His father had made that mistake with Kir’s mother and had not only paid with his honor and his life, but had left his son to bear the shame. The only thing that mattered now was protecting his family. Living up to the position and privilege he’d been given when he moved to American with Sergei.

Kir steered his Audi into a prime spot on the street just across from Cassie’s address, the throaty purr of the A7’s engine one that never failed to soothe him. Reminded him how far he’d come from the frightened and disgraced nine-year-old his mother had essentially sold to save her own ass.

Across the street, Cassie’s matchbox of a house sat waiting. One of many such tiny homes that lined this neighborhood’s streets and still went for two-hundred thousand and up merely because of their proximity to the Quarter. Most were charming despite their limited size, but Cassie’s was a ramshackle mess.

He popped the door and unfolded himself from the driver’s seat. Only a minimal swath of sunset remained on the horizon, leaving the skies overhead a deepening blue. For the first time in days, the humidity had lifted, and a light breeze caressed his face, neck and forearms as he strode across the street.

Her home was a break-in waiting to happen. The windows were thin enough they could shatter with little more than a tap, and he’d bet his prized album collection he could break the front door in with a halfhearted kick.

A heaviness weighted his chest, and a chill out of place with the summer night danced along his shoulders. A woman like Cassie shouldn’t live alone in a neighborhood like this. At least not without proper protection. If she’d been smart, she’d have stayed at the house she’d lived at before. At least it was distanced from the drunks and trouble that plagued this part of town.

He jogged up the stoop and lifted his hand to knock.

Before his knuckles could make contact with the faded wood, it swung open and Cassie stepped across the threshold, crowding him out of her way as she closed the door behind her. “Hey. Sorry I didn’t see you sooner. I could have saved you the trip across the street.”

While she’d been dressed conservatively the day before in a light blue suit that accented her beautiful eyes, today she’d gone casual. A stylish white linen button-down with rolled-up sleeves and fitted jeans that perfectly showcased her fit body. She’d cuffed the hems to midway up her shins and added tan heels that gave him all too many tempting, yet inappropriate thoughts.

Most striking though were her flushed cheeks and overly bright eyes. Suspicious to be sure. But then, perhaps the inside of her house left even more to be desired than the exterior did. Either that, or she had something tucked away inside she didn’t want Kir to see.

Or someone.

The thought shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did, but the reaction prodded him like a dagger between his ribs. “For future reference, it’s not only unnecessary that you watch for me and meet me at my car, it’s undesired.”