Chapter Seven

Stephanie was waiting for Ranger when he walked into the apartment. Stephanie took in the angry red handprint on his face and the blood on his shirt. She came over and cupped his cheek, gently rubbing her thumb over the red marks. Ranger hooked his arm around her neck and kissed her forehead, pulling her to him for a minute. Taking in her warmth and her strength.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Nikko."

Stephanie just quirked her eyebrow at him and waited arms crossed over her chest.

Ranger knew he wasn't getting out of this one, but he really wished he could. He was exhausted.

Ranger shrugged. "There was a drive-by shooting at the restaurant after you left." Ranger figured they'd get to the part about her being there soon enough. "Nikko got clipped, but he's fine."

"Oh god! What about Finley, the server that was waiting on your table? Is she OK?"

"Yes, she was fine. She works for you?" Ranger wasn't sure what had happened to her after the shooting. He'd lost track of her in the chaos. Hopefully she'd just gone home.

Stephanie nodded. "Yes, she is helping out on the Petrov case."

A beat went by. "What happened to your face?"

Ranger shrugged. "Just a misunderstanding."

"Uh huh. And what exactly were you doing there with Nikko?" Stephanie knew there was a whole lot more to that story.

Ranger forced himself not to wince at her tone. "Like I said, Nikko needed some help with security for a meeting."

"Nikko's doing business with Viktor Petrov?" Ranger thought Steph's tone didn't quite convey the level of irritation he'd expected. He eyed her suspiciously.

"They were talking about it." Ranger replied cautiously.

Stephanie nodded.

"So, Viktor was telling the truth, he's not trafficking in women." Stephanie knew Nikko wouldn't be doing business with him if he was. Nikko would vet Viktor. Steph figured she and Nikko should have a chat. She wanted to know what Nikko had found out. She also wanted to know who the other man at the table was.

All of Ranger's senses went on high alert. "What do you mean Viktor is telling the truth. You didn't confront him, did you?"

Stephanie thought Ranger's tone conveyed the fact he thought she was just nuts enough to do that. She might have been offended if it wasn't for the fact, Ranger was probably right. Confronting Viktor was something she might have done.

"No, I didn't confront him." Stephanie hedged.

Ranger's brows went up about two inches. "Babe." The way he had elongated Babe, suggested tonight Babe meant you'd better fess up and tell me everything. Babe covered a lot of ground with Ranger, but tonight the meaning wasn't all that ambiguous.

Stephanie winced. She knew this wasn't going to go well. "Viktor came to talk to me."

Ranger thought about it for a minute. He should have trusted his instincts, and followed Steph to the back of the restaurant. "Where?" Ranger gritted out through his clenched teeth.

"The restaurant." Stephanie could see the muscle in Ranger's jaw ticking. "In the supply room."

Cold sweat broke out on Ranger's back. "Did he hurt you?"

Stephanie thought about it. Had Viktor hurt her? No, he hadn't. He'd tried to frighten and intimidate her sure, but he hadn't hurt her. It was weird, she knew she should have been terrified and completely repulsed by him, but she wasn't. It was almost like he was threatening her and being crass because he was expected to act that way. She couldn't really explain it, and she sure wasn't about to explain it to Ranger.

How did you explain that you thought the head of the bratva might not actually be entirely a monster? That maybe, just maybe, he wasn't such a bad guy, even though all evidence pointed to the contrary. He had practically groped her in a supply room while searching for weapons and bugs. On the other hand, she was trying to take him down, and he'd clearly been pissed that she was bold, or stupid, enough to sit in his restaurant doing it. Yeah, Ranger was probably right she was certifiably nuts. She found Viktor interesting and she was inclined to believe him. That would probably get her dead.

"Babe?" Ranger prompted.

"No, he didn't hurt me."

"And?" Ranger's patience was starting to fray.

