Chapter 11 #2
Maybe I was a little more frightened than I wanted to let on.
What if the bad men hunted me down? What then?
I didn’t even have a sharp knife to protect myself with.
Most of what I owned was secondhand and not the best quality.
This fabulous job was a steppingstone into making enough money to break the cycle of my family.
My brother had been the first in three generations to go to college.
Then he’d taken his degree in criminal justice and joined the police department.
He was all about good versus evil, expounding the merits of doing the right thing and never crossing the gray line in business or in pleasure.
How many stories about horrific criminals and their repulsive deeds had I heard in my life?
If he learned anything about the company I worked for, he’d demand I quit.
To hell with him. I was my own keeper, determined to make my own way in this world.
My parents were pinnacles of righteousness, performing good deeds including giving the shirts off their backs.
Honorable except they were poor as church mice.
That meant I’d forged my future from fire and brimstone.
Perhaps guilt was settling in where terror should be.
Wouldn’t my boss be pissed if he learned I knew more about the law than most assistants? Nope. I would continue correcting myself. I wasn’t Mr. Chertov’s assistant. I was a vital part of his lucrative realm. Now I was dreaming.
Maybe I’d feel better when I counted the money earned. Blood money. My God, that’s what it was.
I yanked the towel from the rack, still spouting off a barrage of angry words. Then I grabbed my ponytail holder, yanking my hair high over my head and fastening it. The girl staring back at me appeared completely different.
And no longer the one flirting with four hundred bad men. I moved into the hallway, listening for any sounds. There was nothing but peace and quiet. Maybe he’d left.
Nope.
I was wrong.
He hadn’t budged an inch. Well, that wasn’t true. He’d removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves past his elbows this time. Seeing his strong forearms was a catalyst to a mind-blowing wave of desire that I shouldn’t feel and definitely didn’t need.
The outline of the weapon he’d shoved under his waistband provided a cold shiver.
I’d never seen him carrying a gun inside the office.
Of course the security for that building was tight, but I’d never sensed there were soldiers like the ones I’d experienced walking around my building, instructed to keep us safe.
As shocking as seeing him in my apartment was how Beatrice had taken to him. She couldn’t stand men, including the maintenance workers. She’d hiss and claw them until they left.
But she was enjoying being in his arms, being stroked by strong hands. I could hear her purring all the way from where I stood. He couldn’t be all bad if she adored him.
“Beatrice likes you.”
He didn’t stop what he was doing, merely glancing over his shoulder. As soon as he noticed me in the robe, his nostrils flared. “She’s not a bad cat.”
“She’s my baby. We all need something to love.”
His chuckle was almost sad, as if he didn’t have anyone. I knew nothing about his relationship with his family other than overhearing several disagreements with Dimitri.
I lingered in the shadows staring at him, forced to admit I was grateful he was watching out over me. How crazy was that? After a little while, I backed into the shadows of the kitchen, leaning against the counter and rubbing my arms. This wasn’t anything like the evening I’d expected.
With the light on over the stove highlighting the open bottle of wine, I wrinkled my nose and groaned. He was trying to keep me safe. The least I could do was offer him a drink. Not that I had much. Red wine would need to do.
I pulled out two glasses, mismatching ones to boot and poured them both almost full. As I headed into the living room, I sensed the moment he knew I was approaching by his back stiffening.
At least we were making progress. He hadn’t ripped out his gun and pointed it at me.
I could see my approach in the moonlight banking off the window. So could he, his chin tilting the closer I came.
When he let Beatrice go, she wound around his legs and he didn’t seem to mind.
“I thought you might want something to drink. I’m sorry but I don’t have scotch.”
He didn’t make a sound while accepting. Our fingers touched. Just briefly. Just for a few seconds. Just enough my heart skipped a couple of beats.
“That’s very kind of you.”
His formality surprised me. “Don’t be so surprised. I’m from Iowa. But you already knew that. Didn’t you?” I laughed when I made the statement. “Wow. Now I’m thinking there are much nicer people back home.”
“You’d be right. But this is Disneyworld in comparison to Moscow.”
“Where you grew up.”
