position with Anton would have made any relationship nearly impossible.”
Right. He’d seen the way men looked at Darya—old men and his own brothers included. No way this Sergei guy was any exception. Still, if all she saw in him was a big brother that was something. He hugged Darya flush against him and focused on Beckett. “I take it he’s here for a chat?”
Phone still pressed against his ear, Beckett covered the bottom half of the phone with his big palm. “Lance says he asked for you and Darya specifically. Said you have a mutual acquaintance that needs attention.”
“How the fuck did he know to come here?” Danny said.
“My guess is the best way to find that out is to ask.” Jace twisted enough to study Sergei in the screen. “Sure as shit doesn’t look like the guy’s in a hurry to leave.”
No. Not at all. In fact, if Beckett’s four guards braced in front of him even remotely gave him the heebees, Sergei didn’t show it. Just stood there with his feet planted hip width apart and his arms easy at his sides. Definitely ballsy.
Knox peered down at Darya. “You really trust this guy?”
She held his stare, her breath coming soft and even. “I will not lie to you. Working for Yefim, I met many dangerous men. None were more so than Sergei. He grew up in the life. Started working for Anton when he was only sixteen. He’s smart. Very well educated. Loyal to those inside his realm. But also deadly.” She paused a beat and twisted in his arms enough to speak to Axel and Jace. “I trust him not just with my own life, but with the lives of your family.”
Jace twirled his toothpick.
Axel rocked back on the rear legs of his chair.
It was Ninette who broke the silence. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” All the men turned toward the kitchen in time to see her power off the tablet she’d been surfing on and push it aside like she’d had enough of waiting for the men to pull their heads out of their asses. “If Darya says he’s good, let the man up. We’ll get a hell of a lot more answers that way than with the four of you beating your chest and sending smoke signals.”
“Don’t hold back, Mom. Tell us what’s really on your mind,” Jace said.
“I’ll tell ye what’s on my mind.” Sylvie wiped her hands on her dish towel, laid it on the counter and dipped her head toward the flat screens. “The man wears a fine suit and is easy on the eyes. If the four of ye can’t give the all clear, Ninnie and I will for the view alone.”
“Amen to that,” Ninette added.
“Jesus,” Axel said under his breath as he sat up. He looked to Beckett and shrugged. “Do it. We’ll get answers and make the women happy.”
Still wrapped up in Knox’s arms, Darya snickered.
Beckett scowled at each of the women, but peeled his palm away from the phone and growled into the handset, “Send him up.”
The next few minutes passed in silence, Danny and Beckett heading out to the elevator landing with holstered weapons in plain sight while Jace and Axel kept their seats and their unflappable calm. Ninette and Sylvie kept on with their usual synchronized kitchen routine like they hadn’t just welcomed up a known killer to the loft.
The top right screen showed the elevator swishing open and Sergei stepping into the plain gray space.
“You know they’re gonna frisk him, right?” Knox said.
She squeezed the hand she’d laced tight with his the second the guards had stepped aside and let Sergei pass. “It’s no different than what he would do. He’ll respect the action more than be offended by it.”
Knox shifted his attention to hers. “I could give a fuck what he thinks. It’s what you think I’m worried about.”
She smiled at that, her eyes alight with understanding and a little wonder. “I worry about what you think, too. Just remember what I said. He gave me much. Treated me like a little sister for many years. I could no more give him a cold welcome than I could your family.” She skimmed her fingertips along his jawline and lowered her voice. “Will you trust me?”
Before he could answer, the loft door opened.
Danny ambled in first and jerked his chin up at Knox.
Behind him was Sergei with Beckett practically a lead blanket on his back. To his credit, Sergei didn’t seem the least bit put off by the intimidation tactic. Just scanned the room in one cool sweep before his eyes locked on to Darya. “Moya zvyozdochka.”
Two words Knox didn’t understand for shit, but spoken directly to his woman with a low familiarity and warmth that made Knox grit his teeth.
