Chapter Five

Stephanie climbed out of the limo and forced herself not to flinch away when Alexi took her by the upper arm again, half dragging her towards the house. Why he felt compelled to haul her up the front stairs was a mystery. It wasn't like there was anywhere to go.

An impeccably dressed older man met Stephanie and Alexi at the door. He didn't even bother to spare a glance at Stephanie.

"Your call, sir." He said to Alexi.

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Alexi turned to Stephanie. "Get yourself a drink and some X." He gestured towards a set of doors to their right. "You'll be partying for a while. Lots of people for you to meet."

Stephanie assumed he thought he was being clever. Drugged and passed around was hardly a party, but she bit back her reply. "Sure." She smiled at him and prayed he didn't notice she wanted to punch him in the face. He let go of her arm and followed the older man down the hall.

The entryway of the house was all dark, gleaming wood paired with cream-colored walls. A thick carpet blanketed the hall and muffled their footsteps. It might have been a beautiful home in a masculine sort of way if it hadn't been paid for in blood, betrayal, and despair.

Stephanie's gazed followed Alexi's progress down the hall. The older man opened the door and Stephanie glimpsed the men inside.

The first one had his back to her. He had long, dark hair that brushed the tops of his shoulders. Even from where she was standing, it looked silky and very touchable. Stephanie had no doubt that would be about like petting a tiger. His broad shoulders and powerful back tapered into a V, snaking down to his trim hips. He was big, and he was tall. He was dressed in a dark suit and looked like a proper and polished businessman, except for that shoulder length mane of dark hair. A dead giveaway just how untamed and dangerous he really was. Well, that and the fact he was hanging out with known criminals. The slight bulge in his jacket suggested he was armed and well equipped for this life. She wondered who he was. There was an air about him. He was a man that was used to being in charge and getting what he wanted.

As Alexi entered the room, her gaze lit on another man. She stood transfixed. Tall, lean with sandy blond hair that was a tad too long, and just a little unruly. He reminded her so much of Gabriel. When he turned and she caught sight of his profile, her heart stuttered around in her chest. God, he even looked so much like Gabriel he could have been a doppelganger.

Gabriel was dead, she reminded herself. As much as she wished he wasn't, he was. She'd watched in horror as the man executed him on that filthy floor. She'd begged for his life and the man had just laughed and pulled the trigger anyway. The video feed had cut out, and that was the end of that. Gabriel's burned and broken body was recovered a few days later. Barely enough of him remained for DNA identification. Stephanie's stomach heaved. If she didn't get it together, she'd be the next burned body someone found.

Ghosts were everywhere in this city and being here was messing with her head. She would be glad when this job was over. Her mind was seeing things that just weren't there and it put her on edge and made her question her own instincts and sanity.

Stephanie realized a large man with a bald head and no neck was watching her intently. Arms crossed over his chest as he stood guard outside the door. Focus, she thought or she would get killed before she ever made it out of the entry way. This man was not stupid, she could tell. He also didn't look like one of Alexi's thugs. He looked well-trained and observant.

Stephanie reached up and twirled the end of her hair anxiously, crossing her legs and giving a little squeeze and giggled. "Powder room?" She twittered.

A look that could best be described as disdain and possibly even disgust flashed across his face. No doubt he was wondering how someone with so few brain cells could actually exist. He pointed wordlessly down the hall, and Stephanie made her escape, sparing one last glance towards the door as it closed, blocking everything from view.

At least Nikko's plan seemed to be working. She had no doubt that was the phone call that Alexi was expecting. It was clear the power players were all in that room. What she wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall.

Stephanie found the powder room and closed the door, relishing the moment of quiet to get ahold of her racing thoughts. She barely recognized the woman in the mirror. Between the straightened hair, the heavy make-up and the slightly shellshocked expression she didn't know who that woman was. All she knew is she needed to get it together, get that phone cloned, and get the hell out of this house and this city. Her sanity was riding on it.

