Chapter 5 #2
As soon as I shook it, glancing at the counter on the side, I realized this would be the last dose. Jesus Christ. Tears formed in my eyes as I placed it in her mouth.
It took a few tense seconds, but I could tell almost immediately when the medicine started to work. Emily opened her beautiful little eyes. Exhaling, I hated myself for the single ugly sob leaving my chest, but every time she had an attack, I was terrified.
“Do you have another inhaler?” Kristine asked quietly.
I shook my head. “Maybe I’ll make a few bucks tonight. I don’t get paid for a few more days.”
“I’m giving you the money,” she said as she squeezed my hand. “I had another drop in my bank account last night.”
“No!” Instantly, I felt like a shitty person. “Maybe if I don’t make anything tonight. Okay?”
Kristine nodded, but I could tell she was hurt. “Okay.”
A shot of electricity roared through me and that was the moment I remembered I wasn’t alone. Looking over my shoulder, I bristled all over again seeing he’d walked further into my house. I wanted to be furious with him, but his look of genuine concern caught my eye.
“I’ve got her,” my sister said and took Emily into her arms.
After rising, I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as I walked toward him.
“What’s wrong with your daughter?”
The bitchy me would snark something terrible at him, but I didn’t have it in me. “She has severe asthma. The doctors are hoping she’ll grow out of it, but it seems to be getting worse. Anything can set her off including excitement.”
“The inhaler helps?” Why was his voice so soothing?
“Yes. As you could see, almost instantly.”
“But it’s expensive. Don’t you have insurance through the fire department?”
Now the bitchy side was bristling again. The questions felt far too intrusive. “Yes. Unfortunately, I have a very high deductible that I haven’t met yet. I don’t mean to be rude, Mr. Dmitriyev, but my daughter’s health is none of your concern.”
“I’m sorry. I truly am.”
I honestly wasn’t certain he was sorry, but when he glanced in Emily’s direction again, I couldn’t take his presence any longer, no matter how intoxicating his aftershave or how many butterflies were swarming my stomach.
He remained quiet so I filled the void. “As you can see, Mr. Dmitriyev, I have my hands full with two jobs and a daughter with issues who I’m raising by myself. That’s most likely too much baggage for a man like you.”
Why was it that a tiny part of me wanted him to continue pushing?
But he didn’t, simply nodding his head and leaving.
With that, I closed the door. And almost instantly hated myself for doing so.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I hissed under my breath. I stopped wiping the counter and did nothing more than glare at him.
“What’s wrong, luv?” my brother-in-law Liam asked as he popped out from his office behind the bar.
“Nothing.” I immediately lowered my gaze, now furiously wiping the bar as I cursed silently under my breath. What did Alexsey Dmitriyev think he was going to accomplish by continuing to annoy the hell out of me?
He likes you. What’s wrong with that?
My inner voice was beginning to sound more and more like my sister.
I stole another quick glance, noticing two things.
One was how every person in the mostly burly male-filled bar had immediately tensed when the huge Russian had walked in, every one of the Irishmen keeping their anger-filled eyes on him.
And two, how utterly, completely unaffected Alexsey was by the hate being tossed his way.
I might not have Irish blood in me, but I’d been married to one for long enough and had worked at O’Leary’s Irish Pub for long enough to comprehend there was extremely bad blood between the Irish and the Russians.
From what Liam had told me, the discord went back centuries, lingering in today’s world even if the two groups weren’t officially at war.
Had I always had a nagging feeling that the O’Leary family were somehow involved in criminal activities?
Yes, but Sean had done everything he could to distance himself, which had caused some bad blood between him and the rest of his family.
Which was why I’d been shocked when Liam had encouraged me to accept a position at the bar for extra cash.
While Alexsey could be considered an arrogant prick, he wasn’t stupid. As a man of power and wealth, he knew walking into an Irish bar could spell being beaten to a pulp. Yet here he was, finally catching sight of me and heading in my direction.
“Goddamn Russian asshole,” Liam snarled. When he was angry, his accent was even more pronounced. Just like Alexsey. Was it possible there was way too much testosterone in the room?
“Why do you say that?” I was curious as to the reason for Liam’s hatred, other than generational loathing.
“He’s mafia. Bratva. A very dangerous man who thinks he owns this town.
” Before I could catch him, Liam moved from behind the bar, taking long strides toward the powerful Russian.
