Chapter 10
“Open this now,” Lev snaps at the police officer standing behind him.
“Of course, Mr. Yakovlev.” The dark-haired officer turns toward the main door and calls for them to unlock my cell.
A loud beep sounds right before the lock opens and Lev yanks the door.
“Let’s go.” He jerks his head at me.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I hurry out of my little room. The police officer avoids my eyes.
“Right this way, and we’ll get her things.”
“Say nothing.” Lev growls at me, firmly placing his hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the holding room.
The inhabitants of the other cells stand at their doors with confused expressions.
I’ve only been here less than half an hour and already I’m leaving. That’s not really heard of, except Lev isn’t just anyone. He’s connected and apparently has several ties with the police department.
“Here are her things.” A large clear bag is tossed on the counter by the officer I hit.
Dark bruises are already forming around both of his eyes, and his nose is swollen.
Yeah, I definitely broke it.
I open my mouth to apologize, but Lev digs his fingertips into my back, silencing me.
He grabs the bag from the counter, opens it and pulls out my coat, handing it to me before pulling out my purse and my cell phone.
“The other item,” he says in a no-nonsense tone that has the police officers on edge.
“Give it to him.” Another officer enters the small room with us, though he has more metal on his chest, so I assume he’s higher ranking. “Mr. Yakovlev. I apologize for the inconvenience. She didn’t mention she was your girlfriend, if she had–”
“From what I’m told, she wasn’t given time to say anything, much less identify herself.” Lev turns to me grabbing my chin and twisting my face until my cheek is facing forward. “And who did this?”
I fight the urge to wrench my chin from his grip, but since I know now we’re playing the happy couple, I put up with his Neanderthal tactics. At the moment, the goal is to get out of this police department. I can argue with how he managed it later.
“He will be dealt with immediately.” The main officer gives a firm nod. The color drains slightly from his face.
Lev pauses, turning full attention to the officers in front of him. “I want his name.”
“Lev,” I tug on the back of his jacket.
“It was me.” The police officer with the broken nose steps forward.
Lev twists his neck and looks down at me. “Did you do that?”
I nod, a slight movement, still not sure if I should be admitting anything in front of all these cops.
“There was a drug bust happening. I didn’t know who she was, and she was fighting me—” The cop shuts up with a raise of Lev’s hand.
“Your badge is the only thing keeping me from putting a bullet through your head.” Lev dismisses him with a flick of his wrist and turns to the high-ranking officer. “I appreciate your assistance in this matter.”
“Of course.” Another subservient nod.
Do any of these men understand their job is to work against the criminals of the world, not for them?
Lev picks up the Glock when it’s put on the counter, and without checking it, tucks it in the back of his waist band.
“Let’s go.” He grabs my hand, lacing his fingers through mine like we’re an actual couple and leads me through the back of the department where his car is idling in the motor pool among the cop cars.
Is there no limit to this man’s reach?
“Get in.” He lets go of my hand to open the passenger door.
As I’m about to climb in, I pause, looking back at the precinct. They’re just letting me go. No questions about the gun, nothing more about assaulting the officer.
“Maxine.” He says my name like it’s taking all of his patience to get it out.
Taking the hint, I get into the car. He shuts the door, rounds the car and climbs in his side. He hadn’t even turned it off when he arrived. The fob sits in the cup holder in the middle console. He’d left it like he was waiting for the valet to park it for him.
Without a glance or sound, he pulls away from the building and through the motor pool gates that magically open for him.
“So, did Nicolette get off okay this morning?” I force a soft voice, though all I really want to do is scream and cry at my situation.
Lev tightens his grip on the steering wheel.
It probably says something that he came by himself to the police station. Not something good, definitely a bad sign, but at the moment, I’m not sure how to read him. He seems too angry to speak, but he really has no reason to be mad at me.
Though from the look on his face, the tightly clenched jaw, the flame shooting eyes, and the overall steely demeanor, I get the impression now isn’t the time to remind him of that fact.
Settling into the passenger seat, I pull my bag into my lap and start going through the contents. Everything’s here. Grabbing my phone, I slowly scroll through my messages, hoping to find I missed one from the boys. Nope. Still nothing.