Her thoughts strayed to Ranger, and warmth spread through her. She was nervous, but looking forward to seeing him. A somewhat foreign feeling. It had been a long time since she had missed someone as much as she missed him. She wondered if he felt the same. Did he think about her? Did he miss her? Or had he just gotten on with his life the minute the plane went wheels up.

Stephanie made her way back down the hall to the heavy double doors Alexi had gestured towards. She took a deep breath and pushed through them. A guard stepped forward and blocked her entry.

He gestured to put her arms up, and he proceeded to run a wand over her. Nothing squeaked or beeped. Stephanie kept a bored and somewhat annoyed expression. He took one look at her dress, and motioned her on in. She figured even he knew; it was impossible to hide anything with this dress.

She made her way to the bar and got a coke. She watched the bartender open and pour the dark, fizzy liquid from the can. Stephanie wasn't taking any chances that he would slip something into her drink. The last thing she needed was to be high and at Alexi's mercy. Even though she had refused to admit it, Luca had been right. She was here alone and vulnerable. Anything could go wrong. The only weapon she had was her wits, and she planned to keep them.

Stephanie's gaze scanned the room. A few men milled around, some smoking, a few playing billiards. A couple of women worked the room. Their expressions vacant and hard. Whatever this party, it was an exclusive affair. Stephanie figured twenty guests tops.

No one paid her much attention. A few lingering glances from the men, and some assessing glances from the women sizing up the competition. Stephanie pushed through the doors and out onto the balcony, familiarizing herself with the layout of the house.

The cool night air washed over her and she took a couple of cleansing breaths as she noted her surroundings and the pattern of the guards. At least one guard had a dog, which complicated things.

Stephanie heard a noise behind her and turned to see Alexi and another man approaching. It was the same man she had glimpsed in the study. The one with the mane of long, dark hair. Stephanie studied him with open curiosity, the lighting from the house illuminated his face. His features were strong but balanced, and he was sporting just more than a five o'clock shadow along his sculpted jaw. He was attractive, but everything about him was hard. From his eyes to the grim set of his mouth, he seemed like a man that had seen too much as he clawed his way to the top. Violence and tragedy were etched on his face. Still, he radiated strength and power. There was no question, he was undomesticated and ruthless. Between him and Alexi, he was the far bigger threat. Stephanie worked to keep her flight response in check as he stalked towards her. With each step she felt more and more like a cornered animal. Her body buzzed with awareness and adrenaline.

Alexi dropped the pretext of being a suitable host and grabbed Stephanie's arm, yanking her towards them. Stephanie stumbled but managed not to twist her ankle in those ridiculous shoes. She wanted to knee him in the balls, and she worked to keep the hatred off her face. Alexi might not notice, but his companion would. Men like Alexi were swine. Their power came from hurting and degrading others, and they took great pleasure in doing so.

She saw something flash across the man's face and every nerve in her body went on high alert. His eyes travelled over her in a lazy stroll taking in everything about her. The intensity of his gaze unnerved her and fear fluttered at the base of her throat. He had looked right through her and had easily guessed her secrets, of that, she was sure.

"You have good taste." The man told Alexi; his eyes never left her face.

He was watching her with keen interest. Stephanie's mouth went dry and she swallowed past the lump in her throat. She didn't even have to fake the blank look on her face. The crawling panic took care of that.

Alexi looked like a preening peacock at the praise. "This is Candy's first party."

Stephanie assumed that was code for something. Probably fresh meat, that he was baiting the tiger with.

"Is it now." The man's voice was silky, but it raked over her raw nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

The man took a step towards her and his gaze shifted from assessment to predatory in a flash. A whimper bubbled in her throat. Stephanie had been prepared to deal with Alexi, this man was on a different playing field. Icy fear raced through her veins. It was entirely possible she was out of her league. Stephanie hoped Nikko's inside guy didn't let her down, because it was becoming crystal clear things were about to go off the rail in spectacular fashion.

