Zel: Markovic MMA

  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 her.

  "Look at me, angil 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.

  * * *

  The sun had just started to peek over the horizon when Ivan made his way out of the hospital to a bench near the smoking area. He fished his phone from his pocket and started making phone calls. There was no way he'd make it into the gym at his usual early hour. He'd rely on the other trainers to open up and get his fighters moving through their morning routines.

  As he was finishing up his conversation with Paco, Ivan spotted Dimitri crossing the parking lot. His old friend carried two cups of coffee and a bright yellow bag stamped with the red logo of that Mexican bakery Dimitri lived above. Even though his friend had more than enough money to buy his own place, he stayed there in that cramped apartment. He swore it was the hot breakfast that kept him hanging around but Ivan suspected it was more likely the pretty dark-haired young woman who worked behind the counter…

  "I thought you two could use some breakfast." Dimitri shook the bag. "They're still warm."

  Ivan accepted the coffee and paper bag. A pang of guilt soured his gut as he remembered the awful thing he'd shouted at Dimitri when'd emerged from the house to find Johnny gone. He eyed Dimitri carefully. "Look, about the boy last night—"

  Dimitri cut him off with a slash of his hand. "We're not talking about Johnny."

  "We are." Ivan pinned his friend with a determined gaze. "I've been thinking about what I said to you and it was wrong of me. I didn't…" Ivan's voice trailed off and he glanced at the hospital. "I know I've been riding your ass about getting involved with the bakery girl, especially since her kid brother is up to his eyeballs in shit with the Hermanos, but I understand it now."

  Dimitri's expression faltered. Finally, he said, "I’m not involved with Benny. I'm just her tenant. That's it."

  Ivan wasn't so sure about that but he wasn't about to pry into his friend's private life.

  "How's the sister?"

  "Not good," Ivan said, his thoughts turning to Erin's distraught face.

  Never one to ease into difficult conversations, Dimitri said, "Erin is still in danger. What are you going to do?"

  "I don't know yet," Ivan admitted. "I'll bounce some ideas off Nikolai but he made it perfectly clear yesterday that he doesn't want to get dragged into this."

  "I'll look for Andrei. Maybe we can do a trade of some kind."

  Ivan held Dimitri's hardened gaze. The unspoken words hung in the air between them. "It wouldn't be very clean."

  Dimitri shrugged. "These kinds of horse trades rarely are but maybe if we can give them Andrei and some money, they'll leave Erin and her sister alone."

  His chest tightened with the realization that such an ugly decision loomed on the horizon. "Find Andrei."

  "On it."

  He watched Dimitri cross the parking lot before heading back into the hospital. As he made his way up to the private room where they'd moved Ruby, Ivan scanned his surroundings. The small crowds in the waiting areas and huddled around the elevators drew his attention. It would be easy for either of the gangs after Ruby to send someone into the hospital to finish her off or pump her for information on Andrei and the money and the drugs. Ivan doubted she knew anything. From the state of the shithole she'd been left in by Andrei, the man didn't value her very highly. Maybe he'd decided to cut his losses and leave her behind for the gangs as a twisted kind of peace offering.

  Ivan paused in the open doorway of Ruby's room. Pale and bruised, Ruby reclined in the hospital bed. Wires and tubes snaked from her thin, frail body. She desperately needed a bath and a good meal.

  Erin sat in a chair next to the bed. She'd finally fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he entered the room as quietly as possible and placed the breakfast items on a rolling tray against the wall. He lowered himself into a chair next to Erin and sipped the strong black coffee.

  Unable to help himself, Ivan put the cup of coffee on the floor and gently took her small hand in his. The simple act of touching her soft skin calmed his raw nerves. He couldn't shake the notion that he was falling fast—too fast—for Erin but there it was.

  Like a siren, she called to him, enchanting and binding him to her. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. Taking on two vicious gangs and a drug addict sister seemed a low price to pay for keeping Erin in his life.

  It wasn't simply her beautiful face or the shockingly hot sex they'd shared that made him want her. Those things were nice, of course, but the intense pull he felt toward Erin came from a different place. She was something sweet and pure that demanded protection. She'd put her trust in him and he would never allow her to regret that. As long as she wanted him, he would protect and defend her.

  Erin stirred. She inhaled a long, slow breath and blinked a few times. Her gaze jumped around the room. A grimace tugged at the corners of her mouth. When she glanced at him, her expression softened. Her lips curved in a smile. "Ivan."

  Knowing that his presence put her at ease filled him with such happiness. Ivan swept his fingers down her face. "I didn't mean to wake you."

