Chapter 15 Sergei
SERGEI
It had been almost two weeks since Alek met his untimely demise, and while I was hopefully optimistic, I was still playing it safe. Bog remained at the apartment, and I kept the extra security at the casino. It might’ve been overkill, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
Alina seemed to be weathering it fairly well and had almost slipped into a routine.
She’d spend her days sketching and writing by the fire while I tended to things at the casino.
I’d cut back on my hours, which Viktor questioned, but I managed to put him off.
I knew it was only a matter of time before that would all blow up in my face, but I didn’t care.
I liked being at the apartment, watching Alina as she worked on her creation of the day.
I was fascinated by the way her nose would crinkle when she put her pen to paper, and the way her eyes would glisten when she was touched by a memory that she’d tried to put behind her.
She’d grow still, think it through, and write it out.
I think the whole writing thing was doing her a lot of good. She seemed to be a little lighter, more open, and I hoped it was a sign that she was coming to terms with everything that she’d been through. Either way, she was trying, and that counted for something. Hell, it counted for a lot.
But I could tell that being cooped up all day was starting to get to her. I could see the restlessness in her eyes when she lingered at the windows. She missed the world on the outside, and it was time she got a taste of what she’d been missing.
I stepped into the living room as I announced, “I think it’s time I took you shopping.”
Alina looked up from her sketchbook with her brows drawn like she wasn’t sure she’d heard me right. “Shopping?”
“I know you weren’t able to bring much when you left.
” I thought back to the night she’d shown up at the casino.
She’d managed to get away with a suitcase that held only a few clothes, and I had bought her some things to wear, but it was getting colder.
She was going to need more options, so I added, “I thought you could use some new clothes.”
“I could, but I don’t have enough money for that right now.”
“Money isn’t an issue.”
“But it is,” she argued. “You’ve already done so much for me. I can’t let you buy me more clothes, too.”
“You can, and you will,” I smirked. “We’ll leave tomorrow around lunch. We’ll go to Hot Springs and spend the day shopping and grab dinner on the way back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Besides, it’s time I got you out of the house,” I scoffed. “You’ve been stuck in here too long. Hell, it’s only a matter of time before you kill me in my sleep.”
“What makes you think I’d wait until you were asleep?” she teased.
“Hey, now. That’s not funny.”
“Surely you aren’t afraid of little ol’ me.”
“Maybe we should leave a little earlier. Right after breakfast?”
“Sure. Whatever you think.”
When her lips curled into a smile, I knew I’d made the right decision.
She needed this. Hell, maybe I did, too.
The next afternoon, I found myself standing in the middle of a boutique with my hands full of shopping bags, watching Alina as she scanned through another rack of tops and dresses.
Just like in all the other shops, her eyes would light up when she saw something she’d like, but she’d hesitate, like wanting it was some kind of crime.
I’d seen her pass up several things she’d liked, and I wasn’t having it. “Try them on.”
“No, they are too expensive here. We should go somewhere else.”
“This place is fine.” I motioned my hand over to the sweater she’d just passed and said, “Give that one a go.”
“I don’t know.” She picked it up and studied it. There was nothing fancy or flashy about it. It was just a simple white sweater, but it looked like her. “It’s a little short.”
“Maybe. But you won’t know until you try it.” I motioned over to the pants and skirt she’d shown interest in and said, “Try those, too.”
“It’s too much, Sergei.”
“It’s not. Now, go try it on.”
She bit her lip, then grabbed them from the rack and disappeared into the dressing room. I leaned against the wall outside, ignoring the hovering salesclerk, and waited for her to come out. A few minutes later, the curtain drew back, and my chest tightened when I saw how incredible she looked.
I stood there watching her, the soft fabric shifting with her movement, and I felt something stir inside of me.
Anger. Jealousy. Maybe a mix of the two.
Every person in that store could look at her and see what I already knew.
With a whisper, she could have anything she wanted. She could have anyone she wanted.
And for this moment in time, she was there with me and no one else. Hell, I’d put a bullet in anyone who even thought about taking her from me. I was walking on a dangerous line. I knew that, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to make her mine.
Alina ran her hands down her side and grimaced as she waited for my reaction. I didn’t say anything at first. I needed a moment to collect myself before saying, “Beautiful. We’ll take it.”