The silence hurts my already aching head. I close my eyes, relaxing into the warmth of his annoyance as he drives through the city traffic.
A thought hits me, and before I can stifle my curiosity it falls right out of my mouth.
“How did you know I was there?”
He remains stoic.
“Lev. How did you know I was at the police station?”
I can practically hear the joints in his body as he turns his head to glare at me. It’s unsettling how powerful his stare is. Goose pimples rise on my arms, and the hair stands up on the back of my neck.
Okay, he’s not ready for a conversation yet.
Instead of answering me, he hits a button on his phone. A man answers on the first ring.
“I have her. Put the men back on the brother’s place. And send over an envelope with fifteen to the captain’s house with a box of the chocolates his wife likes.”
“You got it, boss.” The man responds.
“Did you just pay off the police?”
He cuts off the call and turns down my street.
When he doesn’t answer me, I reach for the handle. “Just let me out here.”
“No.” It’s a hard sound, like a hammer hitting the top of a nail.
He parks the car in the only open spot on the street, easily maneuvering into the spot with a parallel parking skill I could never possess. Which reminds me.
“My car is still at my brother’s apartment.”
“It will be returned by morning.” He turns off the ignition and pockets the fob.
Before he’s reached the front of the car, I’m out and on the sidewalk. When he gets to me, he grabs hold of my arm, spinning me to face him.
“I’m going first, give me the keys.” He puts his hand out, as though I will simply hand them over.
“Lev.” I sigh his name, too tired from all the energy wasted on tonight’s events to fight him. “Thank you for helping me tonight. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to pay you back for the money you spent, but I will. But you’re—”
I’m speechless as he snatches my bag from me, yanking it free of my shoulder and reaches inside, quickly finds the keys and shoves the bag back at me.
When he gets to the inside door, he stops. His back tenses as he inspects the lock. It’s busted. Has been for months.
After muttering something to himself in Russian he yanks the door open and holds it for me to enter before him. But before I can put one foot on the steps, he’s in front of me again, already searching our surroundings.
“For fuck’s sake, I don’t live in that bad of a part of town.”
He flashes another annoyed glance as he rounds the top stair and heads toward my apartment.
“You’re right. That shithole of an apartment your brothers live is worse. I don’t want you going there again.” He jams the key in and twists, throwing open the door to my apartment as Marion runs out.
Before I can grab her, he scoops down in one motion and snatches her up by the scruff of her neck and brings her eye level with him. Sure she’s going to scratch his eyes out; I lunge forward but he takes a step back.
“You stay in the apartment,” he tells her firmly, then brings her inside and puts her gently onto the couch. She narrows her eyes at him, but then jumps down, walks through his legs, petting his ankle with her fluffy tail and then scampering off into the bedroom.
I stand in the doorway, once again speechless. Marion has never, not once in her entire life, been anything but a raging lunatic toward men.
“How did you do that?” I ask, distracted by what I’ve just witnessed.
Silently, he walks over to me, reaches around me and pushes the door shut. Still keeping his arms around me, he bolts the lock. “Now. To deal with you.”
“Deal with me?” The shock has worn off.
Marion may have sheathed her claws, but mine are primed for fighting.
“Yes.” He walks away, shucking out of his leather jacket and laying it across the kitchen chair. “You.”
“Several things.” I drop my bag and my coat on the small table near the front door. “First, you don’t deal with me. Second how did you know where I was? How did you know I was in the police station?”
He hooks his hands on his hips, staring me down. Almost like he’s waiting for me to figure out the puzzle first.
“I’m not the mood for games, just tell me.” I fist my hands at my sides.
“Fine.” He nods. “When I told you to stay out of it, that I would handle your brothers, did you think I was joking? That it was anything other than an order?”
“An order?” I want to shout. And scream. And throw things. I definitely want to throw things at him.
“Yes. When I said to stay out of it, what did you think that meant?”
“Nothing, because you don’t own me, Lev!” I stomp my foot. A childish response, but it’s better than throwing a chair at him. “You don’t tell me what to do.”
He licks his lips, like he’s been waiting for his entree to arrive, and I’ve just served myself up on a juicy platter.
