Chapter 20 - Riley
I can't help but notice that Viktor is being distant, broody, and generally in a bad mood. He seems preoccupied and isn't paying attention to me like he used to before the meeting with his brothers. I don't know what's bothering him, but I'm scared to ask. He doesn't seem interested in talking about anything, and I don't want to push him. I wonder if he got into trouble over something. I can’t understand what it could possibly be because he rescued Anton. He should be praised as a hero, yet he’s just snapping at the staff, and now he has guards inside the house as well as outside patrolling.
It's worrying.
I want to do something nice for him. I want to find a way to take his mind off his troubles. Since he doesn't really want to leave the house, I decide to prepare an intimate dinner at home. I'll cook just for the two of us. Perhaps this will lift his spirits. Or at least provide a momentary distraction from his problems.
Arranging the food isn't hard. I give Rachel a list of things I need, and she agrees to get all the ingredients when she orders the usual groceries. I plan to do it tomorrow, Sunday. I spend some time in my closet looking for something nice to wear, but I can't find anything. The dress I had was ruined, and when I went shopping with Anya, I didn't really buy any more. I feel like a fool for choosing comfortable clothes now instead of more designer dresses, but how was I supposed to know? I guess I should have listened to Viktor when he said I needed to dress to a certain standard. Still, I know he prefers me naked.
I take out my phone and dial Gwen's number.
“Hello, stranger. It's been days since I heard from you,” Gwen says as she answers her phone.
I smile. “I'm sorry. It's been a bit weird. Viktor seems really preoccupied and I've kind of been tiptoeing around him.”
“Where is he now?” Gwen asks.
“He's gone out to meet Rigor, I think,” I say quietly. I go to our room and I shut the door. “I want to do something nice for him tomorrow.”
“What do you have in mind?” Gwen asks.
“I want to make him dinner and a little something more, but I have nothing to wear.”
“Are you asking me to go shopping with you?” Gwen asks and I can hear the smile in her voice. “I'll be there to fetch you in half an hour.”
I nod and get dressed in comfortable shopping clothes and sneakers. I go downstairs and walk out the front door, going to wait by the front gate. One of the guards at the gate stops me. “Mrs. Milov, where is your security detail?”
“I don't need one. Gwen is coming with hers, and you'll watch me until she picks me up,” I say confidently. “Please open the gate.”
“Mr. Milov said you are to always be with security.”
“Do you want to call him?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “And tell him you're arguing with me and holding me prisoner?”
The guard shakes his head and waves me through the gate just as Gwen pulls up with Anya in the car. Another car follows her, with four men in suits.
“We told the guards to follow us at a distance,” Anya says as I climb in. “This is a girl's trip, so we can discuss girl things.”
I blush. “I didn't realize you were coming.”
“Why are you blushing?” Anya asks.
“It's just… I wanted to ask Gwen some things about… doing things in the bedroom and you're my sister-in-law.”
“So is Gwen,” she points out.
“Yes, but you're my husband's little sister,” I insist as Gwen joins traffic going toward the mall.
“Yes, but I'm also not a child, and I know what happens in the bedroom. Trust me, your secrets are safe with me.” Anya turns to face the front. “So, what do you want to know?”
“Well, I want to plan something intimate with him, so I am going to make him dinner, and then I was thinking of luring him upstairs to the bedroom,” I say quietly, still unsure if I should be talking about this in front of Anya. “I just wanted to know if you have any tips for making sure he's… thoroughly distracted.”
“Strip show,” Anya giggles. “We'll find you some exceedingly sexy underwear, then you strip your clothes off slowly. Men like a show, and they like to be teased.”
Gwen laughs. “Roman certainly does.”
I feel a little bit more at ease and nod. “Okay, so I strip. Do I put music on?”
“You can,” Gwen says. “Roman doesn't need it. He just likes the way my body moves.” She pulls into a parking and Anya puts a hand over hers.
“No, Gwen, park closer. We want to be where there are crowds, so we're safe,” Anya says.
Gwen pulls out, and we search for a closer parking spot. Once we park, we get out, and Anya links arms with both of us. “For safety,” she says with a grin. “We are stronger together.” She marches us into the mall and into the busier section, where there are some popular boutiques. She pushes me straight toward a lingerie store and says, “We'll start there.”
I blush crimson and Gwen laughs. “Don't be so shy, Riley. This is your idea, after all. You just wanted someone to come with you.”
