Xavier shook his head and walked off.
Chapter 16
Emily
I can’t believe I had sex with him. Shit. I can’t believe Kennedy is gone.
Once we finished with the sex, my mind was clear. Kazimir still had it fogged, but at least the pain of Kennedy’s death had lessened for a few minutes.
I’d taken Kazimir and Luka back through the tunnels, but to my route home. Luka shook his head the whole time, knowing that way was how I’d outsmarted him. Thankfully, it was dark down there and the two men couldn’t see me running my fingers across my lips over and over. Each touch of my hand on my mouth reminded me of Kazimir and those heated kisses he gave me. He’d left a trace of him all over my tongue and even inside of me. The whole walk through the tunnel, I’d been trying to savor him more.
Focus. He’s only going to complicate things.
The tunnel walk took no time.
Once we came up for air, I was disappointed to find Xavier’s bus vacant. Maxwell’s place showed no lights through the dark window like he’d been gone too.
Where’s everyone?
We could’ve taken the front, but I took a different way to get into my place.
Moonlight bathed the back of my brownstone. I stopped at the concrete steps leading to the basement door. My place was the only one that had a basement connected to it. My parents had paid an extra three hundred for rent because of it.
I gazed down at those steps that were still stained in red—no matter how much Maxwell said I’d bleached it all away.
Kazimir got to my side. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like going this way.” I glanced over my shoulder.
Luka hung behind us with his gun out and eyes scanning the backyard.
I turned back to the steps and gulped. “I don’t want to go through the front just in case someone’s watching my place.”
As if sensing how uncomfortable I was, Kazimir held my hand and squeezed. “Let’s go, Emily.”
I took forever going down each step. Kazimir furrowed his eyebrows but said nothing right as we got to the door. My fingers shook as I put the key into the hole.
Luka grumbled. “You’re not scared of dark underground tunnels, but you’re scared of basements?”
Kazimir ordered, “Be quiet.”
I unlocked the door and opened it. Cold death rose from the whole place. I still hadn’t renovated it. Black soot coated all the walls. It was completely empty, just scattered ash and burned out things.
Luka walked in.
Still holding my hand, Kazimir guided me forward. I dragged behind him.
“Where’s a way upstairs?” Kazimir asked.
Trembling, I pointed to the direction of the stairs.
“Okay.” He tightened his grip on me. “What happened here, Emily?”
“A. . .fire.” I let out an exasperated breath and hurried to the steps, picking up my pace.
Luka ambled up first.
Kazimir watched me as he led me up them. “Did someone close to you die down here?”
“You could say that.” I didn’t look down anymore. I kept my focus forward as Luka opened the door into my brownstone.
When we got into my apartment, I went straight to my fridge, grabbed a bottle of rum, and took two long gulps.
Both men stared at me.
I’m never doing going down there again.
I set the bottle on the counter. “You can have some, and there’s beer in the fridge too.”
Luka leaned his head to the side. “Vodka?”
Kazimir frowned. “Go check the place, Luka. You don’t need anything to drink.”
I shrugged and took another gulp.
Kazimir grabbed the bottle from my hands and took his own swallow. “Who died down there?”
I reached for the bottle.
He moved it from me. “You were scared. I didn’t like it.”
“I’m fine now.” I stared at the bottle.
“I don’t like secrets.”
“Cool.” I grabbed the bottle from him and backed up, before he could get it again. “And since we’re sharing secrets, then you can tell me why your stepbrother wants to kill you.”
He leaned on the counter and smiled at me. “You’re bolder now. Less scared of me.”
“Should I fear you?”
“Why were you scared in the basement?” Kazimir walked over to me and took the bottle back. “We’re partners now.”
“You don’t need me as a partner. You have countries that would back you. Why haven’t you called anyone yet to. . .I don’t know. . .do Bratva things?”
His lips curved. “Bratva things? I like that.”
He took a swig of the rum and handed it back to me. “When you’re in power, there’s no need to rush to move. It’s always smart to sit back and observe. I’m dead now.”
“True.”
He winked at me. “Let’s see what happens, while I’m dead.”
I took my last sip, already feeling a little tipsy. “I haven’t eaten. I’m hungry.” I set the bottle on the counter. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
“Luka too?” I asked.
“He’s always excited to eat.” Kazimir dove into his jacket and pulled out his wallet. “We can order—”
“No. I’m dead too.” I winked back at him. “Let’s see what happens. That means no delivery, and no major lights on in the house.”
The curtains were already drawn and covering the windows. I grabbed tons of candles from my pantry and lit them. Luka helped me place them throughout the place.
A dim lighting bathed the space.
I gave Luka the TV. He’d been stuck to it all last night as he watched me, and I’d researched what buildings to wash Kazimir’s money with. Now it all seemed like weeks ago. For some reason, spending hours in the tunnel with people made us close.
“Thanks.” Luka crashed onto the couch. “You’re a good person, Emily.”
“Does that mean you’ll never kill me?”
“As long as Kazimir doesn’t ask, I can guarantee it.”
I laughed. “I’ll take that.”
He turned the TV on. The news played on most channels. We all gathered in the living room and watched the craziness on the screen.
“The death toll for the Financial District Bombing has reached seventy-five people.” The woman’s hair whipped around her in the wind. Police lights flashed behind her. A large crowd stood behind yellow tape, waving at the cameras.
She gestured back to the clouds of smoke coming out of the crumbled building. “The mayor has announced that the New York Exchange will be closed as well as other surrounding businesses and schools within a five-mile radius. A list is provided on News 9’s website.”
A photo image of Luka, Kazimir, and I walking into the building appeared on the screen.
“Holy shit,” I muttered under my breath.
“Authorities ask that you contact the number below if you recognize the woman in this photo and/or know any information pertaining to these people.” The image changed to black and then she returned to the screen explaining Kazimir and Luka’s impressive criminal backgrounds.