Free Russian Mobster's Obsession by Bella Rose Page A

Karkoff. I want your flunkies to leave me alone. I have no time for their idiotic antics, and I can’t afford to keep fixing doors just because they break them down.”
    At least Karkoff looked amused. He nodded to Viktor. “Your friend is certainly the bossy type. As I understand it, my man Nicolai has burns on his face from her wrath.”
    “I warned Sasha about trying to boss her around.” Viktor was obviously trying to be conversational, which was good. There was no need to poke the bear, so to speak. “But Sasha likes to do things his own way.”
    “Which seems to be a problem for your friend.” Karkoff was staring at Katie and it made her horribly uncomfortable. What was this guy’s problem?
    Then Karkoff cleared his throat and gave Viktor a very pointed look. “I did not have much luck speaking sense to Ms. McClellan, Viktor.”
    “Is that so?” Viktor’s glance strayed toward Katie, but didn’t focus on her.
    Katie held her breath, tangling her fingers in Max’s fur for comfort. Then Karkoff went for the jugular.
    “You are an important part of our organization, Viktor.” Karkoff’s lofty tone said it all. “This woman is a distraction of the worst kind.”
    “And yet your men are allowed to have relationships, marry, and have children,” Viktor pointed out.
    “Within the family,” Karkoff allowed.
    Viktor stared at the ground. Katie wished she could tell what he was thinking. He looked so serious. Then he lifted his gaze to Karkoff. “You have made no secret of the fact that I do not have the pedigree or the connections to be accepted as family.”
    “You are a valuable asset to us as you are,” Karkoff stressed.
    Viktor’s low laugh was eerie to hear. “But I’m alone, sir. And if you have it your way, I will always be alone.”
    “You are safer that way,” Karkoff argued.
    Viktor shrugged. “Perhaps I would rather be happy than safe.”
    Katie’s stomach knotted as she realized what was happening. She was watching the rift open. A part of her was glad, because this meant that Viktor could be his own man. But he was also going to be perceived as a threat whether he was or not. And that meant danger for them all.
    Viktor seemed to be done talking. He held up the gun he was carrying to show Karkoff. “This is Denis’s. Please see that he gets it back.”
    Then Viktor took Katie’s hand and walked away from Boris Karkoff and whatever it was he was offering without looking back. The back of Katie’s neck burned as she anticipated some sort of retribution. But nothing happened. Viktor, Katie, and Max exited Karkoff’s home with no interference.
    * * *
    Viktor reached down and took Katie’s hand. They were perhaps eight blocks from her house and that was his goal. The only thing that mattered was getting her home safe.
    “You would rather be happy than safe?” Katie whispered. “Really? Do you think that was a good idea?”
    “Do I think what was a good idea?” Viktor glanced around at the shadows created by streetlights and the porch lights of the other houses in the neighborhood.
    Max’s toenails clicked on the sidewalk beside Katie. Viktor could see the dog’s outline in the moonless night, but the shadows made eerie patterns from the animal’s fur. Max looked calm, though, and Viktor took that to be a good sign.
    Katie tugged on his hand. “Did you even understand what was going on back there?”
    “Of course I understood.” Viktor wondered what she was getting at. “Karkoff was blustering about the fact that he needs me to do his dirty work for him because I can’t officially be tied back to his organization.”
    “Oh.” She was quiet for another block.
    Viktor couldn’t help but feel jumpy. There was no way they were getting out of this so easily. At any moment, Sasha was going to appear and try to make good on all his threats.
    “Viktor, you can’t just turn your back on Karkoff,” Katie said in a low voice. “As much as I’d like to tell you that you should