Chapter 9
Juvie could be a clown, no doubt. He smiled and teased and joked and quipped all day long.
But he had an amazing ability to turn it all off.
He could go from warm and friendly to ice cold and ruthless in a matter of seconds.
So, when he and Mikhail preceded Theory and me into her house, and he turned around, unsmiling, I knew shit wasn’t right.
“Get her back to the car, Targen,” he said, voice tight as he tossed me the key fob.
He slipped back into the house before I could object. Theory grabbed my arm.
“Targen, what—”
I scooped her up, walking us to the car and setting her in the driver’s seat. I put my personal phone in her hands. She could get some shit started, but making sure she had a line of communication was more important to me.
“Keep the doors locked. Keep your head on swivel. Anything looks strange, you pull off, and you call Maxim. Password is 120796.”
Her eyes widened and her breathing stuttered as she recognized her birthday.
“You want me to leave you?” she asked, sounding confused.
“Absolutely. I told you before, you too precious to lose,” I told her, tucking a loose sandy brown spiral behind her ear.
And then I closed her up in the truck, waited for her to lock it, and strode back to her house.
I stepped inside, and my hands immediately balled into fists.
I felt a twisted smile curl my lips. I was about to have the distinct pleasure of killing someone.
The furniture in her once pretty living room was overturned.
All the shit women cared about—pictures, curtains, the little stuff they sit on tables and stands—was on the floor.
This would break her heart. I already had to make up for doing that; no one else would get away with it.
I pulled a second phone from one of my pockets. One ring later, Maxim answered.
“Good afternoon, Targen,” he said, formal as ever.
The English greeting and use of my real name surprised me. He made a point of greeting me in Russian and always called me “brat,” the Russian word for “brother.” He sounded distracted; if I could care right now, I’d ask what was wrong. But more important shit was on my mind.
“You promised me she was safe. That’s the only reason I put up with that bullshit in— for the last year. You promised me you could keep her–”
“Podozhdi, brat!” The Russian returned as he snapped at me to hold on.
“I did not lie. Two men outside the house, and a detection and alarm system worthy of a military installation. The men did not leave until you extracted her. The system should still be working. I would never break my word to you. Especially not about your woman. That is too… important.”
His tone changed on that last sentence, sounded a little quieter. Yeah, my brother was definitely off. That whole episode this morning including the mention of a chick named Seraph must have knocked him off his square.
“Yeah, well, someone got past that system and the one her cousins got running behind it. Those niggas small town, but they ain’t small time. So, two supposedly unbeatable systems, and my girl’s house is still trashed?” I asked, the disbelief in my voice heavy.
“Upstairs ain’t no better,” Juvie said as they descended the stairs.
“You know somebody capable of that?” I continued, running a hand over my hair.
He was silent for a moment, then he sighed.
“Yeah. Yeah, I know someone. I’m sending people to… catalogue the damages. I’ll see you soon.”
He disconnected in his usual unannounced way; another reason I was going to lay his ass out. I pocketed the phone, my eyes meeting Juvie’s. He shook his head.
“He should definitely send people. Any other time, I would say they ain't gon’ find shit, but this a mismatch. You got someone bad enough to bypass Russian security systems, but they get in and mess up like this? Don't make sense, T,” Juvie opined.
At twenty, he had already seen a lot of things.
That was one of the reasons I insisted Maxim let me bring in my own driver, something that went against everything my brother stood for.
He’d researched Juvie’s background, interrogated him better than a CIA agent, and put him through some crazy ass trainings.
Juvie had proven himself solid, just like I’d known he would.
So, right now, I wasn't surprised to find myself agreeing with the youngin’.
This shit was beyond a simple job. It was almost like someone was angry that Theory wasn’t here.
I exhaled heavily as Juvie clapped my shoulder.
“I gotta go tell her,” I mumbled.
“Yeah, you can have that. Me and Comrade Mikhail will give you a minute,” he said.
“Yeah. Thanks,” I sighed before exiting the house and beginning the suddenly long walk down the driveway.
I rubbed my hand down my face as the reality of the situation settled over me.
My shorty was already fighting me; this shit wasn't gon' help.
Drawing closer to the Yukon, I could see Theory sitting in the driver's seat, her hands clenched around the steering wheel. Even through the tinted glass, I could tell she was worried, her honey eyes scanning the neighborhood as if she were expecting someone to emerge from behind one of the houses. The need to reassure her, to protect her, was sudden and overwhelming. The luxuriously appointed SUV was a stronghold on wheels, but even it wasn’t secure enough right now.
I tapped on the window and listened as she disengaged the locks.
I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat beside her, forcing a small smile despite the news I had to deliver.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied, her voice softer than the plush interior of the car.
Her eyes met mine, waiting expectantly. After a moment of silence, she leaned back and sighed. Tension flooded the air between us.
“What did they take?” she finally asked.
“Probably nothing. But they… it’s fucked up, milaya,” I told her abruptly.
