Black Kat Read online

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  The corner of Alexander’s mouth quirked up as he regarded her. “No, you’re not.”

  Kat smiled, and it reached her eyes. Alexander remembered seeing her smile at her dog that first day in Dane’s gym. It was even more beautiful when directed at him.

  “You’re right. I’m not. He started it,” she replied. Alexander felt as though he had just been allowed a glimpse of the real Katya Rossi. The one beneath the layers of armor she wore. And he liked it very much.

  There was a quick knock at the door before it opened. Two men in suits with earpieces walked in. If they were surprised to find Dimitri unconscious on the floor, they hid it well. With ease, they hoisted him up and carried him out.

  When the door shut behind them, Alexander walked to the bar on the opposite side of the room from the windows. “Would you like something to drink, Miss Rossi?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Pouring a glass of sparkling water for himself, Alexander motioned for her to sit. Kat perched on the edge of the sofa, and Alexander took the chair opposite her. He took a drink of his water and watched as her eyes moved around the room, taking everything in, before finally settling on him.

  “Are you going to tell me what you want with me? Or did you invite me here just to stare at me?”

  Alexander chuckled. “Ah, well, forgive me. I was thrown off a bit by your memorable entrance. Although it was quite entertaining, and it gave me further assurance of what I want.”

  Kat leaned forward slightly, challenging him. “And what is it that you want?”

  “I want you to work for me.”

  That wasn’t what she was expecting to hear. “Work for you? Doing what?”

  Alexander leaned back in his chair, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee and steepling his fingers in front of his chest. “I haven’t worked out all the details quite yet, but there are certain times in my business dealings when it would be useful to have a companion with your…skills.”

  Kat narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “And what skills are those?”

  “Your instincts. Your ability to pick up quickly on dangerous situations. Your quickness and strength.”

  “You don’t know me at all. How could you possibly know anything about me?”

  “Because, Miss Rossi, I also possess that same skill set. Albeit in a less beautiful package.”

  “That still doesn’t answer my question about what exactly I would be doing.”

  “The first thing would be to accompany me to the Mayor’s charity gala on Saturday evening. From there, we shall see what comes up.”

  Kat stared at him, and Alexander stared right back. “What do I get in return? You said you can help me get what I want most.”

  Alexander merely nodded.

  Frustrated, Kat stood up and paced to the windows. She knew enough about him to know that he was thorough. If he knew she wanted revenge, then he would know why.

  With her back to him, Kat said, “What do you know about me? About what happened to me?” Wrapping her arms around her waist, she continued to stare out the window as she waited for his answer.

  Alexander rose and crossed the room to his desk. He thought she might want to see the information he had received as well as the few things his investigator had been able to dig up over the last two days. Carrying a copy of the thick file, he set it on the table and sat back down.

  Kat slowly turned and warily eyed the file. After a full two minutes she slowly sat back down and tentatively brushed her fingers over the smooth manila.

  “How much do you remember, Katya?” Alexander asked quietly.

  No one ever called her Katya, and it sounded right coming from him. With his accent, he said the name as it should be. Kat flipped open the file and saw the newspaper article of her disappearance. She suddenly realized this was not the place to take a trip down memory lane, and she swiftly closed the file.

  “I don’t remember much at all. The police said I was heavily drugged. Fortunately for me I was left with some physical reminders and a permeating sense of fear that stays with me always,” she said bitterly.

  Alexander watched as she rubbed her fingers over her wrist. He could see there were scars on her wrists from the restraints used to bind her.

  “How can you help me?” Kat asked, her tone back to business.

  “In a matter of two days, my investigator was able to compile your entire life. Things you don’t even know about yourself are in that file. I know that you are investigating on your own, but I doubt you are having much luck. My resources are far reaching and go beyond what the authorities can do.”

  “So, am I correct in assuming your methods of gathering information are not always legal?”

  Alexander smirked. “You are correct, Miss Rossi.”

  Kat eyed the file again. She was running into brick walls on her own. And the police had dropped the ball from day one. She didn’t know it at the time, but she knew it now. Even Colin hadn’t been able to find out anything on the notes she had been receiving. The bottom line was she needed help. The kind of help Alexander Petrovsky could give her. But at what price?

  “I’ll make a deal with you, but I have a few conditions.”

  Alexander seemed amused. “Are you really in a position to negotiate, Miss Rossi?”

  Kat’s eyes glinted, the green color taking over. “These are deal breakers for me, Mr. Petrovsky.”

  “Very well. Go on.”

  “First, I’m taking this file with me. Second, I want to know the minute you get new information. And, finally…this business arrangement is just that…strictly business.”

  “That is your copy to do with as you please. I will update you immediately in the case of new information.” Alexander paused, considering how to address her last stipulation. He had expected as much. “As for our relationship becoming personal, you have my word, Miss Rossi, that I will not lay a finger on you until you beg me to.”

  Kat snorted even as she felt relieved that he wasn’t expecting repayment in the form of sex. “I wouldn’t hold your breath, Mr. Petrovsky.”

