Black Kat Read online

  “I’ll talk to you soon,” she said over her shoulder as she went back inside.

  Colin’s partner was leaning against the wall just where they had left. Kat ignored him as she walked by and went straight to the bar. While she got an earful from Ron, she loaded a tray with bottles of beer for the table in the corner. It was a half hour into the shift and Larissa still hadn’t shown up.

  Two hours later when Kat was finally able to slip away from the floor for a quick break, she checked her phone. Nothing. She typed in another text to Larissa.

  Kat: Where are you? I’m about to call the police.

  Kat paced the length of the break room restlessly until her phone vibrated on the vanity counter. Lunging for it, Kat read the text.

  Larissa: No police. I need your help.

  Shit.

  Kat: What happened?

  Larissa: Zeus

  Kat thought back to the times when Larissa had shrugged off a bruise on her arm or explained away a sore wrist. That mother fucker had hit her again. Anger was a familiar emotion for Kat, and it easily bubbled to the surface. Not bothering to change out of her costume, Kat threw on her leather jacket and grabbed her bag.

  She tore out of the break room and ran straight into Ron.

  “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

  “Larissa’s sick. That’s why she didn’t come in. She needs help,” Kat said, trying to sidestep around Ron. He was surprisingly nimble for someone so large and round.

  “No fucking way. She’s already done. If you leave, you can kiss your job goodbye too.”

  Kat considered this for only two seconds. She did need a job, but with three years of cocktailing experience she was sure she could easily get hired on somewhere else. And what if Zeus came back? Larissa was the closest thing she had to a friend, outside of Colin, and she needed Kat’s help.

  Without a word, Kat faked out Ron and strode down the hall, slamming the back door open so hard it hit the brick wall on the outside.

  “I’m serious, Kat. Don’t think you can come back here!” Ron shouted behind her.

  Kat flipped him off over her shoulder.

  Twenty minutes later, Kat pulled into the parking lot of the shoddy apartment complex Larissa lived in. It was on the opposite side of the city from where Kat lived, but it wasn’t any nicer. She had never been here before, so she had to promise Larissa she would come alone before she sent back her address.

  Kat took the steps two at a time to the third floor and rapped loudly on Larissa’s door. Her bag hung off her shoulder, so her gun was easy access. She wished she could have stopped at home and picked up Blade, but she was too worried about Larissa.

  When there was no answer, Kat tried the knob prepared to kick the door in if she had to. But the knob turned and the door swung open. Kat sucked in a breath at the sight of the small living room. The couch pillows were overturned, the lamp was broken, and the glass coffee table was shattered in shards on the floor. But what had Kat really seeing red was Larissa, curled into a ball in the corner. Her hair was a tangled mess, but Kat could see her left eye was swollen shut and her lip was busted. There was blood all over her white shirt and dark purple bruises lined her upper arms.

  Larissa was clutching her arms tightly around her stomach and tears were running silently down her cheeks. She didn’t even notice Kat.

  Kat shut and locked the door, and walked over to Larissa, her boots crunching over the broken glass. Crouching down, she touched Larissa’s shoulder. Larissa jerked and dropped the phone she was clutching in her hand.

  “Kat,” she moaned.

  “Oh my God, Larissa,” Kat breathed, smoothing some of the matted hair back from Larissa’s face. “We have to get you out of here. And we have to call the police.”

  “No!” Larissa cried, reaching out to grip Kat’s arms. “No. It will be worse if I call the police.”

  Kat sighed in frustration. “Okay, well we have to get you out of here. And you need to go to the hospital.”

  Larissa was crying fresh tears and shaking her head. “I can’t…they’ll call the police.”

  Kat wanted to shake some sense into her, but the way she was holding her upper body made Kat think of broken ribs…or worse. “The police can protect you, Larissa.”

  Larissa shook her head. “No, they can’t.”

  Even though Kat knew it was the right thing to do, she understood. The police hadn’t helped her. And Zeus was somewhat of a big time drug dealer. No wonder Larissa didn’t feel like anyone could protect her.

