Free Dancing for the Badman (Russian Bratva Book 3) by Hayley Faiman

endure, simply seeing them together.
    I stand back, watching, staying out of the way so that they can have their moment together. They don’t need me in the middle of their bonding. I’ve had her to myself for nine years. Kirill deserves some time as well. If I were a less selfish woman, I would let him have her and stay here, only seeing her on occasion. I couldn’t do that, though. Kiska is a part of me. I wouldn’t be whole without her.
    “We will move on Friday. The school is being notified, and tomorrow I’ll ask for Kiska’s records. My assistant is going to help you with the house and anything else you might need,” Kirill announces. I do nothing but nod.
    “Tatyana,” he calls. I turn to face him.
    I’m staring out at the bay again. I have been for the past few hours, leaving him and Kiska to their bonding. I’m trying to stay out of the way while still being present, in case she needs me. Or maybe, in case I need her. I’m not sure.
    Lately, I feel as though Kiska has been the one taking care of me and not the other way around. I haven’t been able to give her an easy life, but hopefully, all that has changed now.
    “Yes, Kirill,” I murmur, looking over at him.
    His once crisply ironed, black, button up shirt is now untucked and wrinkled, the top few buttons undone, showing off a bit more of his delicious chest. His pants are creased as well, and I wonder when he took his shoes off, because he’s only in his socks.
    “You’ll like L.A. It’s just as pretty as it is here.” He nods out at the skyline. I can do nothing but shrug.
    “I’m sure it is. I haven’t really spent much time noticing how the city looks. I’ve been too busy living down in it,” I mutter. “Speaking of, I need to go to the club and resign. Also, I work tonight.”
    “Not tonight,” he grunts. I sigh.
    “I’m not going to leave them shorthanded, Kirill. It’s my last shift before I get a few days off. I’ll tell them that it’s my last shift in general,” I announce.
    “I don’t want you going down there, it’s not safe and I have no Byki here,” he says. His voice is hard and unrelenting.
    “Fine,” I sigh as I take my phone out of my cardigan’s pocket and call my manager.
    I explain to him that I have to move, that it’s an emergency—sudden and completely unexpected. I apologize, but he’s more than gracious with me. I’ve known him for eight years. He’s the man who hired me. He stops my rambling and tells me to take care of myself, to take care of Kiska. Then he says he’ll be a reference for any club I want to work at in the future. I thank him over and over again before I hang up the phone.
    “All is well?” Kirill asks a few minutes later.
    “Where is Kiska?”
    “She wanted to read before bed. I figured it had to be close to her bedtime, right?” he says as he walks up next to me. I still haven’t moved from my spot near the window.
    “It is. She enjoys reading before bed,” I murmur.
    “Like somebody else I know,” he whispers as his hand gently rests on my shoulder. His thumb rubs circles against the base of my neck.
    I close my eyes for a moment and enjoy his hand on me. I also think back to a time when, much like Kiska, I would lie in bed and read before I could sleep. It didn’t matter if he had physically worn me out or not. I loved to read. I haven’t picked up a book since she was born. I’ve been too busy and too exhausted to; I also haven’t wanted to. It would make me think of him and I didn’t want to think of him if I didn’t have to. All thoughts of Kirill depressed me.
    “Not anymore,” I whisper.
    I feel his lips touch my neck and then wrap around my earlobe before his teeth sink down in my flesh.
    “You should. You enjoyed it so,” he whispers as his hand slides around my waist and up to cup my breast.
    “I’m not the same girl I was,” I say.
    “No, you are not. But it was something you enjoyed. You will have the time again, Tati. You can do