Chapter 25

Anya didn't realize she'd fallen in love with the asshole until he'd taken her suggestion and walked away. Like the few others she had bothered to care about, he walked away from the little sister of the mob boss because she was a complication that nobody needed. This time it hurt more than all the rest combined.
"Let's go," she said to Boris, turning around and heading for the door.
When she headed toward her dark purple Camaro, Boris stopped her. "You ride with me," he said in heavily accented English, his voice deep and clipped. "Boss would have my ass if you wrecked because of bad temper."
Anya laughed a little and handed her keys to one of the other guys. She took Boris' arm and walked with him to the black SUV parked at the curb of the casino. "You always know how to tell it like it is Boris."
"And you know how to push the boss' buttons, little girl." His strong accent emphasized leetle gurl.
It wasn't a compliment. Nobody wanted to be around Vlad Sitnikov when he was pissed. Which is something his little sister did to him with alarming frequency.
"Alright, lets go see if I can smooth it over then boss man. Make it safe for the soldiers again," she said, her lips curling in a half smile.
Boris grunted.
Indeed, Vlad was angrier than usual when she got back to the house.
"You said I could live my own life Vlad, not have it run by you and your men!" Anya yelled after enduring Vlad's legendary temper for the past ten minutes. "You wanted me to stay in your house where its safe, and my only stipulation was freedom when I needed it."
"The freedom to make good choices Anastasia!" he snarled back in Russian. "Not to drop your bodyguards at an illegal fight and take off for two days, turning up in a rival's casino. That was incredibly stupid. You could have been kidnapped , or worse , and I wouldn't have known what happened until it was too late."
Anya switched to Russian as well and said in a quiet voice, "There is only one reason why I am unsafe in this city, brother."
Vlad flinched and looked sad, but resigned.?
"It is what it is, solntse. We would not be here in America, living the good life, so to speak, if I hadn't taken the path I chose. I love you too much to let you go unprotected. You are as much a daughter as you are a sister."
Anya was still upset, but his words coupled with her favourite endearment made her smile a little. "You are not old enough to be my father."
"Sixteen years Anastasia. And you have no mother or father. Protecting you is my honour. I would kill any person that brought harm upon you."
She sighed. "Unfortunately its that last part that I know to be true. You can't stop being both my brother and the badass that runs this city. I feel like I'm going to die alone, still living in your house."
"That works for me," he replied, his smirk unrepentant.
Anya snorted, "I'm sure it does."
Anya turned to the door of Vlad's dark office, ready to go take a shower and grab a few hours of sleep when Vlad asked, "You met with a policewoman?"
Anya looked up at him, not liking the gleam in his eyes. "Jesus, you have spies everywhere!" she snapped. "I didn't meet with anyone. She found me."
"What did you tell her?"
Anya shrugged and began examining her short, black painted nails. "Just that she better watch out because my brother runs the biggest crime syndicate in this city and he's disposed of more bodies than she can possibly know. I also told her about the drugs and guns." Anya paused as if concentrating. "Oh, right! I told her you weren't into prostitution though, that you were deep down a pretty good guy and you couldn't stomach that shit."
Vlad glared daggers at his little sister. "Tell me what was really said or we will take a trip down memory lane where you were young enough to take a spanking."
"Ew, brother. That's all kinds of wrong!"
Vlad looked to be working back up to true anger, so Anya sighed and said, "I pretty much told her to leave the country. She didn't ask any specific questions and I didn't answer anything. I didn't even confirm that I was your sister."
Vlad looked satisfied. "And the card?"
Anya raised her eyebrow, but dug through her purse and pulled it out. He took it from her and held it in his big hand, staring at it thoughtfully. He placed it carefully on his desk and then looked up at his sister, his eyes shuttered. Anya had a strange feeling about Vlad and the cop. Normally she stayed out of his business, but she felt that whatever was happening was more personal than usual.
"She's not corrupt brother, I'd stake money that she's a good cop right down to her bones."
Vlad nodded absently. "So it would seem."
Anya chose her words carefully. Her brother would never hurt her physically, but his words could cut almost as bad when he was in a foul mood. "She could take you down if you gave her the ammunition."
Again he nodded, seeming to consider her words.
"But you also deserve to try for happiness, if that's what you want."
He looked up sharply. "I deserve nothing. But I do take what I want," he said, his accent thick. "What do you suggest my crafty sister?"
Anya looked a little sad, "If you were to take what you wanted from this woman, you would first have to take from her what she values most: her badge."
He looked surprised, then after a moment, proud. "You would do well in this business."
She snorted but nodded in agreement. "Speaking of business, you have yourself a fighter."
Vlad grinned, almost boyishly. "Excellent!"
Anya opened the door and said over her shoulder, "I'll send the details to your accountant so he can draw up the contract. Ash wants a meet with you in public for the signing. He also wants me there, but I'm going to have to disappoint him."?
Anya was almost out the door when her brother spoke.
"Anastasia."
She looked back.
"Either quit playing with him or get serious," he said, his eyes the unholy black hue they took on when he was contemplating bad things. "I would hate to purchase an expensive fight contract and then have to part the man's head from his body before he fulfills his obligations."
Anya left without comment.