He stared into the wine before answering. “Yes.” When he took a sip, I watched him, expecting he’d be displeased.
His smile was almost like a gift. He’d never smiled after I’d presented a report. Not once. When he touched his scar under his eye, he shook his head. “There’s always someone on the street eager and willing to take your life.”
“That sounds terrible. At least you can find anything you want in New York. Food. Entertainment. Clothes. Funky people. Crime. People will do that here as well.” While we stood inches apart, I felt strangely close to the man and not just in distance.
After all the months I’d worked for him, it had taken a murderous scene for us to talk. That certainly wasn’t something I’d share at lunch anytime soon.
“Yes, so they will. New York is an excellent place to hide as well,” he said with little inflection, but I knew he was talking about me.
“You really think whoever those men are working for will try and tie up loose ends?”
“They will, but they’ll calculate the potential gain with the consequences. Just never mention the club again and you’ll be fine.”
“Which is why you’re standing here like my private bodyguard.”
He lifted his glass, a salute for continuing to be defiant. “Then I’ll leave.”
“Good.” I backed away in case he changed his mind about the body search.
That’s when I noticed the way he was looking at me, entirely different than before.
The same way as the night of the party. As if I was a feast for more than just his prying eyes.
I yanked the two sides of my robe even closer. I don’t know what I’d been thinking.
Inviting him to dance with the devil?
He studied me all over again with a curiosity that felt dangerous but not invasive. Just him being him. “I want to ensure your safety.”
I did the same, allowing my gaze to fall to the dagger depicted on his arm. “Why are all bad men covered in ink?”
Of all the times for him to laugh, this seemed a strange time to feel free enough around me to do so. “Is that what you really want to know about me?”
“I sense everything else is off limits.”
“Try me.”
Was he really going to allow me to pry into his world? “Okay. Are there a second set of books for the corporation?”
He lifted his glass, never flinching, his eyes never leaving mine. “There are.”
“So the rumors are true. The company is heavily involved in arms deals.”
“Now, I would think a highly intelligent woman like yourself would understand that kind of knowledge comes with a price.”
“Which is?”
There was no hesitation in feeling comfortable enough to consume his beverage. “Total loyalty, unwavering even in the face of scrutiny.”
“You mean from the police.”
He shifted his head back and forth, debating the answer. “Among other parties.”
“Your enemies.”
“Nicely done, Ms. Mitchell.”
“What else? I know that’s not all.”
“Total obedience.” He stated the words as if I already knew them.
Maybe I did. And maybe they were the words I was even looking for. Confirmation of total surrender. The silence stretched to the point of being uncomfortable. “I understand.”
“You’ve already learned that working for me requires you to do what I say.”
“Yes, in business, but not in your alternate world.”
His approval was faint but for someone who’d studied him endlessly, unmistakable. As I’d felt from the beginning, the air between us held a sharp edge. We’d both taken to challenging each other without words.
In seeing his glimmer of amusement, I was torn with how I felt about him.
On one hand, I should feel intimidated, even fearful of what he could do to me.
Including making me disappear as he’d described with the men he’d killed.
But on the other, the knots had faded from my stomach, replaced with a string of butterflies.
From wishing he would touch me as he’d done before, but with more intent in mind.
Correction, more carnal intent in mind.
The air between us crackled with electricity even with the cold reality we lived in two different worlds. He moved closer, infusing the current with waves of desire, leaving my mouth dry and an almost desperate need to kiss his lips blocking out all common sense.
“Especially in my… alternate world, Saige. Your beliefs about who I am mean little now that you’ve stepped into my world.”
“Why is that?”
“Because once you’re inside, there is no turning back.” The challenge shifted into an opportunity lingering in the air.
“What if I don’t want to turn back?”
He finished crowding my space, towering over me in a way that should be unnerving. But the sweeping sensation of pure excitement was as confusing as before. Including how the rush of heat between my legs created a deep, explosive throb.
“Then I’d say you’re playing with fire.” He took my wineglass from my hand, allowing his fingers to linger against mine for a little longer than necessary.
I couldn’t move a muscle as he placed the glasses on the table. I also couldn’t seem to look away, which I should do to break the hypnotic spell he had over me.