Mafia Boss's Fearless Lover (The Karzhov Crime Family series Book 1) (6 page)

Katya remained quiet a long time before she asked, “Where are we going?”

“The lake house. You and I need to talk and I don’t want to worry about being disturbed.”

“You’re angry with me.”

Nikolai nodded. “By leaving the hotel without Vanya, you placed yourself in danger. When you ignored Mickey’s request for the girls to leave, you placed yourself in danger once again. From this point forward, you have to think before you act. Once news of your identity circulates, you will have a target on your back. Just like mine. There will be multitudes of people wanting to get close to you. Some of them will honestly want to become your friend. But others will want to harm you and all you stand for. Those people will include the authorities and the government.”

Nikolai watched as the lake came into view, “We’ll finish this discussion once we arrive. Tell me what you learned about your other family members from your mother’s journals.”

“Well, she mentioned lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, and a few grandparents. There was a picture of me on my third birthday party, surrounded by people.”

“That would have been taken in Florida. Did your mother talk about other family members on her side?”

Katya shook her head.

The driver parked the car in the courtyard of the lake house and then opened the door. Katya glanced out the window and then smiled in surprise. The lake house was situated on a slight rise above the lake, with a wrap-around, screened porch, green shutters on the white clapboard siding, a green metal roof, and a small red-brick chimney off to one side.
I wonder how often that gets used? We’re in the middle of the desert, after all.

The yard around the house had been well-taken care of, with roses in full bloom providing a stark contrast to the barren landscape they’d just driven through. The lake provided a small oasis in the middle of the desert!

Nikolai stepped from the car, taking Katya’s hand as she too climbed out. Without saying a word, Nikolai led her inside the house, not releasing the hand he still held.

Katya hurriedly looked at her surroundings as they traipsed through the house. There was a corner fireplace, very comfortable looking furniture, sitting upon plush rugs protecting the hardwood floor beneath, and over-sized fans installed in the ceilings. The large windows had been opened to let the cooler breeze coming off the water inside the house.

There were fishing poles stacked in a wicker basket to one side of the fireplace, and a coat tree held a variety of jackets and raincoats. A small writing desk stood to the right of the fireplace, providing anyone sitting there a visual of the lake and sandy mountains beyond. Several side tables with lamps were scattered near the other furniture, giving the room a homey feeling.

The kitchen was state-of-the-art and out of place in the rustic surroundings. Done in white-on-white tile and cabinetry, the stainless steel appliances seemed stark as they stood out against the warm surroundings .

She wanted to ask questions about their location, but Nikolai hadn’t said a word since they’d entered the house. Instead, he had pulled her through the building, all the way to the back. She took one last glance around the kitchen, as he pulled her through an open doorway, and straight out onto the enclosed porch.

“Would you like something to drink?”

Katya shook her head, seating herself in one of the wicker rocking chairs. She pushed with her feet, the gentle rocking motion calming her nerves. “My mother talked about her father a lot, but I couldn’t tell if he was still living, or dead.”

“He’s dead. He had a stroke three years ago and died shortly after.”

“Did you know him?”

Nikolai seated himself in the seat across from her. “Yes. He was a very determined man, and one that cared deeply for those who were loyal to him. Hearing that your mother had switched her allegiance shortly after her marriage changed him irrevocably.”

Katya was confused. “My mother wrote in her journal how sad she’d been when her family disowned her and refused to work with her husband’s organization. I don’t think she ever gave up hope that there would be reconciliation sometime during her life.”

Nikolai looked thoughtful. “Kat, where are your mother’s journals now?”

“Here, in my backpack. I was afraid to leave them in my hotel room, so I took them with me before I headed to Zora’s yesterday for my interview.”

“May I see them?” Nikolai asked, needing to see for himself what information Karina Osin had been operating under. Someone had weaved a very elaborate web of lies, going back almost twenty-five years, and those lies needed to be fleshed out if Katya was to assume her rightful place within the organizations.

Katya removed the small stack of journals and handed them to Nikolai. He set them on the side table and then stood, pulling Katya from her chair and leading her back through the house to the master bathroom. Without saying a word, he started water running in the tub and then smiled at her.