  Kat pulled out her phone and held it away when Larissa weakly tried to grab for it. “I’m not calling the police. I’m calling…a friend. Someone who can help us.”

  Of the two numbers programmed into her phone, Colin Lewis was listed first alphabetically. And his was the name Kat’s thumb automatically went to touch. But then she hesitated. Right below Colin Lewis was Alexander Petrovsky.

  Two very different men. Both men could help her. Both men would help her.

  It was a simple choice, really. But Kat felt the weight of this decision that would be a turning point in her relationship with either man. Asking for help went against her very nature, and she had to choose wisely.

  Glancing at Larissa’s broken body, Kat took a breath and made the call.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Alexander leaned back in his black leather chair while Luke paced restlessly in front of his desk. The sky outside was black, but the dark night was illuminated by the Strip. The city was as restless as his best friend and second in command. The man had been on edge for days, despite a relatively quiet week.

  Alexander pushed away from his desk and went to the bar, pouring a vodka for himself and a Jack Daniels for Luke. Shoving the glass into Luke’s hand, Alexander motioned for him to sit. The two men settled opposite each other on the black leather sofas in the seating area of Alexander’s office.

  “What’s all this agitation about, Luke?”

  Luke tossed back the drink and set the heavy glass down on the table. He ran a hand over his short hair and rested his elbows on his knees.

  “It’s nothing. I’m just on edge.”

  “No shit. It’s late and everything is quiet. Get out of here and work off your tension,” Alexander said. He didn’t mean by a trip to the gym, and Luke knew it. But he grimaced like getting laid was the last thing he wanted to do.

  “Listen, I think we need to be careful about Kat Rossi,” Luke began. “Westin’s guy has been tailing her all week like you asked. For the most part she’s been quiet, but she had a cozy chat outside The Garden earlier tonight with our friend, Agent Lewis. And when I say cozy…”

  This had been a recurring conversation over the past few days, and Alexander was at his limit.

  “Enough!” Alexander slammed his own glass down on the table with a loud crack. “Have I ever given you reason to question my judgment before?” he demanded, glaring at Luke across the space that separated them.

  Luke sighed. “No, but…”

  “But what?”

  “Is this thing with her really a business relationship? Because I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

  “The same way you look at my sister? Shall we discuss that as well?”

  That shut Luke up real quick. Alexander had suspicions of his friend’s feelings for his sister, but Luke’s silence confirmed what he had long suspected.

  Alexander leaned forward and nearly growled at Luke. “I may have a deeper interest in Miss Rossi. But that is my personal business. Don’t you ever doubt me again.”

  Luke dropped his head into his hands. “I’m sorry, Alex. I’m just…”

  When he didn’t finish the thought, Alexander relaxed and leaned back. “Well, at least I know you’re not fucking Natasha. That’s hardly the face of a man who’s getting what he wants.”

  Luke’s shocked eyes looked up to see Alexander glaring at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Fortunately he was saved by the s
hrill ring of Alexander’s cell phone. Frowning, Alexander pulled it out of his pocket, thinking it was much too late for Natasha to be up and calling him.

  Ah, but it wasn’t Natasha at all.

  “Hello, Katya,” he purred into the phone.

  The sound of Alexander’s deep voice answering on the first ring sent an unexpected wave of relief through Kat’s body. She closed her eyes as she said the words she never wanted to say to anyone.

  “I need your help.”

  The smooth seductiveness in his initial answer was gone, replaced by a serious commanding tone. “Where are you?”

  Kat rattled off Larissa’s address. She waited as she heard Alexander’s muffled voice talking to someone in the background.

  “I’m on my way. Are you alright?”

  Kat sat down next to Larissa on the floor and gently smoothed her friend’s hair. “I’m fine. It’s my friend, Larissa. You met her at The Garden. She’s been hurt.”