"He told me he knew who I was, and why I was there. He was maybe just a little mad that I was in his restaurant trying to surveil him." Steph shrugged. The rest of that story was definitely going in the Ranger doesn't need to know file, including the fact that she had found him darkly alluring, which largely weirded her out enough already without saying it out loud to Ranger. Now she knew why woman were left speechless around Nikko. Nikko had that same quality about him. You knew he was pure sin, but you just couldn't help but like him. "He said he would prove he wasn't into human trafficking, and if someone in his organization was, he would stop it."

So many things were spinning through Ranger's mind. He really didn't know where to start.

"He knows who you are!" Ranger had to dial in his temper and lower his voice before he woke the twins.

"Yes."

Yes, the woman had just said. Yes, like it was no big deal that the head of the bratva had found her spying on him, and knew exactly who she was. Ranger had an almost overwhelming urge to shake some sense into her, but forced himself to be rational.

"OK, Steph you need to stay away from him. Let someone else take over. Viktor is dangerous." As far as Ranger was concerned there wasn't anything left to debate.

"I don't know, I think he might be telling the truth. I mean, I don't think he's a saint or anything, but he seemed genuinely concerned about the trafficking." Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him, she'd heard that tone before. Right before he sent her away with Montero into witness protection.

"Steph, please tell me you're not considering his offer. That you don't really think he's telling you the truth. That you didn't agree to anything." Ranger's voice was starting to get louder again.

"Did you? You were there meeting with him to broker a deal, right." Stephanie threw back at him.

How was it that Ranger hadn't seen that one coming? Ranger was pretty sure his teeth were going to crack from clenching his jaw so tight. "You know it isn't the same. Nikko is trying to work out an arrangement that would benefit everybody, and you are trying to get him arrested." Exasperation was clear in his voice.

Stephanie just looked at him with her arms crossed. Ranger sighed. He knew that look. The one that said he was not going to win this battle. "You're going to do this aren't you."

Stephanie shrugged. Ranger thought the vein in his temple might bust, so he took a deep breath. Stephanie ran a human trafficking task force. That's what she did, and that largely meant dealing with people like Viktor. Viktor was a businessman. Ranger had seen that tonight. Maybe Viktor recognized getting the task force off his back was the better choice. Taking out Steph would only be a temporary solution.

If Viktor knew who Steph was, he had probably already put two and two together, and knew who he was. Ranger needed to let Nikko know. Ranger wasn't sure if Viktor had let Steph go because he didn't want to tangle with the task force, or if he didn't want to tangle with Nikko. That made him nervous, especially since Steph seemed hellbent on making sure Viktor wasn't in the human trafficking game.

"Fine, but we work together on this. I want to know everything that's going on." Ranger finally growled and stalked off to the bathroom. She heard the shower turn on. Stephanie thought he'd shown tremendous restraint when he didn't slam the door.

She got it. Viktor was a dangerous man. But Viktor also had a reason to cooperate with her, and her gut was telling her Viktor was telling the truth. Stephanie followed Ranger into the bathroom. He was stripping off his clothes, and her mouth went dry at the sight of him.

Stephanie pulled her t-shirt over her head. She locked eyes with Ranger and pushed her sweats off. She saw his eyes go dark, and his most perfect part stand up and take notice. He narrowed his eyes at her and pulled her into the shower.

"Don't think I'm not still mad." He said as he cupped her ass and pulled her up against him. Stephanie thought the groan he made when she dropped to her knees in front of him, didn't sound all that mad.

Reyes popped an eye open, and jolted fully awake, barely suppressing a terrified scream. Nikko was awake and staring at him with those crazy amber eyes. Probably wondering where Tasha was. That or he was thinking of the best way to kill him. With Nikko sometimes it was a toss-up.

Reyes wasn't sure exactly when he'd lost his edge, but somehow being asleep around Nikko didn't seem like a smart thing to do.

"Mornin'. How about some breakfast." Reyes gave Nikko his best, I can't believe I just woke up with an assassin staring at me smile.

