Page 4 of Tangled Vows

The sight of Yuri and Aleksei flanking Viktor’s usual table puts me somewhat at ease. He rarely conducts meetings, even internal business, without security present. The smell of borscht and fresh bread wafts from the kitchen and my stomach growls. Despite the early hour, Viktor already has a glass of vodka in hand.

Leonid steps forward first and shakes Viktor’s hand in a polite manner. “Good morning, Viktor.”

“Oh, we’ll see about that,” Viktor rumbles in his deep baritone. He gestures toward the leather seats across from him. “Sit down. Pour yourselves a drink and then tell me of this trouble from last night.” His sharp eyes betray a glint of curiosity and intensity, which don’t agree with his relaxed posture.

Once the server pours our coffee, I start going over the details of last night’s operation and the ensuing firefight. Viktor listens, maintaining eye contact with me, only interrupting once or twice to ask some questions about the scene. Leonid provides accurate responses, but I can tell his mind is running wild. Sure enough, when I mention the part about discovering the trafficked victims, Viktor is quick to discover my partner’s sudden intensity.

“And what became of the women?” he asks, holding a bottle of vodka over his empty glass.

I explain the extraction and current safe house situation. Viktor takes this in with a vague stare at his drink while I mention our theories on why the Armenians had kidnapped them.

“You believe they were headed for the sex trafficking rings then,” Viktor states. It is not a question; it’s a conclusion.

Leonid’s jaw ticks. “Most likely. Their age, appearance and high-end clothing suggests as much. The women also indicated they were just recently abducted from South Beach during a shopping excursion.”

“It’s unusual for us to come across something like this,” I add. “Missing women don’t tend to run in our circles.”

“Indeed not.” Viktor shoots back the rest of his vodka and slams his glass down on the table. “Those fucking pigs have no code or conscience. This is why we must maintain control. There are things I tolerate—gambling, paid violence, extortion—but not the systematic abuse of women.” His piercing eyes swing to each of us in turn and stay on me. “They deserve safety and comfort. I trust you both agree, yes?”

“Of course,” I reply, my tone firm. Leonid just gives a swift nod, his posture hardening.

“Good. Then they are in safe hands at one of our shelters.” Viktor waves over the server and requests blini pancakes. Our meeting has shifted gears into more casual territory, that much is clear. “The Armenians will soon start sniffing around when these women fail to arrive at their so-called auction. Levon Terzian is their leader, a bastard not to be trusted,” he continues. “Have someone keep an eye on the warehouse premises and track any unusual activity.”

“I’ll assign that to one of my best men, sir,” I assure Viktor. Across from me Leonid seems distracted, stirring his black coffee as he gazes down into its surface.

After the blini arrives along with more vodka for Viktor, he fixes Leonid with a probing look. “Now, tell me what is going on in that head of yours. You seem...unsettled.” He arches an eyebrow. “Surely not over our Armenian problem?”

Leonid straightens under Viktor’s scrutiny. “Of course not. I am simply thinking through options for the women’s safe return home. They have gone through a lot.”

I resist rolling my eyes at his pathetic attempt to hide whatever the hell’s been eating at him. Why can’t he just come out and say he’s been thinking about that brunette? Would that be so fucking wrong? But Leonid is a private guy. At best, he keeps his cards close to his chest. He’s not going to reveal more. He won’t do that even if our Pakhan hangs him upside down and holds a knife to his balls.

Viktor studies him a moment longer. Then, he shrugs before pouring syrup on his pancakes. “Very good, then. I trust your capable hands to resolve the situation quickly without too much fuss.” He takes a large bite and fixes me with his curious stare. “And how do you read this, Ivan?”

Trick question... I’ve seen this too many times to make a mistake. Does he want my take on the trafficking discovery? Or my opinion about Leonid’s state of mind concerning those trafficked victims? Could be either. “Like Leonid said, the women have been through hell. But they seem resilient enough, given the circumstances. We’ll need to investigate things further.” I pierce Leonid with a hard look. “Something feels off about the whole setup. Almost too sloppy. Extracting those women was a little too easy.”

Understanding flashes in Viktor’s eyes over his forkful of pancakes. He knows I just called Leonid’s bluff. “Yes, I agree, Ivan. Dig deeper.” His expression goes cold for a moment. “I want to know who is behind this brazen kidnapping scheme on my territory. Such things make me very unhappy.” His mouth curls in a cold smile. “And if it is the Armenians, I have a plan for them.”

“We’ll find out everything,” Leonid assures. The edge has returned to his tone, the spark in his eyes telling me his brain’s kicked back into action.

Viktor tears into another blini, looking thoughtful. “There’s a gathering of family bosses in Miami in two weeks. I would like to have this mess sorted out before then.” He gives us a pointed look. “No need to concern them over such ugly business. You understand, yes?”

“Of course, Viktor,” I reply. “We’ll keep you informed.”

“Excellent.” He flashes me a broad smile. “Eat, both of you. We still have much to discuss regarding the other families after this.”

I nod and reach for a blini. Leonid does the same, but I catch his gaze straying to the restaurant entrance where two young women chat with the hostess. It’s so funny; in fact, I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it with my own two eyes. Even from here, I recognize longing and some protectiveness as he observes them.

This situation with the women has gotten under his skin far more than he cares to admit. There’s one in particular that’s affected him even more—Clare. But Leonid doesn’t do emotional attachments or relationships. He doesn’t like them, because they can become our weaknesses. Enemies exploit those weaknesses. It’s only a matter of time before they do. Beyond our brotherhood bond, there’s little else I could call an ‘attachment’ in him. I stir honey into my tea, considering what this might mean for him, and for the two of us, if he and I can’t crush our feelings.

Chapter Three

Clare

I stare at my reflection in the small bathroom of the safe house. It’s still a shock seeing myself like this. The designer sundress and the perfectly blown out hair from two days ago? They’re both gone. I didn’t even get a chance to enjoy them. I don’t think I had them for more than an hour. Even my makeup-free complexion looks too pale and eyes far too big for my face. The oversized track pants and t-shirt hang loosely from my thinner frame. No surprises there. These clothes are not mine. They belong to someone twice my size. With a sigh, I pull my messy tufts up into a bun, wincing when the movement stretches the healing cut on my lip.

A soft tap sounds at the door. “Clare? The doctor would like to check anyone who hasn’t been examined yet. Do you have a minute?”

I smile slightly at the sound of Dmitri’s deep, gentle voice. In the thirty-six hours since our dramatic rescue, he’s been nothing short of thoughtful and compassionate.

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