Zel: Markovic MMA

  And that isn’t you, I thought sadly.

  Alexei stepped ahead of me and switched on the lights to the master bathroom. After placing the gym shirt on the counter, he moved back outside the door and waved me inside. “There are towels and travel-sized toiletries in the cabinet. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

  Grasping his jacket tightly to my nearly-naked body, I grew insanely aware of how close we were standing. “Okay.”

  “Bring your clothes to me when you’re done. I’ll get rid of them.” He started to back away but stopped. “Where are your keys?”

  “To the house? In my purse. Why?”

  “I’ll need you to give them to me so I can stop by your place to get your things.”

  The idea of Alexei going through my bedroom and picking through my drawer of boring undies wasn’t one that I relished. “I can pack my own things.”

  “That’s not happening.”

  “But—”

  “Shay, you aren’t leaving this apartment until I’ve secured your safety. Whatever you need? It comes through me.” He must have sensed that I wanted to argue with him because he quickly changed the subject. “Come find me when you’re done.”

  Left alone in the master suite, I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. After stripping out of my clothes and his jacket, I stood in front of the marble vanity and stared at my reflection. My face wasn’t as badly bruised as I had feared it would be but my throat would bear Lalo’s marks for days.

  I ran my fingers over the marred skin but it wasn’t the phantom sensation of Lalo’s ugly hands that caused goose bumps to rise on my flesh. No, it was the memory of the way Alexei’s hands had felt on me. A part of me despaired at the notion he might not ever touch me like that again.

  “So what happens now?” My whispered question barely registered in my ears.

  What would happen with Shannon? Would Lalo’s men come after me? What about those skinheads who had tied me up and planned to leave me beaten and bloodied in that parking lot as a message to my sister?

  My reflection didn’t have the answers I wanted but I had no doubt Alexei would. If I wanted to get out of this mess alive, I had to trust him.

  He’ll take care of you.

  If you let him…

  Chapter Six

  Alexei closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the closed bedroom door. All that separated him from Shay, from the woman that had turned him inside out and left him craving the one thing he could never have, were two thin slabs of wood. Two simple, unlocked doors kept him from the woman he wanted more than anything in the whole wide world.

  Leaving her alone in that bathroom had taken every ounce of his self-control. If it had been any other night, he would have stripped her bare and pulled her into a shower with him. He would have lathered up his palms and glided them over her supple curves and then carried her to bed. The very idea of learning every secret, ticklish place on her body with a swipe of his tongue left him lightheaded and aching.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight she had been through so much. She needed space to decompress. She needed to cleanse away the horror she had experienced. His only goal tonight was to make sure that Shay felt safe and secure. Whatever the cost, he would give that to her.

  He pushed off the door and made his way to the office where he opened the safe hidden in the credenza and removed an envelope of cash. He tucked it into his back pocket, closed and locked the safe and left the office. Back in the kitchen, he washed his hands and treated the scrapes on his knuckles from that bastard’s teeth. As he rubbed in the ointment, he thought of all the ways his actions tonight might play out. Mueller might be a racist but he wasn’t stupid. He would try to leverage his threat against Shay to make a deal.

  But Lalo? Lalo was the real problem. Newly anointed as the cartel’s top man in Houston, he had a taste for power and the added pressure to prove his worth as a boss. He wanted respect, and if it got out that a tiny little thing like Shay had knocked him the fuck out while his entire crew of thugs and enforcers stood outside? He was going to be a laughingstock.

  Alexei placed both palms on the counter and leaned hard against it, dropping his head and closing his eyes as he tried to work out the angles. There was something else about Lalo that was even more dangerous. He wanted Shay. He wanted her in the most primal way a man could want a woman.

  She’s mine. She belongs to me.

  Shaking his head, Alexei let loose a dark laugh. Shay didn’t belong to him. She wasn’t his. She didn’t belong to any man. She was her own person, independent and strong and ready to fight the world to find her own success.

