"But then Perry jerked him off me and they started fighting again. It was such a mess and everything was happening so fast." She rubbed her temple. "Perry took another punch to the face and fell to the ground. Adam looked like he was about to stomp Perry's head so I jumped on his back. We were both slapping and spinning and shouting. Somehow I ended up against the wall. He slammed his head back and broke my nose and chipped my tooth."
Red spots clouded Sergei's vision. If Adam Blake hadn't been locked away in prison, he would have killed the man for hurting Bianca.
"He jerked away from me, and I fell to the floor. I didn't realize he had the gun tucked into the back of his jeans until he stepped away from me, and it fell. I don't know what I was thinking. I'd never fired a gun in my life but I lunged for it."
"And?"
"He got to it first. He called me…he said something really awful and aimed at my head. I closed my eyes." She closed them now, in the present, as if reliving the memory. "And then I heard Perry shouting my name. He jumped between us—and took the bullet right in the chest."
Her eyes flashed open. The shimmer of tears filled him with such sadness. He desperately tried to console her. "Lyubimaya."
She sniffed loudly as he wiped her face with the bottom of his shirt. "Perry fell into my arms. Adam just looked at me. He seemed stunned. It was a complete turnaround from the vicious, bloodthirsty little bastard he had been. Then he ran out of there. Not long after, Mrs. Marwani rushed into the room and dropped down beside me. I didn't know it at the time, but Adam shot her husband on the way out the door. He died instantly."
Their gazes met, hers so wounded and his pained for the loss she had endured. Finally, she said, "In movies, they always make death this noble moment, you know? It's not like that in real life. Perry didn't say anything. He just clutched at me while he choked and wheezed. His blood spilled onto my legs and soaked my dress. He didn't say goodbye or have any last words. He just gasped…and that was it. That was the end of my brother's life."
He started to tell her that he was so sorry for her loss but the words wouldn’t take away her pain. It had been so many years since Perry's murder that the days for offering condolences were long gone. Instead, he traced his thumb along the apple of her cheek and asked, "What's your favorite memory of your brother?"
Surprise flitted across her beautiful face. "I don't know." She considered his question. "Maybe the time he convinced me to go camping with him."
"You? Camping?" He didn't believe it. "Where did you put all of your hair products and makeup and clothes?"
Playfully thumping his arm, she laughed. "Yes, I know. I hated most of it. He wanted to go old school with a tent and sleeping bags. It was miserable—but somehow I ended up loving it. That was one of the last times we were together and one of the best weekends of my life."
Glad to see her smile again, he wrapped some loose strands of her hair around his finger. "Tell me what else Detective Santos told you."
"He said that the Night Wolves think I might have hired the prisoner who attacked Adam Blake. Apparently, this convict is tied in with some Albanian crew."
Sergei easily connected the dots. "And, because I'm with you, they think you used me to hire a hit." His gut clenched. "Shit."
"Yeah. I straight out asked Nikolai if the Albanians were behind the attack, but he said no."
He didn't think Nikolai had any reason to lie to her. "Then he must know who ordered the hit and why."
"I figured as much."
"Bianca," he spoke carefully, "we have to be extremely cautious until this matter is settled. You can continue working, but you have to promise me that you won't go anywhere without me or the men I hired to watch you." Before she could protest, he put his finger to her mouth. "Please, Bianca, don't fight me on this. Let me keep you safe."
She dragged his hand away from her lips. "I wasn't going to fight you. I am woefully out of my depths here. I need your help." Then, with a quirk of that sexy mouth of hers, she added, "But maybe you could give those two guys following me a refresher course."
"Sweetheart, they're going to be getting more than a refresher course when I get a hold of them in the morning." He was still aggravated beyond measure that neither man had texted or called him about Bianca's run-in with Santos.
Staring at their interlaced hands, she asked, "When do you fight again?"
He enjoyed the sight of their fingers intertwined. Her bare wrists inspired thoughts of jewelry. She needed something delicate and gold to decorate them. "The first weekend in June. It's a tournament that lasts two nights."
