of our businesses. There is little update on the Albanian front. No further attacks from Brahim and his crew, no further leads. Nothing to do but wait for now.
The rest of the business is painfully dull, and I’d much rather not deal with this tonight, given that I can’t shake Victoria from my mind. I made a show of proving that she isn’t a distraction, yet here she is again, keeping me from putting all my attention into business.
Across the table, Timofei watches me carefully. “Matvei, has the girl revealed any more information about the vigilante? She’s been staying with you for quite some time now.”
“She has,” I agree. “But as of yet, there’s been nothing new.”
Timofei nods, then glances at the others in the room. “Get out,” he orders. “The boss and I need to talk in private.” This is news to me, but when the others look to me to make sure it’s what I want, I nod. I watch silently as they file out of the room.
When we’re alone, Timofei clears his throat. “Can I be frank, sir?”
My guard goes up immediately, but I nod nonetheless. “You may.”
“You may not want to hear this, sir, but some of the men feel as though you’ve been distracted by Victoria. And I don’t blame you. You don’t keep women around, and now suddenly she’s here every night? Any man would be tempted by a woman that looks like that.”
Irritation throbs in my head, and I take a slow breath. “You feel like I’m distracted?” My tone is careful, menacing.
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you the only one?”
“No,” he says bluntly. “A few other of the men are talking about it as well.”
My conversation with Victoria flashes in my mind. She’s valuable until she isn’t, and she would do well to always stay valuable to me. But my situation is not so different from hers. Just like her, I’m only the one in charge so long as I have something to offer.
I imagine, briefly, asserting my dominance over my men right now. Acting in violence, just as I did with Victoria and her father. That’s how these men have always stayed in line, and it would feel just as satisfying to wipe every bit of doubt from their minds and leave them shaking in fear.
But maybe he’s right. Maybe I have been getting distracted, even worse than before.
Victoria has that effect on me, always pulling me in with the way she smells and the curves of her body …
“Matvei,” Timofei interrupts. “If I see that you’ve become too lost with this woman, I won’t have any other choice but to handle her. It would be disloyal to the Bratva to do anything else.”
My left eye twitches, and I fight to keep my composure. This is what I’ve hired Timofei to do. His threat is for the greater good of this brotherhood, and that’s the only reason I don’t put the barrel of my gun between his lips and pull the trigger.
“That woman is my responsibility. You will not touch her. Is that clear?”
Through gritted teeth, Timofei says, “Crystal.”
“Tell the others I’m done talking to them. We’ll meet later in the week.”
He stands and walks through the door in silence. It isn’t until a few minutes later that my anger subsides, and I can think rationally. I’m in control, and I don’t need anyone, not even my second-in-command, to help me deal with Victoria.
But the tiny, doubtful voice in my head wonders if I’m actually in control, or if everything I’ve worked for is starting to slip through my fingers.
15
Victoria
Over the past week, I haven’t seen Matvei more than twice. I’d like to keep it that way. He’s an evil man; if I never have to be around him again, it’ll still be too soon. I can’t sleep at night without having nightmares of how that morning in the safe room could’ve played out differently. I could’ve been forced to watch as Dad’s head was blown off, and Matvei wouldn’t have flinched at all.
And he came in with pizza in hand, as if that would make up for everything he’s done to me and my family.
I’m a fool for thinking there was anything but evil inside of him, and I kick myself for ever giving him the benefit of the doubt. Lesson learned. He’s in charge. He’s not my friend, he’s my boss—well, captor—and I’d do well to remember that.
When I wake up in the morning, I take a long shower, turning the water