Ralavich threw back his head and laughed. “The rumors were true, Konstantin. Your American’s made you soft.”
I looked at the burning buildings. “Why did you do this?”
“To send you a message. Change is coming.” He raised his voice for the benefit of the crowd and I realized this was an ambush on another level, too. He was making me look weak, saying to the people, Look! I’m the one who burned your homes and your protector stands here and does nothing!
One of my guards glanced at me. A few more of them had returned and it was five of them now versus eight of Ralavich’s men. Mine were better trained and more loyal. We could probably take them, kill Ralavich once and for all. God knows he deserved it. But—
Ralavich grinned. “What’s the matter, Konstantin?”
The whole street was lined with people. There were children there. If bullets started flying it would be a bloodbath. I gave my guards a tight shake of my head.
“That’s why you’ll lose,” Ralavich told me. “Your fucking morals.”
“Go back to St. Petersburg,” I snapped. “New York is mine.”
“You’ve done a good job preparing it for me.” Ralavich grinned. “Now I’ll take it from you. I’ll finish what my father started. Soon, the Gulyev name will be a memory.” He shuffled closer and peered around me to leer at Christina. “And when you’re gone, I might just try my cock in your American and see how loud I can make her scream.”
The rage burned through me, lit by his words, fueled by twenty years of hate. But then, as Ralavich came closer still, something else happened. I realized—
He’s close enough.
Fuck, he’s actually close enough.
In his arrogance, Ralavich had swaggered within grabbing range: I could break his neck before his men could stop me. It was the best chance I’d ever had, probably the best chance I’d ever have. Every muscle went tense, ready to spring. They’d kill me, but I wasn’t afraid to die, not as long as I took him with me.
And then, at the last second, I stopped.
Christina was right there. If I killed Ralavich, his men would be sure to kill her—or worse—in revenge.
He was so close. The best chance I’ve had in twenty years….
No. I couldn’t let them hurt Christina.
So I stood there, trembling, fighting to control myself, and watched my one chance for vengeance melt away. It felt like someone was slowly pulling my heart out of my chest.
Ralavich walked right up to me and grinned in victory. Then he climbed back into his SUV, gave me a mocking wave through the window, and they drove away.
I stood there panting. The loss was physicaI. I couldn’t believe what I’d done. And yet I knew I’d do the exact same thing again, if I had the choice.
My mind was whirling. I should have been worried about how Ralavich had humiliated me, how he’d made it look as if I couldn’t protect my people. I should have been trying to figure out his plan: it made no sense, he couldn’t hope to defeat the empire I’d built in New York. And why not just shoot me when he’d had the chance? But I didn’t think about any of those things.
I just turned, grabbed hold of Christina and pulled her close. My hands slid from her hips all the way up her sides until I held her cheeks. Then, without words, I leaned down and kissed her. Exactly the sort of kiss I never allow myself. The smell of smoke and the heat of the flames and the chill of the night all dropped away and she was all that mattered, soft and feminine and good.
She’d cost me everything I’d been dreaming of for two decades. And she was worth it. Being with her gave me an electric thrill I didn’t understand. Deeper than just lust. Like I was a teenager again.
We surfaced for air. Christina looked down the street towards Ralavich’s departing convoy. “What did all that mean? Why is he here?”
I scowled at Ralavich’s tail lights as they faded into the distance. And I said something I’d never say in front of my men. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But now that he is...from now on, you don’t go anywhere on your own.”
37
Hailey
THE NEXT DAY was the 15th October: the day Konstantin had agreed to deliver the “tool” for whatever criminal job he’d hired the guy at the mall to do. I watched him closely all day, but he never left his study.
Meanwhile, the staff were scurrying around getting the mansion ready for a party. Konstantin was known for his parties and anyone who was anyone in New York wanted an invite: models, business moguls, even politicians. Konstantin didn’t care about socializing, of course. For him, the parties were a chance to do deals in a quiet corner, or in the poker room, without having to worry about the FBI watching.