Stephanie watched transfixed as the man ran a finger down her throat. The look on his face didn't match his actions. He was disinterested and bored, touching her seemed perfunctory. His fingers were warm and rough but his touch was gentle, as he traced the swell of her breast and dipped further into the hollow between her breasts, circling the pendant. Stephanie held her breath and remained statue still, terrified if she flinched it would trigger his instincts.

He murmured to himself as his fingers continued their exploration, skimming across her skin featherlight. She was pretty sure he had said little fox in Russian. The man leaned in and inhaled deeply, drawing in her smell like a predator scenting its prey. Fear flashed through her, and she couldn't suppress the whimper that escaped her lips when he leaned in and licked her like an animal. Running his tongue from the base of her neck all the way to the shell of her ear.

Stephanie trembled, and the man laughed. "I like this one." He said as he wrapped his hand around her throat. He could feel the flutter of her pulse, and he knew she recognized the dominance and the threat in his gesture.

Alexi shifted nervously. "There are many options tonight."

From the whine in his voice, it was clear he was trying to divert the man's attention from Stephanie to some other poor woman. The fact Alexi wanted her for himself didn't surprise her, in fact she'd been counting on it.

The man swung his gaze to Alexi and the dark, hard look that passed across his face terrified Stephanie. If his hand hadn't, been wrapped around her neck, she would have taken a step back.

Alexi might be a pig, but he wasn't an idiot. Alexi held up his hands, backing away from Stephanie. "Anything for you brother."

"Do we have confirmation?" The man barked at Alexi.

Alexi shook his head. "No, not yet." Alexi stammered.

The man gave a dismissive wave. "Then go find out. You know I don't like to be kept waiting."

Alexi pulled out a rose gold iPhone. That was it, that was the target phone. Anticipation skittered through Stephanie.

"Of course, Michail. I'll go check now." Alexi confirmed.

Stephanie registered the name, fear temporarily paralyzed her. Oh shit. She was about a hundred percent sure it was Michail Petrov, the head of the Russian bratva, that had her by the throat. This night had just gone from bad to deadly.

Michail turned back to Stephanie effectively dismissing Alexi. His hand dropped to his side and Stephanie couldn't stop herself. She took a step back. Michail advanced on her, his eyes stalking her every movement. Stephanie took another step back until she pressed against the wall, with nowhere else to go. The smooth, cold stone pressed against her bare back, and she shivered at the contact. Stephanie thought it was entirely possible she might faint. Adrenaline surged through her, robbing her of rational thought and coordination. Her muscles were weak and her breath came in little pants.

Stephanie forced herself to breathe deeply and control her response. Panic was never your friend. She needed to think, her life depended on it. Stephanie was trained to handle a lot of things, tangling with Michail Petrov was not one of the them. He was smart and he was ruthless. Michail had a head for business and the stomach for violence. His rise through the ranks was the kind of legend that struck fear in hardened men, and the thing of nightmares. This night had taken a decidedly dark turn.

Michail put one hand on the wall beside her head caging her and the other palmed the back of her thigh pulling her leg up as he pressed into her. She briefly registered he'd angled his body away from her so she was pressed against his hip, not his groin. Confusion washed over her. That had not been an accident. His touch was entirely impersonal, and he had that same bored look about him. To an outside observer, it would appear they were locked in a carnal embrace, but in reality, he was barely touching her.

He leaned down and nuzzled close to her ear.

"Relax firefly. Nikko sent me." Stephanie's fear addled brain chugged to life.

Nikko's man on the inside was the head of the Russian bratva? This night had just gone from terrifying to surreal.

"What?" She stammered as she shifted against him. His hand tightened on the back of her thigh.

"Calm down." His gaze met hers, no doubt trying to decide if she was going to scream or faint. Normally the phrase calm down spoken by a man just set Stephanie off, but in this case, he might have a point. Her heart was hammering painfully in her chest, and she knew he could see her pulse pounding wildly at the base of her neck.