Darya, on the other hand, beamed back at the guy. “Sergei.” She started forward and solely by Herculean will did Knox let her fingers slip from his.
He followed her, though. Yeah, the guy might have saved her and deserved a decent hello, but that didn’t mean Knox couldn’t make it clear as day whose arms she was headed back to once all the hi-how-are-yas were done.
Rolling up on her toes, she threw her arms around Sergei’s neck and hugged him tight, the gesture no different than the ones he’d spied her sharing with Beckett after a hard session of sparring. “It’s good to see you.”
Gaze sliding to Knox, Sergei carefully returned the hug, his big hands splayed firm, but high on her back and well away from her hips. Silver and black rings adorned three of his fingers and one thumb and black tattoos in a variety of symbols took up a good chunk of real estate on the backs of his hands and near his knuckles. A string of Russian none of them had a hope in hell of understanding slipped from his lips.
Darya understood it, though, and given the way she jerked out of Sergei’s arms and scowled, it wasn’t good.
Knox moved in, pulling Darya back into the circle of his arm. “Let’s try that again. In English.”
One side of Sergei’s mouth quirked in an almost smile. His accent was much heavier than Darya’s, but the words he strung together made it clear he had no problem with the language. “You have found worthy protectors, it seems,” he said to Darya. “I shared as much with Yefim. He is pleased.”
A mix of sadness and worry crept across Darya’s face. “He’s okay?”
“Quite well. Cantankerous as usual, but still fit and pulling too many strings.” Sergei smoothed his hand down the front of his jacket, taking note of each person’s placement in the room and the security footage marking every angle on the building. He zeroed in on Knox. “I’m sure Darya has already shared my name, but I will offer it myself.” He held out his hand. “I am Sergei Petrovyh. I consider her former employer and patron, Yefim Mishin, my father.”
“Knox Torren.” Knox shook his hand. “Darya told us you’re the person who helped her escape.”
Sergei looked to Darya, a silent question behind his eyes.
“I have no secrets from Knox,” Darya said quietly. “Not from him or his family.”
“Her family,” Knox corrected.
It took only a handful of seconds, but Sergei nodded and spoke to the room at large. “Just as well. It will make the news I have to share less tedious in the details.”
Darya glanced at Ninette and Sylvie as though double checking to ensure they were still there. Both had forgone any pretense of busy work in favor of watching the scene unfold, but in that second, some womanly communication shuttled silently between the three of them. Darya turned her attention back to Sergei and rubbed her hands together in an uncustomary nervous gesture. “We have some coffee left. Maybe you could have a seat with Jace and Axel, and you can tell us what brought you here.”
A pleasant buzz moved through Knox, a little warm fuzzy and a whole lot of male pride pushing his shoulders back a notch. As much as he’d grown accustomed to Ninette and Sylvie commandeering the bulk of their family gatherings, having Darya be the one at the helm slathered up his ego like nobody’s business.
Sergei dipped his head in a regal nod and moved in beside Darya as she led the way.
It was only when Sergei approached the table, that Jace and Axel found their feet, each offering respectful handshakes and stern faces in greeting. Danny and Beckett fell in right behind them, introducing themselves in clipped, businesslike tones. In between it all, Darya snagged her coffee off the countertop and a fresh mug for Sergei, then aimed her ass for the empty chair beside Knox.
Yeah, it was a total caveman move, but Knox rerouted her before gravity could gain much headway and redirected her into his lap. The second her body settled into his, a good chunk of his tension unwound, leaving him as focused as if he’d settled into a code. He locked stares with Sergei. “The guards said we had a mutual acquaintance to discuss.”
Sergei nodded. “My men noted you leading Darya from her apartment with a suitcase. They also noted heightened security at your building and that neither you or Darya left the building for work as is your normal routine. I can only assume from those actions that you’ve surmised she’s being watched.”
“By Ruslan,” Knox said.