“I was just thinking of getting a nice dress,” I admit. “I didn't think of underwear.”
“You have to think of everything. You need a good pair of fuck-me heels,” Anya says confidently.
“Fuck-me heels?” I ask.
“I'll have to show you,” Anya says. “When we go to this one boutique, Madam LaCie’s.”
She starts rifling through the underwear that's hanging up and starts pulling off different ones and showing them to me. Gwen does the same and Anya soon announces, “We'll just take them all. You can never have enough sexy underwear.”
I stare at her. “How do I pick which one to wear?”
“Lay everything out and choose the ones that speak to you. Just remember, if the bra and panties match, it was your idea to have sex.” We take the underwear to the cashier, who happily rings us up. Anya pays with her credit card, and we grab our bags and leave, sticking to the busier areas of the mall. We explore a few more boutiques in search of a dress, but nothing really catches my eye. We take a break for lunch in the more crowded dining section. Anya is determined that we stay where the crowds are. Even though the security guards are trailing us closely around the mall.
We go into a boutique that specializes in shoes, and Anya leads us directly to the boots in the back with thin heels. She pulls down three pairs: one in black, one in red, and one in white. They are all glossy, and when I put them on, they fit tightly. I stand up and wobble slightly. “The heels are thin. I might kill myself.”
“Nonsense, you just need to get used to them,” Gwen says.
“Do you have a pair?”
“I have a few. I've been shopping with Anya before,” Gwen laughs.
Anya smiles. “I have several patent leathers like these and normal leather, too.”
“I'm going to look like a stripper,” I point out.
“That's the point,” Anya laughs.
I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun. We try on some other boots and take the three pairs Anya picked, plus another black leather pair. We pay for them, and as we discuss where else we should go shopping, we walk out of the boutique.
Loud shots ring out, and Anya pulls us down, sending our shopping bags flying. People shriek and scream as glass shatters, and bullets continue to fly, now also from our bodyguards. One guard grabs my arm and starts dragging me away. I see Gwen and Anya following us. He positions us behind a pillar and stands watch.
“Is anyone hurt?” Anya asks.
“No, we're okay.”
After the shootout ends, we wait until the guard gives us the all-clear before we walk out from behind the pillar. The guards are hurrying to pick up our shopping. “I will handle the police,” the guard who saved us says. The rest of the guys will take you all back to Viktor's house. I'll call ahead to make sure they know what's going on.”
Anya takes our hands, and we quickly follow the guards. Two guards climb into the back of Gwen's car with me while the other one drives the other car. I'm shaking. I can't believe we were just in a shootout in the fucking mall. Someone could have been killed. I don't even know if anyone was hurt. I hope no one was hurt.
Gwen quickly drives us home, and when we pull up, Viktor comes out of the house. “Get inside,” he barks.
We all file into the living room, where Viktor comes in after us. “What the hell were you thinking?” he roars. “I leave for a meeting and I get a call from my guards that you three have pissed off on a shopping spree. You could have been killed. You could have been taken!”
Anya steps forward. “I insisted we stayed in public spaces, Viktor. I thought we'd be safe. I didn't think they'd attack us in public like that.”
“Well, they did, Anya. You're so Goddam irresponsible. Do you ever think about anything other than partying and shopping?”
Anya's face falls and I can see she's hurt. I step forward quickly. “Viktor, it was my idea to go shopping…”
“You should know better than anyone,” he raises his voice again.
“What's wrong with going to the shop?” I ask heatedly.
“Now is not the time, Riley. The Vultures are on the prowl and they want to hurt our family. That includes you three.” He paces up and down. “I cannot believe you thought taking four guards was enough. And to a public mall. We could have sent someone to shop for you or you could have shopped online.”
“You can't keep me prisoner,” I say angrily as I hear Anya sniff. She's on the verge of tears and I feel very protective of her.
“I'm not keeping you prisoner. I'm keeping you safe,” he snaps.
He turns to Anya and Gwen and says, “My men will take you home. Make sure you get in alright. There will be no more shopping trips.”
“Yes, Viktor,” Anya says sadly. Gwen and Anya each hug me before they leave.
“A shopping trip isn't worth your life, Riley,” Viktor says grumpily.
I walk past him and upstairs. I don't go to our room. I go to my room and slam the door shut.