GHOST (Boston Underworld Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

perhaps, as his role has evolved over the years, even a son.
    I do not like lying to him. But when it comes to Katya, I must. Viktor would not stand for such a betrayal. If the truth were ever uncovered, he would surely have her slaughtered. She has made a mockery of me. And in the Vory world, there is only one punishment for such a crime.
    As little as I care for her, I still cannot in good conscience sentence her to death. Viktor is old school in some ways, and modern in others. He does not follow the original Vory tradition of forsaking all family. To him, a family outside of the Vory is as important as the brothers themselves. A happy home makes for a loyal Vor, he likes to say. The organization is very old, but it has evolved to the times. Now it is common practice to marry suitable prospects within our own culture, or for the sake of alliances. For a man with my rank, Katya is the most obvious choice. The one who Viktor and her father Anatoly insisted upon. So this ruse continues. He wants my reassurances. And I will give them, for now.
    “She is busy planning a Christmas party.”
    Viktor waves his hand and dismisses the idea as preposterous. “That is nonsense. She should be planning a wedding, Lyoshenka. Anatoly has asked me for a date several times already.”
    I take a spoonful of Borscht and bide my time. I am running out of reasons to give him.
    “What is holding you back?” he asks. “You are thirty-five this year. Do you not believe it is far past time to start a family?”
    “It is,” I agree. “I want that very much.”
    “And yet, you hesitate,” Viktor argues. “I’m starting to believe you have doubts.”
    The waiter comes and clears our bowls, and Viktor leans forward to study me.
    “Does this have anything to do with your father?”
    “It has nothing to do with him,” I counter. My voice betrays the indignation I always feel at the mention of Sergei, but a man like Viktor doesn’t heed warnings from anyone.
    “You have never believed you were adequate, Lyoshenka. You must let these fears go. Katya will make a good wife for you. She is already aware of your condition. And she accepts it. She will be loyal. In that, she has no choice.”
    Only, she isn’t loyal. She is a liar and a whore. One who seeks a high ranking husband but prefers to sample all of his Vory brethren behind his back. But I do not tell Viktor that. Instead, I only nod.
    He sighs and leans back in his chair, requesting another drink. The waiter promptly fills it up and leaves us to our conversation.
    “What of this slave?” he asks. “You plan to keep her in America until Arman comes through?”
    His words stir to life the mental image of the girl. Talia. It is the same image I have thought of many times since I met her only last night. She is more damaged than even I had foresaw. Franco was right. I have been over every detail of her life. Of her photos. But meeting her in person… seeing her in those conditions… I was not prepared.
    She is skin and bones. A tangled mess of blonde hair and a gaunt, lifeless face. Those empty gray eyes were a painful reminder of someone else. Another ghost. One that haunts me often. And already, Talia is provoking memories I have no desire to revisit. I have questioned my strategy a thousand times over since the night before. And yet, even now, I am anxious to retrieve her and bring her to my home. To carry through on my plans before I can doubt it further.
    “Yes,” I tell Viktor. “She will stay at my home.”
    “At your home?” he questions.
    “Magda will care for her,” I explain.
    He does not challenge my judgment any further, and I am glad. But he does observe my obvious discomfort.
    “You seem… impatient,” he remarks.
    “Only to get home,” I answer.
    He nods. “Ah, yes. Well that makes two of us. We will give Arman one week to come through. And if he does not, then we will move forward. And we can both get back to our sanctuaries.”
    “Agreed,” I tell