Page 44 of The Bratva's Arranged Virgin Bride
Chapter 24 - Nat
He left again. Not just without an explanation, but while I was still reeling from his kiss. It was probably for the best since I would have ended up in bed with him if he hadn’t left in such a hurry. I was still pissed off about the fight earlier, and that was the last thing I needed to do. Didn’t matter if I wanted to or not. He broke my cousin’s nose, and there I was, melting in his arms. At that moment, I did not have the upper hand, nowhere near it.
But why did I still wish he hadn’t run off like that?
Forcefully ignoring the fact that the slightest touch from Kolya could snuff out my fury like it was no stronger than a birthday candle, I got myself together. It was time to spy.
While I was pouting in the car on the way home, I had dropped the cell phone that Mat got for me. It was exactly like mine, so if Kolya saw it, he’d just think I had lost it. He might even put it in his pocket to remember to give it to me, which would also work out in my favor. This new phone had a tracking device, so I could keep tabs on him and not have to race out the door after him to follow him. Since I already suspected that he suspected me, this way greatly reduced my risk of getting caught.
Mat had agreed to it because he didn’t like the idea of me physically following Kolya, and I had led him to believe I would only use the tracker to report back where he was going. No reason to check it out for myself.
Except there were plenty of reasons, actually only one big one. My revenge. Knowledge was power if I was going to wiggle my way into his heart and explode it from the inside.
Once I had the tracker up and running on my real phone, I set out after him at a leisurely pace, even rolling through a drive-through for a milkshake on my way. This was much betterthan having to weave through traffic and duck down whenever he glanced in his rearview mirror.
His destination turned out to be a swanky shopping center I had never been to before, all closed up for the night. I did a circle, spotting his car parked at the back of one of the shops. From the front, I saw that it was the only space that wasn’t occupied yet, and there were heavy curtains covering the windows.
Finally, parking under a tree at the far end of the lot, I crept over to the shop, feeling exposed as I stood on the well-lit walkway. The lights were also on inside, glowing from beneath the curtain panels. Pressing my ear to the glass, I definitely heard Kolya’s voice, but couldn’t make out what he was saying.
Then there was another voice, and it sounded like they might have been arguing. Was it Arkadi? I couldn’t tell for sure, the sounds were too muffled by the glass and heavy curtains. A wedge of light glowed from the edge of one window, and I scurried over to peek through a space where the curtains didn’t quite meet. All I could see was a busted-up bench, tipped over on its side.
Was Kolya in trouble? Or was he the one causing trouble? I waited, barely breathing, but even though there were moments of raised voices, there was no crashing or shooting. It seemed like whoever was in there was working.
So what was this place? A new business? If it was legit, why wouldn’t he share it with me? He was so proud of his club, he couldn’t shut up about it. This had to be something he didn’t want me to know about. A center of operations to make plans against my family? I strained to hear better, to see if I could make out whether the man he was arguing with was his brother.
Still unsure, I tiptoed around back to see if he left the door unlocked. If I were careful, I could get in, see who was with him, and get out before he was any wiser. Maybe it would be useful to me to know, or I could throw my uncles a bone and give them a report.
Of course, it was locked, but I’d spent enough time growing up around other kids in the Bratva to know how to pick a lock. That was mafia kid 101, and even my father couldn’t keep me from such useful knowledge.
A couple of minutes later, I almost had it. Then the door slammed open, sending me tumbling back. Kolya’s fist was raised, teeth bared like a wild beast, coming within a hair’s width of putting me in a coma. He somehow stopped the force of his swing and reached for me before I could fall on my ass for the second time that day.
Keeping a tight grip on my arms, he swore quietly in Russian, mixed with a harried apology for almost knocking me out.
“I’m okay,” I said, keeping my voice low since he was.
“No, you’re not,” he hissed. “Go home. I’ll explain everything later.”
And give him the chance to think up some lies? I didn’t think so, and shoved past him into the shop. The back was pretty empty, just a hallway with a closed door on one wall and a storage area that led to the front. I headed that way, bursting into the middle of an art gallery that looked like it had been hit by its own little hurricane or had been robbed.
An art gallery? My heart twinged, and my breath hitched in my chest. Was this a surprise for me? As I turned to take it all in, I came face to face with a man I didn’t recognize. He was about Kolya’s age, maybe older. He looked like he mighthave been handsome once, but had been around the block a few too many times carrying a heavy load. I turned to Kolya, who’d followed on my heels, and he only shook his head.
“Who’s this?” the stranger asked, leering at me in a way that had my skin crawling.
Kolya stepped in front of me before I could answer, shoving me back a few steps. “This is Linda,” he said, tripping over the made-up name a little. “She works for me.” He turned and gave me a hard look. “I sent her a message saying we needed an emergency clean-up crew, but I guess you took it to mean you should come right away? Morning would have been fine, Linda.”
Too confused to suss out why he was making up identities for me, I surveyed what was left of the artwork. The remaining paintings hung haphazardly or lay on the floor, and none of it was anything I would have chosen, though it was all good. If this place was a surprise for me, why wouldn’t he have let me choose the art?
It all clicked. He was still a con man, same as always. He was setting up another scam and, this time, leaving me out of it. I didn’t know why that stung, but it did. Badly. I had no idea who his new partner was, and I didn’t care, but I was pissed enough that I wasn’t about to be dismissed so easily.
The man kept looking at me suspiciously, then picked up a broom. “Don’t be ridiculous, Kolya. We need the help, and she’s here now, aren’t you, Linda?”
Handing the broom to me, he got way too close, practically drooling on my neck.
Kolya snarled and stepped between us, shoving him away so hard he almost hit the wall ten feet away. Instead of being incensed by this sudden attack, the man found it funny.
“I knew she was no cleaning woman,” he crowed. “Now, who are you really, little one?”
Yuck. I got that this guy must be dangerous, and shrugged as I began sweeping. “I’m Linda. I work for Mr. Mikhailov.” Double yuck, but I gave Kolya a subservient look as he scowled at me not to involve myself. Too late. “I don’t mind helping out with the cleaning, it’s honest work.”
