Chapter 7: Volkov's Proposition

The sound of hushed voices and the feel of soft warm lips pressed against her cheek woke Vic from her dreamless sleep. She rolled over to find Max smiling down at her. He reached up and slowly moved some of her hair from her face. “You look yummy enough to eat first thing in the morning, but Roc says it's time to hit the road. Come on,” he urged and offered her his hand. Vic stretched her arms and legs before taking Max’s offered hand. As she stood, he handed her a steaming cup of coffee. “Don't know how you like it so it's just straight black.” he said, and Vic smiled warmly at the gesture. “It’s warm, that's all that counts.” she said with the gravel of sleep still in her voice.  

Vic noticed as she stuffed her bags back into the car that the trio remained silent, and it seemed to make the atmosphere slightly more tense than it had been last night.  Vic stood by the back panel of the car waiting as Rowan almost pushed her out of the way to stuff his enormous frame into the backseat. Max opened his mouth to speak, and Rocco cleared his throat. Vic watched the events unfold silently but glanced toward Rocco. “In the front Vic, shut up Max.” he added, and Vic found herself holding in a laugh as she watched Max’s shoulders fold in on themselves. He almost seemed to sulk as he climbed into the backseat. 

Vic took two steps to the front and as she reached for the handle the door swung open on its own. As she bent to look inside, she realized that Rocco had opened it for her from the inside. Rolling her eyes Vic slid into the seat and closed the door, hoping the silence they were currently gracing one another with would last the entire car ride. She was still exhausted and the emotional roller coaster this trio had her on was wearing her down faster than water torture. 

Vic’s wish was granted as the scenery changed from small town pit stops and endless highways to beautiful countryside in absolute silence. Vic sat up straight as a gravel driveway lined with perfectly manicured trees ended with a large iron gate. It was heavily armed with guards posted both at the top and bottom of the fence, lining more of the property than Vic could see through the tree line. Rocco rolled his window down and stuck his head out. “Alpha team, Beta leader plus one ghost reporting to Volkov.” he yelled, and Vic watched silently as the guards seemed to communicate with one another. An unseen party before the gates slowly opened and their car was waved through. Vic had been to large, heavily secured fortress style estates before but for some reason the sound of the iron gates closing on Volkov’s compound turned Vic’s stomach, like her life was about to change and not necessarily in the best way. 

Vic tried not to gawk at the absurdity of the castle standing before her as Rocco pulled the car around the looping drive and stopped in front of the main house. “Hop out and go up the steps. Someone will show you the way.” Rocco said in a tone soft enough to make Vic look at him suspiciously. Rocco shot her a smile that could melt dry ice and licked his lips. “Just be honest with the boss and everything will work out, I promise.” he almost whispered and as Vic stepped out of the car she tried not to look back or even think about the game Rocco might be playing. 

As promised, at the top of the unnecessarily wide cement steps was a tranquil courtyard. It was complete with a trickling infinity fountain that started with an elaborate structure in the middle and trickled down over large steppingstones leading to the front doors. As Vic walked the liquid path, she took a deep breath and felt an almost strange sense of calm as two ridiculously dressed guards complete with black tie suits and earpieces opened the ornate front doors and motioned her inside. “The boss is waiting for you in his office. Don't loiter.” one of them barked and Vic rolled her eyes but kept her lewd comment to herself as she passed them.

               

The inside of the castle was just as lavish as the outside with the strange subtle difference of suspicious splashes of pastel colors in different spaces. Vic noticed lavender candles on the rows of decorative tables against the wall as her sneakers squeaked against the floor while she wandered down the mostly straight hallway. Just as Vic began to approach a hall with several doors, a woman dressed in a pinstriped pantsuit pushed a door open and bustled out pulling a rolling cart with empty platters and cups lining the top. She immediately smiled at Vic. “Your guest has arrived boss, should I have her wait?” she asked, and Vic could hear Volkov’s voice, but she couldn’t understand him. The woman held the door open and motioned for Vic to proceed, “Boss says come on in.” she chirped. Vic hurried to the door to hold it while the other woman made her way out pushing the empty cart full of clanking silver dishes. 

Vic had trained for years to never give herself away with facial expressions but the sight in front of her tested those years to their limits.  Alexander Volkov’s office looked like what you would expect from a man who had so much money he laughed at traffic tickets. The walls were cluttered with thick crown molding and matching ornately sculpted panels lining the walls with rose gold leaf fabric wallpaper sandwiched between. His desk was the same wood as the walls, complete with gaudy gold lamps and custom stationery. But none of that caught Vic’s eye like the beaming young woman perched on top of Volkov’s desk like she owned it. Her long brunette hair hung in front of her downturned head like thick chestnut curtains until Volkov looked up over the rim of his reading glasses and waved Vic over. “Come in Vic, you're right on time.” He smiled, and Vic tried not to snort a sarcastic retort about her punctuality being inevitable. Volkov tilted his chin back and slowly removed his glasses, setting them on the desk as the pretty young woman next to him looked up from the phone she held in her lap and almost squealed. “Oh, Daddy is this Vic? She’s stunning.” the young woman chirped. Vic was about to introduce herself to what she thought was Volkov’s daughter when to her utter shock the young woman leaned over and grabbed Volkov by the suit jacket before she bent forward and shoved her tongue down his throat with a vulgar mewling sound escaping her as their mouths connected.

Vic didn't realize she was standing there with her mouth gaping until she felt the tender but warm tap of fingers under her chin. “Might want to close that before I find something useful to stick in it.” Rocco whispered close enough to Vic’s ear that she felt his breath fan her cheek.