“Yes. I do.” He takes one step in my direction, but it’s no little move. It’s full of command and authority and every bit of don’t push me screams from it.
“And before you go on another rant. I knew you were arrested because I have men watching their apartment. They watched you get arrested. Then they called me to tell me that you didn’t do what you were told, and you were there.
And yes, I paid off the police to release you and wipe any evidence that they’d ever had you in their custody to begin with. ”
He yanks the gun I’d taken from the boys’ apartment out and slams it down on the kitchen counter.
“And this is the fucking gun you weren’t supposed to do anything about or with or even fucking have. And yet, here it is. Back in your apartment!”
He has an amazing skill of yelling without actually raising his voice. His anger vibrates through the air, sinking right into my bones. It rattles the marrow.
“I needed to get their attention somehow, so I left them a note…” A small twitch on the left side of his eye makes my voice trail off.
“What did I say last night?”
“You said a lot of things last night.”
“The last thing I said.”
My throat has dried. It’s him, and his attitude, and this whole overbearing ego thing. It’s making me lose my train of thought.
“You said you’d be displeased. Which I think we should talk about,” I feel behind me, making sure I’m not about to bump into anything as I make my way around the room.
Every step I take, he counters with his own. It’s a small space with nowhere to hide. But I continue moving, and he keeps coming with me.
“Really?” His voice lowers to a dangerous level. I’m fairly sure it’s the devil who taught him that pitch.
“Yes. Really. You don’t get to be pleased or displeased with me.”
“I don’t?” The edge of his lips curve.
I’m not sure what I’ve said to make him think this situation is funny, but the beginning of a grin is there, nonetheless.
“No. You don’t. Because I’m not your problem. I’m no one’s problem. My brothers are my problem. I have to help them. And you can’t tell me not to. No one can.” The edge of the TV hits my hip so I turn, stepping back from him again, this time hitting the wall.
“And the money—I’ll pay you back. I’m not sure how long it will take me, but I’ll pay it back.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“Oh.” I slide against the wall, knocking into a picture. It crashes down to the floor, the thin frame cracking.
I keep moving. I’ll fix it later.
“Well, then, I can’t…I mean, I don’t know what else you want.”
“I want you to listen. I want you to obey when I tell you to stay away from something. I want you to do what you’re told.” His eyes burn darker with each statement.
“Those are all the same thing,” I point out before I can help myself.
This is infuriating. Where the hell is my spine? My next sidestep takes me to the corner of the room. I have nowhere else to go; he has me caged. Completely stuck in this corner.
Slowly, to emphasize how trapped I am, he presses one palm against the wall on my right, then again on my left. He lowers himself until his nose is nearly touching mine.
“I told myself I would leave you alone. A friend of Nicolette’s is out of bounds.
Last night after I saw how upset I made you; I promised to leave you be.
I’d handle your brothers and leave the whole mess behind.
” He moves his right hand from the wall, running the back of his knuckles across my jawline, touching the scrape on my cheek.
He inhales, closes his eyes, and tilts his head back like he’s waiting for God himself to come down and intervene. To give him the patience he’s clearly lacking.
When he opens his eyes, there’s something different about him. Something more sinister, more controlled. And it makes him even hotter.
“Fuck it,” he growls, smashing his mouth against mine.
My knees nearly buckle beneath the heat of his kiss. There’s no gentleness, no coaxing or prodding. Nothing like I’ve read in the romance novels of my youth, where the lord of the manor eases his lips onto hers.
No. This is searing. Absolute possession.
“Open for me.” He growls against my mouth before his tongue pushes past my lips, deepening the kiss and stealing the last bit of thought I possess.
His hand sinks into my hair, fisting at my scalp and sending a fire through my veins.
My heartbeat throbs through my veins. Electricity courses through my body.
God help me, I’m alive beneath his kiss.
As I melt into him, giving way to the heat of the moment, he breaks the kiss, his hand still holding me harshly at the base of my scalp.
“Fuck, woman.” His glares at me a moment, his eyes faltering to my mouth. Are my lips swollen, or do they only feel that way?
“Your choice, living room or bedroom.”
I swallow, lick at my lips.
“For…for what?” I breathe my question. It’s been over a year since a man has been in my bedroom.
“Your punishment.”