A light blush crept over her cheeks as she tugged at the hem of the sweater. “Are you sure it isn’t too short?”
“It’s perfect.”
She turned toward the mirror and studied her reflection, and after a few seconds, she smiled and said, “Okay, but I’ll pay you back.”
“That smile is payment enough.”
“Not even close.”
She shook her head and went back into the dressing room.
Once she had changed, we checked out and went to the restaurant.
It was tucked away on a quiet street where only the locals knew about it.
The lighting was low, and the crowds were minimal, which is why I’d chosen it.
I wanted a place that was private, but one that Alina would find comfortable.
And when I saw the relaxed expression on her face, I knew I’d found the perfect spot. She sat down across from me and let out a sigh as her eyes scanned the room, taking in all the people and the easy conversations they were having. She’d been away from this for far too long.
I leaned back in my chair as I said, “It takes some getting used to.”
“You can say that again. I keep expecting someone to recognize me and ask why I’m not dead.”
“New York is a long way from here.”
“Yes, but there’s always a possibility.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “At least, my hair is different.”
“Everything about you is different.” I let my eyes rake over her. “You’re not the same woman who showed up at my door a month ago.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No. You’re someone else completely.”
I slid a small envelope across the table and watched as she picked it up. “What’s this?”
I didn’t answer. I just waited and watched as she ripped it open. Her breath caught when she pulled out her new driver’s license and social security card. She studied them for a moment, and tears shimmered in her eyes when she looked up at me and whispered, “They look so real.”
“They are as real as they get.” I leaned forward. “The life you choose from here is yours and yours alone.”
She looked down at it again, then back up at me, and something changed in her expression. The worry lingered, but there was a flash of something else that was followed by a playful smirk. “Catalina Rhodes.”
“Do you like it?”
“I do actually.”
“Good. I liked it, too.” I gave her a smile. “Means I can still call you Lina.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“It’s why I chose it.”
“You think of everything, don’t you?”
“I do what I can.”
“I’d say you do pretty well. The journals and sketchpads, the clothes, and even the name. You’ve been right about it all.”
“I guess it’s good I didn’t go with the name Loretta.”
She laughed, a real, genuine laugh, and hearing it made something settle deep inside me. Catalina wasn’t just a name. It was a new beginning. And I couldn’t help but wonder if this new beginning of hers might include me. I certainly hoped it did.
The ride back to the apartment was quicker than I’d expected. Lina and I talked the entire way. We shared stories and talked about memories from our childhood, and by the time we pulled into the garage, I felt like I knew her even better than before.
I grabbed her bags from the back, and she followed me upstairs. I unlocked the door, and we both made our way to her bedroom. I placed the bags carefully on the floor as I told her, “Thank you for going with me.”
“No.” She whispered, stepping closer. “Thank you.”
Before I could respond, she eased up on her toes and pressed her lips to my cheek. The touch was light, tentative, but it lit a fire under my skin. When she pulled back, her eyes met mine, and for a long moment, we just looked at each other, caught in a spell that felt inevitable.
I moved without thinking. One step forward and my hand was behind her neck, pulling her toward me as I crashed my mouth against hers. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle. It was nothing of the sort.
Instead, it was hard, full of hunger and need, and she gasped against my touch.
I swallowed the sound, pouring weeks of restraint into that single kiss.
Her hands glided up my chest as I deepened the kiss and pulled her even closer.
Heat and need rolled through me, consuming me, and it was all I could do to keep my footing.
Her touch was undoing me in a way that nothing else ever had.
It was too much. Too soon.
Angered by my lack of control, I stepped back and broke the embrace. Disappointment flashed through her eyes as I took a step back and said, “I’m sorry, Lina. I shouldn’t have…”
Before she had a chance to react, I turned and forced myself out of the room. I started down the hall and silently cursed myself as I made my way into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and started peeling off my clothes, tossing them furiously to the floor.
“You’re a fucking jackass, Sergei Volkov.” I shook my head as I stepped under the hot water and continued to berate myself. “It was too soon. You knew that. She trusted you, and you fucked it up. I shouldn’t be surprised. You could never have a woman like her.”
I was still giving myself hell when I thought I heard Lina say, “You’re wrong. You’ve had me all along.”
But when I whipped around, there was no one there.
Just me and my wasted, hopeful thoughts.
Damn.