Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
“You came,” Claudia said warmly, stepping off the elevator into the lobby of King Tower. Her current bodyguard-of-the-day stepped off with her and eyed the person she was meeting with some apprehension. “I have to admit, I’m pleasantly surprised.”
She held her hand out to the giant Russian enforcer who engulfed it in one of his massive paws.
He grinned down at her through his beard.
She eyed the vicious looking tattoos that covered every available inch of skin and wondered if she’d made the right choice in taking Addison’s advice.
She simply hadn’t been able to think of anyone else that owed her a favour on such short notice.
“Was curious,” Boris Grekov rumbled in his deeply accented voice, staring at her bodyguard in a way that suggested he might break the other man’s legs with astonishing ease and some enjoyment. “Boss thought you might be angry at Russians after King found you.”
Claudia sighed. “Can you please stop looking at Tristan like that. He's all I have for now.” Boris’ eyes moved back to Claudia’s face and softened.
“Heard about your ordeal,” he said the word ‘ordeal’ awkwardly like he was testing out a new word. “Vladimir sends his condolences as do I. If you need future help, you must come to us.”
“Like I did last time?” she asked archly.
Boris had the gall to look hurt. “You were running from wrong man.”
“I didn't know that,” she said, taking his arm and indicating they should get back on the elevator. He graciously allowed her to lead him. “You’re lucky that turned out okay or I would probably stay mad. I can hold a pretty mean grudge when I want to.”
He grinned mischievously. “I think you the lucky one, Ms. Cantore.”
“Hmm, I suppose,” she replied. “Anyway, I want to give you a chance to make up for that nasty business.”
“Really?” he said, looking down at her with an arched brow. “What exactly can Russians do for you that King cannot do?”
She grinned up at him. “It’s not what the Russians can do for me, it’s what you can, Boris.”
When they arrived at the penthouse she dismissed Tristan and led Boris into the living room area.
She offered him a glass of lemonade before sitting across from him on the leather couch.
She looked at him earnestly, hope gleaming in her eyes.
She didn’t have much time to convince him to help her.
On their extremely short acquaintance she had come to understand two things about him: he was as deadly brutal as Daniel could be and he had a soft spot for women in trouble.
“What can I do to help you?” he asked suspiciously, sipping the lemonade. He attempted to conceal a look of disgust, but didn’t quite manage. He carefully placed the glass, which looked ridiculously fragile in his huge hand, on one of the side tables.
“You heard about my… accident the other week?” At his nod she continued.
“My ex was able to get in here and beat me quite badly. I have since healed physically, but the mental scars are going to be there for a while. Tyson wants me to have a bodyguard everywhere I go now, even though the danger has passed.”
“Understandable,” Boris said quietly. “I would feel same.”
She nodded and shrugged. “It’s fine with me. I’m sure I’ll feel safer, if… it’s a woman.”
“Ah…” he said, his eyes saying more than words.
She smiled as he worked through her problem.
Finally he said, “Mercer.”
“Exactly.”
His laughter rumbled through the penthouse. “I’m not going to kill him if that’s what you want. The Russians might owe small favour for sending King after you when you ran away, but Mercer is meaner than fucking caged bear. He could maybe even kill me before I could get him.”
Claudia’s mouth dropped open and it took her a moment to respond. “I don't want you to kill him!” she gasped.
“Of course not,” he agreed. “I’m just fucking with you. What you want with me then?”
“I just want you to engage the woman he’s about to interview in hand-to-hand combat and let her win so she can become my bodyguard.”
Boris stared at her like she’d suddenly sprouted an extra head. He looked like he didn’t know whether to laugh or start shouting at her. “That not happening, woman.”
“But, Boris,” she pleaded.
“No ‘but Boris’!” he snapped. “And no look at me like that with big green eye. You just stop. I’m Russian, we don’t fucking fight women!”
“But you owe me!” Claudia pleaded, sliding down the couch and reaching for his hand.
“I just can’t deal with having a male bodyguard after what Dante did to me.
It was awful, he really beat me up Boris and he took my clothes off and…
and all the guys saw me nearly naked. It’s just so upsetting having them near me right now. ”
“Blyad!” Boris snapped. “Stop talking, woman, before King walks in and hears this shit.”