Reyes knew it was probably wrong, but he took great satisfaction when Nikko tinged green at the suggestion of food. Reyes eyeballed him for a minute, just to make sure he wasn't actually going to puke. Reyes knew somehow it would end up being his fault, and Tasha would probably make him clean it up. Reyes had one of those sympathetic gag reflexes that he'd never quite managed to control. Another real good reason to never have kids now that he thought about it.

"Ok, then. How about just some coffee and aspirin." Reyes said.

Nikko winced a little, and mumbled something that sounded like a yes. Reyes had never seen Nikko off his game. He'd seen him shot three times, two in the vest and one in the arm, and function like exactly nothing had happened. Whatever was going on with him, was bad.

"You know, if you need to talk or anything, I'm around." Reyes couldn't believe he was offering to talk about feelings and shit, especially with Nikko, but strange times and all that. Then again, when he thought about it, that wasn't true. Reyes liked Nikko. Even if there was no Tasha, Reyes would have liked Nikko. Sure, he would have been terrified of him, but he would have liked him just the same.

Nikko was looking at him like he thought Reyes might be insane, which really seemed a little like a lawyer calling a politician dishonest, but Reyes thought it was better to just let that slide.

"Seriously man. I'm around if you need to talk. And, I have the beer drinking part of talking down to an art." Of course, Reyes figured he and Nikko probably had vastly different taste in beer. Nikko probably drank that weird European shit, or some craft beer. Come to think of it, Reyes didn't even know if Nikko drank beer. But that wasn't really the point.

Nikko smiled at him. "Thanks, I think."

Reyes shrugged. "You're Natasha's family, which means you're my family too. It's not just the two of you anymore. Whatever is going on with you, we need to get that shit fixed. You're scaring Tasha, and you're taking stupid chances. You were out with Ranger, high as a kite, and you got shot. Steph would have killed us all, if you got him hurt. Trust me, you do not want to tangle with that woman."

Reyes figured if anything could scare Nikko straight it was probably the wrath of Steph. Reyes could still remember the ass kicking he'd taken when Steph was pregnant, and Ranger had kept the fact Tasha was his ex-wife from her. Reyes still wasn't sure how that had been his fault.

Nikko grimaced at that thought. "She's going to kick my ass anyway; you know that right."

"Why's that?" Reyes asked. Reyes thought it might have something to do with the fact that Nikko had Ranger messed up in mafia business, but it turns out he was wrong. It was worse.

"Kate left me, and I'm pretty sure it was my fault." Nikko confessed.

"Pretty sure?" Reyes quirked an eyebrow at him.

"OK, it was completely my fault." Nikko rolled his eyes.

Reyes nodded. Yep, that explained a lot. "Kate's a smart woman. You may have to grovel a little, but I'm sure you can patch it up." Knowing Kate, Nikko would have to grovel a lot, but he decided now wasn't the time to clarify it. Reyes wasn't entirely sure the danger of Nikko puking had passed, and he really didn't want to take any chances.

"You know Reyes, there are a lot of things that I've done." Nikko shook his head. "Kate just deserves better."

Reyes sighed. Nikko and Tasha had the same disease. Somehow, they thought things that happened to them or things they had done to survive somehow affected their worthiness now. Reyes knew they had grown-up hard, and he had no way to really understand that, except as an outsider.

"Look Nikko, I can't even imagine what you went through or what you did. But what I can tell you, none of that matters. It doesn't matter what you've done. It matters what you do now and in the future. That's all that ever mattered to me with Tasha, and I'm pretty sure that is all that matters to Kate."

Reyes and Nikko eyed each other for a minute. Reyes figured they'd probably hit the edge of show and tell for the day.

"How about I get you that coffee." Reyes said and got up.

"Yes, coffee would be good." Nikko replied. "Reyes" he called as Reyes reached the door. Reyes stopped and turned around. "Thanks." Reyes nodded and went out.