  But as much as he admired that tenacity, Alexei knew better than anyone that it made her vulnerable. She was alone in this world. She had no one to back her up and give her support when she needed it most.

  I could be that support. I could have her back. I could be the man who—

  “Alexei?”

  The sound of Shay’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She stood just inside the living area and clutched her dirty clothes to her chest in a neatly tied bundle. His jacket was draped across her shoulders and her shoes dangled from her fingers. The long damp strands of her coffee-colored hair had been combed back and left to air dry, but it was the sight of her in just his shirt that drove the air out of his lungs and made his blood run even hotter.

  “Alexei, your phone is ringing.” Still standing there, she tilted her head to the side. “Are you going to answer it?”

  He patted his pocket and felt the vibrating, chirping block hidden away there. He quickly answered it. “Hello?”

  “We have a problem.” Mob boss Nikolai Kalasnikov didn’t sound happy. “I need to see you. Now.”

  Glad that Shay didn’t understand a word of Russian, he cast a brief glance in her direction. He couldn’t leave her here alone, not right now and not even for his old boss. “I can’t get away from here.”

  Nikolai sighed. “I’ll come to you.”

  “I’m at the other place.”

  “Yeah. I figured.” He paused. “Do you need anything?”

  “Maid service would be nice.” He thought of the evidence that needed to be destroyed. The services of a cleaner like Kostya would come in handy right now.

  “Our maid is out on sick leave, but I’ll put in a call with the company.”

  The line went dead, and Alexei pocketed his phone. Getting into an argument with Nikolai was the last fucking thing he wanted to do tonight, but it was better to just get the ass chewing over with, pay whatever fee the boss demanded and move forward.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Shay’s anxious expression spurred him into action. He walked around the long kitchen island separating them and took the bundle of clothing and shoes from her arms. When they were out of the way on the counter, he placed his hands on her shoulders. She had asked him for honesty, and he was going to give it to her.

  “Nikolai Kalsnikov is coming over. Do I need to tell you what that means?”

  Her eyes widened, and her lower lip actually wobbled. On the verge of tears, she asked, “Is he going to kill me?”

  “What? God no!” Alexei hauled her into his arms and crushed her tight to his chest. Dipping his head, he touched his cheek to the unbruised side of her face. The mere mention of Nikolai’s name had scared her so much she was shaking. “I told you, Shay. No one is going to hurt you.”

  She tried to pull back so he let her. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized she had grabbed hold of him in her fear. She still gripped his shirt on either side of his hips as she gazed up at him with watery eyes. “But he’s the mob boss in Houston.”

  “Yes, he is.” There was no point in denying what she knew. “But he’s my friend. We go back. Way back,” he emphasized. “We have history, and he owes me. If he can’t provide the coverage we need, there are other men who will for the right price.”

  Shay slowly released her hold on him but she didn’t
attempt to step out of his loose embrace. “What if the price is too high?”

  Didn’t she understand? Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head. He allowed his lips to linger there for a moment longer than necessary. “There is no price too high, not for you.”

  “Alexei,” she breathed his name, and his control wavered. Maybe one little kiss wouldn’t hurt…

  A knock at the door startled them both out of that unexpected moment of romantic tension.

  “It’s probably just Carlos,” he murmured. “The concierge.”

  “Oh. Um.” She glanced around nervously. “I’ll go hide in the bedroom.”

  Before he could ask her why she thought she needed to hide, she was already scampering away like a little rabbit. It occurred to him as he tucked away the bloody clothes in a cabinet and headed for the door that she might be embarrassed to be caught wearing only his shirt. Her sense of modesty amused him.

  A quick peek through the peephole confirmed his suspicions. As he let Carlos inside, Alexei felt uncomfortably prepared for an ambush or a fight. I need to start carrying a piece again.

