Page 38 of Waiting for Him
Growing up an orphan in the USSR, Viktor had come to rely on no one but himself. Making his first kill at fourteen had been a blessing in disguise. The perverted bastard had tried to molest him in an alleyway after catching the teen stealing food from a sidewalk vendor. While struggling on the ground, Viktor had managed to grab hold of a broken bottle and shoved it into the creep’s neck, slicing the artery. Instead of running, he stood there and watched the man’s life end in a puddle of blood. What he hadn’t known was someone else had been hiding in the shadows as the entire incident unfolded. A man known only as Dmitry Sishnik—the Scavenger.
The trained assassin had taken Viktor under his guidance and taught him everything he knew. At first, the teenager thought Dmitry was another deviant, using his offer of food, shelter, protection, and education to extract sexual favors. But he soon learned that wasn’t the case. The older man had merely wanted a protégé to pass his craft on to. He’d been trained by one of the best in the same manner, and it had been his way of paying it forward and passing on his legacy.
After learning everything he could from his mentor, Viktor’s final act before leaving his birth country was to kill him quickly and painlessly. It was the least he could do for the man who had changed his life for the better and was dying of cancer. As a frail Dmitry struggled to get out of bed one morning, Viktor could see the pain and humiliation in his eyes. He couldn’t stand to see his suffering anymore, and without a word, he swiftly broke the man’s neck. Viktor knew the Scavenger was grateful to his apprentice, for he never would’ve been able to bring himself to commit suicide, and a slow, agonizing death would have been worse.
Since coming to America, Viktor had been working for a Russian network of criminals as an enforcer/assassin. But he was getting older and wanted to start enjoying the good life like his bosses were. Now, there was only one thing standing in his way. It pissed him off the Maier woman was being well protected, but he’d be damned if they couldn’t find a way around it. He wanted the money, and she was the last known connection to it. He’d figured out how to hide the funds from his bosses, funneling it into his recently acquired businesses. It would also help him advance further in the association. Knowing he couldn’t take the chance of his men screwing up, he made a decision. “I’ll be on next flight to Tampa. Find way to get girl, but do nothing until I get there.”
Chapter Seventeen
While Jenn, Angie, and Kristen entertained Eileen Michaelson and Kat near the koi pond, Boomer, his dad, and five teammates sat around the unlit fire pit. A few months earlier, for Ian’s birthday, everyone had helped Angie surprise him by transforming the area between the last two buildings in the compound into Ian’s Oasis. They’d ripped up the asphalt and laid down sod before adding an outdoor kitchen, a TV, seating areas, and shrubbery. The backyard, as it was often referred to, had quickly become a place to hang out and relax. At the moment, country music played in the background, and a misting system kept the area cool despite the elevated Floridian temperatures.
Ian handed Boomer and Rick their new beers, then sat back down and opened his own. He continued to fill the older man in on what they’d discussed earlier with the FBI’s Assistant Director. “So Keon will be talking things over with his boss and the head of the task force who’s been leading the investigations into the Russian mob in Norfolk. Obviously, they have no desire to hand the money back over to them. But as it stands now, even though the money is part of a criminal investigation, he thinks any statutes governing it may have expired. So, it means the money might belong to Kat, whether she wants it or not. I have Reggie checking into things on his end.”
Reggie Helm was one of Trident’s lawyers and a Dom at the club. They consulted with him and his three partners on everything from criminal to civil to contract laws.
Boomer popped the cap off his beer and took a swig. “Kat said she wants nothing to do with it. As far as she’s concerned, it’s tainted money. I wouldn’t be surprised if she donated all of it when this is over, but we’ll deal with that once she’s out of danger.
Rick nodded at his son and then turned back toward Ian. “Has Carter turned up anything new?”
“Of course I have. I’m not a fucking slouch like this bunch of pansies.”
Surprised, the men looked up as the black ops agent strolled onto the grass from the parking lot. Usually, at least one of them was alerted when someone entered the compound unannounced, but the guards were under orders to allow Carter entry at any time. The team hadn’t known he was in town, but that was nothing new. The man was a ghost, coming and going as he pleased.
