Chapter 24
S ome Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. - William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
Dimitri
“I heard a nasty rumor you brought a young female on board the plane to Morocco with you.”
Very little got past Vaska.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
I was lying. He knew it and so did I. I didn’t have to drag Emma halfway across the world with me, but if I were honest with myself, I was afraid to leave her behind.
Afraid of what might happen if I gave her the time alone she wanted…
the space to think our relationship through and realize an innocent librarian had no business being with a Russian mafia thug like me.
I couldn’t let that happen.
It was cruel and selfish, but I didn’t give a damn.
I didn’t really have a plan beyond keeping her by my side and in my bed long enough to erase all doubts or questions in her mind.
“You do realize that hot-headed spitfire she calls a roommate is threatening to call the cops if I don’t tell her where Emma is?” complained Vaska.
I’d forgotten about Mary. She would be worried. She was a good friend to my girl and deserved better. “Fuck. I’ll call her.”
Emma was sleeping in the bedroom while I headed to the lounge portion of the plane to get some work done before landing.
I didn’t want to disturb her, especially after I’d handled her so roughly earlier.
Poor thing would have bruises on her hips from my grip while I’d thrust into that amazingly tight ass of hers.
Jesus, this woman would be the death of me. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the notion she believed she wasn’t sexy or adventurous enough in bed for me. The idea was ludicrous. She was by far the most seductive, intoxicating woman I had ever been with… and frankly, that was saying a lot.
Nothing about her was practiced artifice. She had this natural primal energy that drew me like a moth to a flame. Her innocent responses to my touch were fascinating to behold. They were so pure and unadulterated and yet… dirty, sexy, hot at the same time.
“No, I’ll handle it.”
“Are you sure?”
Vaska’s voice took on a peculiar lilt. “It would be my pleasure.”
“You know she’s Emma’s dearest friend,” I said, a warning note in my voice. Vaska was like a blood brother to me, but that didn’t mean I would be okay with him hurting Emma by somehow hurting her friend.
“Understood. I’m handling it.” With that, Vaska deliberately changed the subject.
“Mikhail Volkov has already arrived from Washington. Gregor Ivanov was kind enough to lend him to us to help fix our little… problem. He’s already arranged a meeting with the port master for tomorrow.
I’ll tell him you’re having some low level meetings tonight and ask if he has time to swing by the hotel to meet with you after. ”
As a former Russian sniper and head of security for the Ivanov crime syndicate, Mikhail Volkov was a good man to have by my side for this.
“Any problems I should be aware of?”
“We found out who was causing us headaches. A disgraced former member of the Royal Guard, trying to get his foot into the smuggling business by throwing around a lot of money and muscle. Mikhail has a watch on him.”
“Fine. I’ll discuss our options with him when we meet.”
Vaska chuckled. “That will be a brief conversation: option one, cut the head off the snake. There is no option two.”
“You know me well, my friend.”
“I’ll see you when you’re back in Chicago.”
“Vaska?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember what I said about Mary.”
There was a long pause.
“I don’t tell you how to handle Emma. You let me worry about Mary.”
“So, it’s like that?”
“It is.”
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who had gotten caught in the web of a seemingly innocent but incredibly spirited female.
“Good luck, I have a feeling you’ll need it.”
I disconnected the call, then made arrangements to have a fake passport and some clothes for Emma delivered to my plane by the time we landed.
* * *
I stared down at her sleeping form. I really hated to wake her.
She slept so soundly she didn’t even feel us land.
She looked adorable all curled up on her side, her tangled hair fanning around her on the pillow.
The bedcovers had slipped down, revealing one creamy shoulder.
I especially liked the glint from the diamond bracelet on her wrist.
I knew she was still very self-conscious about it, but I hoped she never took it off. It was my mark of ownership. Soon I would add a matching ring.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I leaned down and placed a kiss on her exposed shoulder. Her dark eyelashes fluttered before they revealed beautiful chocolate brown eyes.
“Did I fall asleep for long?” she asked as she straightened her legs and shifted under the covers.
“For the rest of the flight.”
“Goodness!”
I motioned with my head to the green canvas bag on the edge of the bed. “We’ve already landed. There are some clothes and toiletries in the bag for you.”
Her cheeks warmed with a pretty pink blush. Her lips were still slightly swollen and a dark pink from my aggressive kisses earlier. Damn, she really was the most beautiful creature, almost other-worldly.
“That was thoughtful, thank you. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Take your time. My meeting isn’t till tomorrow. We’ll check into the hotel and grab a bite to eat, then I have a surprise.”
Her eyes lit up. “A surprise!”
“If you’re a good girl,” I teased.
She leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
The covers slipped as she did so, and one pert nipple brushed my upper arm.
I could feel my cock stir. It would have to wait.
She was probably way too sore after the brutal fucking I had given her earlier.
I might not be a gentleman where she was concerned, but I wasn’t a heartless barbarian.
As she sat back, she pushed out her bottom lip in a cute pout. Pulling the bedsheet up to cover her breasts, she huffed, “I’m still mad at you for basically kidnapping me.”
I furrowed my brow and thinned my lips, trying to look both serious and chastised. “Yes, I know.”
She grabbed a pillow and swiped me with it. “You’re impossible.”
“Yes, but you love me for it.”
Her smile faltered. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
I wasn’t sure if her change in expression was because she had admitted she loved me and I hadn’t said it back… yet… or regret over the fact that she loved me. Either way, I hoped to rectify both situations soon.
Cupping her head, I pulled her close and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Get dressed. I’ll be in the other cabin.”
Less than a half hour later, she emerged clad in a deep purple maxi-dress with a pair of strappy sandals. She had brushed her hair till it fell in smooth waves. My contact had even provided some makeup. Her lips had a pink sheen and her eyes sparkled with a touch of liquid eyeliner.
I motioned for her to twirl around. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. Everything fits perfectly. There is even another dress and a cute bathing suit.”
Placing a hand on her lower back, I pulled her close. “I can’t wait to get you to the hotel so I can take this off.”
“You’re so bad.”
If she only knew…
We stepped into the black, bulletproof SUV waiting for us inside the hangar. As soon as we got into the rear seat, I handed her several books.
“What is this?”
“I figured a cute book nerd like you would want to read up on Morocco and Marrakech while we are here.”
She squealed in delight as she eagerly scanned through the books.
For the short ride into the city, past fields filled with neat rows of olive trees, she entertained me with random facts about the history of Marrakech.
“Did you know many of the locals speak French as well as Arabic?”
I nodded that I did.
She flipped to a different page. “Oh! It says here we shouldn’t take a picture of a snake charmer without offering some form of payment. Apparently they get furious if you don’t.”
Her enthusiasm was contagious.
“Would we have time to see one of the famous bazaars? It’s supposed to be a chaotic scene of bright colors, exotic goods, and piles and piles of spices… and monkeys!” She gave a little bounce in her seat as she chatted on.
I sat back and rubbed my jaw as I watched her.
My business frequently took me all around the world, from luxurious cities to cave hovels in the middle of the desert.
Somewhere along the way, I had lost the simple joy to be had from experiencing new places and things.
Until Emma, I had been living my life in the shadows, filling it with backroom deals, guns, and blood money.
She was a bright spark of light.
And I was a monster.
If I had learned one thing, it was that darkness swallows the light. Always.
I should have let her run from me when she’d had the chance.
Now it was too late.