Michail's eyes were brown with little flecks of gold laced throughout that warmed them, and gave them depth. They might have been beautiful if they weren't so remote. She searched his eyes for answers but they told her nothing. She saw a restlessness in them that suggested maybe all that control was tenuous. She had no doubt, those eyes could snap with anger, desire, and focus.

"Don't worry. You are definitely not my type." He said dryly. His tone conveyed the fact he'd rather bash himself in the head than touch her.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes. She was actually offended by that. "What? Too robust for you." She hissed. Stephanie had just about hit her limit for the night of being ogled, judged, and pawed.

He gave her a bored eye roll. "Something like that."

His eyes continued to assess her, and Stephanie forced herself not to squirm and relax in his grip.

"Tell me what you need, besides an exit." Michail urged.

"Two minutes close to Alexi to clone his phone."

"How close?"

"Very."

Michail sighed like he couldn't believe his life had devolved into this. Stephanie could relate, but at least Michail wasn't the one having his ass grabbed. She decided not to push her luck and point that out.

His lip curled back ever so slightly. "OK, but there is only so much I can do to keep his hands off of you."

Stephanie studied his face. He looked pained. Michail was serious. Stephanie was a little touched.

"I know, and thank you."

"I'm probably going to have to touch you." He warned her.

She wondered exactly what that meant, since his thigh was between her legs and his hand was on her ass. His tone clearly conveyed that was going to be a monumental inconvenience as far as he was concerned. Stephanie shifted again. She could feel the hardness of his body, his heat, the soft fabric of his pants sliding against the delicate flesh of her inner thigh. Yeah, if this didn't count as touching, she was a little afraid what would.

"You don't have to act so put off by the whole deal." Stephanie snapped.

Irritation rolled through her. She'd gone from terrified to pissed in the space of sixty-seconds. Satan's little helper was trying her patience, and plucking her very last nerve.

A ghost of a smile played across his lips. "You're right little fox. Where are my manners."

Stephanie gave him a Jersey worthy eye roll.

"Tell Nikko, we're even." He growled against her neck. "Get ready, here comes Alexi."

Stephanie had no idea how he knew that; his back was to the door. The man must have the hearing of a bat or eyes in the back of his head. Of course, when you were the head of the bratva, those things probably came in handy.

Michail turned and pulled her in front of him. His hands splayed across her ribs, his fingers resting just under her breasts, and his body skimming hers.

"No word yet." Alexi told Michail. "But I am sure we will know soon."

Michail just grunted and nudged Stephanie forward.

"No matter." He said breezily. "I am sure this little fox can keep us entertained while we wait."

Here went nothing. Stephanie reached up and grabbed the pendant like she was nervously fingering it as she watched satisfaction cross Alexi's face. His little rat eyes gleaming at the prospect. Not only was Stephanie on the menu, but being invited to participate with Michail was probably the real prize. Alexi thought he'd just made it into the inner circle. What he didn't realize, it was more like the inner circle of hell that he'd just stumbled upon.

Michail's hand fisted in her hair tilting her head back, exposing her neck. Stephanie reached behind her and wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down and grazed his teeth along her shoulder. She gave a porn worthy moan. Alexi seemed to be enjoying the show, oblivious to the fact that his security had been breached. Stephanie had no doubt Nikko would own Alexi after tonight. As far as she was concerned, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Alexi's life expectancy had just plunged to months if not weeks.

Alexi stepped forward intent on joining in. She knew Michail had caught that fact, when he turned her around to face him and pulled her up against him, wrapping his body around her, blocking Alexi. Michail was doing a pretty good job of keeping Alexi's octopus like hands away from her, but the seconds were ticking by at the pace of cold molasses.