Nikko felt a wave of nausea wash over him, so he closed his eyes and leaned back. That just resulted in the bed spins, so he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, swallowing hard.

OK, so that had been weird, and maybe a little touching. Nikko thought Reyes might actually be sincere. In fact, Reyes probably was. Nikko had never seen Reyes play games. If he liked you, he liked you. If he didn't, you'd know it.

Reyes was right about one thing. Nikko needed to get his act together. He'd put Ranger and Declan at risk last night. Declan, oh shit. Nikko couldn't actually suppress a groan. He'd brought Declan to Natasha's last night. Now that had probably gone over like a house on fire. Those two were like gasoline and matches. Nikko knew something had happened between the two of them, but he had no idea what. Neither of them ever said. All he'd known was Natasha was too young and Declan's thoughts were definitely not age appropriate. He'd done his best to keep them apart. Mainly because he didn't think Declan was a good choice for Natasha. Of course, then she'd taken up with Ranger. In hindsight, Declan might have been the better choice.

Nikko's phone chirped and he looked at it. Stephanie wanted to meet. Nikko cut his eyes to the bathroom. Maybe he should just go drown himself in the tub. That might be a better, easier choice. Instead, he got up and willed his knees not to buckle as he steadied himself and went to the bathroom to shower.

Nikko stood with his hands braced against the wall, head down letting the water wash over him. For the hundredth time, Nikko wondered how things had gotten so far off track. Mostly he figured because he was lost without Natasha. He'd always been the one to take care of her, and now she didn't need him anymore. She had Reyes, and Reyes was doing a good job of it. Probably better than Nikko had ever done. It was like Nikko's purpose was gone and he didn't know his place in the world anymore.

Nikko soaped up and rinsed off. He turned off the water. He couldn't put off seeing Stephanie forever, even though it was tempting. He could always hop on the jet and fly out. Say he was out of town. Of course, knowing Stephanie, she would just hunt him down anyway.

Nikko opened the shower door and Natasha was standing there. She handed him a towel, and he dried off, wrapping it around his waist. Natasha had a cup of coffee and a first aid kit. Nikko figured she was also here just to make sure he wasn't snorting cocaine in the bathroom, not that he could blame her.

"Arm up." She told him.

Nikko raised his arm and she inspected her handiwork from last night. She put some antibiotic cream on the wound and covered it with a bandage.

Natasha locked eyes with him. "You can just be my friend you know. Maybe let me take care of you for a change."

Nikko smiled at her. "You're a scary, witchy woman Sprite."

Natasha shrugged. "Gypsy."

Nikko pulled her in for a hug, neither of them much minded that Nikko was still wet. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I scared you last night. I give you my word, it won't happen again." Nikko whispered.

Natasha pulled back and looked up at him. "Don't shut me out again Nikko. You can talk to me about anything, you know that. Whatever it is. I just can't lose you. OK."

"I won't shut you out again." Natasha just looked at him.

"I promise." Nikko smiled. "Pinky swear?"

Natasha smile and rolled her eyes. "You're an asshole Nikko."

"I know love, but you and I both know it's one of my better traits. "

Natasha stepped back and handed him his coffee. "Get dressed. Reyes is making breakfast."

"OK" Nikko said to her retreating back. As long as it was dry toast, he was in. Nikko was way too old for this shit.

Finley cracked one eye open and then the other. The bed was comfortable, and the room was gorgeous. She definitely wasn't at home. She had a moment of panic, had she gone home with the guy from the alley? Her head seemed fuzzy, but she probably would have remembered that. For a moment, she had no idea where she was, but then it came back to her. She was at Viktor's.

She jerked up, dizziness washing over her.

"Easy" she heard a masculine voice from the corner.

She yelped as her blurry eyes swung to the corner. The cocky guard was sprawled in the chair.

Finley narrowed her eyes at him. "You were watching me sleep?" She asked incredulously.

