TWENTY-FOUR - Alexei
TWENTY-FOUR
Alexei
I arrive back at Rosalie s around dawn and hide my motorcycle between the trees before moving toward her house. A dark shadow waits for me, and I m not surprised. I keep my hands loose at my sides as Percy Jancovic slips out from his hiding place.
I was surprised to see you out and about, he says, a nine millimeter pointed at my chest.
I have a good lawyer, I murmur.
He s aged in the seven years I ve been in prison. Frankly, he was older than dirt before that.
So I guess you didn t quite die in that car that blew up, I say wryly.
Doesn t look like it.
I step closer to him. Will he actually shoot me?
That s far enough. We both understand I know how to kill, he says.
I would assume killing people is in your past.
He s wearing a pink polo shirt that covers his sunken chest and old-man pants that are held up by a belt over his belly.
Grizzly gray and white hair sticks up all over his head, and his eyebrows are so bushy I m surprised they don t crawl across his face.
His eyes are a cloudy brown and his ears much larger than I remember.
Why did you fake your death? I ask.
I wanted out, he says. Your dad was dead, and that just changed the entire organization.
Lillian doesn t know what she s doing. Or rather she does, and I didn t like what she was doing, and Hendrix is no better.
You were an asshole, and I didn t see you ever making anything of yourself.
So I decided to die. He shrugs. I ended up here, and I was her first boarder.
Once I got here, once I got to know her, I couldn t leave.
Rosalie. She does seem to draw men to her like butterflies to the perfect flower.
I shake my head. Why would you even remotely stay in this area if you wanted out?
Rosalie. Plus, I don t go anywhere. Look at this. He sweeps his free hand out toward the multitude of bushes, flowers, and plants. This is what I do. I m the gardener here. We all have a role.
None of them know who you are or what you ve done.
Of course not. Rosalie thinks I m a retired accountant, which I kind of am, he says.
My chin drops. You re an assassin.
Well, I counted bodies, and sometimes I helped with the books, he says defensively, his voice croaking.
I look at the gun. What s your plan?
What do you want with her? he asks.
I cock my head. She s a little young for you.
Red flushes over his cheeks. It s not like that. She s like a granddaughter to all of us.
I can see that. She obviously cares for them. She s going broke feeding all of you.
We try to help, he protests. It s not like you get Social Security for working in the mob. Plus, don t you have a lot of money now? Rumor has it your funds were released.
I cock my head to the side. Rumor has it, huh? So you do have a couple of people still in the organization who know you re alive.
Yeah, but I ll never tell you who they are.
I believe him. He s legendary. Some men just don t crack. That s fine. But Hendrix and Lillian have no idea you re alive.
Of course not, he says, or I d be dead. He snorts. Rumor has it you re stepping back up.
Rumor s true, I say quietly. You want back in?
His gaze is hard. No. I m eighty-two years old. I want to be completely out. His hands shake slightly, and I hope he doesn t accidentally shoot me. But if you do anything to hurt Rosalie, I will kill you.
I read the sincerity in his eyes. She cares about you, and I don t want to kill you, I return easily. She is my future, and I plan to rebuild my entire organization. If you have a problem with that, you should probably shoot me right now.
He gulps, and the saggy skin around his neck moves. What do you mean she s your future?
Exactly that, I say. I m keeping her, Percy. I ll make sure she s safe and well taken care of. She ll never worry about money again.
When the hell did you decide that?
Probably the first time she glared at me in that prison meeting room. Doesn t matter.
He stares into my eyes and reads something there that finally has his arm lowering. I don t know that she wants that kind of life.
Too bad. That s the life she s going to have.
He tucks the gun at the back of his waist. If she asks me to kill you, I ll do it.
I smile. Fair enough. Are we done?
He nods. For now. He starts to walk away and then turns. You ve changed.
I hope so, I say dryly. I really was an asshole back then.
He gives one short nod. How many men do you have?
About ten, I say. I won t give you names.
He stands straighter, still stooped over. I can get you a few more, he says. Hendrix is not well-liked.
We ll still be outnumbered, but that ll be a good start. I appreciate the assistance.
I expect to be paid, he says instantly, looking around at the flowers.
Of course. I wouldn t have it any other way.
I turn and head toward the private entrance to the top floor.
I walk up the stairs, for the first time taking a really good look at the keypad next to Rosalie s door.
Oh, I know the code because I saw her key it in, but it s much nicer than I expect at this little house.
In fact, it s absolutely top of the line. How does she afford this?