  She looked down to their joined hands and gave his a squeeze. "I don't mind." Looking a bit bashful, she admitted, "I liked waking up to find you here, holding my hand."

  There w
as so much Ivan wanted to say but this wasn't the place. Things were good between them right now. He was content to leave it until later. "Dimitri brought you something to eat. Are you hungry?"

  She nodded. "Starving, actually."

  He doubted that very much but didn't correct her. People here flung around the word so lightly but none of them knew real starvation, not as he and his friends had as children.

  Ivan untangled their hands and rose from his chair. He grabbed the bag of pastries and the other cup of coffee. She took them with a smile. "Right after you left, I had a chance to speak with a nurse. She said Ruby will probably drift in and out of sleep all day."

  He returned to his seat and picked up his coffee. "I'm not surprised. A human body can't take that much abuse. She's lucky to be alive."

  Erin peeled a soft bit of bread from the brightly iced bun. She nibbled it slowly. "I think she wanted to die."

  His gaze snapped to Erin's face. She looked so sad and he ached for her. "I don't—"

  "No." She interrupted him with an anguished frown. "You don't know her. She's never taken that much or tried so many different kinds of drugs in such a short time period." Erin stared at her sister. "I think she was afraid the gangs were going to catch up with her and decided that was the best way out of the mess."

  Ivan didn't know what to say. He didn't want to upset her anymore so he tried to find a gentle reply to set her at ease. "Let's be happy that she's alive. All the rest? It doesn't matter. Not now."

  Erin seemed content with that piece of advice. She quietly finished her breakfast while he stroked her arm and upper back. When she was done, Erin turned her full attention to him. "You found Ruby."

  He nodded. "I did."

  "That was our deal. You'd help me find Ruby. So what happens now? With us, I mean."

  He heard the anxiety in her voice. "What do you want?"

  "You."

  It was a simple answer but one so powerful. Wanting to soothe her nerves, he leaned over and brushed his lips across her cheek. "Then you've got me."

  She grasped his hand and tugged him closer for a proper kiss. More seriously, she asked, "And what about the gangs after Ruby?"

  "Don't you worry about that. I'll protect you, angil moy."

  Chapter Five

  Sometime later, I found myself alone with Ruby. Lena and Vivi had stopped by for a little while to bring me some clean clothes and an overnight bag. Trading emergency keys with my closest friends had been a good idea after all. Vivi had wanted to stay but Lena had rightly guessed that I needed some time alone with Ruby. Just knowing my two best friends were there for me was more than enough.

  Ivan's absence from the hospital I felt more keenly. He'd finally left around noon when I'd forced him to go. The man needed a nap and a shower and a good meal. Still I couldn't deny that his hesitation to leave me hadn't touched me deeply. It had been a long time since I'd had a strong man in my life or someone who wanted to protect and care for me. What Ivan seemed to be offering tempted me a great deal.

  But I couldn't think about my love life right now. Ruby still hadn't become totally conscious. She'd wake for a few seconds and then fall right back asleep. I found the steady beep of the heart monitor reassuring. It let me know that she was doing much better than she looked.

  The sight of so much grime and dirt on Ruby made my skin crawl. I found the stack of washcloths and the towels the kind nurse had left me. I filled a blue plastic basin with some warm water and some of the liquid soap in the toiletry kit provided.

  After swishing around the mixture with my fingers, I carried it to the rolling cart and moved it next to the bed. I dipped a washcloth in the soapy water, wrung it out and gently wiped her arm and hand. Slowly, I moved around the bed, cleaning the skin exposed by her loose-fitting hospital gown. Hopefully she'd be strong enough to stand up for a shower later but this was the best I could do right now.

  As I dabbed at her sticky face, Ruby moaned. She began to wake. Obviously groggy, she blinked rapidly and glanced around the hospital room. I smiled at her and brushed the washcloth over her cheek to wipe away some of the filth clinging to her skin. "Hey, sleepyhead."

  Instead of a smile, I received a nasty glare. Her voice gravelly, Ruby asked, "What the hell am I doing here?"

  I steeled myself for the inevitable ugliness. When she came down from a high, Ruby could be a real monster. Calmly, I explained, "You overdosed last night. We brought you to the hospital."

  "Why?" She tried to sit up but fell back.

  Not wanting to see her struggle, I reached for the bed remote and carefully adjusted the head of the bed. I fluffed the pillow behind her and tried to help her into a more comfortable position but she fought me. "You were sick and I thought you were going to die. That's why you're in a hospital."

  "Oh please," she growled. "Spare me the love bullshit."

  I coiled the remote cord around the bed rail. "It's not bullshit, Ruby. You're my sister. I love you."