“Not by him. Not yet. But his men, yes. They arrived in Dallas Tuesday morning and immediately started tracking her movements.”
“Okay, that explains why we’re interested in him,” Knox said. “Now share what makes him a mutual concern.”
“Because he has become a detriment to many important families.” Sergei’s gaze darted to Darya long enough to consider his words, then refocused on Knox. “I take it Darya explained the term pakhan?”
“In the most fundamental way, I call him your boss.”
Sergei pulled in a slow, assessing breath then let it out. “Too simple of a term and lacking appropriate respect, but close in essence.” He circled the ring on his thumb. “Ruslan has drawn attention for years and disregards our code. Many pakhans have grown tired of his behavior and no longer wish to tolerate it.”
Clearly tired of the slow and steady approach, Beckett cut in. “Still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.”
Before Sergei could even open his mouth, Axel answered, his voice deep and sinister. “Because he’s been using Darya for bait and the bait disappeared.”
The room buzzed with an eerie silence.
Sergei held himself freakishly still and, for a second, Knox worried Danny or Beck might have missed a concealed carry. Finally, eyes still locked on Axel, Sergei dipped his chin in acknowledgment.
Once loose and comfortable against him, Darya pushed tall in his lap. “What? Why? You know what my life will be like if he finds me.”
Sergei redirected his attention to Darya. “I did. But his actions have escalated. As has his paranoia. He is never unprotected. Never vulnerable.”
“You’re his weakness,” Jace said to Darya.
“Indeed.” Sergei’s lips quirked in an ironic smile and he scanned the men at the table. “Darya’s disappearance was quite suspect. Nothing more demeaning to a man like Ruslan than a woman escaping his reach.” He shrugged and smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from his pants. “A body was found. Unrecognizable, but staged so that he could save face and accept it as hers, or besmirch his reputation by digging deeper.”
From his place at the far end of the table, Danny filled in the blanks. “And since then he’s gone off the rails.”
“He is impacting business,” Sergei answered. “He has no honor. No reason behind his actions save his ego. The families cannot afford to ignore the situation anymore.” He zeroed in on Knox. “It is my job to address the situation.”
“Only you can’t do that if your bait’s under lock and key,” Beckett said.
Sergei nodded. “Precisely.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” In that second, the only thing that kept him from surging to his feet and strangling the asshole was Darya’s sweet body against him and the death grip she had on his thigh. “Darya’s told me what this guy’s like. How the women in his life end up. You actually think you’re going to waltz in here and suggest we put her in a situation where this sick bastard can get his hands on her?”
“She has never been at risk,” Sergei said. “Ruslan only left St. Petersburg yesterday afternoon after his scouters confirmed her existence and location. My men have looked over her since the day we leaked her presence in Dallas to one of Ruslan’s acquaintances. They are the ones who diverted Ruslan’s men long enough for you to leave her apartment without being followed.” He cocked an eye at Knox. “They were even watching when you dared to break into her home.”
White-hot anger seared through him, so fierce and overpowering his whole body jolted beneath its force.
But before his mind could rally with a physical or verbal retort, Darya fired off a string of words in Russian so clipped and biting it was a wonder Sergei didn’t flinch under their attack. By the time her voice died off, her chest heaved and her cheeks were a mottled red.
Sergei stared back at her, a small smile playing on his lips. He must have realized his amusement didn’t sit well with her, because he finally ducked his chin and schooled his features before he turned his attention to Knox. “My apologies. Darya has reiterated that there will be no secrets from her family, nor will she tolerate any disrespect.”
Okay, the whole lady of the manor thing might have nudged his pride up a notch, but seeing her throw down for not just him but his whole family cranked his ego up bigger than the Jolly fucking Green Giant. Knox fought the need to pull her back against him or blow their unexpected guest off and show his appreciation in a far more thorough fashion.
Unfortunately, Sergei kept them all on track. “I must confess, I am curious. What tipped you off to their presence?”
