Chapter 11
Fallon
The man was carrying a weapon.
I’d been right about the reason for the delay at immigration. But he’d breezed right through.
That shouldn’t surprise me. The few powerful men I’d piloted to various destinations had either had security men with them, all packing weapons, or had done so themselves.
However, with the handsome Russian doing so, I was reminded of Antonio.
The first time I’d met my stepbrother he’d been carrying a pocketknife much like the one Vissarian had used.
Only Antonio hadn’t used the weapon to save a life.
I’d seen him take one with it when he’d been fifteen years old.
I bit back bile as I remembered discovering what he’d done.
My mother had acted like she hadn’t noticed his evil deeds, even when I’d asked her about why he’d needed to carry the weapon hours later.
Vissarian was entirely different. I could feel it in my bones.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so judgmental.
Or maybe I should be very afraid of the man. I’d yet to decide.
I wasn’t certain if I could call Vissarian a hero, but I also knew that if I hadn’t gotten his help, there’d been no way I would have saved Bella.
The name suited her. Now that she was all clean, her dingy brown fur was white golden.
She was still so frightened, every action timid, but I was thrilled and relieved that her injuries weren’t life threatening.
For so many reasons I felt instantly connected to the fur ball.
She was all alone. Just like I was. No parents.
No extended family. I had a few friends, but my profession prevented me from having more.
I wanted so much to keep Bella, but was that just being selfish if I flew five days a week?
That wasn’t something I wanted to think about right now.
“It appears she’ll be just fine, although I would love to see her in emergency care for hydration,” the veterinarian continued.
“That won’t be necessary,” Vissarian answered. “I assure you that this dog will be well taken care of.”
I wasn’t used to having anyone answer for me, but at this point, I was exhausted more from emotional drain than anything, so I let it go. The veterinarian wasn’t happy in the least, his expression smug.
“Understood. I’ll leave you with my card. I’ll expedite the blood tests and give you a call tomorrow. Which number would you like me to use?”
Once again, Vissarian intervened, yanking out his wallet and a business card.
Meanwhile, I gathered Bella into my arms, carrying her to the sofa, folding my legs under me. What shouldn’t have surprised me was seeing the handsome Russian pulling a wad of cash from his wallet. Hundred-dollar bills.
I should feel grateful since as of right now, I had maybe a thousand dollars in my bank account. Bella was playful, smacking her paw in my face so I’d pay attention.
“This is very generous of you, Mr. Dmitriyev. As I said, I’ll call you tomorrow with the results. If anything changes in the middle of the night, you have my private number.”
“Thank you.” Vissarian walked him to the door just as there was a knock.
The pup immediately barked and for the first time, Bella wagged her tail. Another moment of relief.
“Shush, baby girl.”
Vissarian grinned and another first: I noticed dimples. Somehow, they softened his features. Not that I minded his chiseled appearance. He remained without a shirt and barefoot, his once pristine trousers stained and still damp.
He was sexier this way.
What was I talking about? I knew I definitely had the rode hard and put away wet look. Between the experience in the water, the bath and the humidity, my hair was hanging in my face and my entire body glistened from sweat.
I was shocked to see a hotel worker bringing in a cart that certainly didn’t look like something room service would use. In fact, I hadn’t seen room service being offered, which was why I’d gone to the bar in the first place.
What had Vissarian managed to do?
The flurry of activity was too much for Bella. She tried her best to jump from my arms.
When the door was finally closed, I let her go, amazed at her burst of energy.
As I uncurled my legs, the scent of food was pleasantly overwhelming. “What did you do?”
“You asked for food. I arranged for the pup to have a feast.” Every time the man grinned, I found myself falling under some crazy spell, which I’d told myself time and time again I wouldn’t do.
Still, he was certainly earning points, on his way to being trustworthy. I had to admit that even I couldn’t find enough fault in the man to turn a blind eye to the attraction we shared.
Or the fear that continued lingering.
“Why do you carry a weapon?”
He lifted his eyebrows as if surprised I’d ask. He slipped it from behind him, twisting it in his hand before gingerly placing it on one of the tables. “As you might imagine, I have enemies both personally and professionally.”
“Because you’re Bratva.”
“Yes, and because I’m ruthless. In business. Does that make you frightened of me?”
