Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)

  Chapter Four

  My stomach churned with anxiety as Kostya navigated the heavy night traffic. I glanced at Ivan who sat in the front seat and wished he was back here with me. After what we'd shared in his office, I felt our connection more than ever and craved his heat and strength. If Ivan's friend was right about Andrei, Ruby might finally be within grasp.

  When Ivan's cell phone rang, my ears perked. I held my breath as he talked in rapid-fire Russian. A few seconds later, he hung up and barked instructions at Kostya. The SUV switched lanes and made an unexpected turn. Before I could ask what was happening, Ivan looked back at me.

  "Dimitri missed Andrei by a few minutes but he found someone else who knows Ruby. She's at a crack house across town. Dimitri is taking the kid with him to find her but we'll probably beat them."

  I nodded and swallowed hard. My hands balled into fists on my lap. If Ruby was alone again, she was a prime target for both of the vicious gangs hunting her. I closed my eyes and prayed we'd get there first.

  Within twenty minutes, we were driving the rough streets of one of Houston's more blighted neighborhoods. Broken-down cars sat in the front yards of ramshackle houses. There were few windows that weren't boarded up and covered in graffiti. Most of the houses looked unoccupied. There were only a handful of lights to be seen on the empty streets.

  "Erin."

  Ivan's firm voice drew my gaze. "Yes?"

  "You will stay behind me. If I tell you to get back in the vehicle, you go. Understood?"

  "Yes." After my narrow escape at the last crack house, I wasn't keen on repeating the experience.

  As the SUV crawled to a stop along the cracked sidewalk, another pair of headlights came into view. The other vehicle, this one a silver truck, parked across the street from us. I recognized the man who climbed out of the driver's seat from the gym. Tall and blond, he sported the classic Russian look. His hawk-like gaze scanned the street before he gestured to the person riding in his front seat.

  The young man who came around the front of the truck surprised me. The Latino boy wore a stark white wife-beater and low slung jeans and held tight to his waistband. There was no missing the dark black gang insignia tattooed across his neck.

  Kostya mumbled something to Ivan who grunted. Curious, I glanced at him but Ivan shook his head. Whatever the story, I wasn’t getting it tonight.

  Out on the sidewalk, I fought the urge to run into the house and frantically search for Ruby. Dimitri and the young man joined us. Kostya hung back, his shoulders pressed against the driver's door as he watched the street like some kind of sentry guard.

  "Johnny says he saw Ruby and Andrei here earlier." Dimitri gripped the young man's shoulder tightly. The high-school aged kid winced. "Apparently, the Hermanos have a flop house a few streets over. Johnny supplies the place with stolen booze and drugs to keep the whores happy." Dimitri's gaze fell on me. "He says your sister went there looking for work."

  My stomach lurched painfully. Ruby a prostitute? As if sensing my horror, Ivan gently rubbed the small of my back. Compassion flashed across his harsh face.

  "She didn't stay," Johnny said, his voice low and soft. "When she realized who the house belonged to, she ran. I was worried she was going to get hit by a car or something so I followed her back here. She was in a bad way. I tried to get her to come with me but she was really confused and asking for a guy named Aaron."

  "No, it's Erin. That's me."

  "Oh." He looked a bit sheepish. "Well I tried to help her but then her boyfriend came back and I realized who he was so I got the hell out of there. I was going to tell my crew I'd Andrei." Johnny hesitated. "But then I heard that Dimitri and his crew were looking for the girlfriend and I thought maybe she'd be safer with him than out here with a big fucking target on her back."

  His kindness surprised me. "Why did you want to help her?"

  Johnny lowered his gaze. His jaw tightened. "I've got a sister."

  I understood then. Looking to Ivan, I asked, "Can we go in now?"

  "Hey, man," Johnny addressed Dimitri, "that place is packed with tweakers. They're all fucked out of their heads. You don't want to just go busting in there. One of those methheads might think you're a cop and pop your Russian ass."