Katya watched quietly as he moved around the spacious bathroom gathering towels, adding bath salts to the water, and pulling a fluffy white robe from behind the door. Shutting the water off, he handed her a hair tie and then tapped her on the nose.

“Take a bath and relax. I’m going to go read through your mother’s journals. When I finish, we’ll talk about the future.”

“I could read them with you,” she offered, feeling like she was being dismissed.

“Katya, based upon what you’ve said, there is a much bigger problem at hand than I originally thought. I appreciate your offer, but I need to put everything into perspective before any other decisions are made.”

Nikolai’s cell phone rang as he headed out of the bathroom.

“Nik, where is my niece?”

Nikolai stopped and looked at Katya, raising his eyebrow and whispering, “It’s your uncle. Do you want to speak to him?”

Katya nodded her head, watching as Nikolai put the call on speakerphone. “This is Katya.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m with Nikolai. Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there’s a problem. Jewel tells me you showed up at the club again today. I told you to stay away from that place.”

“And I chose not to take your advice.” Katya was becoming irritated but tried to remain calm.

“It wasn’t advice, girl. It was an order!”

“And I told you last night, I don’t take
orders
from you. I hardly know you.”

“You don’t need to know me. I’m your uncle and you’ll do what I say or else.”

“Or else what?” Katya challenged. She was aware of Nikolai’s growing anger and wondered if she should warn her uncle they were on speakerphone.

“Katya, you don’t know how things work around her, so I’m going to give you a quick rundown. Listen up, because I won’t go over it again. You are a female, a nobody in my world. I’m not sure what your mother wrote in her journals, but I can assure you most of it was made up and only written to help justify her deplorable behavior so many years ago. She abandoned her family, choosing drugs, alcohol, and money over her own blood.”

“That’s not true!” Katya yelled, furious that he would malign her mother’s memory with such horrible lies. “You know that’s not true. My mother abhorred alcohol and drugs, as did my father. And as for money, I watched both of my parents work menial jobs their entire lives so that I could have a few luxuries as I grew up. Don’t you dare talk to me about drugs, alcohol, and money. Don’t assume my mother had your vices, because I assure you she did not!”

Katya was irate and sat down on the edge of the tub to calm the shaking in her limbs. She couldn’t believe the man on the phone was related to her mother—a kind, gentle, loving person.

“Grow up, little girl, your mother showed you what she wanted you to see. You forget I grew up with her. She was a conniving, underhanded, sneaky little girl, and as she got older her character flaws grew out of control.”

Katya was so angry she couldn’t even respond to his latest character assassination of her mother. Nikolai watched Katya draw into herself and decided Danil had caused enough damage for the day.

“Danil, is there a problem?”

“Where is Katya? Put her back on the phone.”

“I’m afraid that is not possible. Whatever you said to her has upset her considerably.”

“Just sharing with her a few truths about her dear mother. The girl seems to think her mother was a saint. Well, I remember delivering the message about her betrayal to her father, and it nearly destroyed him.”

“You delivered the news? How did you get it?”

“A messenger showed up at the house. I was simply repeating what I’d been told.”

Nikolai was starting to put the pieces together, and what he was coming up with sickened him. “I’ll talk to her. We will be out of the city for the next two days. If you need anything, go through Vanya first and he will get word to me.”

“Two days? Nik, we need to talk about things before Grigori arrives.”

“Don’t worry about Grigori. We’ll talk when I get back into the city.”

“Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you. We really don’t want to let any grass grow under this thing. Now that the men responsible for my sister’s death have been taken care of, we need to start planning our next move.”

Nikolai firmed his jaw when he saw Katya watching him with curious eyes. He debated about taking the phone off speaker, but any damage had already been done. He knew he was going to have to answer questions about how he was dealing with his second-in-command, but he hoped she would give him a small breather first.

Danil had set his own sister up. The reality was almost too crazy to have any merit, but all of the signs were there. Now he just needed to figure out how to proceed.

Katya closed her eyes, starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together and not liking what picture was beginning to form. When Nik said her name softly, she opened her eyes and looked at him, “He’s the reason my mother lost her family, isn’t he?”