  The chill in his voice froze through the phone line. “Hurt how?”

  Kat could hear sounds in the background that indicated he was in fact on the move - a door closing, the ding of the elevator, another man talking in the background.

  “Her boyfriend,” Kat said by way of explanation.

  She could almost picture Alexander pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes like he was fighting off a migraine.

  “I am ten minutes away. Are you safe there?” he demanded.

  “Yes, the door is locked. And I have my gun.”

  Kat heard his low chuckle come through the line. “Of course you do.”

  There was the sound of a car door shutting and she heard Alexander recite Larissa’s address.

  “I’m on my way now, Katya. Don’t move until I get there. But if that cocksucker comes back, shoot him in the head.”

  Now it was Kat’s turn to laugh. “I was thinking of aiming for his balls.”

  “Even better. I’ll be there soon.”

  The call ended and Kat set her phone down and waited. Ten minutes seemed like an eternity, and despite several attempts, Kat couldn’t get Larissa up off the floor. Kat was afraid she was more seriously injured than she was letting on. By calling Alexander she had given up on the idea of going to the authorities, but there was no way Larissa could get by without medical care. And soon.

  Her own mother had never won any parenting awards, but Kat could remember her singing. Feeling completely helpless, Kat started humming an old familiar lullaby to Larissa as she combed her fingers through her friend’s ratty blonde hair. Larissa’s whimpers faded, and Kat was so wrapped up in soothing her friend that she jumped and reached for her gun when a sharp knock sounded on the door.

  Kat stood up and pulled her gun from her bag just as Alexander’s voice said, “It’s me, Katya.”

  She put the gun back and peered through the peephole before unlocking the door. Swinging the door open, she stepped aside to let him in, along with Luke and two other men who dwarfed Larissa’s small apartment with their mammoth size. Yes, this was exactly why she had called Alexander.

  His eyes were full of concern as he glanced over at Larissa and then swept his gaze over Kat as if to make sure she truthfully wasn’t injured. He was dressed more casually than usual, though he obviously wasn’t a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. In dark gray dress slacks, a cream sweater and a soft leather jacket, Alexander could have stepped right off the cover of GQ or Elegant Russian Mobsters.

  As Luke crouched down next to Larissa and began to talk to her in low soothing tones, Alexander pulled Kat into the tiny kitchen.

  “Tell me what you know,” he said.

  They were standing close, with Alexander’s arm around her waist and his hand on her lower back. Instead of making her nervous, it made her want to take a step closer. Shaking her head free of the confusing feelings this man evoked in her, she relayed what Larissa had told her.

  “Her boyfriend’s name is Zeus. I’m sure it’s not his real name, but…”

  Alexander nodded once. “I’ve heard of him.”

  Kat raised an eyebrow.

  “No, I’m not in the drug business either. That doesn’t mean I don’t know who’s involved in what in this city.”

  “She wouldn’t let me call the police, but she’s hurt,” Kat said.

  Alexander tilted her chin up. “You did the right thing, Katya, by calling me.” It went unspoken who her other choice was, but she knew that Alexander knew why she chose him.

  “I will take care of this,” he said, inclining his head toward the two massive men standing behind them. “Your friend will not need to worry for her safety again.”

  “Thank you,” Kat whispered.

  Alexander brushed his hand down her hair, flipping it behind her shoulder. His eyes travelled further down. “Perhaps you would like to change before we take Miss Robbins to be treated.”

  Kat looked down at her cleavage and bare stomach on display in her cocktail waitress outfit. She scoffed, “Yeah, it’s not like I need this classy outfit anymore since I got fired.”

  Alexander narrowed his eyes and Mr. Serious was back. “What do you mean, you got fired?”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “When Larissa didn’t show up, Ron said she was fired. And he said if I left in the middle of my shift to help her, I was gone too.” She shrugged. “So I left.”

  Alexander pursed his lips. “Tomorrow I will pay a visit to Mr. Branson.”

