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make me want "
But he didn't get to finish his thought. Dimitri chose that moment to knock on the driver's
side window. I gritted my teeth with frustration. I'd been sure that Ivan was about to say
something amazing but Dimitri had blundered right into the middle of it.
Ivan exhaled roughly and frowned. "We'll pick this discussion up later. Yes?"
"Yes."
"Good." His lips lingered against mine. "Come. Let's do this."
* * *
Ivan controlled the desire to throttle Dimitri for his poor timing. He'd never felt closer to
Erin than when she'd been half across his lap while he poured out his darkest secrets. Her
acceptance of his past had stunned him. She'd taken a reasonable stance on the crimes he'd
committed and the punishment he'd served and seemed willing to accept that he was a different
man today than the awful person he'd been when he'd done those things.
He would never stop trying to fix those wrongs. The charities he supported weren't
enough nothing could ever really clean away the smudges on his character but they gave him
a sense of peace. Knowing that Erin was willing to walk beside him without embarrassment or
shame and with her head held high filled him with such strong hope. Maybe the life he'd always
wanted wasn't so far out of reach after all.
"Do you see the entrance up ahead? Turn in there and then take the first right."
Ivan's gaze moved to the windshield. Erin gave Kostya instructions as they neared her
childhood home. Dimitri followed in his truck not far behind. The neighborhood she'd been
raised in was filled with big houses and large yards. It was the kind of place he'd dreamed about
as a hungry child living hand-to-mouth in an orphanage. Even though he'd surpassed his wildest
dreams, he still had mornings where he woke in a daze, unable to believe he'd risen to such
heights.
"The brick two story with the dark shutters," she said and pointed to a house near the cul-
de-sac. While Kostya pulled into the driveway, she dug around in her purse and produced a key
ring. He noticed the way she gripped the keys so tightly. Whether it was the painful memories of
losing her parents in this house or the uncertainty of what they would find inside that left her so
upset, Ivan couldn't say.
Out on the sidewalk, he gripped her hand. She started to take the lead but he stopped her.
He held out his hand. "Give me the key."
"Why?" Erin asked but did as instructed.
"Because Andrei might have been stupid enough to booby trap the place," he said matter-
of-factly. "You stay back with Dimitri and Kostya."
"No," Dimitri interjected. "I'll go first."
Ivan nodded and handed over the key. Those years in the military and later in Spetsnaz
had given Dimitri quite a few skills Ivan would never possess.
He pushed Erin behind him and waited near the SUV while Dimitri unlocked and entered
the house. A few minutes later, Dimitri returned. He shook his head and said, "You aren't going
to believe what's in there."
Ivan's stomach clenched. "The drugs?"
"And the money and piles of stolen electronics," Dimitri added. "It's all there plus more."
"I can't believe she used our parents' house like this," Erin whispered, her voice laced
with pain. "Doesn t she realize it can be seized?"
"I don't think she cared," Ivan replied bluntly. "But you bring up a good point. I don't
want you to be any part of this."
"But "
"No." He spoke firmly but gently took her hand to lead her a few feet away. Frustration
radiated from her in waves. Running his fingers down her cheek, he said, "This is tricky
business, Erin. I need to concentrate. I can't do that if I'm worrying about you."
"Oh." Her annoyance with him fled. "I didn't think of it that way."
"I want you to go back to the hotel and get a room there." He withdrew his wallet and
discreetly slipped her a large sum of money. She started to argue with him but he silenced her
with a demanding kiss. He plundered her mouth, stabbing his tongue between her lips, and
tasting her until she whimpered in his arms.
She sighed softly and pressed her cheek to his chest. "Is that the way it's going to be?
Every time I want to argue about something, you're just going to kiss me until I'm dizzy?"
He laughed. "It sounds like a good plan."
She rose on tiptoes and brushed her mouth against his. "A very good plan." Then, more
seriously, she begged, "Please be careful, Ivan."
"I will. Text me the hotel room number. I'll be sliding into bed with you in no time."
"Promise?"
He kissed her forehead. "Promise."
Reluctantly, she made her way back to Kostya. He shared a look with his longtime
employee. Kostya would protect Erin with the same vigor he had, if the need arose. Standing
next to Dimitri, he watched the SUV until the tail lights disappeared from view.
Ivan turned to Dimitri. "Do you have a way to contact Besian?"
"Yes."
"And the Hermanos?"
He hesitated before nodding. "I can use Johnny to get a message through."
"Then do it and let's finish this."
Chapter Eight
Five Weeks Later
"We're having breakfast here?" Lena wrinkled her nose. "I'd hoped we were going
someplace with mimosas on the menu."
I shot her a knowing look. She looked rumpled and worse for the wear this morning. "I
think maybe you had enough to drink last night."
"I wish I'd had time to kick back a few shots last night," she grumbled. "This is
exhaustion."
"You're a PR girl for one of the hottest clubs in Houston," Vivi replied. "How hard can
that be?"
Lena shot her the finger. "That hard."
I snorted with amusement and shoved open the door to the bakery/caf� I'd come to love.
"Dimitri introduced me to this place. The breakfast tacos and pastries here are to die for!"
"I'm not so sure about all these carbs," Lena said as she tucked her sunglasses into her
oversized and ridiculously expensive purse. "I had to suck it in just to get into these jeans this
morning."
"Then maybe you should try buying jeans in your actual size," Vivi suggested. "No one
else sees the number but you, Lena."
She smacked Vivian's tiny butt and made her yelp. "When you finally get out of the
toddler section, you can tell me all about buying jeans to fit a donkey booty."
I laughed but gave the pair a hand gesture to tell them to tone it down. The patrons of
Benny's bakery weren't the type of crowd who would enjoy talk of big butts and skinny jeans.
As Vivian and Lena talked in hushed tones behind me, I glanced around the bakery. The
Saturday morning breakfast rush seemed like good business. Most of the tables were full and the
line to order was a decent size. Still, I knew from the little bit I'd pried from Dimitri that the
place was struggling.
I caught sight of Benny coming out of the kitchen area. She balanced a huge tray of
pastries one hand. Back behind the counter, she handed them off to one of her employees and
moved down the line. She noticed me and smiled. Her bright grin infected me with happiness. I
don't know that I'd ever met anyone as spunky or fun as Benny.
Before I could turn to tell Lena and Vivi about her, Lena made a strange sound. "Benny
Burkhart?"
Laughing, Benny hurried out from behind the counter to hug Lena. "Oh my gosh! How [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]