by T. G. Ayer
Gray
I wake to the smell of baking and I lie there for a moment, my mind recovering from the trip to the past. Nikolai's offer to take me in hadn't been as simple as that. His intentions had been questionable at best, but I'd been so naive. I'd missed all the clues.
I pull myself out of the past and stumble to Kate's kitchen. I see she's made brownies. She's placing a few of them in a container and smiles when she sees me. "Hey. This is for you to take to the hospital. I assumed you'd be ready to head out as soon as you got up."
I rub my eyes and yawn. "What time is it?"
"After one. You had a good few hours of sleep."
"Damn it. I didn't want to be away from the hospital for too long. There's a nosy detective asking annoying questions."
Kate is shaking her head. "Honey, Thane is not your responsibility. You've just met him and fine, you guys are close but you can't be babying him. He'll be fine."
I nod. She has a point, but she doesn't know that it was me who shot him and I'm worried the more the cops investigate the more they will find out what really happened. And I need to stay off the cops radar. "I'd better be going," I say as I grab my keys and purse from the counter.
She hands over the container with a grin. Then I stop in my tracks. "Crap, I need a cab," I say almost under my breath.
Kate's shaking her head. "I'll give you a ride. Let me just get my keys." She disappears into her bedroom. She drives me to the hospital and drops me at the front entrance. "I'd come in but I have a class." Then she waves and is gone as I hurry up the stairs and into the building.
Just as I near Thane's room two men exit and walk past me. The younger, sandy-haired one looks me up and down then averts his eyes as soon as he catches me staring at him.
Inside the room, I pull back the curtain to see Thane sitting on the bed staring at the hospital lunch plate, and I notice then that his cheeks have darkened with a light covering of beard. I'm wondering how he'd look if it grew a little longer. Stop it, Gray. "Good. You're awake," I say, my voice hoarse. He glances up and grins, his eyes immediately falling on the container in my hand.
"Please tell me that's something decent to eat."
"If you can call brownies decent." I grin and place the container on his table, then sit in the vacant chair beside his bed.
"Who were those guys?" I ask, trying to keep the concern out of my face. I dislike the idea that there were more cops sniffing around.
"Who?" Thane asks, his lips covered with dark brown crumbs.
"Those two suits that were just in here." I jerk a thumb over my shoulder.
"Oh, not for me. One of the other patients had a couple visitors. I think." He speaks through a mouthful of brownie. He looks so adorable I've totally forgotten my concern with the two men.
"Can you try not to get crumbs everywhere?" I scold. But I'm unable to hold back the grin. I give the entrance to the room a glance. "You don't want the Dragon in here to confiscate the whole container, do you?"
Now he's nodding and dusting the crumbs from the sheet onto the floor. And I'm shaking my head at his lame attempt at cleaning.
"I just came by to check if you were okay. What did the doctors say about your wound?"
"They said I'm very lucky the bullet missed everything important. So, I can get out of here soon only if I have someone keep an eye on me. They seem to think I'm some kind of baby." He makes a face. "So, looks like I'm stuck here."
Guilt pangs through me and I shake my head at him. "You have been shot you know. Two wounds in your body that need time to repair. Of course, you'll been needing help. Do you have a roommate?"
He shook his head. "Nope. I live alone. And I don't know my neighbors well enough to expect them to take care of me. I haven't been here long enough." I think about Kate taking care of me and feel more guilty.
I sigh. "Well, I guess I owe it to you to look after you," I say, feeling the weight of guilt on my shoulders.
"Gosh, no, I couldn't allow you to do that for me." He is shaking his head as he dusts his hands, sweeping more crumbs onto the floor.
"Look, I'm responsible for this." I wave a hand at his bandaged shoulder. "I need to make it up to you so you might as well stay with me. I have a spare room."
Thane is silent for a moment, as if contemplating my offer. I haven't lied. I do feel extremely guilty that I injured him. He still needs to explain to me what exactly he'd been doing in my apartment without an invitation. But now was not the time to discuss it.
"So when do you get out of here?" I ask.
"The doc said I'm good to go as soon as I want."
I frown finding it odd that they would discharge him so soon after surgery. But the doctors know best. "That's fine with me. We can leave as soon as you're ready. Do you need to stop by your place for a few things or can you get someone to drop them off?" I ask hoping he won't send me trolling around in his apartment for personal items.
"I already had a friend drop of a bag of my stuff. It's in the cupboard." He pointed a thumb at the cupboard on the wall.
I'm nervous. I will have to take care of him, maybe even help him change his dressings. Sudden I'm not so sure how good an idea this is. Not to mention the fact that I'm about to invite a veritable stranger into my apartment. What if he tries something?
I make myself feel a little better with one thought.
Having shot him once already, it wouldn't be hard to do it again.
***
Strangely enough the doctor pops by within an hour or so, with Thane's discharge papers and a prescription for some serious meds. I don't like the look the doctor gives Thane. Nervous, doubtful and a little resentful. Not the way doctors usually look at their patients. I take the papers he hands to me and tuck them in my purse. Then he gives us a strained smile and leaves in a hurry.
I shake free of the strange feeling as the bed creaks and the plastic mattress crackles. Thane is pushing himself into a sitting position. I hurry to help him, kicking a small stool to the side of his bed and placing an arm around his waist. I take some of his weight as he sits upright. I'm not sure I make any difference but eventually he's sitting up and all that exists between my cheek and his chest is a thin hospital gown.
Fire sizzles through my veins and I find it suddenly very hard to breathe.