Vic snapped her mouth shut and glared at Rocco before Volkov caught her attention. “Vic I would like to introduce you to my wife, Madelena Vadala Volkov.” he announced, and Vic licked her lips to avoid letting her jaw go slack again. Madelena waved vigorously before almost throwing herself off the desk. She began running toward Vic and as Volkov opened his mouth to speak she threw her thin caramel arms around Vic and squeezed. “It’s so cool you are here. We are gonna be besties, I just know it.” she chirped and Volkov cleared his throat. Madelena removed her arms and tucked her long flowing hair behind her ears as she rolled her eyes and turned back toward Volkov. 

“You are such a stick in the mud Alex.” she whined, and he laughed before standing from the desk and rounding it to crowd his wife, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “Tsvetok moyego serdtsa (flower of my heart).” he purred low and affectionately as she smiled up at him like they were the only two people on the planet. “Would you please make sure Vic’s things make it to their appropriate destination while I explain her role here for the future?” he asked her sweetly and again Vic had to control her facial expressions as she watched Volkov almost beg this waif of a woman. Madelena twirled from side to side with a coy smile peeking through her hooded lashes. “Only if we can eat ice cream in bed tonight.” she said with a wide grin. Volkov growled affectionately as he shook his head. “You will be my undoing my love, but anything you wish is yours. Now please.” he asked again, and this time was rewarded when the small woman bounced up onto her tiptoes to press her full pouty lips to his cheek before she skipped toward the exit. “See ya soon Vic.” she chirped, and Vic looked toward the exit but said nothing as the woman had disappeared already, leaving her alone once again with Rocco and Volkov. 

Alexander Volkov crossed his arms and tilted his head as he examined Vic. “Ask me.” he almost barked. Vic spun to look at him, opening her mouth to speak but then closing it again as she glanced back toward the empty hallway.  Rocco and Volkov exchanged a look between them as Vic jammed her thumb in the direction Madelena had gone. “I mean no disrespect sir but, is she always that forward with people?” she asked and then bit her bottom lip as Volkov’s eyebrows almost disappeared into this hairline before he leaned back chuckling. “You know Vic, I think you are going to be a perfect fit here. My Madelena has an excellent sense of character, and your record will be tested by Rocco here. How about it, Bura?” he asked, and Vic shook her head. “I’m sorry sir, I don't understand.” she said before clasping her hands behind her back, waiting for Volkov to unveil his master plan for her. 

“That woman is my life’s purpose Vic; she is my second chance at happiness. I want her protected by the best, that means you.” he said cryptically, and Vic’s mouth opened and closed a few times as she drew together in her mind what he was saying. “So, you brought me here to babysit your wife?” she asked, and Rocco snorted before covering his mouth. Volkov’s ears turned red as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “No, I want you to protect her with your life, but I want it to look like I am lax in my choices.” he responded, and Vic tilted her head back defiantly. “A woman you mean? You want people to think you put an incompetent, weak woman in charge of keeping your most precious possession safe?” she asked, with a little more venom in her voice than intended. 

Volkov shot forward from the desk and poked a finger into her face as he bore his dark eyes into her. “Precisely. The kind of people who would try to get to me through her would be stupid enough to believe a woman was weak, and that I would choose weakness to guard what is most precious to me.” he snarled. Vic wasn't sure whether to take his statement as a compliment. Volkov waved a hand at her. “What information I could dig up on Victoria Bura, suggested she was quite familiar with hand-to-hand combat and any idiot can see you pack a punch with the amount of magnificent muscle structure you carry. But that's not really what I care about most, although it is important information to have. I am more interested in what The Ghost can do.” he said. Vic squared her shoulders as she watched a darkness fall over Volkov’s features. “How proficient are you in weapons training or identifying a possible threat in a crowded room?” he pressed, and Vic shrugged as she let her mouth fill with air before pushing it out in an over exaggerated huff. 

“Honestly Volkov, The Ghost doesn’t work a room or try to find some hidden threat, I was trained to extract-,” she began but stopped when Rocco snorted. “You were trained to extract what little farmers daughter, teeth?” he asked, and Vic straightened her back but kept her eyes locked on the older Volkov. “My role in the Bura family was to clean up or extract people and information by any means necessary, and I am dangerously good at it, sir.” she finished and watched a slight twinkle of delight spark in Volkov’s eye. The man grinned at her and put his hand on her shoulder. “That's fabulous news Vic; we can get started with your training right away. Only my best will handle you, so that means Max for weapons training, Rowan for room work, and Rocco here can handle your hand to hand personally.” he stated before turning away from her and sauntering back toward his desk. “Wonderful, we are at an accord then. You will pay off your fathers' debt by becoming my Madelena’s closest companion.” he announced.

He turned to seat himself at his desk with a wide smile that almost made Vic nervous. “I appreciate your subtle approach to the surprise of my wife’s obvious age difference from my own.” He glanced at Rocco who only folded his arms. “My first and only child was born while I was quite young, so I have become accustomed to the shock of people finding out Rocco is my son, and that Madelena is a few years younger than he is. It throws a lot of people, you seem highly unbothered by this.” he stated, and Vic shrugged. “I don't wanna sound vulgar Mr. Volkov, but it takes all kinds, and what you do with your adult wife is none of my fucking business.” she finished, and Volkov let another laugh loose before waving at the pair dismissively. “Now, get out of my office. I have work to do. Rocco will show you to your room.” he announced, and Rocco winked at Vic before offering her his arm. “May I?” he asked, and Vic looked down at his arm. “Lead the way, prince charming.” she grumbled with no humor in her voice. Rocco snorted and marched from the room with Vic almost running to keep up with him. She suddenly wished she had taken the offered arm as the olive branch it had been, considering she wasn't exactly sure what her life was going to look like tomorrow or for the next forceable few years.