  “I accept your conditions, but I have one of my own. You will allow me to call you Katya. Miss Rossi is too formal, and Kat…well, Kat, is not nearly reflective of the beauty of its owner.”

  He was smooth. Kat had to give him that. His words washed over her, causing warmth to flow through her even as it made her uncomfortable to be called beautiful. “Fine.”

  “And, please call me Alexander. I don’t think I can stand Alex, and Al is simply out of the question.” He grimaced just speaking the horrid name.

  Now that they had the important details ironed out, Kat stood to leave. She picked up the file and held it against her chest as she walked toward the door. Alexander walked alongside her and lightly placed his hand under her elbow. Kat’s first instinct was to shy away from the innocent touch, but instead of stepping out of his reach, she turned to face him.

  “I assume you’ll let me know what the plans are for Saturday. I’m not sure I have anything appropriate for a charity gala. My cocktail waitress costume probably won’t do.”

  Alexander chuckled. “Janice will contact you with the details and arrange for something to wear.” As he opened the door and gestured for Kat to go ahead of him, Alexander spoke to Janice. “Janice, Miss Rossi will be accompanying me on Saturday to the gala. Please make all the necessary arrangements. And make sure Miss Rossi has my cell number.”

  Janice raised an eyebrow at the last request. Nobody, except Luke, Natasha and herself had Mr. Petrovsky’s cell number. “Of course, sir.”

  Alexander’s hand once again brushed the fabric covering her arm as he leaned closer to say, “Thank you, Katya. I think we will find this arrangement to be mutually beneficial.”

  A faint shiver ran through her body. Kat didn’t recognize it as the usual sense of fear she felt when someone got too close. It was different, and she wasn’t altogether sure what it was. She could onl
y nod in response and snap her fingers to get Blade’s attention.

  Alexander held the glass door for her and Blade and waited with her for the elevator to arrive.

  “Do you want my number?”

  Alexander glanced at her and tucked his hands in his pockets. “I already have it.”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “Of course you do.”

  When the elevator arrived, Kat and Blade stepped inside. Alexander watched her until the doors closed. Once he was out of sight, Kat slumped against the wall and dropped one hand to Blade’s head. She realized that not only had she let Alexander touch her arm, which was a huge deal for her, but Blade had not once growled at him. Did that mean he could be trusted? Or was he so manipulative as to even fool her…and Blade? Kat held the thick file tightly as she walked through the lobby of The Onyx feeling like she might have just made a deal with the devil. A handsome devil, but a devil nonetheless.

  Chapter Eight

  Kat paced back and forth in front of her open closet door with her hands in the back pockets of her distressed jeans. Blade followed her with his eyes from his place on the bed. Pausing to look over her board again, Kat felt like she was so close to something. It was just out of her grasp.

  The pictures of the room where she had been held were now lining the left side of her closet wall. The initial shock of looking through the file yesterday had mostly worn off. Kat was glad she had not looked through the file in Alexander’s office and had instead waited until she was home. In her apartment with the deadbolt locked and the chain on the door. Huddled in the corner of the sofa with Blade by her side. She had not been scheduled to work last night, which was good because she would have had to call off anyway. Nobody wanted a cocktail waitress who was a blubbering mess.

  Tears were not something Kat often indulged in. That’s what she considered it - an indulgence. To allow herself a moment of weakness. To allow herself to be a victim.

  Next to the pictures of her personal hell were the pictures of several powerful men in the city. Men who could have arranged the kind of sex-trafficking ring she suspected she had been a part of without being caught. Men with power and influence. Men like Alexander, though his picture no longer hung on her wall. Kat didn’t fully trust him yet, though her instincts told her she could. She reminded herself that he could be using her. Keep your enemies close.

  On the right side of her board were newspaper articles, including her own, of young women who had gone missing over the last ten years. All of them were from poor families, bad neighborhoods. Some were prostitutes or known drug addicts. Women who wouldn’t be missed. Women who the authorities didn’t care enough about to find.

  Kat was the lucky one. Colin had saved her from an unknown fate, but he hadn’t saved her soon enough. What had happened to her in that basement dungeon had forever changed her. Kat, the teenager with dreams of getting out of poverty, was dead. Kat, the woman who lived for revenge and dreamed of spilling the blood of the man responsible, was the person that Colin carried unconscious and broken from the dingy basement.

  From the nightstand, Kat’s phone rang. Blade’s brown eyebrows shifted as he looked toward the source of the noise. The display showed the most recent number to have been programmed into the phone. Alexander Petrovsky. The only other person Kat considered important enough to have his number in her phone was Colin. And he had put it there himself.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, Katya,” the low voice streamed through the line. He sounded just as arrogant on the phone as he did in person. “I trust you have received the dress that Janice had sent over? Did you find it to your liking?”

  Kat almost laughed at the formal way he spoke. If his accent didn’t give away that English wasn’t his first language, they way he formed his sentences surely would. But Kat didn’t laugh. She walked to the door where the garment bag hung. Unzipping it to run her fingers over the decadent fabric, she said, “It’ll do.”

  Alexander chuckled. “I’m glad you approve. I will have a car pick you up at 7:00 pm. Don’t be late.”

  “I’m never late.”

