10. Invitation
Over a week after the shootout, Jolie thought by now her PTSD would be healing, but instead, it felt like it was getting worse.
She typically parked in a parking garage, but there were too many loud sounds and dark shadows, so for the last two days, she found a spot on the side of the road, but that brought on different fears. The walk to her apartment was longer, she passed more strangers, and there were three alleys where someone could hide. She hadn”t yet decided which was worse.
Despite the negative, it was a beautiful September morning. The sun was blaring, and the humid air made her sweat even in the shade of the buildings. There was no fall in Florida. There was summer and then a few weeks of spring, but otherwise, the sun was unrelenting. She had lived here her whole life and still wasn”t entirely used to the blistering heat.
Jolie jogged to Crunch Fitness, two miles from her building. It helped relieve the tension in her shoulders. It would be better if she had time to do this daily, but sleep had become difficult. Closing her eyes brought on anxieties, and then sleep brought on nightmares. There was no winning.
The only thing that helped her alter her mindset was when she was thinking about Adrik.
And that”s a no-go.
Upon seeing the big sign for her gym, her smile stretched. She was going to have a good, stress-free day today.
A man in a black suit stood in front of her. It took only a second to realize he was part of Adrik”s crew. She bowed her head and tried to barrel through, but he moved with her. Jolie spun around to run, and another suit stood there with their hands clasped at the front. The tiny exposure of a gun handle through the buttons of his black jacket reminded her what kind of people they were.
She sunk in defeat.
”Miss Bell. My boss would like to talk to you.” Their Russian accent was becoming more familiar than she ever wanted it to be.
What could Adrik want? What if he knew about the FBI agent coming to my house?
Jolie looked longingly toward the gym. If she fought or screamed, she could get away. There were too many ego maniacs hoping to save a damsel in distress. But she didn”t want to risk anyone getting hurt because of her.
And she partly wanted to see Adrik again.
Jolie sighed and waved a hand. They took the invitation for what it was and directed her to a building across the street. She felt utterly underdressed as they entered the hotel lobby, with little pocket stores full of glittering accessories and clothes that were more than her salary. It was a side of Tampa she”d never seen. The elevator had a passcode, and it climbed to the roof.
Through double glass doors was an infinity pool that hung off the edge like magic. A little girl was splashing and giggling while her father swung her around. To her surprise, it was Adrik and Helina. Despite his dedication to his daughter, she didn”t see him as the kind of guy to pay much attention to her.
Didn”t rich people assign others to take care of their kids?
There were guards on the outline of the roof, but oddly enough, they were looking outward and not in. But perhaps there was always the chance of assassination, even from way up here.
This is so unreal.Jolie snorted.
One guard directed her to a chair, and a server quickly asked if she was hungry or thirsty. To each, she said no, landing her attention on Adrik. He caught sight of her, his blue eyes reflecting like the pool, a hypnotic scene that she couldn”t break from. Slick, shiny hair dripped in front of his gaze as he looked at her like she was mouthwatering prey he was about to devour.
Helina jumped on his head, and he drowned in the water, breaking the tension, thankfully. Jolie hid her smile.
But the smile was removed forcefully by her conscience.
He is a monster, she reminded herself.
The problem was that Adrik was only showing his sweet side. He was showing her only what he wanted her to see. It was a great way to reel her in, but she wasn”t stupid.
”Jolie!” Helina called as her father lifted her out of the water. Her little floaties kept her arms out as she rushed to her, landing in her lap, all wet. Jolie cackled, trying to weasel out of her hold while hugging her. Helina started going off in Russian, and Jolie just smiled, nodding, and searching for Adrik to interpret. He hung out in the pool, with his arms on the edge and his chin resting on them. He simply watched as if the scene was interesting to him.
Helina looked up at Jolie and waited for a response. Then she turned to her father and yelled at him.
Adrik replied in Russian, and it only pissed Helina off even more. She stomped her foot. But with a single sharp ”shh,” Helina stopped moving and stood with a giant pout. Adrik rolled his eyes and conceded. ”She wants to invite you to our house.”
”She does? How convenient.”
Adrik smirked but said nothing in response.
Helina yelled at him one more time and waited.
Adrik reluctantly interpreted, ”She thinks you look like a princess, and she wants to dress up.”
Helina nodded. ”Printessa,” she repeated. ”Krasivyy.”
”Krasivyy?”Jolie asked, looking at Adrik.
He paused as he met her gaze. ”Beautiful.”
Her cheeks heated, and she unconsciously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Jolie stroked Helina”s arm. ”You”re so sweet. You”re krasivyy.” She touched her little round cheek. ”But I can”t come to your home. I have a busy weekend.”
Helina looked back at her father, and he complied with a response. She bowed her head in sadness, and Jolie kissed the top of her head in apology.
Adrik directed Helina to go with her nanny, and they both watched her go with a depressed walk. ”She”s good.” Jolie sat back, feeling the weight of guilt like a winter coat.
Adrik pushed against the wall, floating in the water. ”Come in.”
She knew what he was doing. His body was a masterpiece of well-tuned muscles and beautifully designed tattoos. There wasn”t a spot on his body that wasn”t taken care of. His arms were tight, his abs were plenty, and his thighs and calves were shaped like hardened clay. The number of hours he spent in the gym every week was commendable. It made her ashamed of all the days she”d missed because of the anxiousness he caused.
That was something to pay attention to.
I lived in horrible stress this week because of him.
Jolie stood. ”I”m gonna leave.”
Adrik popped up. ”Wait.”
She flipped about with frustration, unsure of what she should do. ”I shouldn”t be here.”