  After the groceries were stowed on the counter, he walked Carlos back to the door and handed him the envelope of cash. “No one comes up to the eleventh floor without my approval. I want it locked down. Understand?”

  Carlos slipped the envelope inside his suit jacket. “As you wish, Mr. Sarnov.”

  Owning every unit on the floor and keeping them all empty save for this one had its perks. Chief among them the fact that Carlos and his friend in the maintenance department could shut down elevator access to the floor. It wasn’t a perfect solution for keeping Shay safe but it was the best option he had right now.

  “I’m expecting a visitor soon. He’ll come through the trade entrance. Make sure he gets up as quickly as possible and without being seen.”

  “Done.” Carlos left the apartment, and Alexei locked the door behind him.

  When he made it back to the kitchen, he found Shay putting away the groceries. It was a domestic vision that rattled him. For a moment, he could almost believe they were like any other couple. There she was with her wet hair, wearing his shirt and putting away groceries as if this were something they did every night. It was such a simple thing to witness, but fuck. It made him want something simple and normal and real.

  “Do you want some coffee? I could make you something to eat,” Shay offered.

  “Sit.” He pointed to one of the tall leather barstools on the other side of the island. “You fed me once. Now I’ll make you something to eat.” He caught her disbelieving smile as she slid onto a seat. “What?”

  “I just never figured you for the cooking type.”

  “And how do you think I feed myself?”

  “Takeout? Restaurants?”

  He had to give her that one. “All right. Most days, yes. But I do know how to cook eggs. You’ll see.”

  Before he started on their eggs and toast, he poured a glass of orange juice for her. “Drink this.”

  She dutifully sipped the cold liquid. When she licked her upper lip, he had to avert his eyes and suppress a needful groan. Did she have any idea how damned alluring she was? If she did, she played the game superbly and better than any woman he had ever known. But he sincerely doubted that was the case.

  He had just finished plating their scrambled eggs and toast when a knock interrupted his work. He thrust a fork into her hand. “Eat.”

  She accepted the fork but her scared gaze darted toward the doorway. While he understood her fear of Nikolai, it was misplaced. The boss was a hard man, ruthless when necessary and not afraid to get his hands dirty, but he never hurt women. In some ways, he was the dark champion of the innocent.

  Alexei smiled encouragingly and gently pushed her hand toward the plate. “Eat.”

  Shay took a small bite. Satisfied that she was going to get some food into her stomach, he left the kitchen and answered the door. Instead of his customary bespoke suit, Nikolai wore jeans and a black hoodie that obscured most of his face, but those Ferragamo boots gave him away. Alexei stepped aside and gestured for the boss to enter.

  Once inside, Nikolai lowered his hood. His green-eyed glare warned Alexei to tread carefully. “I had to leave my home and my bed and my pregnant wife, Alexei. After everything that’s happened this year, how do you think I feel leaving Vee with her guards at night?”

  To say the boss was unhappy was an understatement. He was so incredibly protective of his wife. It was no secret that Nikolai worshipped Vivian, and now that she was giving him a son and heir? He was utterly devoted to her. Dragging the boss out of bed and entangling him in this mess? Blin.

  “If I could have avoided this—”

  “You are not a street soldier anymore,” Nikolai hissed. “If you want to make a move, you clear this shit with me first.” The boss stepped forward and invaded his personal space. “This,” Nikolai lifted his hand and pointed to the tattoo on the underside of his wrist that every member of his crime family was given, “is the only reason Ten and Danny aren’t dragging you out of here and down to the warehouse.”

  Alexei rubbed the tattoo branding his own wrist. Guilt soured his stomach as he considered the impossible position he had put Nikolai in tonight. “Boss—”

  “Where is she?” Nikolai turned his back and started toward the kitchen. “What’s this one’s name? Treasure? Satin? Dynasty?”

  It was a mean barb that hit its mark. His preference for dancing girls was part of the underworld legend. “Her name is Shay. She cleans my office. Part-time,” he clarified. “She’s an entrepreneur with a college degree.”