From where he’d been sleeping by the women, Beau ran to greet the man, who took a moment to roughhouse with the dog before grabbing a beer from the outdoor refrigerator. He downed half of it, then shook hands or fist-bumped each man with a few more insults mixed in. Taking a seat next to Jake, he smirked. “Finally got a scar on that Hollywood face of yours, huh? The whole pirate thing you’ve got going on is pretty fucking hot. You know, blow the man down . . . or up . . . or whatever you’re into. Too bad you’re not my type.”
While the others roared with laughter, Jake snorted and gave his friend the finger. “Fuck you, jackass. This damn patch is driving me crazy, but not as much as the women are.” He hitched a thumb toward the far end of the backyard. “You’d think I was paralyzed from my eyebrows down the way they’re trying to do everything for me. I’m just glad the mother hens have Kat to fuss over now.”
The men agreed. Except for Boomer’s dad, they were all Doms and preferred to take care of their subs, not the other way around. And in Jake’s case, a gay man with no sisters, having a bunch of women worrying and hovering over him was a little unsettling. He loved the Trident women dearly but wasn’t used to all the attention.
“So, Boom-Boom. You going to introduce me to the pretty brunette over there?” Carter did his best imitation of Groucho Marx’s eyebrow wiggle while studying the group of women. The man loved the ladies, all types, and could be the biggest flirt at times.
Boomer growled. “Hands off, jackass. Don’t even think about it.”
“Oh, well, a man can dream, can’t he? She’s a sexy little thing—you know, in case you’re ever looking for a third.” Ignoring his friend’s scowl, he took another drink and sighed while settling into the Adirondack chair. “Damn, that tastes good. Anyway, back to the current problem. I’ve done a little research on Viktor Dryagin. He’s been in the U.S. for about twenty years, but before that, he trained under one of the best assassins in the USSR at the time.”
“Shit.” Boomer dragged his hand down his face in frustration. A trained assassin was not someone he wanted anywhere in the same hemisphere as Kat.
“Yeah, I know. But it seems he’s been backing off on his enforcer role in the mob and using Volkov’s death as a way to move up in the organization. From what I hear, the mob wrote the money off years ago. So, my best guess is Dryagin will be hiding it from his bosses if he ever gets his hands on it.”
Leaning forward, Ian scratched Beau’s ears after the goofy-faced dog sat at his feet. “So, there’s a good chance very few people know Kat has access to the money. And if she does give it away, then we can eliminate the threat altogether.”
Boomer shook his head. “I don’t like it. What if he doesn’t believe she gave it away? And we have to wait on the legalities to make sure she can give it away. This guy wants the money, and Kat is the only link.”
“Which is why I want you two to stay here at the compound. Lord knows it won’t be the first time we’ve been under attack, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’ll call Chase and post a few more guards.”
“What about the club?” Devon asked his brother. “Tomorrow and Tuesday, we’re closed, but what do you want to do about tonight?”
Ian thought about it for a few moments. “I don’t think we have to close at this point. We should be good with a few extra guards at the gate and in the compound. And with Egghead’s increased perimeter security system, no one will get anywhere close to the compound without being noticed. You and I will sit down with Tiny and Mitch tonight and review all the precautions.”
Devon nodded his acknowledgment. In addition to being a bodyguard, Tiny was head of the club’s security, and Mitch Sawyer was their cousin and The Covenant’s manager. While Ian and Devon had gone the Navy route, Mitch had attended college and earned his MBA. As a result, he’d been the obvious choice to run the club the three of them co-owned.
Brody stood and smacked Boomer on the shoulder. “I’ll grab one of those medical alert bracelets I used on Angie. Kat can wear it until she’s out of danger so we can track her if necessary.”
“Thanks, that’d be great.” Boomer and the others knew firsthand how well the geek’s little toy worked. Angie and Jenn had been taken hostage a few months ago, and while organizing the rescue, the team had been able to gain vital information via a one-way microphone hidden in the GPS bracelet.
As his buddy jogged to the office to get the device, Boomer glanced over and saw Kat walking toward him, her pale face bothering him. He reached up, took her hand, and pulled her into his lap. “You doing okay, Kitten?”
She cuddled against his chest. “Yeah, just getting a little tired, and I think I might be getting a migraine, so I want to take my meds as a precaution. Is there a place I can lie down for a bit?”