  "Then maybe I should send you through the door first." Dimitri pulled a flashlight from one back pocket. I spotted the outline of a pistol under his thin jacket. He glanced at Johnny and pointed at the truck. "Go. Now."

  The kid nodded but I had a feeling he was going to run the second Dimitri's back was turned. With Dimitri leading the way and Ivan two steps behind, I followed the pair into the house. Once inside, the overpowering stench hit me. The putrid mix smelled of piss and so much more. I put a hand to my mouth and tried not to gag. How the hell could Ruby stand a place like this?

  My eyes widened as Dimitri's flashlight beam bounced around the cramped rooms of the small house. There were bodies littering couches and the floor. A television blared a late show, the crowd's applause deafening as it ricocheted off the walls. Two faces turned our way but the two men seemed unable to focus. Their bleary-eyed gazes turned back to the television.

  In the kitchen, one man was slumped over a table. A stark naked woman stood in front of the fridge and scribbled aimlessly on the once-white surface with a black marker. She mumbled incoherently. I couldn't drag my gaze away from the bizarre markings she'd placed on her bare skin.

  Ivan grasped my hand and tugged me along. He brought a finger to his mouth, urging me to be quiet and keep moving forward. Dimitri popped into one bedroom but came out quickly. Shaking his head, he pointed to another door. This one Ivan opened. I peered around his brawny arm—and discovered Ruby.

  "Oh god!" Terrified by the sight of my sister sprawled on the floor, I squeezed by Ivan and into the room. I started to kneel next to her but Ivan grasped me by the waist and lifted me up. He used his shoe to kick aside the dirty syringe I hadn't seen.

  With an admonishing frown, he whispered, "Careful!"

  "Sorry." Glancing around, I found a clean spot to kneel and gently rolled Ruby onto her side. Vomit smeared her face and speckled her hair. Urine soaked the carpet and her dirty clothing. Her cold, clammy skin scared me. I tried to find her pulse but my fingers slipped in the sweaty grime coating her skin. I bent my face and pressed my ear to her chest. Her fast, weak heartbeat filled me with hope. "She's still alive! Call 9-1-1!"

  "No." Ivan denied my request. "There isn't enough time."

  I sat back on my heels as Ivan crouched down and scooped Ruby into his arms. "But we passed a fire station—"

  Ivan shot me a look and I finally understood. Our arrival to this house wouldn't have gone unnoticed in this neighborhood. We were sitting ducks.

  "Erin. Go!"

  I jumped to my feet and ran to the front door. Ivan, his arms burdened with my sister's unconscious body, shadowed me to the front door. Dimitri followed us onto the sidewalk. He cursed loudly upon realizing Johnny had fled while were inside.

  Ivan growled at Dimitri in Russian but whatever Dimitri snarled back shut Ivan right up. Not wanting to get involved in their squabble, I rushed to the SUV and jumped into the middle seat. I grabbed Ruby's shoulders and dragged her onto my lap with Ivan's help. He slipped onto the other end of the bench seat and draped her legs across his.

  "Seatbelt, Erin." Even with chaos swirling around us, Ivan's sole concern was my safety. I quickly grabbed my belt and jammed it into place.

  Kostya didn't even need to be told what to do. He buckled up and punched the gas. We screeched out of there like a bat out of hell. Dimitri's truck followed close behind but I couldn't think about the risk of the Hermanos or Albanians catching up with us now.

  My fingertips drifted to Ruby's neck. I found her pulse and kept my fingers there. The fast blips reassured me. This wasn't the first time she'd overdosed but I'd never seen one this bad. It occurred to me that I had no idea what she'd taken or how much. I prayed the emergency room staff would be able to save h
er.

  "Look at me, angel moy." Ivan's stern voice infiltrated my fearful thoughts. He reached over and touched my face. The searing sweep of his fingertips reassured me. "It's going to be okay."

  Because Ivan said it, I believed it.

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