A Bedtime Story Read Online Free PDF

Spencer?”
    “Yes…”
    Opening the door halfway, just enough to peek her head through,
     Olga took care not to enter the room. “I just wanted to tell you that supper will be
     ready in ten minutes, in case you need to get prepared. I will come back in a few
     minutes to take you to the dining area.”
    “Actually, can I stay here, if that’s okay? I’m not really hungry.
     I don’t feel very good. I’d rather stay in bed.”
    “Oh? Is something wrong? Can I get you anything?”
    “No, no, thank you. I would just like to sleep.”
    “Very well. I’ll advise Master Kayne you are feeling ill.” Her
     words feigned concern, but her tone seemed anxious, if not vexed.
    ***
    Olga hurried apprehensively to the master of the house. She was all
     too aware of his bad temper; you simply did not disobey Kayne Malkin. He had
     inherited his mother’s wild Italian temper. Thankfully he also possessed her good
     humor, some of her kindness, and all of her charm. His father’s heritage was more
     sinister. From him, Kayne got his eyes and good looks, his ability to manipulate,
     his need to dominate, and his very blurry sense of morality. Lev Malkin was of
     Russian origin, born in his homeland. He had left his country at a young age to
     immigrate to Canada with nothing but a picture of his family and the clothes on his
     back, as was most often the case in those days. He was a serious man, cold and
     calculating, even heartless when needed. Yet he was fair. He looked after his own,
     rewarded loyalty generously, and dealt with betrayal swiftly. He followed his own
     code of ethics and didn’t make any exceptions or excuses, for anyone .
    He soon found out how to put those traits to good
     use and rose quickly to high ranks in the Organization. They didn’t have a name,
     though members referred to it as the Family . Lev met and impressed the right
     people. Though mostly composed of Russian expats, the Organization saw its members
     diversify over the years. Its core and highest positions, however, remained
     exclusively in the grasp of the true blood , Russian born, or descendants. In
     this strange new land, they flocked to each other and looked out for their own. When
     Lev met Olga, she had nowhere to go. He took her in and gave her a job. He was a
     fair employer, strict, demanding, but never inappropriate. That alone earned him her
     complicit silence.
    When he met Kayne’s mother a few years later, it was love at first
     sight. It took him over a year to convince the beautiful Italian student to give him
     the time of day, but eventually, he succeeded. He always got what he wanted. They
     had a whirlwind romance and were married within the year. A beautiful boy followed.
     How Olga loved that boy, that quiet boy, so determined, even at a young age.
    Olga knew, she didn’t delude herself about what type of man that
     boy grew up to be. But she loved him as a son. He was the only son she ever knew,
     and she was the only mother he’d ever have. She watched him grow up, shaped in his
     father’s mold. Lev would have been proud. Kayne was ruthless, calculating, and
     cautious, never flashy. And yet he could still show kindness, and that by itself was
     a miracle. When his mother died, he was still a toddler, and Olga knew right then
     that she would never give up on him, that she would always love him, no matter what.
     If his father earned her loyalty to the Organization, the boy ensured her devotion
     to the Malkins.
    He was already sitting at the dining table, head hanging back and
     eyes closed when Olga walked in.
    “Master Kayne…”
    He opened his eyes tiredly and his stare immediately darkened,
     sensing her nervousness. “Where is she?” he snapped.
    “That’s the thing… She says she is not feeling well…
     She asked to stay in her room to rest.”
    “Did she now…” He exhaled slowly, bemused, tapping the fork
     absentmindedly against the table.
    “You technically haven’t requested her