Klara took the lead, and I followed behind her, seeing clear over the top of her head the entire time. I honestly found it amusing because she was the shortest one here. Every single one of her men towered almost a foot over her. I stepped around her when we got to the door of the building. 

“Just bust the fucking door open and let’s get this guy.”

The symbol on the door was one of a few that they used ‌for secret illegal markets. If Klara even so much as opened that door and walked inside, she would probably be dead. It all depended on who owned the market. 

“This is an illegal market. None of you will get inside. Back up, I don’t know who owns this or if they want extra guests.” I said, before removing my larger gun off my back and making sure my handgun was pretty hidden. I passed my larger gun to Klara and walked up to the door and gave three loud knocks on the metal door. The door opened and a large man with his hand on a weapon looked me over. 

“State your name and business,” he said firmly. 

“I’d like to speak to the owner. Tell him, of course, he can name his price for his time.” I said, and he looked over at Klara and the others. 

“Only one other person can come with you.”

I nodded and looked at Klara. “Come on, you can come. Not the boys, though, and that.” I said, pointing at both of our large guns. “Those have to stay out of the market.”

The door man whistled, and someone else met us at the door. “Take them to Helios.”

“A-are you sure?” The guy stuttered, as if he was terrified of going to see his boss.

“Absolutely.”

The guy led us to a stairwell and stopped. “All the way up. It’s the only room up there.” As soon as we started up the steps, he was gone. 

“Nikita! What the hell have you gotten me into?” Klara hissed and glared at me. 

“An illegal market on Viktor’s turf.” I muttered. 

“We are both so dead if he finds out about this, and the fucking market.” Klara muttered and turned her attention back to climbing the stairs. I took a deep breath and followed Klara up the rest of the stairs. We reached the top, and the door was closed. I slowly opened the door, after knocking, and we stepped inside.

“Welcome to my market.” A deep voice chuckled, and he put the cigar out in the ashtray. “What brings a contract killer to my humble business?” He stood up, and he was fucking huge, like Lev.

“We are looking for someone said to frequent here. I can show you. I’m sure he’s here.” I said, holding up my phone. 

“What did he do? I don’t get your type, in person at least.” He replied and walked to the window, opening the curtains. “Come look. If you see him, I’ll have him brought to you.” 

I pulled out my phone, intending to ask Yuri where he was in this place, but the man, Helios, interrupted that. “With your eyes, not my cameras. I don’t like when others play with my things. Your friend has been playing around in my things all day.”

“Understood.”

Knowing that he liked to gamble, and he had all that cash, I looked at the tables and it didn’t take too long to find him. Using his photo I had on my phone, I looked between the two and I was sure that was him. “There, at the poker table. Red shirt.”

He called someone on the radio and then looked at Klara. “You can go join my men on the floor to retrieve your man, if that’s him.” He turned to look at me. “We have a price to settle.”

As soon as Klara left, he closed the curtains and went to sit back down. He pointed to a chair. “Please, sit.”

I sat down in the chair and he re-lit his cigar. “You’re Russian right? Your accent gives it away.”

“Yes.” I muttered. 

“Who employed you to find the man inside my business?”

“I keep my clients confidential.” I said firmly. 

“Good stance to have. I do the same.” Helios said, before he reached into his desk and pulled out a fat stack of cash. “I have a job for you, if you’re interested. It’s pretty damn simple. Give up the name of the one who hacked my systems. They are pretty airtight to normal folks.”

“I’ll pass. Name your price before I get annoyed.” I sighed. 

“Do you think that behavior will get you anything?” he said, reaching into the desk again, and pulling out a handgun. “I have friends in high places.”

“Lucky you. I’m married to a psycho who will turn you and your business into kindling if you shoot me. That, and you’re already on his turf.”

He clicked his tongue. “Of fucking course. I thought that bitch looked familiar.” He pulled his hand through his hair and laughed. “Viktor is aware of my business.”

“Aware, or on the books, aware.”

“On the books. I pay hefty for use of his territory,” Helios said, standing up again when the knock on the door came. “Come in.”

Klara came in with the man beside her, and he didn’t look like he was going to fight at all. 