  Kat grabbed his arm. “No, you won’t! I appreciate your help tonight, but I won’t let you barge in and act like a caveman.”

  Alexander didn’t seem to like that, but he didn’t argue. “Very well, you and Miss Robbins have jobs at The Onyx.”

  “I’m sure Larissa will be thrilled. But I don’t want any favors. I want to apply and go through the interview process like any other cocktail waitress - whether it’s The Onyx or another casino.”

  “You ready to go?” Luke asked, cutting off whatever Alexander was about to say next. He had picked up Larissa and was cradling her gently against his chest. She was definitely in a lot of pain, but at least the tears had stopped. The other two men were gone, and Kat could guess what their assignment was.

  Alexander nodded. “Yes, take her down to the car and call Dr. Simovich to meet us at the hotel. I am going to wait while Miss Rossi changes into something…more.”

  Luke walked out with Larissa, and Kat saw the gun he had tucked in the back waistband of his jeans. She wondered if Alexander was similarly armed. He looked all polished and sophisticated, but a raw power simmered under the surface.

  Kat went into the bathroom and quickly changed into jeans, a sweater and boots. She dumped her costume in the trash can on the way out.

  “Much better,” Alexander purred his approval from behind her as the descended the stairs to the parking lot.

  For the second time that night, Kat flipped someone off over her shoulder. His laugh was all the answer she needed.

  Alexander took in the view of Kat’s backside as she climbed into the limo before him. Then he slid into the seat next to her, draping his arm along the back of the seat. Luke was seated on the opposite bench seat with Larissa curled up next to him.

  He hoped Dr. Simovich would be able to determine that nothing was broken on his initial examination. Alexander didn’t want to have to take her to the hospital. Too many questions. Questions about a man that would no longer exist after tonight.

  The ride back to the hotel was spent in silence. Larissa was in too much pain, and the jostling of the limo wasn’t helping. Luke was lost in this own thoughts. The topic of him and Natasha would have to be tackled another day. And Kat…well, Kat was never much of a talker.

  Alexander was content to study her graceful profile. She still had her hair and makeup done for work. While they rode, she relaxed back against the seat and her hair fell over his arm. He ran a thick strand through his fingers and smiled to himself when she didn’t pull away. She just glanced at him with those aqua eyes as deep
and tumultuous as the ocean.

  Aware of her long standing relationship with Agent Lewis, Alexander was undeniably pleased that she had called him for help tonight. Perhaps it was just that she knew he would handle things and handle them well. But with her, the choice to call him was so much more. It meant she trusted him on some level. And he wanted that. He wanted her. Never one for serious relationships, it was a new idea for Alexander to want a woman so completely. But he was rather enjoying the journey so far.

  George pulled the limo to the underground service entrance, right up the elevator. Alexander exited first and put his key in the elevator so they would have access to the top two floors. Luke helped Larissa out and swung her carefully back up into his arms. When the four of them were in the elevator, Alexander released the key and the elevator began to ascend. Kat hugged her arms around herself and shifted on her feet. Alexander ran his hand down her long hair.

  When they reached their destination, Alexander led the way down the long hallway and inserted his key card into the lock. Swinging the door open, he held it so Luke could take Larissa inside. Kat followed and sat down next to Larissa on the bed.

  No sooner had the door closed behind them than a knock sounded on the door.

  “That will be the doctor,” Alexander said, as he went to answer it. An older man with gray hair and warm eyes entered carrying a large black bag.

  Alexander and Luke both shook hands with him.

  “This is Dr. Simovich. He will take very good care of you,” Alexander said warmly to Larissa.

  The doctor sat down and began to speak to Larissa in a quiet, heavily accented voice. She nodded and slowly stretched out on the bed as if every little movement was painful.

  “I’ll wait outside, Larissa. But I’ll be here, okay?” Kat said before she followed Alexander and Luke into the hallway.

  Luke was already walking away when Kat shut the door behind her. Alexander made no move to leave, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms casually over his chest.