Stephanie's head was tilted back and Michail was making a show of kissing and nipping along her neck. Alexi made a little noise of impatience, and pushed up against her. She could feel him hard against her backside and she actually gagged before she managed to swallow down the bile. She saw Michail's gaze flicker to hers, and she would have sworn she saw concern. Just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Stephanie thought she must have imagined it. He probably just didn't want his ten-thousand-dollar Brioni suit puked on. Not that she could say she blamed him.

As Alexi ground up against her, the reason Alexi paid for women was becoming increasingly clear. There was nothing impressive about him.

Michail's hands slid down and cupped her ass, giving her a boost up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, effectively cutting off contact with Alexi, except for his meaty paw on her bare back. From the feel of Michail's body against hers, Michail seemed to be enjoying the experience about as much as getting a root canal. She would have sworn she saw him look at his watch. Apparently Michail was counting the seconds too.

Michail's warm hand snaked up her spine and he stroked the bare skin of her back, making lazy circles. His sheer strength was not lost on her. He was holding her up with one hand and stroking her back with the other. She was glad they were allies, at least for tonight. The roughness of his fingertips contrasted with the gentleness of his touch. He displaced Alexi's hand and erased the feel of Alexi's pawing with the soft luxurious strokes. She momentarily forgot she was clinging to Michail Petrov like a spider monkey, and a little sigh of thanks escaped. She locked eyes with Michail, and the air around them shifted. Suddenly Stephanie was acutely aware she was wrapped around him, and she was pretty sure he had honed in on that fact too.

"Kiss me little fox." He half-whispered, half growled.

Stephanie's head dipped down and Michail kissed her. It was pleasant enough for what it was. His lips were soft and inviting. For a mob guy, he was a surprisingly good kisser. He teased her lips apart and pushed inside her mouth with gentle but insistent pressure. His tongue slid along her bottom lip, nipping then soothing. Stephanie let out another little breathy moan, except this time she wasn't entirely sure it was all an act. Michail delved back into her mouth, their tongues meeting again. He tasted like whiskey and kindness. The combination startled Stephanie and befuddled her senses. She couldn't get a read on Michail and it was disconcerting.

Stephanie vaguely registered the dink of a phone, it sounded like it came from a great distance as her focus was lost. Michail pulled back from her. She saw his nostrils flare and confusion flash across his face. He locked eyes with her for a beat and Stephanie realized they were both breathing hard. Embarrassment flushed across her cheeks, and she broke eye contact when she saw the corner of his mouth tip up.

He leaned forward and tugged her earlobe between his teeth and then whispered against the shell of her ear. "That wasn't such a bad way to spend two minutes, now was it little fox."

Stephanie gave him her best bland look. "Don't worry Michail, you're not really my type." She murmured in a low voice. Alexi had moved away and was pacing and texting.

Michail smiled at her. A full-on grin. The man had some seriously good teeth and looked ridiculously handsome when he smiled.

"A little too robust for you?" Came his cocky reply.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, even though she really wanted to smile. "Yeah, something like that."

His brow quirked up and laughter danced in his eyes. Stephanie had been right, they were beautiful. "You can tell Nikko, I would have done this one for free."

Stephanie realized her legs were still wrapped around his waist and she was clinging to him like a life line. Stephanie unhooked her legs, and Michail slid her down. His arm remained around her, anchoring her to him. She was supremely grateful he was holding her up. Her legs were a little shaky as the rest of the adrenaline flushed through her system. It had been a crazy rollercoaster ride from the minute she'd stepped through the front door.

Alexi turned to Michail. "It is confirmed." He announced.

Stephanie could see Alexi's body sag from relief. She knew the feeling. The text told Stephanie the phone had been successfully cloned. Stephanie felt almost giddy.

Now all she had to do was get out of Alexi's house, preferably alive.

Stephanie suddenly felt Michail stiffen next to her. His whole body going taut and on alert. Stephanie looked up and followed his gaze. A little gasp escaped her lips before she could rein it in. Oh sweet baby Jesus. That couldn't be good.