Adrik swam to the stairs, rushing out of the water and snatching a towel from a pool attendant. He approached her as he dried his face, rubbing the towel through his hair, noticing how she would look everywhere else except on him. He waited, hoping to catch a glimpse of her eyes to discern why she fought the way she did. Women typically didn”t have so much of a problem with him being in the Mafia.
But she isn”t the kind of woman I typically deal with.
”Look at me.”
”No,” she replied with a nervous laugh.
”Why?”
”You”re not gonna win me over with—this.” She gestured to his wet body as she looked at the sky. ”Whatever this is.”
The comment made him feel like he was desperate, and it pissed him off. ”Is that why you think you”re here?”
”Why am I here?”
”I want you to tutor my daughter. Think I”d waste my time with someone like you?”
Jolie curled her fist as if in victory, gritting her teeth as she finally met his gaze. ”Thank you for that. Thank you.” It was a good reminder he”s a piece of shit, no matter how good-looking. She stepped away, but Adrik grabbed her arm.
”Wait, wait, wait.”
”No, I”m good.”
”Jolie, can you sit?”
”I”m done talking.” She twisted out of his hand and stalked toward the exit. If she let him talk, she”d get sucked in. She knew this game too well. How often had she tried to leave her ex, and he managed to lure her back in every time? They start off sweet, but then they transform into a monster. She was smarter than she was all those years ago. And not nearly so naive.
Adrik contemplated telling the guard to deny her, but he screwed up and didn”t want her any angrier. He waved, and the guard opened the door for her.
Adrik sat on the chair, annoyed with himself. He didn”t know why he brought her here, just like he didn”t understand why he went to her apartment. It wasn”t normal. There was an attraction, but not enough for him to jeopardize anything. She was intriguing, like a book he wanted to read, and a banned book was much more enticing. But the risk wasn”t worth it. She could be killed because of his interest.
So how to stop it? More women?
It reminded him of the three women he had days before and how he felt afterward. Regret was rare and barely felt, but it sank in his gut like a bad hit of mushrooms.
Adrik got up and ran after her. His guards balked, confused about what he was doing. They scrambled after him, but he got into the elevator without them. He bounced on his bare toes, rubbing his head, trying to think of something he could say to make her come back.
All his life, the women that surrounded him took what they got. Even insulted, they would laugh it off. It was the kind of life they had, fearful of upsetting anyone. They were raised to be compliant and manageable. But Jolie wasn”t.
Adrik jumped out of the elevator when the doors opened and ran out of the building. It was careless and stupid, but he didn”t think. Jolie was across the street and about to enter the gym when he called her. ”Jolie!”
She stopped walking, her head down, but refusing to turn around.
He ran up behind her. ”Jolie, wait.” He reached for her arm, but she pulled out of it.
”I don”t want you to talk to me again. Am I clear?”
”I”m sorry. I”m not used to women like you.”
”And what kind of woman am I?”
He stuttered, trying to say it in a way that wouldn”t be insulting. ”Nice.”
The word threw her off. She was expecting a stupid pickup line like ”special” or ”one of a kind,” as if she hadn”t heard it before.
”Nice?” she giggled.
Her reaction eased him, and he smiled. ”Like grandma nice.”
”What!” she squealed.
”No offense.”
”Total offense.”
The humor in her eyes encouraged him to reach for her arm again. Adrik stepped closer as his fingertips touched her elbow before slipping up her arm. It was a touch that consumed all humor and ignited the fresh taste of desire. He clenched his teeth, swallowing as he looked down into her gaze, noticing how her features changed. He could see it, the want that he was feeling reflected in her eyes. It would be too easy to lean down and touch her lips with his. His gaze flickered to her mouth, her lips slightly parted, a whisper of temptation.
But the risk of denial was too grand. He had to wait till he was sure.
Instead of kissing her, Adrik forced out, ”Go out with me.”
The sudden topic made her blush, and she backed up, tucking her hair behind her ear, as if the words didn”t cause panic. ”I thought you wouldn”t waste time with someone like me.”
Adrik hated how she threw his words back in his face. ”I can”t, actually,” he revealed. ”My family has strict rules. Think of it as an interview.”
Jolie folded her arms, putting space between them, metal walls for encouragement. She didn”t understand him. If he needed a tutor that bad, he could always hire one from some website. Why send mixed signals?
Maybe it”s all in my head. Perhaps I”m hoping for more. He”s so attractive, and I”m ridiculously desperate that I”m reading into things. Because he”s right. He wouldn”t waste his time with someone like me.
”I”m being serious when I ask you to tutor my daughter.”
Aggravated with herself, she pointed out, ”There are tutors everywhere. Why me?”
”Because you put her life first instead of your own. I can”t pay enough money for someone like that. You don”t even know her and already want the best for her. And so do I. That”s why I want you.” The way the sentence ended was too much truth. ”To teach her,” he added.
The guards ran up to them, panting and out of breath. They had taken the stairs down the forty-floor building, and neither were in suitable shape. ”Sir,” Dima huffed. ”Can we take this inside?”
Adrik wouldn”t be distracted. ”I want to invite you to dinner.”
”I”m busy,” Jolie shot back.
Adrik cackled. ”No, you”re not.” He held out his hand, and Dima slipped a business card into his hand. He held it out to her. ”Get to know me. Ask me what you want. Maybe I can convince you.”
Jolie felt defeated. If he wasn”t after her sexually, where was the harm in getting to know him? And maybe, if she had the audacity, she could help Mally take down this mafia king. Wouldn”t that be an excellent service to all the children he eventually ensnared? She took the card with reluctance. ”What”s this?”
”Call it, and they”ll give you instructions.”
”For what?”
Adrik backed away, disregarding her question. ”Work out your ass. It needs more shape.”
Jolie scoffed, embarrassment creeping on her face. When he entered the building, she turned to look and only ended up cursing. ”Jerkface.”