22. Dimitri
22
Dimitri
“ T he police were here last night, questioning the staff.”
I peer up over the rim of my reading glasses at the manager of the Playground over the rim of my reading glasses and take in his nervous demeanor. I hired him to handle situations like this, so what has him so anxious about telling me? Sitting back, I toss my glasses on my desk and give him my attention. “Questioning them about what?”
“Looks like some people have disappeared. People who were last seen here.”
Considering the nature of our business, I’m not very surprised. It’s not uncommon for workers to “disappear” when they spontaneously quit because, for many, a job here is not meant to be long term.
“And? It’s your job to keep track of the workers. Is it not?”
The manager glances at his shoes, and my temper threatens. I’m not in the best of moods to begin with tonight because it’s been longer than I’d like since seeing Gabriella. We need to talk, but every time we have a chance, something comes up. Like how Sergei has all but disappeared since his brother’s funeral. We communicate mostly through text and when I do catch him at his estate, he’s moody and irritable. Not even the arrival of his printsessa has lifted his spirit. All of which has left me annoyed and agitated.
“Spit it out.”
“It’s not just a few workers, boss. A few of the missing are patrons, too.”
I frown at that bit of news. “Is there a connection between the missing?”
He nods, which confirms why the police are so interested. A connection is more than a coincidence, and it’s enough to warrant an investigation.
My phone buzzes and I glance at it, not recognizing the number calling. “Get me a list of the missing and their connection.” I dismiss him and wait until he’s gone before answering the phone.
“Who is this?”
“Volkov, it’s Michael DiAngelo.”
Fuck.
He’s never once called me, and my immediate thought goes directly to Gabriella. Does he know? Did something happen to her? Is she okay?
Swallowing down my worry and desire to ask about his sister is a bitter pill. “What is it?”
“I need you to come and get your idiot friend Alexei from Sinners before I kill him.”
Dominic meets me at the front doors with a deep frown and ticking jaw before gesturing to follow him. I hear my friend before seeing him and when I do finally put eyes on him, I can’t hardly blame Michael for wanting to kill him.
Alexei dances on top of a table, his shirt unbuttoned, revealing his tattooed chest to the world. Standing before him, Sophia sensually grinds her partially clothed body against Alexei’s crotch, as if she were giving him a standing lap dance. They pass a bottle of champagne between each other, but they’re so disoriented and buzzed, most of the liquid falls to the table at their feet.
They’re not doing anything more or less than half of the other guests, but they’re not just drunk, they’re also shouting and being obnoxious.
Behind them stands Michael DiAngelo, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression dark and near murderous. His molten eyes shift from the pair to me when Dominic rejoins him and leans in to say something. He’s a frightening enough man, large and imposing, with an air of danger around him. Even recovering from gunshot wounds to his leg and chest, he’s still a force to deal with. Although I remember Gabriella mentioning something about a cane. I wonder where that is.
Alexei spots me and spins around to a sudden stop. “Dimi!”
The motherfucker really is drunk.
Growling under my breath, I approach and order, “Get down, you idiot.”
Alexei bends at his knees, coming level with my face. When he wobbles for a moment, trying hard to regain his balance, he giggles like a kid. I’ve never seen him this fucking trashed before.
“What are you doing?”
“Join us, Dimitri!” Alexei coaxes, his words a little slurred and tone uneven. “Sophia has these little pills.” He looks at the blonde woman who is still dancing, either too drunk to notice my arrival or she just doesn’t care. “What are they called again, lapushka ?”
“Sunshine daisies,” Sophia answers before she finally sees me. With a happy squeal, she jumps or more like falls toward me. It’s only by instinct that I catch her, limbs flailing like one of those tube men. I’m forced to keep hold of her shoulders while she tries to steady her balance.
“Dimitri,” she purrs, as she tries to run her hands up my chest. I grip her wrists and apply a little pressure as a warning before shoving them down. “Please come— hiccup— join us. I’m drowning my sorrows and could use the company.”
I frown at her. “It’s been weeks since your uncle’s funeral.”
Sophia pouts. “That’s not what I’m sad about.”
“Then what?”
“Michael’s moved on.”
My eyes lift over her head to lock with said man’s gaze. I’m not sure if he heard her or not, but her sorrow is a load of horseshit.
“As he should. You two are divorced and have been for a year now. Remember?”
Sophia crosses her arms, shoving her chest higher and nearly toppling out of her dress. “I didn’t want to. It was Daddy’s idea.”
“Because he couldn’t give you children.” Something that still confuses me and something Sergei swears he knew nothing about, either. It seems like Sergei is in the dark about a lot of things lately. A little detail that has left me curious and on edge.
Sophia rolls her eyes. “That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
She gestures to the air in a wild manner. “It’s her . That O’Leary slut.” Or maybe not because this appears to be just pure drama. “She came home and just stole him from me.”
The way Michael tenses and takes a menacing step forward before Dominic reaches out to stop him, tells me he can, in fact, hear every word.