  Nikolai stopped and turned. His discerning gaze made Alexei uncomfortable. The man had a gift for seeing right through people. What was he seeing now?

  As if trying to figure out a puzzle, Nikolai asked, “Are you serious about her? Because if you are, I need to know now.”

  “I’m serious about her.” Whether or not Shay was serious about him remained to be seen.

  “You should have told me about this woman when things got serious. I should have been made aware of her connections so I had a complete picture of our family’s underworld ties.” Nikolai exhaled a long breath. “You won’t get out of this cheaply, not after you put three of Mueller’s men in the hospital.”

  “I know,” he gravely answered. “I know.”

  The boss nodded. “So long as you know…”

  Alexei trailed Nikolai into the kitchen where Shay anxiously stabbed her fork into the small mound of scrambled eggs left on her plate. Half of her toast had been eaten and her glass of juice was empty. Glad that she had gotten something in her belly, he flashed her a reassuring smile.

  Without a word of introduction, Nikolai walked right up to Shay and carefully clasped her chin. He gently turned her face left and then right before tilting her head back to get a better look at the fingertip bruises on her neck. The marks had really blossomed now and provided a clear picture of what had happened to her earlier in the night.

  The tic in Nikolai’s jaw eased the tension in Alexei’s chest. He trusted Nikolai to be fair with Shay, but after seeing her battered face, the boss would make sure she was protected.

  Nikolai gave Shay’s shoulder a squeeze and then stepped back. Her grip on the fork loosened, and she visibly relaxed. Hoping to set her at ease, Alexei traded her empty glass of juice for the full, untouched glass sitting next to his plate. She took the juice with a thankful smile and sipped it.

  “Shay, this is Mr. Kalasnikov.”

  She wrapped both hands around the glass. “Hello.”

  “You don’t need to be afraid of me, Shay. So long as you’re honest with me,” Nikolai added as he slid onto the closest barstool. “I don’t tolerate lying.”

  “I understand,” she said softly.

  “Good.” He tapped the countertop with tattooed fingers. “Do you know why I am here?”

  Alexei made Nikolai a cup of tea while Shay cooperated with this mini-i
nterrogation. It kept his hands busy, and his stress levels in check while he waited to see how this would play out.

  “You’re here because my sister and her boyfriend did something really stupid, and now we’re all in trouble.” She swallowed nervously. “You’re here because Lalo tried to rape me and I nearly killed him with a paperweight.”

  That last piece of information caused Nikolai’s eyes to widen. The boss’s irritated glare landed on Alexei. In Russian, he asked, “What the fuck is this?”

  Surprised the boss hadn’t heard that piece of information yet, he said, “I thought you must have known.”

  “No, I didn’t. I thought the damage to her face was caused by Mueller’s men.”

  “No, it was Lalo.”

  “Fucking little prick,” he swore nastily. Switching back to English, he addressed Shay. “Tell me what happened with Lalo.”

  She cleared her throat. “I went to the Arena to find my sister, to warn her after those awful men trashed my car. When I got there, Lalo was waiting. He took me into an office, and he tried to…” Still traumatized, she lowered her gaze. “He wanted me to pay for my life and for my sister’s life with my body. He hurt me…so I hurt him.” She ran her thumbs up and down the glass. “And then I ran.”

  Nikolai placed a cautious hand on her arm. Shay’s gaze flicked to the mob boss’ face. “You were defending yourself. Whatever happened in that room, whatever you did to get out of there, it was the right thing. Do not ever apologize for protecting yourself. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Taking back his hand, Nikolai said, “Considering I haven’t heard this story yet, it’s clear Lalo wants it quiet. I’m sure he’ll put a spin on it. Whatever story hits the streets will be one that makes him into a hero or a martyr. If your name isn’t mentioned, then keep your mouth shut about your involvement, Shay. If he can save face, it may save your life.”