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're a freak. You know that." She hissed.

He just smiled and stood up. He brought over a tray with a silver coffee service on it.

"Coffee?" He asked like she hadn't just yelled at him and called him a freak.

Finley eyed the coffee. It smelled heavenly, but no way was she drinking anything at Viktor's again. She was pretty sure he had drugged her last night.

She saw the guard's lip twitch up.

He poured himself a cup and put cream and sugar in it and took a drink.

"You want?" He sounded bored. Finley nodded and he poured her a cup and handed it to her.

She took a sip. It really was heavenly.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and Finley scooted her feet away from him so they wouldn't touch. There was something disconcerting and weirdly intimate about the whole thing.

"Why are you in here?" She asked him. "Don't you have something better to do, like torture small animals."

He grinned at her and actually chuckled. "No, котенок, not before noon." He shrugged. "Viktor asked me to, how do you say it?" He struggled looking for a word. "Watch over you."

"Why? Did he think he gave me too much when he drugged me last night and might have killed me?" Finley was glaring at him.

"Possible." He allowed. "But I think he didn't want you to wake up afraid."

Finley thought if that was really the case, he wouldn't have sent the serial killer with the good teeth, but she kept that to herself.

Finley really thought it must be the drugs still in her system when she watched in horror as her hand reached out and touched his forearm. "Your tattoo, what does it mean." It was the rose with the barbed wire and the dagger through it.

"It means I went to prison before I ever turned eighteen."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Finley wasn't really sure what else to say or why she was sorry. Her eyes met his, they looked soft and a little sad.

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Things are different in Russia." He shrugged.

His hand lingered, and his gaze changed. Finley was a little terrified he might kiss her, but the moment passed and he pulled back and stood up.

"Come, get dressed." The cocky smile was back. "Please."

Finley couldn't help but smile back. "What's your name?"

"Michail."

"You work for Viktor?"

Michail nodded. "Yes, I'm Viktor's cousin."

He reached down and picked up a pile of clothes and tossed them on the bed.

"I'll wait outside." He stopped at the door. "Unless you need help."

Finely glared at him and he laughed and closed the door behind him as he left.

Finley picked up the pile of clothes and took them into the bathroom. She checked to make sure her wig was still in place and gave a little sigh of relief. That whole hair behind the ear moment had rattled her.

She looked through the pile of clothes. A pair of black dress pants, a black silk t-shirt, and the tiniest pair of lace thong panties she'd ever seen. Panties only a man would pick out. They looked neither practical nor comfortable. She considered just not wearing them, but then somehow that seemed worse. She slipped them on and pulled on the slacks.

She hunted around for a bra. She sighed, no bra. She pulled on the t-shirt and looked in the mirror. She grimaced. The t-shirt was soft, silky and incredibly thin. It molded to her breasts and her nipples were clearly visible. It wasn't much better than being naked. Finley rolled her eyes. She guessed she would just have to spend most of the time with her arms crossed until she got home.

She picked up the shoes. They were quite possibly the softest leather she had ever felt. They must have cost a fortune. Everything must have cost a fortune. It was all high-end, and the really freaky part, it was all her size and fit perfectly.

She brushed her hair and moisturized her face. That was the best she could do, she took a deep breath and headed out.

Michail was in the hall waiting for her. His eyes went from her face, down her body and back up again. Unexpected heat coursed through her, and her nipples strained against the thin fabric that hid absolutely nothing. Why was she getting all hot and bothered? It must be the drugs and the teeth. Maybe she was attracted to those perfect white teeth, because there was no way in hell she could be attracted to a Petrov. Finley swallowed with an audible click and forced herself not to cross her arms, or reach out and pull his mouth to hers just to see what he tasted like.

Her reaction was not lost on Michail. Of course, how could it have been. The damn t-shirt was like a beacon advertising her slutty shame. When she met his eyes, her faced flushed hot. The way he was looking at her set her on fire.

