THE SOLDIER

“I won’t tell her,” she promises, giving Maykl an entitled smile and wave as she passes through. “She’d be devastated. She thinks she made it on talent, just like she always dreamed.”

“Thanks, man,” I mutter to Maykl as he holds it for me, too. I try to push away the gnawing sense that I fucked up. “She has made it on talent,” I insist when we’re out on the street.

“Right. I know,” Sasha says quickly. “Kayla’s talented, for sure.” I hear the lack of conviction in her voice and want to strangle her. She’s an actress, too, and she modified her dreams because of her forced marriage to Maxim. Things have worked out for her here, though. She got the leading role in the Anna Karenina musical recently.

I would never ask that of Kayla, though. Her heart is set on making it big.

The sun is out, but the April wind whips off the lake and through us as we walk the few city blocks to the gyro joint. Maxim and Sasha order first, then I place my order and pay and join them at a table.

“So?” Sasha rubs her hands together like she’s excited. She’s making it easy on me, and I’m humbled by the fact that they’re even here listening to me.

I look from one to the other. “Real estate in Los Angeles seems like it’s always a safe bet,” I begin.

Maxim flicks his brows-whether that means he’s in agreement or surprised by the topic, I’m not sure.

“I’ve been doing some research, and the median cost of a home in Los Angeles is 950 grand. The prices have trended upward at a rate of 11. 8 percent year-over-year. I believe that means a large number of residents have to rent. Investing in a small but upscale apartment building could prove lucrative as a long-term investment. I called about one when I was there-twelve units plus a penthouse suite for five million, eight. There’s a pool on the roof.” I take a long, desperate sip of the Dr. Pepper I ordered. My mouth is so damn dry.

“What do you propose?” Maxim asks.

“I have eighty-seven grand saved. That’s not even close to ten percent, but I wondered if you’d either consider financing my mortgage, or becoming an outright business partner with me.”

A server brings our gyros to the table, and we dig in.

“You’d manage the property?” Maxim wants to know.

“Yes.” It’s not completely out of my wheelhouse. I’ve seen how Ravil manages his properties and lent force or muscle or whatever he required when he required it.

“Full-time? On-site?”

I keep myself from flinching at the question. “That’s my idea.”

“Have you talked to Ravil?”

“Indirectly. He told me he won’t let me out. But then he said no one’s going to hand me the life I want-I have to take it. So this is me taking it.”

Maxim’s lips twitch. “Sounds like you could be on the right path.”

A whisper of relief blows over me.

“So?” I look between the two of them.

Maxim turns to look at Sasha.

“Yes!” she exclaims, clapping her hands. “I’m so happy for you.”

Maxim watches his wife with amusement. To me, he says, “You know it’s all contingent on you keeping Kayla happy, right? Because that’s clearly all Sasha cares about.”

I swallow. Not because I don’t want to keep Kayla happy. But because there’s never been a job I’ve been less qualified for. I have the emotional range of an icicle. I’ve never had a girlfriend. I know how to satisfy her sexually, yes. But other than that, I know nothing about keeping a woman. But I nod because that’s what this means. That’s why I need to be in L. A.

Maxim finishes his gyro and wipes his lips with a napkin. “I’ll work on terms.”

I barely stop the sputter of surprised relief coming from my mouth. “That’s it? You’re in? That easy?”

Maxim smirks. “You haven’t seen my terms, yet.”

“Right.”

“Or Ravil’s,” he adds. “You won’t walk free, I know that much. He may want a taste of this venture. Or for you to set up another one on his behalf.”

“Of course. He’s the pakhan.” I wouldn’t chafe against any terms Ravil set up for me. Maxim’s a different story, but at the moment, I’m inclined to feel nothing but gratitude.

This past week my brothers have shown me they are brothers in the truest sense. Not just in bratva business but beyond. It’s more than I ever believed possible.

“Does Kayla know?” Sasha asks.

I shake my head. “Don’t say anything. Not until I’ve worked out the details. -Please,” I add.

Sasha finishes her gyro and crumples up the paper it came wrapped in. “I won’t. And Maxim is right. This all hinges on her happiness. You fuck her over, and I’ll bury you. Understand?” She picks up a plastic fork and points it at my throat.

I’m feeling so light, I actually smile as I snatch it from her hand. “I will never fuck her over.”

Hurting her is another issue.

It’s something I do on a regular basis, on purpose and on accident.

That’s the thing that terrifies me the most.

Kayla

I hold the plastic keycard up to the hotel room door and push it open when the lock lights up in green. As soon as I’m inside, I follow orders and call Pavel.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

It’s Saturday afternoon and Pavel isn’t here yet because his boss wouldn’t let him come yesterday-I guess he had a job to do. I don’t know-I didn’t ask, of course. Business is off-limits. He called me this afternoon to tell me he was getting on a plane, and I needed to come to the Four Seasons and check in for him.