From Russia With Loathing

Part 27

Anastasiya

My phone vibrates on the bed next to me, waking me up for my blissful sleep. I'm excited to go back to work. I'm not excited to get out of bed early. I had forgotten I'm not a morning person.

I had set my alarm early because I know I would probably hit the snooze a few time. I get out of bed on time but I take my time in the shower and picking out what I want to wear.

Audrey's mom was of course elated when I told her I wanted to come back to work. I had waited till the dinner on Thursday to tell her. It was great having dinner with the Hamilton's. It felt great to be back with them and be back to my old normal life. Even though I have more then come to terms with the whole 'arrangement', it was just nice to get back to normal.

I'm not going to lie to myself, it was a rough night. I thought I would be easy to just slip back into my old normal life. But I felt out of place and on edge all night. And then I got home and realized how much I had really changed. How much I had become accustomed to this life. This life I never wanted to become accustomed to in the first place.

As I got dressed I realized how much I had missed going to work every. It felt good knowing I was doing something just for me.

When I open the bedroom door I instantly smell coffee. I head straight for the source in the kitchen. When I round the corner into the kitchen I stop dead. My eyes instantly scan over the man sitting at the kitchen island. Correction, child sitting at the kitchen island.

He looks up and smiles at me. "Good morning, um, Mrs. Yahontov."

"Don't call me that." I tell him.

"Oh. I'm. I'm sorry, ma'am." His eyes are huge. He looks like his is going to piss himself.

"Don't call me that either." I roll my eyes at him.

I feel Viktor approach me from behind. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and kisses the side of my head.

"Morning Anastasiya." Viktor walks over the coffee machine.

"Morning." I say warily. What is going on?

"This is..." Viktor waves his hand at the kid, not knowing his name.

"Peytor." The kid says.

"Hi Peytor." I say. He smiles at me with way to much enthusiasm.

"He will be going to work with you."

"What!?"

"I told you I would think about it. I thought about it, and this is what I came up with." He faces me.

"No! Absolutely not!" I square my shoulders up with his. "I'm not taking him to work with me!"

"Peytor is going to be your bodyguard. He goes where you go." Viktor says calmly. Why is he so calm!?

"Are you fucking insane!?"

"A little, because I should have done this sooner." He starts to raise is voice. "You were attacked Anastasiya. Your life was threatened." He takes a deep breath to calm himself. "I want to keep you safe. I need to keep you safe." 

Deep down I know I can't argue with him. I know he is keeping things from me because of how bad things are. I want to ask him why he had blood on him the other night. I know he doesn't want me to worry. And in truth, I have become a bit more skittish when going out. I sometimes feel like I'm being watched.

I turn on my heals and head for the elevator. "I thought bodyguards were supposed to follow you everywhere? Are you coming or what?"

Peytor jumps up from the stool and runs to the elevator.

"How old are you?" I say when Peytor and I exit the building.

"19" His Russian accent is really thick.

"Why? Why are you doing this? What made you want to work for the Russian Mafia?"

He is quite for a second. "My family poor. My father have lot of debts. I steal to help. I get caught. I get caught many times. Bed people want me. Vladimir help me. He bring me here. I do many things for his men. Viktor ask for help. I help. Vladimir help me. I help Viktor."

"Well Peytor, you definitely aren't being promoted with this job."

"I'm very happy working with you. Before I work with Magnus. Magnus ... Um .. I not know English word... um ... no good person." He continues smiling.

I don't know what kinda shit Magnus did to him, but he is definitely happy to be away from him.

We continue the trip to Chelsea in silence. Peytor follows behind me like a little puppy. He either hasn't been here that long or he hasn't left Brooklyn before. His big puppy dog eyes are constantly looking around in amazement. He even gets distracted a few times, and I have to pull him along so we aren't late.

"There is a coffee shop across the street. Go in, order something to drink, and wait there." I point and tell him when we arrive at the gallery.

"Viktor tell me to stay with you." His eyes widen. I didn't think they could get any bigger.

"I know. It's okay." I reassure him. "I'm telling you to go and sit across the street. Sit by the window or sit outside. You can watch me from across the street. You will be fine. I will meet you there at 12 and we will get lunch."

He slowly walks across the street. I give him a thumbs up when he opens the door to the coffee shop.

"Good morning Anna." Vivian greets me with a hug when I walk into the gallery. "I have a client coming in after lunch. She was supposed to come in yesterday but I told her to come in today. She just moved into a new apartment and she wants to fill it with art. I told her you were an interior designer and could help her."

"I can't wait."