THE FIXER

Sasha

I’M LOUNGING on the couch watching Game of Thrones with Dima, Nikolai and Pavel. Maxim, Ravel and Oleg are off somewhere on business.

I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to Lucy-she’s always either at work or locked in the bedroom with Ravil, so when I see her walking to the door in a bathrobe and carrying a towel, I ask where she’s going.

“To the rooftop pool.” She rubs her belly. “It’s my saving grace these days.”

I shoot an accusing look at Nikolai and Pavel. “No one told me there’s a pool on the roof.”

“There’s a pool on the roof,” Pavel offers.

I smack him with the back of my hand and jump up. “May I join you?”

“Of course.”

“Give me one minute,” I say, shooting off for the bedroom to change into a bikini.

Pavel whistles when I come out with a towel wrapped around my waist, then winces. “I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Maxim I did that. I don’t want my dick cut off.”

“Oh good. Something to hold over your head next time I want something from the kitchen.” I smirk and head to Lucy.

She’s blonde, probably ten years older than I am, and very serious. Not unkind but not the overly smiley type.

As we walk out, I mutter, “I can’t believe no one told me about the pool. I know I’m under lockdown, but wouldn’t that be safe enough?”

Lucy shoots me a sidelong glance. “How are you doing with the lockdown?”

“I’m sick of it.” I shrug. “But honestly, I’m used to some degree of restriction. My father always had people following and watching me.”

She leads me up a short flight of stairs and onto a beautiful rooftop with a hot tub and pool. Shade umbrellas and potted flowers and trees surround the pool, and there’s a patch of fake grass. “And being married to Maxim? I heard that wasn’t exactly your choice.”

Or his. She leaves that part off.

At the side of the pool, she opens a box and pulls out a kick board, which she offers me.

I take it, and she pulls out a second one for herself.

“No, it wasn’t. What did you hear?”

She hesitates. I gather she’s the type who is too polite to speak about private matters. But I want to know what Maxim told the guys. What they think of me.

“I know you’re the daughter of the boss in Moscow. And he arranged your marriage to Maxim.”

“Yes.” I follow her as she wades down the steps into the pool. The water is nice-just cool enough to be refreshing, but not to shock my body or give me a chill. She tucks the kickboard under her chest and frog-kicks through the water. I do the same.

“It sounded like Maxim and your father were once very tight.” She glances at me to verify. “And I understand they had a falling out, but Maxim was still loyal.”

I nod. “I caused the falling out. Did you hear that part?”

“No. Ravil didn’t mention the details, if he knows them.”

Some of the pressure on my chest leaves. I should confess, but I’m too ashamed.

“I heard you didn’t come here willingly, either.”

“No,” Lucy says. At the other end of the pool, she reverses her direction, this time using a flutter kick. “But Ravil grew on me. Maybe Maxim will grow on you, too.”

“He’s overbearing and dominant but actually way more of a gentleman than I expected.” The memory of Maxim showing up in L. A. with a ring and letting me stay and party makes my heart squeeze almost painfully. He’s better than I deserve. “I really thought he would string me up and eat my liver for breakfast.”

“Things were that bad between you two?”

“Yes.”

“Ladies.” I look up to find Ravil standing at the edge of the pool, gazing at his girlfriend with adoration. He takes a seat in one of the chaise lounges to watch us as if we needed a lifeguard.

Lucy swims to the edge of the pool near him and deposits the kickboard. I join her.

“Have you heard from your mother, Sasha?” Ravil asks.

Warning bells go off in my head, and the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. “No,” I lie. I still haven’t been able to buy a burner phone because Ravil doesn’t let me out of the house alone, but my mom has called and texted me from different phone numbers, always warning me to be careful of Ravil and Maxim.

I haven’t spoken much with Ravil. If I’m honest, I’d have to admit he scares me. He’s pakhan, like my father was. Even though he was technically under my father, I believe him to be just as powerful. That means men live and die by his orders.

He could have ordered Maxim to accept me as his bride because he wants control of Russian oil. He could have plans to kill me that Maxim doesn’t know about. Or he and his Fixer could have worked out a plan together.

I don’t want to think that way, but his question about my mother seems pointed.

He studies me in that way my father used to. Like he sees right through me.

I dip my head under the water to hide the fact that his stare unnerves me. When I come up, he’s still watching.

“You don’t know where she is?”

“Nope.” I try to sound casual.

“It seems nobody knows where Galina went to,” he tells me. “She disappeared at the same time Vladimir died.”

My mouth goes dry. My heart pounds. I keep my lips pressed together to keep from filling the silence between us with information I shouldn’t spill.

“Some people think she had something to do with his death.”

“What?” This takes me by surprise. “That’s ridiculous. Why-because she’s gone? Of course, she’s gone-it wasn’t safe for her anymore without Vladimir’s protection.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“His murder was strange. None of his enemies or potential successors claimed credit for it. And he was killed with poison-not really bratva style. Our form of murder is usually more… overt.”