Page 9 of Brutal Secrets

Sasha looks at me quizzically. “I didn’t know you wanted to meet someone like that. Emotions are messy. Especially at a time like this.”

“Fuck off, Sasha. I won’t start getting sappy about someone I’ve just met.” I look at the girl who’s pressed against my side. “Of course, I could always hand her back and drink and fuck Oksana instead.”

Sasha laughs. “Okay, you’ve made your point. More chance of complications and definitely more chance of a hangover with Oksana. If I’m away, you’ll need to keep your wits about you.”

“I’ll take her out in Moscow first, but I need to get out of the city to clear my head. Is the dacha empty? Can I use it?”

Sasha narrows his eyes, but he lets his doubts hang in the air instead of voicing his objection. “If you know what you’re doing.”

“Always, brother. Always. When have I ever let you down?”

He smiles. “Go on, then. Have some fun. Clear heads next week and all that.” He puts an arm around my shoulder and squeezes, but before I can make an exit, the singer’s manager blocks my way.

“We’ve got to leave. I’ll need Kesera to come with me,” Jimmy says, looking up at me with a nasty smile on his face.

Chapter Eight

When you don’t speak the language, you’ve got nothing but body language to go on, and a month of concerts in Russia, Israel, and Dubai—plus trailing around after slimy Jimmy and the men he likes to hang around with—has sharpened my senses.

Vadim’s friend doesn’t like me.

His eyes keep cutting to me, and he jabs his finger at Vadim like he’s trying to make a point when he looks at me. He threw the keys Vadim’s way so he had to step away from me, and he flashed a malevolent grin when we were separated.

I must be too tired to think clearly. I was so focused on parsing the body language between the man I’ve chosen to go home with and his handsome friend that I missed the bigger threat. I didn’t even notice Jimmy approaching. Now he’s looming over me, pressing his fingers hard enough into my arm to leave a bruise.

I suck a breath through my teeth, but Vadim moves fast for such a big man, gripping Jimmy’s arm and twisting it behind his back until he makes a squealing noise.

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Vadim snarls, and I smile. I shouldn’t like the threat of violence, but it makes me wonder what he’d be like in bed. Would he be gentle or unleash some of that power on my body? What would that feel like?

I tamp down the thoughts and try to focus on the conversation, but I’m so tired that the volume of their words fades to a low buzz in my ears.

“Sasha here is in charge of booking flights. According to the roster, you aren’t out of here until Sunday night, so if you want to take a straight flight back to Nashville, I would advise waiting for the use of the private jet. You are, of course, welcome to try Sheremetyevo airport, but you never know who you might meet.” Vadim drops Jimmy’s arm and slips his hand to his holster, fingering his gun.

“Well, look here, young man, I need you to understand that Kesera and I have meetings in Moscow tomorrow. I need to take her to see some promoters. We’ve got important business to do,” Jimmy puffs out.

Sasha pulls a gun from his waistband and starts flicking the safety catch on and off. “No, little man, I believe that Vadim wants to take your singer out on the town. Am I right?” He cocks his head at Vadim, looking to see how his friend will react. I’m glad there’s a new focus for the dark-haired man’s dislike and all his venom is now directed at someone who deserves it.

Jimmy blanches at being called little man, but he’s half a head shorter and at least two guns down on the two Russian men, so he doesn’t argue.

Sasha glares at the man who has made my last nine months a living hell with his demands and threats. “I’m the one who deals with the promoters. If you need to talk about any of your artists, I know who’s looking for headline entertainment in Italy and Cyprus. Vadim will have your little girl back at the airport in time for the flight on Sunday.”

“But I?—”

Sasha holds up a hand, halting Jimmy with a single gesture. Jimmy looks between the two men as Vadim pulls me against his side and wraps his arm around my shoulder. It’s obvious Jimmy is out of his depth.

“Might I suggest that it would be in your best interest to do what I say?” Vadim says. “We are very generous hosts when our guests don’t cause us trouble, but we aren’t the kinds of men you want to cross, Mr. Ullrich. We aren’t those kinds of men at all...” He looks pointedly down at his gun, his message clear.

Jimmy glares at me, but I seize the chance to get out of here. I stand on my tiptoes to whisper into Vadim’s ear. “Let’s go.”

Vadim shivers as my lips touch his skin, then leads me out of the club. And I follow him, telling myself it’s the right thing to do. So far, he’s been kind to me. It’s been months since anyone touched me, and his hands felt good.

We get in the back seat of a low black sedan, and the lights of Moscow shine against the car windows. Buildings slide past the glass, their façades lit up like wedding cakes, with snow banked against their doorways. The city is draped in white finery.

I press my face against the glass, watching the lights pick up the faded pastels of buildings that look ghostly in the darkness as I try to focus on something other than the presence of the man in the back seat with me. I lean my forehead against the window, closing my eyes and feeling the coolness of the condensation as I breathe in.

Now that I’m alone in the car with him, the exhaustion hits me and I’m questioning my judgement again. I let my attraction to this stranger overpower my common sense. He’s so much bigger than me and can do what he wants with my body, and the thought is equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

“You’re shivering.” Vadim’s Russian accent seems more pronounced without the thumping music in the background. His fingers paint a trail of fire down my arm, and the hair on my forearm rises to meet the heat of his touch. He cages my palm between his two enormous hands and rubs my fingers. “You’re absolutely frozen. Come here.”

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