I key in her code, open it, and walk inside to see the shoe boxes neatly lined up against the far wall.
I smile. I hope she enjoyed the treat. I hear a shower running, and my blood starts to hum.
But as I walk by the little kitchenette, I note her purse flopped over.
Looking closer at the desk, near her little fireplace, I see her phone plugged in.
I grab the device and lift it. The screen wants her face, not mine.
But I saw her type in that code, so I open her phone and scroll through several of her texts.
Apparently, she likes chai tea lattes from a place called Bernie s.
I read through several more, and then I find the number I want, keying in the text message.
When I m finished, I wait. An answer comes almost immediately. I read it and then shut the phone, plugging it back in. With that, I strip off my clothes on the way to the shower. I might as well join her this morning.
There s so much steam when I enter the shower that I can barely make out her form. Pulling open the glass door, I move inside.
She jumps and turns around, her hands to her neck and her elbows covering her breasts. It s an instinctual and primal reaction to a threat. She blinks and then her body relaxes. What are you doing here?
I look down her naked and wet form. She has all the right curves, plenty of them, in all the right places. I like that. Have never gone for stick thin or fashionably skinny women who don t eat. For now, I live here.
Her chin lifts as wet and dark hair sticks to the side of her face. For now? That s over. You have your own money now and can afford to own Silicon Valley twice over. With the steam dancing across her, she looks like a mysterious angel.
For now because you re moving somewhere more secure as soon as I find a place.
I place one finger on her cherry-red lips and trace down, taking my time, sliding over her chin to her clavicle and between her breasts.
Her abdomen clenches as I continue the journey until I find her and press that finger inside her.
I like that she waxes everything. She s wet and hot. Scalding.
Her eyes flare. Need and anger. A little fear. She grabs my wrist with both of her hands and pushes it away, taking my finger from its home. I m not moving anywhere.
Ah. I m not the best at communicating anything other than threats, and that s not the route to go with her. At least not unless it s absolutely necessary. Have you ever felt this way with another man?
No, she says, giving me such an innocent honesty that my chest fills with something heated. But I m not sure this is good. It s certainly not safe.
God was beyond generous when he gave her both this body and that brain.
Baby, your safety will never again be your concern.
That s mine. I m about to control one of the most dangerous forces in the world, and every single one of those men will take a vow to protect her to the point of their own death.
As will I. I indulge myself and sweep that thick wet hair away from her stunning face.
She shakes her head but doesn t back away from my touch. Alexei. Be serious. I know this it hot and thrilling, probably stupid and dangerous. But we just met. Stop talking like we ll be rocking on chairs on a front porch together eighty years from now.
There s a new vulnerability in her cerulean-blue eyes. One I don t mind. She s starting to care more than her intellect says she should, and that must be terrifying. Especially since I m, well, me.
So I wrap that glorious hair around my hand, twist, and lift her face for a kiss. I take her deep, already lost in her. She makes a sound of surrender deep in her throat, and it tunnels through me to land in my heart. Hard. A warning ticks in the back of my head and I ignore it.
Finally, I release her mouth to allow her to breathe.
She blinks, her eyes stunned and her lips already a little swollen.
You should probably thank me for the shoes, I suggest.
Her eyes refocus. Oh. Delight dances across her face and she banishes it. The shoes are beyond beautiful and way too many. Yet she s touched and she doesn t hide that from me. They were very, ah, unexpected.
I m sure. In addition, I m still surprised by how much fun I had in choosing them. For her. There s another gift in the dresser by your bed. It s an amethyst pendant that I spent a wondrous time charging. You need to choose a new car. Do you want the same kind?
She swallows and her spine stiffens. Absolutely not.
I kiss her nose. God, she s adorable. Okay. How about a BMW?
She plants a hand on my chest but doesn t push. No. No car. No other presents. Confusion wrinkles her face until she smooths it out. I m not ... I m not a mistress. I can t be bought.
Unexpected humor takes me, and I chuckle. She s been watching too many mob movies. Mistress? No. I ll marry you right now, if you want.
Her mouth drops open, and she tries to take a step back. I keep her in place. What kind of game are you playing? Her voice trembles.
I dig deep for patience. The only games I ll ever play with you are in the bedroom. Other than that, you can take me one hundred percent at my word.
She shakes her head, and I loosen my hold so she doesn t hurt herself. We just met.
You admitted I claimed you last night. We both meant the words. Then, before she can argue, I kiss her again, lifting her up against me. I know from the calendar on her phone that she has early meetings scheduled, so we don t have much time to play.
This is the only way to start a morning.