  "Then where the hell were you when I called you begging for help?"

  "What are you talking about? I came to get you but you weren't there."

  "If you really loved me, you would have gotten there faster."

  I bit my tongue. She was probably in pain and desperate for a fix. "I drove as fast possible."

  "Well not fast enough!" Ruby huffed and jerked at the thin sheet covering her. "Andrei came back but he didn’t want to wait for you. He said you weren't going to come and he was right."

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes and remind her just what a prize Andrei was. "Look, I did the best I could to get there. I'm sorry that we missed each other but it was probably for the best. A bunch of scary guys found me there when I arrived."

  Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Oh and I'm sure that's my fault!"

  "Well—yeah, it is."

  "Sure, Erin, just throw it in my face that I'm such a fuck up!"

  "I didn't say that." I reached for her hand but she snatched it away.

  "Don't touch me!"

  "Okay." I backed away from the bed. It was easy to recognize the signs that she was about to explode. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd flown at me in a drug-induced rage. "You just need to rest."

  "Don't tell me what to do." She tightly gripped the sheet. "You're always telling me what to do."

  "I don't think that's fair, Ruby. I'm always telling you not to do drugs and not to steal and not to lie to doctors. It's hardly the same thing as ordering you around for some kind of sick, twisted pleasure."

  "You're such a bitch." Her snarled reply hit me hard. "You think you're so fucking perfect with your stupid job and your stupid school and your stupid friends. You know what you are? You're a lonely, miserable freak. At least I have a man who loves me."

  Loves you enough to drag you into a gang war and abandon you in a crack house. I squashed the nasty thought and grabbed my purse and the small overnight bag. Certain we were going to get into a real fight, I headed for the open door. "I don't have to listen to this crap, Ruby."

  "Oh yeah! Just leave! Go on! Walk out on me like everyone else!"

  I turned around to tell her that no one had ever walked out on her but saw the plastic basin flying at my head. I moved at the last second. The basin slammed into the wall. All the dirty water it held soaked me.

  Gasping with shock and indignation, I demanded, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

  "Fuck you, Erin. Get out! Get. Out."

  "Gladly." Face burning with humiliation, I stepped out of the room—and ran right into Dimitri. "Sorry."

  Ivan's tall, blond friend gazed down at me with such concern. "It's fine. Are you okay?"

  From inside the hospital room, Ruby continued to berate me with a string of filthy words. Tears stung my eyes at her awful treatment of me. Logically, I knew it was the drugs making her this way but it didn't make it hurt any less.

  Dimitri shrugged out of his thin gray jacket and draped it around me shoulders. "We're leaving."

  "Erin! C
ome back! I'm sorry. Please! I'm sorry!" Ruby's pitiful pleading echoed in the hallway.

  I glanced at the open door and the nurses rushing in to deal with Ruby. "I should stay."

  "I wasn't asking. You're coming home to Ivan." Dimitri glared at Ruby's room where such a ruckus now erupted. "He wouldn't allow that woman to talk to you like that if he was here—and I won't either. You don't deserve that kind of abuse."

  "She's sick."

  "She's a junkie. She did this to herself."

  "Please," I begged softly. "Don't say that."

  His hard expression lost some of its edge but he didn't apologize. "Come on."

  There was no use fighting him. Part of me knew Dimitri was right. My presence was only going to agitate Ruby. She needed to rest and heal, not fight with me over imagined slights.

  As we made our way to the nurses' station, I heard Ruby screaming such terrible things at the nurses and doctors trying to tend her. My face flamed with embarrassment but the sweet nurse at the desk assured me they were used to dealing with this kind of thing. It didn't make me feel any better. It actually made me feel really bad for the hospital staff who had to put up with that type of crap day in and day out.

  After being assured I would be contacted if Ruby's condition changed and that a social worker and counselor were on their way to speak with her, I let Dimitri lead me out of the hospital. He unlocked the passenger side door and waited for me to climb up into the cab before shutting it firmly.

  "Would you like to grab something to eat on the way back to Ivan's?" Dimitri started the truck and backed out of the parking space.

  "Why are you taking me to Ivan's? Why can't I just go home?"

  He glanced at me and frowned. "It's not safe."

  "If it's not safe for me to go home, it's not safe for Ruby to be left at the hospital."

  "She's being watched. You don't need to worry about her. I have instructions to take you back to Ivan so that's what I'm going to do."

  I bristled at the idea that Ivan had simply made all these decisions without even consulting me. I understood why he'd done it. He took my safety very seriously but I wanted to be asked for my opinion. Staring out the window, I figured this was going to be the topic of our first argument as a couple.