Her beautiful face suddenly looked pale, and I could see her heart rate spike as the pulse in her throat beat rapidly. Shaking my head, I reached out and grabbed her hand. “You safe, Theory. You gon’ stay safe.”
Her breath quickened, panic flashing in those pretty eyes. “Safe? What if they come back?”
“What if they do?” I countered. “It don’t matter cuz you won’t be here. You thought I was gon’ leave you alone for them to try again? Nah, baby. I ain’t taking that chance.”
She pulled her hands away, her body suddenly stiff. “I can handle myself just fine, Targen. And you must be forgetting who my people are? Those same men you been discussing things with behind my back won’t let anything happen to me. I don’t need to be an inconvenience.”
Her words ran me hot. She wasn’t about to be out here depending on other men for a damn thing, and the fact that she thought protecting her was a hardship? Nah, we had to get some shit straight.
“You could never be an inconvenience. I’m glad for every moment I have had and will have with you.
And those men you talking about already had a system for you that was running alongside the system a fucking Russian boss installed.
Somebody got past all that. Your safety is my responsibility from now on, Theory. You staying with me.”
She stared at me for a moment, like she was debating whether to cuss me out or give in to my insistence that she stay with me.
Observing her tumultuous expressions was like watching a storm roll in—possibly dangerous, yet undeniably beautiful.
And just like a storm, she was threatening to unleash her fury.
But Theory needed to understand that she’d never been coming back to this house to live.
The break-in only underscored that. I needed her to accept that in her mind.
Then, I was going to make her want it in her heart.
I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Don’t ask me to leave you to stay alone, knowing someone is watching.
Don’t ask me to watch somebody come for you while I'm not there to stop them. I can replace your valuables, I can replace that damn house, but I can’t replace your life, Theory.
Losing you is… nah, I’m not letting that happen, baby. ”
“Targen,” she murmured, surprising me by reaching out to cup my cheek.
For a minute, the air stilled. Shit was heavy with the feelings between us. Just when I thought she might go easily, she shook her head, so damn proud and defiant. “Please, don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“I shouldn’t have to beg you to let me keep you safe,” I gritted, frustrated with her little stubborn ass. “I'm asking you to trust me—nobody cares more about your safety than I do. Nobody. I’m tryna give you the chance to see that, Theory.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And if I don’t take that chance? Like, why are we pretending that this is about my agreeing? You gon’ do what you wanna do anyway.”
“Don’t be like that, malyshka. I want you with me, so I’m gon’ do what I think is right. I ain’t gon’ lie to you about that. You being alone right now is reckless, and I don’t do reckless when it comes to you.”
“You’re acting like you don’t understand that this is my home, Targen. You don’t understand the work and care I put into this house, especially after—” She stopped suddenly, turning her head away from me.
I hated that she was hurting, that her connection to me was causing her pain once again. My words wouldn’t make it much better right now. Theory needed and deserved action from me. She was damn sure gon’ get it.
“I’m sorry for what you losing, milaya. But what we gon’ build is gon’ be beautiful,” I promised.
“How? How, with a foundation of coercion and control, Targen?” she demanded.
“You not hearing me. I don’t want to coerce and control you. I want to protect you. You can’t stop me from doing that cuz you mad. You think I wanted to leave you? You think any of that shit was easy? That even one day of it was—”
“Then why did you stay gone?”
The words bubbled out in a scream that shocked both of us. She slapped her hand over her mouth, a sheen of tears clouding her brown eyes. It was a question I couldn’t answer yet. I’d already revealed too much.
“I’ll tell you after the wedding,” I told her.
She made a soft, pained sound. “Whatever, Targen.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that statement so full of distrust, anger, and hurt. So, I hid behind a change of subject.
“My brother is sending someone here to grab whatever we can that might lead us to the people who did this,” I explained.
“Let me take you to lunch. Then we can go shopping for whatever you think you needed out of there. I don’t want you to worry, milaya.
Just... let yourself accept that you not alone in this. You not alone in anything.”
She sighed, frustration and pride and worry battling within her. The usually soft curve of her jaw was tight, betraying her internal conflict. “Fine. But I don’t have to like it.”
“Like it. Hate it. Just be in my presence, alright? I just want to be there for you.”
A soft laugh escaped her. “Oh, now, you wanna be there for me?”
I wasn’t giving it to her need to fight me. Instead, I offered her a half smile and the whole truth. “Yeah. I wanna be there for you.”
Opening the door, I slid out of the truck.
I walked around to the driver’s door and opened it.
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
Finally, she nodded her unspoken agreement.
After helping her out, I led her to the back seat.
I looked up as Juvie and Mikhail emerged from the house, then buckled her in before kissing her forehead.
Juvie clapped loudly. “Glad you settled that, cuz a young cat like me is hungry. Got a taste for French or somethin’. Heard about this lil’ bistro I know Ms. Theory of Relativity will love. Thank me later,” he rattled.
I shook my head. He was ridiculous. And absolutely serious.
“This shit better be good,” I grumbled.