Chapter 20
Rafaela
“The scene is still active and the police are asking that you stay away from the area.”
The woman’s voice, the light French accent used for the English news channel was certainly not what I’d expect when reporting some a heinous crime. I stared at the screen, easily recognizing the area.
A murder had occurred the night before on my street.
Three blocks away.
My nerves were instantly on edge.
Coincidences didn’t occur in my life even now. Everything happened for a reason. Something that had been instilled in me as a child.
Fisting my hand, I pulled my aching finger to my forehead, trying to calm my nerves while the reporter droned on about what had occurred in a nice, quiet, residential neighborhood.
I hadn’t thought about the possible criminal after leaving my apartment since waking up on the beautiful morning.
Not after the incredible and overtly sexual dreams I’d had.
About him.
Always about him.
Delicious.
As soon as I pressed my hand across my lips, I realized I’d bitten my lip sometime in the middle of the night. A single swipe of my tongue and the coppery taste of blood brought a wave of nausea. With my skin crawling, I moved toward the window, almost fearful to look outside.
Given the proximity of the murder scene, there were more cars than normal, traffic backed up. There were also additional people on the street, heading in the direction of the horrific scene. People always loved seeing a tragedy in action. It was in people’s blood.
Yet even with the sun creating a glint on the glass, I could swear someone was watching my apartment building.
Staring at my window.
Another even colder shiver skated down my spine.
Had he really found me after all these years?
He. I might as well say his name out loud. “Kazimir.” In doing do, my inner core began to heat up just like I’d experienced the night before.
A half dozen memories floated into the back of my mind, another wave of anxiety hitting me harder than it should. I could be dreaming and nothing more.
But what if I was right? If the man was alive, there was an equally daunting story about why he was just contacting me now. My instinct told me whatever it was would alter the frame of my life once again.
When Golden made her way into the kitchen, the amazing spell was broken, reality hitting home. What now? I had no idea what Kazimir’s plan could be.
“His body was found this morning by a jogger.” The reporter’s happy comment drew my attention back to the television. My, wasn’t she thrilled the man had been murdered.
What I’d heard the night before outside my window had likely been the man being killed.
Kazimir. What are you doing?
If only he was standing in front of me so he would answer.
Instead of a cold shiver, excessive heat furrowed into every molecule. Some might say I was happy the man had lost his life.
The mystery mugger hadn’t really threatened me. Had he?
My father’s warning from years before capped off the eerie feeling. “Our enemies will stop at nothing to get to us. They will pretend to be someone who cares about you. They will appear as nothing but thieves, but I assure you they have deadly intentions in mind.”
Little did I know at the time the lengths my father would go to keep his happy little world safe. However, his warning wouldn’t go unheeded. Kazimir was of obvious importance and in truth, I had a single possible scrap of information that could fully identify the man.
Another Russian’s name.
I remained rooted to the same spot for almost fifteen minutes, mostly staring into space.
I had no idea what method of killing a man Kazimir would use, but in seeing blood sprayed all over the sides of two vehicles that had yet to be either released to the owners or cleaned, my gut told me it was him.
Seconds later, I hurried and got dressed, snapping a leash on Golden’s collar. “Come on, girl. Let’s take a walk.”
She didn’t fight me, enjoying the sights and sounds as we walked down the sidewalk. At this point, not one person drew my attention, but a sense of being watched lingered, a detectable odor floating through the light breeze that tickled all my senses.
I arrived at the blocked-off area quickly enough that a portion of the man’s body had remained uncovered. His boots. With a silver steel toe. How many cold shivers would I experience in one day?
Golden bristled and while I studied the perimeter, I noticed a detective unit had arrived. For the murder of a thief?
A number of police were on the scene, which seemed odd. There weren’t enough officers in the city of Paris to warrant this kind of response.
As I stood a few feet away, occasionally an opening in the crowd allowed me to witness what was being done. Seconds later, I caught a glimpse of a couple of wallets and watches, the almost attack that I’d managed to escape indicating a mugging.
I still had my doubts. Especially with as cagey as the officers seemed. Or maybe my past was doing nothing more than colliding with my happy little world of today.