“Please Boris! None of the guys here will touch a woman except for Daniel and he’s…
well, as you said, mean as a bear,” Claudia said desperately.
“It’s just one takedown. You just have to let her pin you once, for a few seconds, to show that she can actually do it.
Then you can do whatever you want to redeem your manhood or whatever and get the hell out of there. ”
He eyed her like she was some kind of hell beast instead of a beautiful, former Vegas showgirl wearing Prada. Finally, he shook his head and said, “Can I pin her back? After she’s had the chance to prove herself?”
Claudia patted his arm. “Of course, darling.”
He sighed heavily. “Our debt is finished after this.”
“Yes, absolutely!” she grinned and bounced excitedly on the couch. “Let’s go see what she looks like. She’s downstairs on the security floor now. Her name is Laney Paul and she’s from overseas.”
“Blyad,” he said with feeling, shoving tattooed fingers through the short, dark hair on his scalp. “I hope she’s built like fucking tank! No one will believe woman can take me down.”
Addison was nervous. She knew better than to expect anything from Daniel, yet their relationship or non-relationship was progressing rapidly and she needed more from him.
He came to see her every day without fail.
Though he was now aware she couldn’t always accommodate him physically, he even came to see her on the days he deemed she needed a break from his constant lovemaking.
He would sit with her and watch her broodingly, saying little and eventually leaving when she was ready for bed.
Addison took his need to be near her, no matter what, whether they were having sex or not, as a good sign. She was determined to push him toward a more traditional relationship. Baby steps, she thought silently as she took a lasagna out of the oven and set it on the stovetop.
“What are you doing?” his gruff voice wrapped around her from behind making her jump. She realized he must have waited for her to set the food down first before announcing his presence.
She took the oven mitts off her hands and turned to him with a nervous smile.
“Sorry, I know I’m usually done eating by now, but I got held up with orchestra business and couldn’t get home early.
You’ll have to watch me eat… unless you want to join me?
There’s plenty for two of us. I made a salad too. ”
“You were hours late getting home so you decided to just whip up a lasagna?” he asked skeptically.
Damn him and his too quick mind! “Uh… it was frozen. Sometimes I make food on the weekends and freeze it. Daniel, I’m hungry, either join me or stand there and be your usual grumpy self.”
“I’ll eat,” he grunted.
She smiled to herself as she turned and reached into her cupboard for two plates and some cutlery.
He carried the lasagna and salad to her table.
They ate in complete silence, but she was gratified when she heard him take seconds of each dish.
Maybe she could convince him to start coming over earlier in the evenings and eat with her.
When she finished she set her fork and knife down and wiped her mouth on her napkin.
Taking a deep breath she broached the subject she wanted to discuss with him. “I won’t be here Friday evening.”
She felt him stiffen across the table from her. “Why?”
“I have tickets for an opera ball, I’m expected to be there. It’s the start of their new season and they always throw an expensive, lavish bash. They invite select members of the symphony each year. Maestro can't go and wants me to go in his stead.”
“Cancel it,” Daniel said gruffly.
Addison rolled her eyes. “I can’t just cancel it.”
He seemed to think about it for a moment then growled, “Who are you going with?”
She hesitated for a moment, then, knowing she was probably about to get verbally destroyed, said, “No one yet. Will you go with me?”
He didn’t say anything for a full minute, then, “Don’t, Addison.”
“Don’t what?” she asked innocently.
“Do the girlfriend thing. I don’t belong in your neat little world and don’t want to,” he snapped, pushing his plate away from him.
“Then what is it about me that attracts you?” she asked in frustration. She stood, reaching for the dishes. “Why can't you leave me alone then if you don’t belong in my world?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched her put their dishes in the dishwasher. When she finished, she came to stand next to him, her face a picture of vulnerability.
“Stop it, Addison,” he growled.
She reached for him, but he shoved her hands away and stood up, backing her away from the table with his much bigger, harder physical presence.
She stepped away from him, hurt that he wouldn't let her touch him. Daniel was unpredictable and dangerous, but if there was one thing he always wanted it was her touch. Now he acted liked he couldn’t stand her.