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Now, everything that I was telling my grandfather about The Tremaine Group was true, except for the part where the new CEO was handing money out like Chicklets. While our new boss was still fairly new, it’d be a couple of years before we could see what kind of boss he’d really be. Passing down the reins was never an easy thing to do, and it really was anyone’s guess on what we’d be getting when it was all said and done.
“Really?” he asked skeptically, and since this was America, I didn’t blame him.
I nodded. “His father finally stepped down, and once Darren Tremaine took over, he opened the checkbook, and then just started giving away money. Everyone in the company got a twenty-percent raise and we get quarterly bonuses now.” Guilty tears sprung to my eyes, but I forced myself to smile through them. “You can finally come home.”
“Katja, I’d love nothing more than to be home with you,” he said, his voice firm but soft. “I miss seeing your grandmother everywhere. Still, I do not want to be a burden-”
“You could never be a burden,” I rushed out as I grabbed his hands. “You can’t possibly know how much I miss having you at home, and as soon as we got those raises and bonuses, I did the math to see if we could get you home, Dedushka.”
“If I were a stronger man, I’d tell you to use all that extra money to do something nice for yourself,” he sighed tiredly. “However, I miss your babushka so much. I’d like to be home where I can be closer to her.”
“And what of the friends that you’ve made here?” I asked, letting go of his hands, so that I could wipe my eyes.
“I will miss them,” he admitted. “I’ve been treated well here, but if given the choice, I’d rather be home than anywhere else in the world, Katja.”
“Well, I’m going to have you home as soon as possible, but since it’ll take a few more days to get the nurse’s schedule organized, you’ll have some more time to spend with your friends,” I said, knowing that I was going to have to call Maksim to ask him what in the hell was going on.
My grandfather eyed me, his gaze a knowing one. “Are you sure that everything is okay with you, Katja? You seem…weighted down.”
Though I couldn’t tell him the entire truth, I was honest when I said, “Now that you’re able to come home, I realize just how much I’ve missed you, Dedushka. I feel…I feel both relieved and saddened by how long you’ve been here.”
“Katja, do not do that to yourself,” he replied graciously. “I’ve been treated well here. Truly.”
I quickly wiped the quiet tears that I just couldn’t seem to get rid of, then said, “Enough of this. I say that we tour the place, get phone numbers, addresses…whatever for the people that you’d still like to keep in touch with.”
My grandfather smiled over at me. “I think that’s a great idea. I’d really like to see Mrs. Turnbuckle’s great-granddaughter grow up. Plus, there’s online chess. Gary Reasons cannot cheat if it’s online.”
Despite the shitshow that was my life, I chuckled. I’d wanted to be reminded of why I was doing all this, and my grandfather’s laughter had done just that.
Chapter 15
Maksim~
When Katja had called me the other day to ask about her grandfather, I hadn’t answered. Knowing her schedule the way that I did, I had simply texted her when the nurse would start, and what day and time that she would need to be at Windmill Gates to help collect Mr. Antonov. The plan was for him to be moved this Sunday, giving her plenty of time to clear out the third bedroom in their house for their live-in nurse that would also act as a guard to Mr. Antonov, deciding against employing too many people.
Now, though she hadn’t texted back, she hadn’t needed to. I’d given Katja everything that she needed to know, so a conversation hadn’t been necessary. However, when I had texted her this morning to be ready at eight tonight, she had texted back, asking me what to wear. I’d texted that she could wear whatever she wanted, considering that she wouldn’t be wearing it for long. I’d made my expectations of tonight clear, so her showing up had been all the consent that I needed.
I stood outside the club, watching the black sedan with Katja in the back pulling up to the curve. Millie’s was a bratva gentlemen’s club, and not the kind with stripper poles. Million-dollar deals were made here, and everything in the place screamed wealth and class. The place was basically one large boardroom with discreet entertainment. There was a full-service bar, accessible cocktail waitresses, and a couple of rooms in the back that were available to rent.
However, the real gem of the place was the showcase room. It was located on the second floor, and it was essentially a hotel suite. When you walked in, there was a sitting room to the right, and it was decorated with a cream-colored couch, a couple of end tables, a small coffee table, and it faced the huge bed that was to the left of the room. The sitting room also came with a free-standing bar and small refrigerator that came equipped to help you make whatever drink of your choosing.
As for the bed, it was a California King and took up most of the left side of the room. There were two nightstands on either side of the expensive bed, and off to the left was a door that led to a small bathroom. The room was to freshen up only, no large tub or anything like that. It had a small sink area, a toilet, and a shower that was barely wide enough to fit two people. All in all, it was functional enough, and it was also decorated with the same tasteful scheme as the rest of the club, though with one major difference.
The walls.
Except for the wall that the headboard rested against, they were all two-way mirrors, and it was the room that Melor used to introduce new bratva whores. Now, while we had plenty of kryshas that volunteered for the job, before he’d gotten married, Melor had been known to indulge every now and again if the girl had been of any interest to him. However, for the most part, our kryshas did the honors.
Anyhow, on the opposite sides of the mirrors were observation rooms. They were small, and we had eight in total that formed an arch around the suite. Whenever we had someone new to present, we turned on the activation light, signaling to the patrons of the place that a showing was going to take place. Though it wasn’t quite an auction where we took bids, it did showcase the young lady’s talents, and that determined her price range. Surprisingly, a lot of women wanted to go straight for the gold, so they didn’t hold back when in the room. More often than not, there were usually a few men in the room with the new prospect, and it couldn’t be said that our whores didn’t make good money.
At any rate, Katja was the next whore on stage. Her grandfather’s care wasn’t cheap, and this would give her a choice once it was all said and done. Though I had no doubt that Nikel would be taken care of soon enough, if she wanted to keep her grandfather with her at home indefinitely, then she was going to have to earn the money for that somewhere, and men’s need for pussy would never go out of style. There was also the fact that this would be a first for me, catapulting Katja into the most coveted whore on our menu.
As soon as the car stopped at the curve, I walked over, then opened the door for her. If Nikel had eyes on us, then he was going to see me treating Katja like she mattered, and while she might have when I’d first met her, her association with Nikel had ended all that. Trust was the most important thing in the bratva, and she’d admitted to agreeing to betray me before her common sense had gotten the better of her. That moment of culpability was enough to not ever trust her.
Without a word, Katja took my hand, and when she exited the vehicle, her beauty was something that would never be in question. Her black hair was pinned up with loose strands accenting her perfect face, and her makeup was subtle and applied flawlessly. Those golden doll eyes of hers were bright and captivating, and enough to drive a man to his knees.
However, as I looked my fill, she’d chosen a dress that’d been designed to turn heads and make men stupid. It was white that shimmered with each step, and the fabric hugged every curve of her body. While the neckline was modest and the sleeves reached her wrists, the hem stopped mid-thigh, and the matching white shoes made her look angelic. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the dress had come with a pair of wings, instead of a matching purse.
Instead of telling her that she was beautiful, I grabbed her hand, then linked her fingers in mine, making a show of it. Again, if Nikel had eyes on us, then I wanted him to believe that his plan was working. I wanted him to believe that I was none the wiser, and that Katja was still in his pocket.