As I moved closer, I held my breath. With the ongoing activity, I was able to shift to where I was only a few feet away from the body.
Two officers knelt, their voices low. When one of them lifted the sheet, I fought to keep from making a single sound.
Whoever had killed him had sliced his jugular.
One of the officers groaned, his voice getting louder, enough I overheard his disgruntled words.
The unknown assailant’s head had almost been cut off from the act of violence.
That had taken technique, physical strength, and rage. Kazimir had all three attributes. The same question floated in my mind from before. Why now?
My entire body shivered as I stared at the blood. There was so much blood. A product of my world, but his? Yes. I was positive.
He’d wanted to protect me. Just like he’d promised. What now? What were the lengths he’d go to?
Tingles lingered, but not just because of the horror I’d just seen.
Also because of what Kazimir might have planned.
“Come on, baby. We’re going home.” As I left the scene, I constantly scanned the area. Why did I have a feeling I was being watched?
With every few steps, another electric prod caused me to stop and search. Golden remained on edge, but only once tried to pull away.
There were three men across the street, not one of them looking in my direction. How odd that I felt a sense of disappointment.
I also had to think about the possibility my father was having me watched. The phone call out of the blue had been so out of the ordinary that I wouldn’t put anything past him. Sheer panic settled in, a fear that I’d grappled with during so many long, lonely nights.
This wasn’t the time to fall apart. Maybe I’d been a fool to stay in Paris, giving my father access.
I hurried my fur baby along, moving through an alleyway and taking a slightly different, longer route back to the apartment.
Just like I’d done with the man following me who now lay dead in the street.
My weapon.
From now on, I’d carry the Beretta with me wherever I went.
The two of us made it back to the apartment without any additional fanfare. Once inside, I made certain every window was locked, the bolt slipped on the door.
From there, I stared out the window for ten minutes before feeling confident I hadn’t been followed. Not that it meant very much.
I moved to my room, yanking a special shoebox off the shelf. I’d hidden the weapon I’d purchased inside a pair of flurry slippers. Golden watched me the entire time I was grabbing the ammunition I’d bought, her tail thumping once when I slapped the magazine into place.
Once finished, I leaned against the closet door, taking several deep breaths.
Meanwhile, my fur baby seemed very interested in something on the floor.
“What do you have, girl?” Her little feet padded on the wooden floor as she tried to get away from me. I laughed more from nervousness than anything else when she forced me to follow her into the living room. “Drop it.”
Her huffing sound was out of frustration, but she dropped the item. As soon as I snatched it off the floor, I laughed. My purple thong. Evidently, it had slipped from the laundry basket onto the floor. Jesus. My nerves were getting the best of me.
With a heavy groan, I turned to take it to the bathroom when something else caught my eye. Kazimir’s face I’d sketched.
Another knot formed in my stomach as I headed to my makeshift desk and picked it up. I fingered his features while remembering as much of the time spent with him as possible.
How funny that I’d tried to do exactly as he asked, shutting down the beautiful memories. Now, all I wanted was to be reminded of everything that had occurred over the eight days I’d known the man.
Including how he’d touched me.
The past had come back to bite me, but it wasn’t over with yet.
So much had occurred in a little more than a week. Not only because of my father’s brutal intentions, but also because I’d devised a game of my own, a way of gaining my freedom.
If only I’d known then the price I’d pay.
With my eyes closed, I indulged in the memories that were still far too painful.
After I’d returned from giving him my virginity, I hadn’t told anyone what had happened. Including Sedona. She’d asked several times, but I’d wanted to keep the little secret to myself.
Given my father’s reaction when I’d reappeared, then later when he’d accused me of helping the man escape, I was damn glad I’d kept my mouth shut.
And that I’d thrown away the thong that had been laced with blood.
I opened my eyes, driving the past away.
What if I wasn’t crazy after all? If I’d seen Kazimir then his sudden appearance was the beginning of a much larger plan.
If my instincts were correct and Kazimir was as powerful as my father, neither he nor his family would allow what had occurred three years ago to go unpunished.