"There are tournaments?"
"Every year the bosses get together and put on a tournament. It's a way to introduce new fighters and score them for future betting."
"You only have to fight twice? Once each night?"
Sergei could hear the fear in her voice. "I will fight four times if I win."
Bianca caressed his knuckle with her thumb. "From what I hear, you never lose."
"I don't. It's why I'm so valuable."
"You're not a racehorse, Sergei. You're a human being. They shouldn't be making money off you like this."
Touched by her words, he admitted, "I make money off myself, too."
"To pay off your debt more quickly?"
"No, to bring Vladimir and my mother here. The last lawyer didn't work out very well." He didn't want to get into the details of how badly that experience had ended. "I need the money to pay for a new immigration lawyer and visas and—"
"There are easier ways than getting the shit beat out of you in a cage, Sergei."
"Easier, yes, but the money isn't as fast. I'm tired of waiting. I want my family here as quickly as possible."
"I don't like it."
"I don’t expect you to like it."
"So what? You just expect me to stand on the sidelines and cheer you on while I pray you don't get killed?"
"I won't be killed, and I don't want you to stand on the sidelines. The fights are not the place for a woman like you."
She trailed her finger down his chest. "A woman like me, huh? What sort of woman is that?"
Sexual energy sizzled between them. Liking the turn their discussion was taking, Sergei peppered kisses along the exposed skin of her neck and jaw. "Gorgeous. Sexy. Classy."
"Keep going," she said with a smile coloring her voice.
He sucked hard on the curve of her throat and bit down gently. His dick throbbed at her excited gasp. "If I keep going, we're going to end up fucking on this table."
A mischievous glint brightened her eyes. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Grinning, he stood up and strode toward his suitcase to dig out some extra condoms he had stowed in there rather than running upstairs for one from their stash. By the time he had grabbed what he needed, Bianca had undressed and perched like some sort of erotic wood nymph on the table. Her nipples enthralled him, and he gently pushed her back to the table so he could have better access to the places he most wanted to touch with his tongue.
"Sergei." Hearing her moan his name as he latched onto her breast made his balls ache. He sucked hard on her nipple, running his tongue over the peak, and then released it to attack the other one. She scratched at his scalp, her short nails gliding over his skin and sending shivers down his spine.
Wet and puckered, her nipples stood at attention when he was done with them. He flicked one and then the other before pinching them with enough force to make her hips buck off the table. "We should the pierce these. Can you imagine a pair of diamonds right here?"
"You're out of your mind." She hissed when he tweaked her nipple a little harder than usual. "It's not happening."
"Five months ago, you said us dating would never happen. Maybe we'll revisit the idea of piercings in a year."
"No." She ran her bare foot under his shirt. "Take this off." Her foot traveled down to his shorts. "These too."
He bent down to capture her mouth. "I think you're forgetting who is in
charge here."
"Oh." She offered a contrite smile. "Right."
"I didn't say it was a bad idea." He stripped and tugged the chair closer to the table. Sitting down, he was still too tall, but it was a more comfortable angle for what he had in mind. Forcing her thighs wide open, he gazed upon the shiny pinkness of her pussy peeking out there. His mouth watered for a taste of her, and he decided not to deny himself a moment longer.
He probed the slick opening of her with the tip of his tongue. She squealed and wiggled as he started to fuck her that way. Despite her dating history, Sergei could tell she hadn't had much experience in his brand of sex. How any man could simply satisfy himself making love to Bianca in one position stupefied him. With her luscious body and sweet response, she was the hottest woman he had ever had—and the one he planned to make his one and only.
"Yes!" She pressed her pussy to his lips, encouraging him with her little moans and sighs. "Sergei, that feels so good."
He groaned against her cunt and slid his tongue through her folds to find her clitoris. Using his fingers to frame the tiny nub, he coaxed it out from its hood and fluttered his tongue over the swollen pearl. Bianca cried out and lifted her hips. He smiled against her pussy and went wild between her thighs.
