Nikolai: Mine to Protect (Russian Mob Chronicles #4)
Nikolai: Mine to Protect – Chapter 16

My willpower gets bitch-slapped when I enter the den in the middle of the Popov compound. It’s clear the men filling the space are in mourning, but that isn’t the cause for my backpedaling. It is the whores easing their heartache. There are as many scantily clad women as there are men, and just as many empty bottles of whiskey.

The scandalous scene matches ones I walked in on many times after Vladimir’s reign was ended by Nikolai’s blade. It’s just missing the all-in orgies that resulted in their celebrations being banned from the main compound. For the past twelve months, this level of filth has only occurred at Clarks.

“The man responsible for your unlimited shots of whiskey, endless whores, and god knows what else is missing, yet instead of trekking to the end of the earth to replace him, you take advantage of his generosity. You should be grateful Nikolai isn’t here, because none of you would be spared his wrath.”

My voice doesn’t quiver in the slightest, not even when a long-term associate of the Popov entity stumbles my way. He is older than most of the men in the room, hitting close to mid-sixties. I’ve seen him around a few times, but it is generally when Nikolai is on overnight trips.

Kliment was one of Vladimir’s advisors before he was removed from his position for getting friendly with two of Vladimir’s favorite whores. Vladimir was a vile, abhorrent man, but he was as possessive of his whores as he was his wives.

“Perhaps you should join us. It appears as if you’re enjoying the view.”

Kliment raises his hand to brush it down the bud pressing against my shirt, but before he gets within an inch of my chest, Trey seizes his hand, yanks him forward, then whispers in his ear.

I assume Trey’s hushed words are the cause of Kliment’s whitening cheeks, but I’m proven wrong when Kliment takes a step back. Even the dark coloring of his shirt can’t hide the massive bloodstain seeping into it. He’s been stabbed in the chest, his punishment delivered by Trey in the exact manner Nikolai would have requested.

When Kliment falls to the ground, Trey’s wide eyes scan the now silent room. “Does anyone else have anything to say?” He stares at the shocked men with murderous eyes, as if he’s hoping someone will take up his challenge.

When they fail to fall victim to his trap, he sneers, “Disrespecting Justine is as punishable as disrespecting Nikolai. Both will result in death.”

Because I don’t want to risk fainting, I keep my eyes locked on the group of men as stunned by the turn of events as me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for Trey’s protection, but I’m fearful of how many more lives will be lost between now and when Nikolai regains his throne.

“Now clean up this mess.” Trey’s glare at the dozen whores frozen mid-hump discloses what mess he is referring to. “Gather the remaining men from Clarks and return here within the hour. If you are not back primed and ready to fight, you will be considered a deserter.”

Not waiting for them to respond to the threat in his tone that reveals what happens to AWOL Popov members, Trey guides me over a lifeless Kliment before directing me down the hall where Nikolai’s home office is.

My skin quivers more with every step we take. Not because I’m frightened, but because the blood on Trey’s hand is seeping into my shirt. I’m seconds from passing out. I most likely would if soul-hardening adrenaline wasn’t surging through my veins. Now is not the time for me to act weak. Once Nikolai is safe, I can panic as much as I want.

After guiding me into the chair behind Nikolai’s desk, Trey lifts my eyes to his.

“Don’t,” I murmur upon spotting the apologies brimming in his. “He broke the rules, and he was used as an example of what happens when you do that.”

Trey stares at me, equally stunned and amused. “Nikolai always said he got the tiger. Never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes.”

I smile, accepting a compliment I never knew I wanted but secretly need.

“So, what’s your plan?”

Now it’s my turn to glare at Trey. What does he mean? I’m not running this show.

“Ah, yeah you are,” Trey responds to the unvoiced words streaming from my eyes. “What you said earlier is true. Nikolai rewrote the rules we live by months ago. In the event of his death—”

I nearly cut him off, insisting that Nikolai isn’t dead, before his next set of words steal mine. “—Or if he is incapable of ruling, the guardianship of the Popov entity is to be bestowed upon you.”

He flips open an old, leather-stitched journal until it stops three-quarters in. Although my eyes are too blurry with tears to read the ink scribbled across the time-stained paper, I don’t need to know what it says to know who wrote it. It was Nikolai. If the E’s appearing to be backward threes isn’t enough of an indication, an identical signature to the one he used when altering his home arrest documentation is a sure-fire indication.

My eyes lift to Trey when he says, “Even if Nikolai hadn’t changed the rules, you are still the best person to run this operation. You know Nikolai. You know how he thinks, acts, and what makes him tick.” My nod of agreement ceases when he adds on, “You’re also the only person capable of telling us what happened at Rico’s.”

“I don’t remember everything—”

“But you remember some things. That’s better than what we’ve had the past three days.”