I appreciated all that Liam had done and he was a good uncle to my daughter, but he usually took things too seriously and personally.
He also liked to rile the customers, which he did immediately when he shoved his index finger into Alexsey’s chest.
“Ooohhh!” a few of the customers cheered. Soon they’d be on their feet, shoving aside tables and chairs and chanting for a fight.
I pressed my hands on the bar, certain this would get out of hand soon. “Liam. Stop.”
“We don’t want scum like him inside our world.” From where I stood, I could tell Liam was grinning, but also egging Alexsey on.
I had to give the Russian credit; just like he’d done with the man at the warehouse, he was calm and collected. But oddly, there was an entirely different set of electric vibrations surrounding him like a force field. It was icy cold. Calculated.
Alexsey even smirked, which I knew would be a huge no-no. When he shifted his gaze so he’d locked eyes with mine, I didn’t have the same sense of arrogance that I’d seen. Instead, there was strength and an unwavering conviction. For me to agree to go out with him?
“Hey, buddy. We don’t want your kind in here.” Liam was obviously confused, turning slightly and questioning me with his eyes.
The fact Alexsey said nothing annoyed Liam to the point I could feel him getting ready to boil over. I had a red-hot Latin temper, but Liam had a much shorter fuse. That ignited the crowd every single time. That’s why when Liam was stupid enough to throw a punch, I expected all hell to break loose.
The opportunity never occurred. Alexsey snapped his hand around Liam’s fist so fast I doubted anyone in the bar, including myself had seen his arm even moving.
The second Liam groaned in pain from the pressure Alexsey was using, the others still seated jerked up, chair legs scraping against the beaten tile floor as they prepared to fight for my brother-in-law’s honor.
That’s when I knew I had to intervene. I grabbed the baseball bat from behind the bar. “Hey! Stop!” I screamed as the assholes began to taunt Alexsey.
They weren’t interested in paying attention to me.
Goddamn it. Why couldn’t life be any easier and why was it every time I was around Alexsey, all hell seemed to break loose? Getting into the fray of heated male bodies wouldn’t do me any good. But I wasn’t the kind of woman to back down from confrontation.
As Alexsey was circled with the grumpy brogues longing to beat his ass or worse, I climbed onto the bar, slamming the bat against the edge. The sound was thunderous, but not nearly as loud as my voice. “I told you to stop and you will fucking listen. Now!”
There wasn’t a customer in the place who didn’t know I was a feisty girl, but they’d never seen me this worked up.
Instantly, a hush fell across the room and every red-blooded male turned in my direction.
Exasperated, I blew a strand of damp hair from my face while I eased the bat against my shoulder.
“That’s better. Now, we’re all civilized here.
This is a public place and that man, who happens to be a friend of mine, is a customer who just needs a whiskey.
Right?” When Alexsey didn’t immediately answer, I slowly cocked my head.
My God, the man was enjoying the hell out of this and he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.
“Well?” I snarked, my voice even louder than before.
“Yes, I do. One tall whiskey.”
I nodded, expecting the others to back away and sit down. When they didn’t respond like good little boys, I slapped the bat against my hand. “Now!”
Chairs scooted across the floor again and after mental encouragement, Alexsey released his tight hold.
Liam shook his hand, still sneering at the Russian before heading toward me. “Are you fucking kidding me? A friend of yours? That man is dangerous.”
“What’s it to you, Liam? Just stop. I can be friends with anyone I want. Just go. I can handle him.”
He gripped my arm painfully, jerking me closer.
I instantly sensed Alexsey was furious with him, prepared to fight everyone in the room. That shocked me. He didn’t even know me and was certainly no match for the number of men in the bar, but I could tell by the flash of his eyes he didn’t care.
When I threw the sexy Russian a look to keep him from getting himself killed, Liam hissed.
“What are you doing? That man is bad news and you need to stay away from him. I’m telling you.”
“Telling me?” I jerked my arm free, remaining in Liam’s face. “You’re my brother-in-law, Liam, and I am eternally grateful for all you’ve done for me after Sean’s death. However, this is my life to live. I find it curious how much you hate that man when you don’t even know him.”
As soon as I tossed out the words, he bristled. What in the hell was he hiding?
Liam sucked in his breath in disbelief, and I could tell he wanted to say something.
Thankfully for him, he chose not to.
Because now, I was in the mood to bite the head off a bat.