She shattered in record time, her clit pulsing beneath his tongue and her pleasured cries echoing through the house. Without giving her a moment to catch her breath, Sergei thrust two fingers in her slippery channel. He attacked her clitoris with his tongue while fucking her pussy with both digits.
Slapping the table and clutching at his shoulders, Bianca let him have his way with her. He could feel her passage tightening around his fingers, squeezing him as he found the perfect rhythm with his tongue. "Sergei. Sergei. Sergei!"
Giving her two orgasms so quickly left him feeling rather accomplished. Grinning victoriously, he wiped his mouth on her soft belly, stood up and kicked the chair out of the way. He tugged her into a sitting position, pulled her down off the table and spun her around. One quick glance between her body and his told him she was too short for this position to work properly. Unless…
"Back on the table," he growled.
She gasped when he picked her up and deposited her on the table. Kneeling there, she glanced back over her shoulder with bemusement. "Why am I up here?"
"Put your elbows on the table and offer me your pussy, Bianca."
She gulped but did as he had asked. He applied the condom and smiled at the perfect positioning of their two bodies now. Sometimes his extraordinary height was a real pain in the ass—and sometimes it was a real pleasure.
Gripping her hips, he dragged her back a few inches. He smoothed his hands along her thick thighs and caressed her bottom. Remembering the way she had reacted last night when he'd touched the pucker there, Sergei decided to see how hard that line was. He gathered some of the slick cream from her pussy and smeared it between her cheeks.
Her sharp intake of breath filled the kitchen. He drew leisurely circles around her anus. Tiny bumps raced across her skin like gooseflesh. Part of him wanted to know what she was thinking right now. He imagined her brain was racing with all the reasons why she shouldn't allow him to play with her like this.
Watching her carefully, he slowly penetrated her virgin ass with one finger. He had no intention of going any further than that tonight. That impossibly tight pussy of hers could barely take him. There was no way she was ready to take him here, but that didn't mean he couldn't teach her how good it could feel to stimulate her there.
When she didn't stop him, Sergei pushed in a little deeper. "Tell me how this feels, Bianca."
"Wicked," she said finally. "Sinful."
"Wickedly good or wickedly bad," he asked, slowly thrusting his finger in and out of her.
"Good," she admitted on a long sigh.
"Let's see how this feels." Lining up their bodies, Sergei sheathed the full length of his dick. There was no stopping the groan that escaped his throat as he relished the snug, hot fit. "I can't get enough of your pussy. You're like my drug, Bianca. I crave you." He retreated almost completely, leaving just the head of his cock buried inside her before plunging deep. "I want you."
"I'm yours." She pushed back to meet his thrusts. "I'm all yours, Sergei."
The old table beneath them started to squeak and thump as Sergei increased his speed. It was going to be one very long—and very pleasurable—night.
Chapter Eleven
"I can't believe you've never eaten at Samovar." Sergei held my hand as he led me down the sidewalk to the five-star restaurant Vivian's husband owned. We were meeting friends for Benny and Dimitri's last hurrah before the baby arrived.
"Russian food isn't really my thing. Besides, when Vivi wanted to go out for dinner, the last place she wanted to go was the place she worked."
"Fair point." He paused before we reached the main doors and gave my gold hoop earrings a playful flick. "I'm sorry our first date plans had to be put on hold."
"The baby is coming any day. This will probably be the last time we get to hang out with Benny and Dimitri for a while." Laughing, I added, "Besides, I don't know about you, but Lena scares me. I wasn't about to tell her no."
He chuckled and slid his hand to my back, pulling me against him in a protective gesture. Lowering his head, he whispered, "Don't tell her I told you this, but the guys at the club she worked at used to call her the Dragon Lady."
My jaw dropped. "You're joking!"
He shook his head and smiled. "Some men are afraid of a strong woman."