“He tried to hit one of our servers,” Knox said. “It looked like a random hack to me, but Darya recognized a word in the URL.”
“Koschei,” Darya said.
Already primed to collaborate, Beckett pulled up the footage Darya had found and directed it onto one of the screens on the wall. “She found this a few hours later. Footage just on the outskirts of our camera range.” He zoomed in on the tattoo she’d shown him and freeze framed. “This look familiar?”
Sergei scoffed, obviously disgusted. “Unfortunately, yes. Though we didn’t realize they were so foolish to be caught on camera. His men are as arrogant as he is.”
“Or they think we’re stupid.”
Sergei cocked his head and gave his thumb ring another twirl. “We both know your intellect is the last thing in question. Your security is one of the few my men have been unable to access.”
Son of a bitch.
Talk about your passive aggressive statements. Knox didn’t know whether to smirk at the open nod to his security skills, or gut the bastard for having tried to get past his firewalls in the first place.
Thankfully, Jace redirected things before Knox could indulge either option. “So, your boss and his peers reap the rewards when Ruslan’s gone. What’s in it for you?”
Deadpan and without so much as a blip to his casual demeanor, Sergei turned his gaze on Jace. “I accomplish my task.”
“That’s shite,” Axel said. “A hit this big, one you’ve put a nice lass like Darya at risk for, there’s gotta be something sweet for you in the end.”
Silence filled the loft.
Sergei held utterly still for long seconds until he turned his gaze on Darya, something Knox could only describe as approval shining behind his eyes. “You’ve chosen well in your new life.” He folded his hands in his lap, a refined movement a father from some upper-crust family might take before he lectured a disobedient daughter. “Perhaps you could give me a minute with your protectors, moya zvyozdochka?”
Darya studied him a moment, then slid her attention to Knox.
Knox squeezed her hip, hoping she’d take the gesture as the encouragement he intended it to be. Yeah, it was her life and future that was predominately on the line, but if what Sergei had to say was bad enough to keep it a secret from a woman he considered a little sister, then Knox damned sure didn’t want her exposed unnecessarily. He glanced back at Sylvie and Ninette and motioned toward his suite. “How about if you two help Darya get the rest of her stuff unpacked and figure out what else she needs from her apartment.”
For once, neither Sylvie or Ninette added any snarky quips to Knox’s not-so-subtle direction. But then, Sergei wasn’t one of them, and one thing his mothers would never do was undermine family in front of a stranger.
With a soft kiss that went way too fast for Knox and a brotherly hug for Sergei, Darya made her way to Knox’s suite, Ninette and Sylvie trailing right behind.
The door had barely shut when Sergei spoke. “You are correct. My reward is significant.” He paused and stared out the row of windows overlooking the industrial district and I-45. “I was educated in the United States. You have much here to appreciate.”
Always impatient with unnecessary theatrics, Beckett chimed in. “Not seeing how that ties to any kind of payback.”
Sergei dragged his attention away from the windows and locked on to Beck. “It ties because I want to make your country my home. Dispatching Ruslan will earn me the right to start my own family. Here, in the place of my choosing.”
Well, fuck.
Not exactly the gory info bomb he’d expected after politely asking Darya to leave the room, but still a bomb all the same. Especially since family in Sergei’s context didn’t mean a wife and two-point-five kids.
Jace cocked his head. “So, you’d be branching out.”
Sergei nodded. “Indeed. And I would be indebted to the men who aided me in doing so.”
“You can’t seriously think I’d trade Darya’s safety to earn future payback.” Knox said.
“The payback, as you call it, would be a benefit, yes. But you forget who would benefit the most.”
Darya.
Sergei didn’t have to say it. Everyone in the room knew Ruslan had to be eliminated to make her safe. Still he kept going. “No more running. No hiding. Her name could be her own.” He grinned and tilted his head as if throwing down the ultimate dare. “Or yours.”