She figured it wasn't lost on him either, that they were just feet away from a bed. She licked her lips, and she heard him make a guttural noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl.

"The clothes suit you." He finally said. "But I think I forgot one thing."

He pulled a tiny, flimsy bra out of his pocket and dangled it on his finger.

Finley heard herself gasp. She pretended it was in outrage, and not because she wanted to jump him in the hall, and drag him back into that warm, fluffy bed. She narrowed her eyes at him and yanked the bra off his finger.

"Мудак!" She snarled. Finley knew a little Russian too. Fortunately for her, all the words she knew were cuss words. She stalked off to the bathroom to put on the damn bra. His amused laughter followed her.

When she came back out, she gave him a look that just dared him to say something. He didn't. He just put his hand on her back, where it burned like fire, sending heat straight through her body as he guided her down the stairs and into the dining room. Finley made a monumental effort to ignore his hand and focus on the house. Trying to memorize details.

Viktor was seated at the table, drinking coffee and eating fruit. She'd always pictured him eating children or the tongues of his enemies for breakfast, fruit seemed like such a bland choice for a monster.

She was beyond pissed that he had drugged her last night, but she wasn't stupid enough to confront him. All she wanted, was to get out of the Petrov house alive. That was the goal.

"How did you sleep?" Viktor asked. The challenge evident in his voice.

"Surprisingly well." She smiled at him. Finely had to dig her fingernails into her palms. She could see Michail out of the corner of her eye watching her. She wondered, if Viktor ordered him to kill her, would he? Despite their little moment this morning, Finley had no doubt he would. Probably. She figured it was better not to find out.

Viktor nodded, seemingly satisfied with her response.

"Thank you for letting me borrow the clothes. I'll make sure they get back to you." Finley definitely didn't want anything from Viktor, not even clothes. She'd read that book. Things never went well when you took gifts from Satan.

Viktor waived his hand dismissively. "They are yours. The shoes, are better, yes?"

"Yes" Finley replied. They were really great shoes.

"You can wear them for your shift." If Viktor really thought she was ever going back to that restaurant, he was clearly more delusional than she had originally thought.

Viktor took her hand, and it was all she could do not to yank it away or scream. Instead, she forced herself to look him in the eye. "I am sorry about what happened to you last night." Viktor nodded to Michail.

Michail came over and placed an envelope thick with cash on the table. "For your trouble." Viktor said.

Finley looked at the envelope like it was a snake. She did not want Viktor's money. His blood money.

"I couldn't. You've already been so generous." Finley didn't quite keep the tremble out of her voice.

"I insist." Viktor was assessing her. She figured what server didn't need the extra cash. Refusing would make her seem suspicious.

"Thank you." Finley almost choked on the words.

Viktor nodded. "Eat, then Michail will take you home. I'm sorry but I have business." Viktor kissed her hand, got up and left.

Thank god. Finley wasn't sure she would have lasted even one more minute in the same room with him. The Petrov's had killed her father. While Viktor might not have been the one that pulled the trigger, it didn't matter. They were all guilty.

Finley looked around. She could see armed guards with dogs patrolling the perimeter. She'd been timing them as she sat with Viktor.

Michail placed a croissant in front of her. She just looked at it and then back to him. No way was she eating anything in this place.

His eyebrow quirked up, and he sighed. He cut the croissant in half and took a big bite. "It's not poison."

"I'm not very hungry." Finley said in her most prim voice. The effect was totally ruined when her stomach gave a loud crumble.

Michail tore off a bite and held it up to her lips. "Eat." His voice was soft and had taken on a husky quality. Finley opened her mouth and ate the croissant, mostly because she was powerless not to obey his command.

Finley did a little mental head slap. He was the enemy. She quickly grabbed the half on her plate and took another bite. She was not going to let him feed her. That had been horrifyingly erotic, with too many shades of 9 ½ weeks thrown into the mix. She was terrified, she might start licking his fingers, and nothing good could come from that, because she was pretty sure she wouldn't stop at his fingers.