"Not Yuri," I said, spotting the couple as we entered the lobby of the restaurant. The billionaire tycoon sat a few feet behind her, his ankle propped up on his knee, and watched as Lena chatted with a couple of oilmen. Living around Houston my entire life, I had developed a sort of sixth sense for picking out those types.
She took a business card from one of them and tucked it into her clutch before patting their arms. Yuri smiled at her as she approached and said something that made Lena grin. She reached down to adjust his tie, but he didn't let her draw back her hand until he had kissed each fingertip.
"Bianca!" Lena smiled at me and dragged me into a hug. Not wanting to stain my cheek with her lush red lipstick, she air kissed my cheek. "I'm so glad you guys could come." Her gaze skipped to Sergei before returning to my face. With a conspiratorial whisper, she said, "I have to hear this story."
"Later," I promised and turned to greet Yuri.
I was still shaking his hand when Nikolai appeared to take us to one of the best tables in the restaurant. Sergei's hand between my shoulder blades felt so right as we crossed the floor to join Dimitri, Benny and Vivian. I was falling fast for Sergei and becoming hopelessly addicted to his presence. When I had thrown the sheets in the wash earlier that morning, I had actually been sad to wash away the eucalyptus scent of him. Only the knowledge that my deliciously big Russian would be heating up those sheets again had eased the sadness.
I didn't think it was possible, but Benny's pregnant belly looked even bigger than it had at Erin and Ivan's wedding only a week earlier. She looked adorable in her empire waist dress and had a huge smile on her face as we hugged, but I sensed she was nearing that point in her pregnancy where she was tired and ready to get the show on the road.
How her extremely petite frame managed to bear that load perplexed me. A bit selfishly, I realized I was probably going to lose the pool we had running on the baby. I had been sure that the baby would be a healthy seven pounds, but something told me Erin's seemingly outlandish guess of nine pounds was probably going to be closer.
Seated between Nikolai and Sergei, I shot Vivian's husband a pleasant smile. We hadn't spoken since that night outside their home. As far as I knew, Vivian remained completely in the dark about what had gone down. I wanted it to stay that way.
When Nikolai returned the smile, I couldn’t help but think that he owned my man. Listen to you! I couldn’t believe I was thinking of Sergei as my man. Of co
urse, I suspected Sergei had been thinking of me as his woman since before the night he'd kicked my door down. That was simply his way.
When our waitress approached the table, I noticed a slight tightness to Vivian's mouth. It was that micro-expression of frustration that she sometimes had, and it vanished quickly. Smiling at the waitress, she addressed the stunning redhead in Russian. Whatever they said didn't seem to bother anyone else at the table so I brushed it off as one of those work things. Maybe the woman—her nametag said Lidia—had been a pain in Vivian's ass when they were both waiting tables here.
Or maybe Lidia had made the mistake of trying to come onto Nikolai…
Sergei's arm moved to the back of my chair, reminding me of that night at the wedding. "Do you want some help with the menu?"
I was relieved to see it had been printed in both Russian and English but had no idea what was good and what might be too much for my decidedly Southern palate. "Please?"
While Sergei pointed out dishes that might interest me, I kept an ear on the conversations around us. Everybody was talking business—new deals, expansions, recent successes and investment tips. Well. Everybody except for Sergei.
When I was drawn into a conversation with Benny about offering the quinceañera dresses, I couldn't shake the feeling that Sergei might be feeling left out tonight. He was in a weird position. Sure, he was Vivian's friend, and Nikolai treated him like family, but that didn't change the facts. Nikolai owned Sergei's body and used him as he would any other weapon in his arsenal.
As if that wasn't a bizarre enough power shift, Sergei was the only man at the table who brought in significantly less money than his partner and who wasn't a business owner of some kind. I believed Sergei was proud of my success, but was he the smallest bit embarrassed or disappointed in his career situation?
After learning he had gone to college to pursue his dreams of being an architect, I could only imagine what a bitter pill his position as an enforcer was to swallow. Did he imagine how his life might have been if his older brother hadn't been so miserably stupid?