“She stole nothing from you, Sophia. The moment you two were divorced, he was free to do as he pleased with whomever he wanted.” It’s like trying to explain a simple thing to a child. A child who won’t listen and would sooner argue that the sky is green just because she wants it to be.
“But why her? He could have anyone else.”
Alexei hops down from the table and hooks an arm across Sophia’s shoulders, pulling her in tight to plant a kiss to the crown of her head. He tosses me a wink and I know he’s about to do something incredibly stupid. Before I can intervene, he turns to the side to get a better view of Michael.
“Don’t worry, Sophia. If you ask me, Mikey boy over there is the idiot. He had a diamond but settled for a rhinestone.”
I’m not sure if Dominic lets his cousin go or if Michael tears free, but either way, the Italian heir crosses the space and lands a blow to the side of Alexei’s face. My friend’s head snaps to the side as Sophia screams and jumps out of the way. Alexei places a hand over his jaw, laughing like a maniac as he recovers and straightens his spine.
Michael stabs the air with his finger as he points at Alexei. “You will never speak of Rose like that again, you motherfucker. Do you understand me?”
Alexei snorts. “Does the truth sting, DiAngelo?”
Michael goes to punch him again and though Alexei tries to evade his fist, the alcohol and drugs in his system slow his reaction time. Michael’s fist makes contact, snapping my idiot friend’s face to the other side. Leveling Michael with a crazed eye, I watch Alexei’s hand disappear into his pants pocket. The glint of a knife blade catches on the low light. If he stabs Michael, it’s as good as declaring fucking war, and that is the last thing any of us need right now. Tensions are already so high, it’ll only take one match to strike a wildfire.
I step forward, latching my hand on my friend’s wrist, and twist his arm behind his back. “Put it away,” I growl into his ear, my threat clear as day in my voice.
Alexei fights back for a second before he complies, and I feel him slide the knife into his back pocket.
Meeting Michael’s eyes, I step around my friend, effectively cutting him off from the Italian.
“Move, Volkov,” Michael orders.
“No. The man is drunk and doesn’t mean what he says.”
“The fuck I don’t,” Alexei quips behind me and I swear my fist is the next to hit his face. “Sophia deserves better.”
“Then you have her,” Michael says, a taunting gleam overtaking his eyes before he adds, “After all, you seem to enjoy having the scraps. Don’t you?”
Alexei curses in Russian before he tries to rush around me. I turn and shove him toward Sophia before feeling a presence coming at my back. Glancing over my shoulder, Michael has stepped forward, his eyes latched on Alexei with intent in his expression.
This is quickly becoming a shit show and growing out of hand. Neither idiot knows how to quit, and if they’re not stopped, they won’t until one of them is dead.
Decision made, I turn and swing at Michael, taking him by surprise and landing a solid punch to his jaw. The Italian stumbles but only for a second before composing himself.
I hold my hands up, like a sign of surrender, but Michael sees red. He steps forward and I see the punch coming. I could stop it, but hell…I deserve it and honestly, welcome it too.
Pain explodes along my cheekbone and eye. That’s going to be a fucking blend of blue and purple in the morning. Great. He could have at least gone for the jaw like I did. Bastard.
My ears are still ringing from the blow, I barely hear Dominic shout before there are sudden arms on me. Guards yell at us to calm down and knock it off. Dominic and two other guards have Michael restrained, while Alexei lies unconscious on the ground. I can’t tell if it’s from the alcohol or the beating, but either way, the idiot is finally silent.
“I’m good,” I tell the guards holding me. “Let me go.”
They glance at Dominic for permission and I meet his eyes, telling him I’m serious. He reads my unspoken words and nods to the guards. They release me, stepping back, as I straighten my jacket and clear my throat.
“Take him home,” Dominic orders a pair of guards. “And make sure he stays there.” Turning to his cousin, he says, “You’re still healing, you dumb fool. Or did you forget? Let's go.”
Michael grumbles under his breath, tossing me one last icy glare before he stalks away.
Dominic approaches me and pulls out a small white handkerchief. He gestures to my face before handing it to me. “You’ve got a little blood there.”
I take the piece of cloth and dab at my cheek. “Thank you.”
“You got him?” he asks, pointing to my unconscious friend and Sophia, who sits in a crumpled heap beside him. “And her?”
“Yes.”
I turn just as Dominic adds, “And thank you as well, Dimitri.”
Glancing back at the man, I catch what he really means in his expression. It seems I wasn’t the only one who saw the knife after all.
The house is dark when I arrive. While I wait for the garage to open, I glance around the street, taking in the quiet, softly illuminated homes all spaciously spaced apart on larger than normal lots. Of course, I know everything there is to know about her neighbors.
Like how, for example, to her left is an elderly snowbird couple from Michigan. Both retired doctors, one cardiac and the other pediatric. A lovely pair, with excellent credit scores and ample enough money to live lavishly for the rest of their lives. To her right, the house is owned by a lawyer who spends more time at his office in the city than his home.No one on the street concerns me, but it’s not who lives here that concerns me. But rather the strangers who visit the residents.
