Page 77 of Heritage of Blood
“We need a sign off on the new warehouse property. Inspectors have been paid off already, but the crew needs your stamp of approval. Also, I’m thinking of moving in here instead.”
I let out a chuckle and Kieran swings his head my way, eyeing me like I have two heads.
I’m letting my guard down.
“We’ll talk about it. I’ll be there after my meeting.” I click off the call and toss my phone back on my desk, the sound a lot louder than I intend. Nik has a small apartment above our main warehouse outside the city. Why he wants to live there is anyone’s guess, but it’s helpful when he needs to be there often. I’ve offered him a place in my building, as I’d done with Ilena, but he prefers life away from the main city.
Kieran makes his way back to his leather chair, swirling his glass of liquor, but his eyes stay fixed on me.
“What?” I bark, annoyance flares at his blatant study of me.
“Nothing. Never heard ye laugh before.”
Kieranand I discuss our business going forward in addition to some strategy for dealing with the Cosa Nostra. He leaves with my promise to deliver several crates of his favorite weapons, and to come to Boston with Nik soon.
I open my emails to do a quick pursual through of anything I may have missed, and I see one from Kate with some documents attached for the new warehouse. The subject line is filled with the contents of whatshould bewithin the email.Sign these before Nik calls me again and I have to listen to him whine.
I rub my chest, something warm burning there, and e-sign the documents before packing up and pulling my suit jacket over my shoulders. Throwing open the door, Natallia and Kate are both sipping coffee from a chain coffee shop, and I wrinkle my nose in disgust.
“Kate. You’re coming with me.” I march around to her desk and yank her coat from her chair.
She scoffs at me. “You know in the real world, we typicallyaskpeople to join us.”
Natallia’s lips roll in, and her mouth thins into a straight line as she fights a laugh. I snag Kate’s elbow as she marches past me.
“Careful,” I whisper in her ear. She shivers but still turns to me, her eyebrows hike up. I guide her to the elevator, and she steps in. As soon as the door closes, I push her up against the back. Reaching up, I pull her hair out from her bun, watching her blonde strands spill around her shoulders. A gasp echoes from her as we move toward the ground floor. My hand cups her cheek, and I sweep my thumb over her soft skin. She looks up at me, her eyes flickering with warmth.
“Where are we going?” The rasp in her voice betrays her stern tone, and she tilts her chin as my mouth hovers over hers.
“The new warehouse is finished. Those documents you wanted signed, they are for this space. We’re meeting Nik there.”
“Oh good—He’s my favorite.” Her eyes glint with teasing, but her words knock the air from my lungs. A growl escapes me, and I push my lips to hers, a small whimper filling the moving elevator.
“I believe I’m the one who supplies your pickle stash,” I say. She drops her head back against the cold steel, her mouth widening into a smile—it’s the perfect photo I want to capture. A ding has her eyes popping open, and she tries to nudge me away. Her face inches to the left and she stares past me out into the lobby. A flush creeps across her face and her hands gripping the handrail tighten as she clears her throat. No doubt people are looking.
I don’t move, watching her grow redder as she squirms. I’m enjoying this much more than she is.
“Sir?” Dmitry’s voice outside the elevator has me turning my head. His hand is pressed against the doors, keeping them open. “Are you all right?”
“Da.” I say, keeping my voice even, eyes still fixed on Kate. I finally release my grip on her and she stands straight, stepping away from the back wall quickly. I smirk at the daggers she is glaring my way, but she raises her chin, and steps around me, marching out the door.
Chapter47
Kate
Luka explains when they searched outside the city for warehouses, they couldn’t get one big enough to meet their needs. They did find one hundred acres of pristine land, impressively off the beaten path, even to those who live outside the city. Nik had designed most of the warehouse, considering the security and technology they would need to be strategic.
In addition, they have clearly marked zones for loading and unloading as well as incoming and outgoing shipments. I didn’t understand how local governments don’t inquire about precisely what is going in and out of there, but Luka assured me they have many on their payroll—paid to look the other way. He also said, that because of the art imports, they often have some random other products there as decoy shipments.
Honestly, I don’t understand it all, but the high of connection was intoxicating as he shared this with me—his life with me.
Ivan pulls into the newly constructed warehouse, and it is huge. My mouth drops open when Ivan opens the door for me. I stumble out, gazing up at the striking building. The exterior is sleek with metallic panels that reflect the sunlight, casting glimmers all around. Large glass windows are positioned throughout, and massive, imposing steel door archways line the right side. I grin at Luka and he is already smiling at me, studying my face for reactions.
“Wow, this is massive.”
The sun is hitting the building at the perfect angle, and I have to bring my hand up to cover my eyes, but I still move forward. The warehouse is broken into different sections, similar to the one I visited before. The main shipping location has high ceilings that vault with steel beams. The internal layout has some clearly marked offices, and as we make our way through those, Nik meets us at the bottom of the stairs.
“Boss. Hey, Kate.” He gives me a wink and I beam at him. Luka rolls his eyes. “Want to come see the warehouse penthouse?” Nik says. He waggles his eyebrows and a laugh bubbles out of me. I often wonder how someone who works for Luka and grew up in the brutal Bratva can have such an infectious personality.