When he reached out and rubbed a crumb off her bottom lip, she actually whimpered or maybe she moaned. It was hard to tell, since she was fixated on his mouth. He had a very sensual looking mouth with generous, full lips. They looked like they would be surprisingly soft and imminently kissable. She felt herself leaning forward, maybe just to check.

The door to the dining room swung open and Finley jumped back like she'd been slapped. The cook had come in to clear the table. She knew she looked guilty, but if the cook noticed, she didn't let on. Finely figured the woman had seen a lot of things in this house.

Finley sat back and took another bite of her croissant and studied the house. The croissant was surprisingly good.

Michail was assessing her. "You seem very interested in the guards." His voice startled her. Clearly, she was losing her ability to be subtle. She didn't think she had been staring.

Finley gave him her most confused expression. "No, I was just admiring the garden. It's beautiful."

He seemed to marginally relax. "You want to go for a walk?" She kind of did. It would give her a better view of the layout and the house, but Michail was already suspicious.

Finely shook her head no. "I need to get home. Get ready for work. Maybe another time."

Michail stood up and held out his hand to her. "Come, just a short one."

Finely reached out and took his hand. When she tried to tug it away, he tucked her hand around his elbow and led her into the garden. It was a beautiful garden. The security was also beautiful, but in a bad way. It was beautifully well done. Finley made sure not to study any one thing too long. Michail was a lot more than just a pretty face with good teeth. He was astute.

Formal gardens, a beautiful fountain, and pool adorned the property. Apparently being in the bratva had its perks. She wondered how many men had died for that fountain. Michail pointed out features of the garden and various plants as they walked.

After about ten minutes, he led her to the car. He smiled when she insisted that she ride up front with him. Michail dropped her off at the apartment listed on her employment application.

"I'll walk you up." He said. His tone didn't really broker much dissent, but she tried anyway.

"No, I'm fine."

"I insist." Well shit that wasn't good Finley thought. He clearly didn't trust her.

They trudged the four flights to her fake apartment in a crappy part of town that she kept as a decoy for just this purpose. He took her keys from her and opened the door. He stepped in and swept around the place. She wasn't sure what he was looking for. She doubted there would be any assassins lurking in the corner, besides maybe him.

It didn't take long. It was a studio apartment with two rooms. One living, sleeping area with a kitchenette and a bathroom. That was it. Peeling paint, buckled linoleum, and the perpetual smell of curry from the restaurant downstairs. Sadly, the smell of curry was the best thing about the place.

If he was repulsed or appalled, he didn't show it. They stared at each other for a beat. Neither exactly sure what to say or do. He handed her the envelope of cash she had purposefully forgotten.

"Buy a dress, I'll take you to dinner, yes."

No, that was the right answer. All she had to do was say no. "Yes" she heard herself say.

He smiled, and handed her a burner phone. She guessed that was the bratva equivalent of I'll call you.

He left. It took him two tries to get the door closed. It always swelled, with the humidity.

Finley flopped down on the bed. What was she thinking? It was a way to get intel that was all. That's why she had said yes. At least that was the story she was going with. She realized she was laying on the bed and quickly jumped up with a yelp. Who knew what was on that filthy mattress? She just hoped she didn't get cooties.

She looked out the window. The car was gone, but she figured she would change out of her wig and contacts, and go down the fire escape just to be safe. She was also definitely ditching the clothes and shoes Viktor had given her. She needed to meet with Stephanie. Figure out the next move. She had a bad feeling she would also be reporting to her shift at the restaurant tonight. At least she had good shoes. There was that.

A/N: Thank you to everyone that left a review or sent a PM with encouragement. It was greatly appreciated.

Мудак or Mudak = Asshole (in case you didn't already guess that one!)

котенок or kotenok = Kitten