Parking my bike inside, I turn the beast off, and the silence of the garage envelops me. I wait to take my helmet off until the door shuts behind me. The house is quiet inside and the only lights come from the small night lights illuminating the halls as I walk through the space. Making a quick stop in the kitchen to get an ice pack, I wrap it in a towel and place it on my sore face before continuing through the house.
Nestled in the covers like they’re clouds, my sweet angel rests inside the master, peacefully sleeping. Her textbooks, notebooks, and folders litter the bottom of the bed, and I’m honestly surprised she didn’t fall asleep with her face in a book.
I clean up her mess and then climb into the bed behind her, wrapping an arm around her middle to pull her snug against my chest. Even asleep, she registers my presence and turns toward me. I run my hand up and down her back, enjoying the solid feel of her in my arms. Her heat permeates through my armor to wrap around my cold heart, like a warm hug. Maybe I’m being greedy and maybe I’m taking advantage here, but I have no desire to leave. Not anymore. Not after I nearly lost her in November. The day will undoubtedly come where we’ll face a mountain of truths and be given the choice to either overcome them or be buried beneath them. But that day is not today.
Gabriella stirs and with a deep inhale, looks up at me with sleepy eyes. “Dimitri? You're here? What time is it?”
I know the moment she sees the mark, because her brows furrow and her frown deepens. Reaching out, she grasps my chin to move my face for a better view.“What the hell happened?”
I reach up and take her hand in mine. “It’s nothing.”
Wrong thing to say to a woman with hot Italian blood in her veins who is also studying medicine.
Gabriella sits up and turns the side lamp on. Groaning at the bright light, I try to avoid her probing hands but fail. When she’s determined, the woman can do anything. Including forcing me to explain who hit me and why.
“You have your brother to thank for the damage to my handsome face.”
Gabriella flashes me an exasperated look before going back to examining my face. “You’re going to have a black eye, but at least the cut won’t need stitches. A little liquid bandage and it should be alright.” She grabs the ice pack and shoves it back on my eye, bringing my hand up to hold it there. “Now, why did my brother hit you?”
“Alexei and Sophia were at his club acting like fools. And let’s just say he said some things that upset Michael. I stepped in before things could get too far and took a punch to the face.”
“What did he say?”
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Dimitri.” She tries to sound and look serious. It’s kind of cute.
“Gabriella.”
“I’m serious.”
“That’s nice.”
She shoves my shoulder, and I fall to my back dramatically. When Gabriella climbs on top of me, I suddenly find it difficult to remember my reasons against telling her when her warmth is right there above my aching cock.
“Please.”
“Fine.” I cave and adjust my hips, purposely pushing against her core for fun. She’ll need the distraction for what I say next. “He compared Sophia to a diamond and Rose to a rhinestone, essentially saying Michael traded down.”
Something dangerous crosses her face. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
My little angel has claws and my cock twitches at the thought. Alexei is arguably my closest friend, but I would give nearly anything to watch her take him on.“There’s more.”
She sits back with an exaggerated sigh. “What now?”
“I also hit your brother.”
For a second, I think she’s going to be mad at me too, but then her lips twitch and she laughs. “I hope you got him good.”
“Solid punch across the jaw.”
“The idiot. He’s still recovering and shouldn’t be getting into fights. I hope Rose beats him senseless for his stupidity. If not, I will.”
“I’m sure you would.”I reach up and grasp her hips. My mind is quickly shifting directions.
Gabriella finally notices our precarious position and quickly climbs off my lap with a hurried apology. Well, that's not what I wanted.
"Gabriella?"
"We need to talk, Dimitri."
"I know." But this isn't where, when, or how I wanted to talk to her about this.
“I don’t want to ask because I don’t want to hear the same answer,” she speaks in a soft but hurried voice that I'm unable to interrupt. “But I want to be with you, Dimitri, for real. I want to go on dates where we don’t have to be worried about someone seeing us. I want to see your home and meet your family. I want you to meet mine outside of business. I just want to be with you and I need to know…has anything changed? Will anything change?”
I reach up and trace her beautiful and tortured face. She’s refusing to meet my eyes, afraid to see rejection in them. But if she’d only look, that’s not what she’ll find. “Gabriella…angel.” The soft tone of my voice and endearing nickname is enough to make her raise her eyes, albeit cautiously and slowly, to meet mine. “I want to be with you too, in every way you described and more.”
“But?” she whispers the word, and it’s a cruel reminder of our conversation from months ago.
What has changed, she asks? So much. I can see the ending of my assignment in sight. Before now, that meant an end to us, but after our time apart, all I can think about is fighting for this, fighting for us. If she can find it in her heart to forgive me for my greatest secret and sin when I reveal the truth to her, that’s all that matters. The opinion of anyone else can fuck off for all I care because it’s just Gabriella and me in this relationship.
“No buts,” I tell her. “I'm not leaving you ever again. I just ask that you trust me and give me time to figure a few things out. Can you do that?”
Gabriella nods, her beautiful eyes shimmering with tears as she smiles at me. “Okay.”
She leans forward and burrows into me while I wrap my arms around her and kiss the side of her head.
And so the devil fell in love with an angel.