“I think so. His mother and your grandfather were twins and virtually inseparable as they grew up. When their father, your great-grandfather, Viktor Karzhov died, he left clear instructions that his daughter was to enjoy the fruits of the organization’s labors, but not to dirty her hands.

“That model became the status quo for our wives, sisters, and daughters over the next fifty years. Your grandfather made sure his twin was provided for, including finding her the husband of her choice and allowing her to pursue noble causes around the city.”

“Noble causes?” Katya asked, wishing she’d been able to meet her aunt while she was alive.

“Charity work. Tasha Karzhov did more for the homeless, hospitals, and shelters than anyone else had done before her. She truly cared for the less fortunate and justified the organization’s dubious business dealings by giving a portion of the profits to the needy.”

“She sounds like a remarkable woman. I wish I could have met her. What about my grandfather?”

“He was a tough sell. Very decisive and a born leader. He always spoke his mind. Always. Alexei Karzhov picked up the reins after his father’s death and took the organization far beyond anything his forefathers could have dreamed up.”

“I guess I still don’t see what Danil hoped to gain by discrediting his own sister. And, how was my mother his sister, if his mother was my grandfather’s twin?” Katya shook her head, trying to piece everything together and failing miserably. God, this family gave a whole new meaning to the word dysfunctional.

Nikolai laughed and then explained, “Tasha married Mishka Yakimov three years after her father’s death. She involved herself in her charity work, while her husband took care of the organization’s business as enforcer. When Danil was two-years old, Mishka and Tasha were killed while on a boating excursion.”

“An accident?” Katya asked, her arms wrapped tightly around herself at the realization that her only remaining family was the man responsible for her parents’ death.

“No. They were the victims of a turf war between the Russian mafia and a group of Japanese Yakuza trying to set up shop in the US. That war is still well underway — for future knowledge.”

Nikolai paused to let her absorb this new information. He hoped she was beginning to see how complicated things were. When she didn’t immediately ask more questions, he went on to explain how her cousin was now considered her uncle.

“At that point, Alexei had recently married and legally adopted Danil, however, he did not take his last name. Alexei wanted to honor the memory of his father by allowing Danil to carry the name on through his progeny. Unfortunately, Danil is a hard man and never married or had children. At the age of fifty-one that fact is unlikely to change.”

“So, Danil’s really my second cousin?” Katya asked.

“Technically speaking, but with Alexei Karzhov formally adopting him, he is viewed as your uncle.”

“So, he was hoping to gain control of the organization by getting my mother out of the way?” she asked as the pieces of a very large puzzle were slowly sliding into place.

“I’m sure that was his original intent. More than likely, he never expected your grandfather to live so long.”

“Not to be rude, but where do you fit into all of this?” Katya asked, toying with the belt on the robe in her lap, as she mentally tried to fit everything into a neat little package labeled –
‘My Mafia Family!’

“Alexei married my mother’s sister, Faina Tsarsko. Their father was the pakhan of the organization here in Las Vegas. With no male offspring, he pushed for the marriage to unite the two organizations, a move that was vital at the time for bolstering our strengths against the Yakuza trying to take our territory.”

“But wouldn’t Danil have been the next in line to take over as pakhan?” Katya asked.

“No. If capable, a pakhan can appoint anyone to succeed him, as long as he is strong enough to hold the organization together. Alexei appointed me to that position, with Danil acting as my second-in-command. A fact that I thought was fine with Danil, but with this new information, many things are beginning to look suspicious.”

Katya tried to hide a yawn behind her hand.

“You are tired,” Nikolai said softly.

“A bit. Stress does that to me.”

Nikolai walked over and took the robe from her hands and set it on the countertop. Then he pulled Kat to her feet. “Get out of your clothes and I’ll warm the water up. You are going to take a bath while I go confirm a few things with your mother’s journals.”

Nikolai started the bath water once again, turning the knob to hot and swirling the water around with his hand. He could hear the rustling of clothing behind him, but he was totally unprepared for the impact seeing her naked would have on his senses.