“Hey. Before you go. Tell the one who hacked my stuff that we will be in touch. That is my price.” Helios said, and I sighed. “I’ll pass the message along.”

“Come pay my humble market a visit again. Use the password green sparrow. Good day,” he said, before all but shoving us out of the market. That was definitely a first, and I had a funny gut feeling that Helios was about to call my psycho to both rat me out, and clarify that I was linked to him. 

Klara put the man into the SUV, but not in the trunk since he was behaving, and zip tied. I sent Yuri a message to warn him about the owner of the market. 

“Why the hell did you take the money? You had to know you were cheating.” Klara hissed and glared at the man using the mirror in the sun visor.

“I thought it might be cheating. But there wasn’t anyone around and I figured I got away with it. I guess not,” he muttered. 

“Did you intend to gamble the rest of the money away?” I asked. 

“No. I gave it away. But you won’t find it. So please don’t try.”

“I could easily find out where you and the money went.” I replied, and the guy went stiff. “I won’t though. My job is done. I’ve collected you alive.”

“I found out the casino was Mafia funded after I mentioned to someone at the market table about my win. They warned me I was a dead man even if I gave the money back. Then she showed up, and I knew I was in trouble. I don’t regret it.”

“You say that now, but our boss will make sure you do.” Klara sighed and looked out the window. 

“Hey, let me ask you again, what did you use the money for?” I asked, wanting to know what it was that he was willing to die for. He could have brought the money back and begged for his life. 

“My daughter, to pay off her debts and start anew.” He took a deep breath and looked at me. “My daughter’s future was more important than my own.”

“I don’t have children, but I’m sure there are plenty of parents who share that sentiment.” I said. 

“Like I said. I won’t regret this.”

“Does your daughter know how you got this money?” Klara asked him as the car started down the road to the Russo mansion. 

“No. I couldn’t bear to tell her how I got it. She hardly wanted it to begin with. If she knew it was gambling money, she wouldn’t want it.”

“If you know her number, call her before we head into the Russo mansion. I’ll let you use one of our phones.” Klara said and looked out the windshield again.

“I have my own in my pocket,” he said, and I found his phone and pulled it out for him. 

“Call her now.” Klara said, and he nodded and dialed his daughter’s number. He waited for her to pick up. His heart raced as he heard her on the other end, his cheeks flushing. I tried to tune out the conversation. Not once did he tell her the trouble he was in, just that he would see her later, and he loved her. He hung up the phone, and Klara instructed the henchman to park the SUV and he did. 

“Thank you,” he said, and waited for Klara to help him out of the car. 

“Nikita, I have it from here.” Klara said and started walking inside with the guy. I grabbed my gun and headed inside. I barely got up the stairs, and I could hear Viktor and Ilya arguing about something in the lounge. 

I bumped into Vito, who was leaving the lounge, and he held me upright so I didn’t fall over. “You’re in some trouble, Nikita. Viktor got a call, and his entire mood changed,” he said, before he went to Ilya’s bedroom for something. 

Heading all the way to Viktor’s room, I removed all my body armor and guards, my vest included. I took off my boots and set my weapons on the chair, before I laid down on his bed. The blankets were cold and inviting. 

Unbuttoning my pants, I was pulling them down my legs when Viktor came into the bedroom. He wasn’t in a full suit, just dress pants and a dress shirt. But he looked good. I could smell his aftershave from where I was. It was a smell I still remembered. 

“Did you have fun going places you shouldn’t have been, Nikita?” he asked, and crossed his arms. 

“If I say no, can I have a back massage?” I asked, picking up my pants and tossing my into the chair too. My phone and wallet falling out and hitting the floor. Viktor went and picked them up and set them on the nightstand before he lightly shoved me onto the bed. 

“I don’t like when you do things like this, Nikita. It’s dangerous.”

“I was perfectly safe. He was paying you anyway.”

Viktor exhaled. Pulling his hand through his hair. 

“Besides, he seemed way more interested in Yuri, because he hacked his systems, than me.” I laughed, and Viktor knelt down on the bed over me. He pressed his lips to mine forcefully. “Stop doing dangerous things. If you get hurt again, or worse, I’ll lose my mind, Nikita.”