  “I don’t doubt that. The other reason for my call was to let you know that Mr. Westin has a lead. It’s a long shot, but a lead nonetheless. I considered holding this information until after our date on Saturday, lest you decide to back out of our deal. However, I consider this an act of good faith, Katya. Don’t abuse it.”

  Impatiently tapping her foot, Kat hurriedly said, “I won’t back out. I gave you my word. Now, what’s the lead?”

  “There is a woman by the name of Jill Stuart who might have been held in the same location before you. Gil is going to her place of employment, and I use that term loosely, later today to talk with her.”

  “She got away?”

  “Yes, it seems so. The information from our source isn’t entirely reliable, so this could turn out to be a waste of time. But I wanted you to know we are working on it. You have my word as well, Katya.”

  “Where does she work?”

  “A fine establishment, I’m sure, by the name of The Violet Vixen. Her last known address appears to be right next door.”

  “Thanks for letting me know,” Katya said, already pulling on her jacket and tucking her gun into her bag.

  “I will call you with an update after Gil pays Miss Stuart a visit.”

  “Okay,” Kat said impatiently.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow evening, Katya. I’m looking forward to it,” Alex said in a low voice.

  “Can’t wait, Alex,” Kat said before ending the call. She smiled to herself as she imagined him frowning at her choice of nickname.

  Kat knew where The Violet Vixen was located, though she’d never been inside. It wasn’t a place she had any reason to go…until now. It didn’t take long to drive there, and five minutes later Kat parked her car a block down from the address. It looked like any other street in the rundown area of Las Vegas where she had lived for twenty four years. The building with a cracked sign appeared to be abandoned, but Kat knew better. She knew just what could go on inside a place that everyone thought was abandoned.

  Kat stood in front of the old two story house next door with crumbling steps and peeling paint and took a deep breath. Her messenger bag was slung across her chest so the bag lay on her right hip. Easy access to her gun if it came to that. The front door was locked, so she made her way through the knee deep weeds covering the front yard and crept around the side of the house. Every window was boarded up, so Kat headed for the basement door. It was locked as well, but the glass was broken. So she was able to reach inside and turn the lock.

  The house was quiet. It was the middle of the day, so the girls were probably sleeping until dark when it would be time to go to work. Prostitution was legal in Las Vegas, but the kind of shit that went down in places like this wasn’t legal anywhere.

  For obvious reasons, Kat hated basements, which was why she lived in a second floor apartment. The stairs to her left led down to a dark and musty smelling basement. The sight and smell made her stomach roll, and Kat wasted no time taking the steps up to the first floor. The kitchen had been gutted, leaving no appliances or cabinets. There were some slivers of light coming in through the cracks in the boards. It was enough light for Kat to see where she was going.

  The peeling linoleum floor was littered with trash, used needles and condom wrappers. Kat walked carefully, avoiding making any sound at all as she navigated to the stairs at the front of the house. The stench of sex and sweat permeated the air even though there was no one in sight on the first floor.

  The stairs creaked under Kat’s boots as she quickly climbed to the second floor. A long hallway with closed doors on either side loomed in front of her. Checking the first door she came to, Kat found it unlocked. Pushing it open she saw a bare room furnished only with two stained mattresses on the floor. There were four women either sleeping or in a drug induced unconscious state. Slipping inside, Kat shut the door behind her and kneeled next to the first wom
an. Her bleached blonde hair was stringy and dark brown at the roots.

  Reaching out, Kat shook the woman’s shoulder. Jerking awake, the woman scrambled backward, her muddy brown eyes wide and flickering back and forth around the room. It was only when she was halted in her backward scramble that Kat noticed she was tethered to the wall by a chain around her ankle. Well, didn’t that bring back some great memories

  Kat held out her hands in an effort to calm the woman. “Sshhh. I’m not going to hurt you. Can you tell me your name?”

  The woman was twitching and those dilated pupils were still racing around the room, but she managed to get out her name. “Angel.”

  Sure it was.

  “Okay, Angel. I’m going to get you some help, but I need your help first. Do you know where Jill is?”

  With a shaky hand, Angel pointed her jagged and chipped red fingernail to the far corner of the room. The dark haired woman lying by herself on the twin mattress pushed into the corner didn’t appear to be tied down like Angel and the other two women lying with her.

  Kat moved away, ignoring Angel’s hoarse whimper. Crouching down next to Jill, Kat cautiously touched her shoulder. After several shakes it was clear that Jill was not just sleeping, but completely out. She looked seriously worn down. There were track marks all over her arms, and her body looked equally used.

  Looking back toward Angel, Kat said in a hushed tone, “Why isn’t Jill tied up?”

  “Because she doesn’t want to leave.”

  “Who is keeping you here?”

  Angel shuddered and wrapped her skeletal arms around her scantily clad upper body. “The others call him Dante.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  Angel’s unfocused eyes told Kat even if she answered that question, it would likely be a distorted perception of time. The woman shrugged. It was clear that she was being held against her will, unless she enjoyed being tied to a dirty mattress with two other women. Yet she didn’t ask Kat for help or seem to be able to do anything other than rock back and forth.