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I was right. I get why the latter worries him. His father wasn’t just any Bratva Pakhan; he was the deadliest. When he reined here before Gray’s brother, Andrei, took over, he would kill for the smallest infraction. The man who double-crossed my father has still never been found.
We go on to discuss how she got her money. He tells me that her grandmother’s family was on the Mayflower when it came over. I understand her not wanting to commit because of her parents leaving her. I’ve felt the same vulnerability after losing mine. My mother died before we left Russia, and I lost my father when I was thirteen. Gray’s babushka took me in and raised me as best as she could. She raised us all—me, Gray, and his brother and sister. I rebelled like crazy, hell-bent on revenge. It took the Pakhan threatening to send me to Latvia to get me to settle down. I wanted to kill and maim every person who was involved in my father’s death. I lived for the revenge.
“Who ran the background check on the last round of blackjack dealers we hired?” I ask, returning our attention to work. I need to know how someone possibly related to Duncan could have gotten a job here.
“I think it was just a general review through security. Why?”
“One of the dealers has the last name of Duncan.”
“Interesting. Have security keep an eye on them and also run a deep dive.”
“Already done on both accounts.”
“Are you bucking for my position?” He jokes, and I shrug.
I knew what needed to be done, and I did it.
I return to my office and continue working long after Gray leaves for a date with Erika. It makes me miss my lisichka more and more.
Lyric
I’ve been fucking with the Lucky Dice systems for a few days now. I have the proof that Jimmy lied to us, but he’s gone to ground and is hiding out, which means I can’t confront him about it. I also have access to watch Aleksei all I want, especially since he works so much.
I watch him chat with a petite woman participating in the tattoo expo at the casino. My body vibrates with jealousy. I itch to fuck with her, mess up her credit. But the more I watch, I notice he’s not trying to touch her. If anything, he’s keeping a respectable distance. I look her up. Erika Arnold from Eastport, Rhode Island. She’s one of the finalists in the tattoo competition. She exudes confidence. She’s stunning in ripped jeans, high heels, and a tank top. Her exposed tattoos and piercings only add to her beauty. I wonder who she is to him. Before I can dig more, the lock on the door disengages.
“Did you find out anything about the Lucky Dice?” Ainsley asks as she returns from her shift at work.
“Not really.” I don’t tell her the truth yet. She thinks Jimmy hangs the moon and excuses his behavior every time. I’m sick of it. I want him out of our lives. I wish I’d never found him. He’s evil and dangerous. He won’t like our other plan if he ever finds out about it.
“What have you found?” She drops into the chair next to me.
“No women. No kids. Nothing illegal going on.”
“Well, I have some runners going there again. We just need the commission to catch them on the property when they are there. I also talked some shmuck who wants a bit more with me into going and counting cards. It’s going to be fun to see how they react to that. If we can get them hurting someone on video, that would help us.”
I shake my head at her; she just doesn’t get it. “It’s not like that, Ains. They don’t have cameras in those kinds of rooms.”
“Keep watching and stop trying to get out of this. You wanted to make them pay too. Plus, if we can prove that Aldridge stole the Lucky Dice from Dad, he’ll reward us.”
I stand up so fast my chair falls to the floor. “No, he won’t. Don’t you get it? He is just using us. Has he ever introduced us to our brothers? Has he ever done anything for us?”
She walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “He doesn’t have to prove he loves us. We are his daughters. You better not be going soft on me because of Belyaev.” She calls Aleksei by his last name just like she does with Grayson. I think it’s her way of keeping things impersonal in her mind. They aren’t people, just a means to an end.
I shake her off and slam my laptop shut. I don’t want to argue about the fact that I still crave Aleksei. I want to contact him, but I don’t.
“I’m out of here. Can I use your car?”
I shove my laptop into my bag. I want to follow him. I want to know where he goes when he leaves the casino. I have the address, but I want to see the place where he lives for myself.
She points to her keys, and I grab them on my way out the door. I’m getting sick of her. She’s so delusional at times it’s ridiculous. I hate that she keeps throwing it in my face that I have feelings for Alek. Now she says it was just sex to him, so I should forget it. She claims to see him constantly flirting with servers and female dealers. I don’t believe it. I hardly see him on the floor, except for today with the woman at the tattoo expo.
I drive over to the Lucky Dice and proceed to play around in their system. I leave tracks so they can see me but don’t let them find how I got in. I imagine I’m frustrating Aleksei. He seems so controlled and tight-laced. After a few hours, I watch the video feed as he emerges from his office and heads down the stairs. I set my laptop in the passenger seat and wait. It’s not long before the valet brings his G-Wagon around to the front and Alek exits the casino. He’s in the same gray suit I saw him in earlier. The soft color looks good on him, and the blue of the tie matches his eyes.
I start the car, ready to follow when he pulls out. I’m not very good at tailing someone, but I don’t think he sees me. He heads out of town toward Summerlin. After the traffic clears, I make sure to keep my distance, certain he’s heading to his house. He turns into a gated community in one of the exclusive areas. I drive past, noting the manned gate. Even though I have a Grub Hub and Uber Eats sticker on the car, I can’t follow him in. I wouldn’t get past security without a name and order number, and I don’t want him to find me.
I park and wait about an hour before calling it quits. As I’m getting ready to leave, I see his G-Wagon pull out of the gate. I carefully trail behind him and pray he doesn’t notice me. When he starts gaining speed, I figure the jig is up. Instead of continuing my pursuit, I turn and head to the cybercafé. I have work to do, as well as contemplating how to proceed with Ainsley’s plan without getting hurt more than I will. My heart is going to shatter when Alek discovers it’s me who’s giving him issues.
Four