A huff parts my lips. It arrives seconds before my halfhearted nod.

After removing the planner from in front of me, Trey’s backside takes its place. “You mentioned that Maxsim knew stuff about Nikolai no one else knew. What type of stuff?”

“Stuff I can’t repeat without Nikolai’s permission.” My tone reveals I’m not trying to be coy. I just refuse to disclose private information about Nikolai without his knowledge. “Let me just say, only a handful of people know the information Maxsim was slinging at Nikolai.”

“Okay. Good. Anything else? Even something that seems insignificant.”

I shake my head for barely a second before a small memory breaks through the fog in my head. “When Blaire and I were cleaning up, she broke a cup. The rhyme spoken through the baby monitor in the kitchen was odd, but not disturbing enough for the response it elicited from her. I thought that was strange.”

“A nursery rhyme?”

I shake my head. “It wasn’t a nursery rhyme. Only a monster would sing something so villainous to a child—” I still as commotion causes havoc with my stomach. I wouldn’t be shocked to discover Vladimir’s style of parenting included scary, death-like rhymes.

Goosebumps break across my skin when Trey sings, “Send the angel to the devil’s bed, hold her, cherish her—”

“Then cut off her head,” I interrupt. “She danced with Satan and now she is dead, all for lying in the devil’s bed.”

Trey rakes his fingers through the thick beard on his chin. “Fuck!”

“What?” I scoot to the end of my chair, assuring even if his reply is a whisper, I won’t miss it.

Although the name he says is who I expect, it’s still a bitter pill to swallow. “Vladimir.”

“He’s dead.”

Trey gives me a look as if asking are you sure?

“I pulled Nikolai’s knife from his chest myself, Trey. I heard him take his last breath.”

Trey slices his hand through the air, cutting me off. “What? You heard Vladimir take his last breath.”

When I nod, he forces out in a hurry, “What did it sound like?”

I do a weird shrug. “I don’t know. Like someone taking their final breath.”

“Was it wheezy? Gargling?” Trey stands to his feet. “Did it sound anything like the breath Kliment just took?”

I shake my head. “It was more a. . .” I make a noise similar to the one Vladimir made when I saved Nikolai from prosecution by placing myself in the DA’s sight. “But why does it matter? Even if Vladimir survived a knife wound to the heart, nothing would have saved him from the inferno that followed our departure.”

Trey’s brow bows. “The inferno that occurred twenty minutes after you removed Nikolai’s knife.”

He’s not asking a question, he’s stating a fact. Nikolai had every intention of cremating Vladimir in the hell he was tortured in thirteen years earlier, but my wish to help the trapped women meant a change to the game plan. Nikolai delayed Vladimir’s undeserving memorial for me.

Shit.

Spotting my downcast lips, Trey murmurs, “Twenty minutes is plenty of time for an injured man to seek cover.”

“No.” I shake his horrid words from my ears. This is not a notion I’m willing to consider. “Vladimir is dead. Nikolai killed him. End of story.”

“You said Maxsim knew stuff about Nikolai only those closest to him know. The rhyme you heard is one Vladimir sang to Nikolai when he was a child. What more proof do you need?”

“A solid one!” I cradle my head in my hands, striving to ignore the clump of vomit in my throat. “Why now, Trey? If any of this is true, why would Vladimir wait so long to act?”

“That’s like asking how long a piece of string is. Nothing Vladimir did made sense. He wasn’t known for rationality.”

I take a deep breath before forcing out, “Maxsim wanted Eli so he could raise him to take Nikolai’s place.”

“Or. . . Maxsim took Eli for Vladimir so Vladimir could return the Popov entity to its true heritage.”

My spine snaps straight as my eyes rocket to Trey. How does he know Nikolai isn’t a Popov? Hardly anyone knows that.

Trey’s throat works hard to swallow. “Carmichael.”

“What?”

Trey points to the journal he showed me earlier. “Nikolai needed documents notarized. The beneficiary couldn’t notarize them, so he called a man he knew could. Carmichael.”

“So he just told you Nikolai’s secrets?” I swear, I’m as furious now as I was when I discovered how Carmichael double-crossed Nikolai when he was only a boy.

“Not exactly.”

My glare ramps up.

“I overheard some things.”

“You spied on Nikolai? Are you insane? He’s had men killed for less.”

I’m not lying. If you deceive Nikolai, expect to pay for your error with your life.

I swallow my anger when Trey whispers, “I needed to protect Kristina.” His wide eyes dance between mine when he adds on, “I couldn’t have her sold again, Justine. I love her.”

I release an exasperated breath. I’m annoyed he spied on Nikolai, but I understand why he did it. Nothing is off limits when it comes to protecting the people you love.

With that in mind, I scoot in close to Nikolai’s desk. There are several men who can help me right now. Unfortunately, none of them are men Nikolai would approve of.