“Just cautious. The experience I’ve had with men who carry guns hasn’t been positive.” I resisted touching my face, which would be a dead giveaway.
He took a deep breath. “I assure you I don’t use it unless absolutely necessary.”
“For the men who need to face your wrath.”
“Exactly.” He had such a way about him that kept me enthralled.
A tiny and maybe crazy part of me wanted to grill him on how many people he’d killed in his life, but the other part of me didn’t want to know. That would destroy both the fascination and the fantasy about the man. He was definitely all male.
“Why don’t we try and relax, have some food,” he suggested even though I could tell he was very curious about my pointed questions. “The pup is obviously starving.”
“Just the pup, huh? Let’s see what we have.
” I lifted two silver domes, my stomach immediately growling.
“Wow. Steak and shrimp. I’m certain Bella will enjoy that.
And look at the sponge cake. Amazing. And a side of what looked like an entire boiled chicken.
Now, I admit, I’m not sure about the bottle of vodka.
I don’t think booze is considered good for dogs.
Maybe the red wine. I wonder if she’d allow me to steal one of her strawberries. ”
“I have a feeling she might allow just one. As far as the liquor, we need some type of nourishment. Incidentally, I grabbed your phone from the bar.”
“Shit. I forgot all about it. I was a bit distracted.” I laughed nervously because I was usually extremely focused and self-aware.
“You only had eyes for the puppy.”
As he held it out for me, I hesitated before taking it, fearful of seeing if anyone called.
Not just anyone.
Antonio.
He narrowed his eyes, noticing my hesitation. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” I said a little too quickly. “Just thinking about calling Jeffrey.”
“Tomorrow. I’m certain he needs his rest.”
I finally took the phone, the slight jarring lighting up the screen. Thankfully, no one had tried to contact me. Breathing a sigh of relief, I sensed he’d caught my reaction.
“How long did you date him?” he asked.
“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Maybe.”
“Don’t worry. It’s very much over. I thought for about two seconds we were in love. That quickly faded to some pretty nasty arguments. Then one day, we just agreed to be friends. Our relationship has worked ever since.”
“Amazing. I couldn’t do that.”
“No, I doubt you could since you’re the jealous type.” I popped one strawberry into my mouth and as soon as I did, my stomach growled. Vissarian’s eyes narrowed as I chewed, his chest rising and falling as the electricity sparked in the room.
Feeling little Bella’s paws as she jumped up on my leg reminded me this was all about caring for the starving creature.
I took the bowl of chicken, dishing some out onto a plate while checking to ensure the meat wasn’t too hot.
When I placed it down alongside the water bowl Vissarian had secured, he continued to watch me.
In turn, I tried to watch Bella, but continued to sneak glances at the powerful man.
After taking a deep breath, he moved toward the cart, grabbing the bottle of vodka. Without asking what I wanted, he moved to the kitchen, which was twice the size of the one in my cottage, grabbing two glasses.
Within seconds, the pup had inhaled the food, already jumping up on the cart to try to get more.
“Not yet, baby girl. We need to take it easy. Why don’t you take a nice little nap?
Okay?” I snuggled with her, holding her close to my face.
Her licks and kisses continued to keep the anger furrowing inside.
Who tossed out a puppy without a second thought?
I placed her on the couch, immediately grabbing a throw that had been artistically placed on the back.
He laughed when I tossed it over her. “She’s too excited to go to sleep.”
“Mmm… You don’t know puppies very well.”
“Oh, let me guess. You’re one of those.”
“Those what? Dog lovers? Animal rights activists? Angry females who eagerly track down and destroy anyone who dares hurt an animal?” Bella did try to jump off, but I shook my head.
She wagged her cute butt, looking at me with those soulful eyes of hers.
Finally, when she knew I wasn’t going to budge, she settled down. “Good girl.”
“One of those horse whisperer types.”
“Types?”
“You know what I mean. Someone who can easily communicate with creatures great and small.” He walked closer, holding both glasses in one hand. When he suddenly developed a strange look on his face, I glanced down at the pup. “She’s snoring.”
“Not all creatures, but I told you so.” I moved closer, wrapping my fingers around the glass. While his movement was subtle, the slight shift was enough and our fingers collided.
The same feeling of heat washed through me, settling deep within my core.
He took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes until they were completely hooded.