What the hell is wrong with you, Gray? Keep your head in the game. He's an invalid for god's sake.
I let his torso go and feel bereft the moment I step away. Swearing at myself under my breath, I throw the blanket off his legs and slip my hands beneath his knees, pulling to help him swivel in place. I keep my eyes averted from both his bare legs and his face as I'm certainly my cheeks are flaming.
Typical.
You finally meet a guy who has the ability to turn your insides into melted mush and what do you go and do? You shoot a freaking hole in him the size of Alcatraz. Way to freaking go, Gray.
I sigh softly as I open the slim closet beside the bed and withdraw a small black bag. I set it on the bed as Thane gingerly steps onto the footstool. I move swiftly out of the way and almost thump into my chair. I refuse to do anything more than help him sit. But he seems happy enough to grab the bag and head to the shared bathroom to change.
God, I hope don't have to help him shower.
But despite horror of the thought, the possibility made my insides quiver.
Behave yourself, Gray.
I wait so long I almost get up to check on him but just in time the door to the bathroom opens and Thane steps out. He's wearing blue jean and a black tee, and he's walking toward me in sneakers and no socks. His friends must not have been very reliable.
"I'm ready when you are," he says with a grin. "Could you call a cab. I don't feel in the mood for a bus-ride."
"Sure," I say, then turn on my heel to scurry off to find a pay-phone because the Dragon is at the nurse's station, and call for a cab. Done, I head back to room and grab his bag. "It's on the way. We should head downstairs." Thane nods, steps toward me t
hen winces. "Are you sure you are ready to leave?"
A shadow flits across his features and then he's nodding vigorously, falling into step beside me as I lead him outside with a hand at his elbow. We pass the nurse's station slowly and the Dragon glares at me so viciously I'm two seconds away from asking her what the hell her problem is. Instead, Thane puts an arm around my waist and I stiffen against his touch. Why he needs my support to walk I have no idea and I stare up at his face, my eyes narrowed.
He gives me a small grin. "We're supposed to be in some sort of love aren't we, considering we're living together."
"Yeah, I'm beginning to wish I'd just said I'd put the bullet in you," I snap, but keep my voice low as I press the elevator button.
Thane's hand leaves the curve of my waist and drifts lower and the next thing I know he's grabbing my butt and giving it a good squeeze. I almost squeak and can't stop myself from turning to look at the Dragon. Her face is still filled with anger but it seems to have dropped a few degrees. The nurse beside her is looking at us as if we are the cutest couple she'd seen in ever.
My cheeks are flaming and my ears are hot as we finally escape the nurses scrutiny into the elevator that arrives. But the ride is interminable because it is almost full and we have to squeeze in so tightly that I'm pressed against Thane from shoulder to hip.
Granted, I find the position delicious but I don't want him to get any ideas. I'll shoot first and kiss later no matter how much he'd like the idea.
When we reach ground floor and the doors open, I spring away from Thane so fast I'm sure it rivaled the speed of sound.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Gray
Six Months Ago
I stared at the bloody mess that was my brother.
Anthony had been punched up pretty badly and it looked like whoever hit him had given him much the same treatment as he'd given me.
He even walked with a limp and I assumed one of his legs had been hurt as well. His clothing were stained with enough blood that I began to worry for his health. Well, as much as I could worry about Anthony after what he'd done to me.
Nikolai moved beside me and waved at Yuri to bring Anthony closer. My brother weaved about, clearly not very steady on his feet. He winced, then held his hands to his eyes. Clearly the brightness of the sun wasn't doing him any favors. But what caught my attention was the state of his hands. His fingers were swollen and bloody, the nail pads raw. My breath caught tightly in my throat as I stared at his hands.
Yuri tugged Anthony closer and I watched as my brother stared around, confused, with his face half-hidden by splayed fingers. Nikolai stood beside me, his spine stiff as Anthony hobbled closer.
"Anthony," he said, as if welcoming an old friend in for drinks. "Do come closer, my friend. We have a visitor for you."
Anthony squinted at me and I wanted to laugh. He was busted up worse than I was and yet I'd managed to recognize my sibling beneath that swollen mess of a face. It took him far too long to respond. So long that Nikolai almost lost patience, his body leaning forward a fraction, telling me he was about to walk to Anthony.
But my brother saved his pathetic ass just in time. He looked me up and down and nodded a few times before saying, "So you took my offer?" The hopeless air around him had disappeared to be replaced by a hard edge, a viciousness that in Anthony had always simmered like a low flame.
"No, Anthony. I have not taken your offer." Nikolai's answer was calm.
"But Nikolai. Please. You said you would take whatever I could give you. And I'm giving you my sister."
A sound of horror escaped my throat and I got to my feet, my spine stiff. I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly. Glancing up at Nikolai I asked, "What did he just say?"
Nikolai said nothing, because there was nothing to say.
Anthony was selling me to Nikolai, like a piece of meat.
"But how else am I supposed to pay you, Niko?" asked Anthony, fear rippled through his voice as he realized he could not use me to pay his debts.
"You will pay me by working off your debt." There was a thread of danger in the man's voice as he stood there in his silk suit, smelling of some exotic scent. He took a step toward Anthony who flinched and stepped away.
I snorted and Nikolai turned to me. "What is it my dear?"
I look up at him, fighting the tears that singed my eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just that you said 'work'." I laughed softly and shook my head. "My brother doesn't know the meaning of that word."
Nikolai laughed, the sound rich and baritone, and I almost smiled. Almost. "Why yes, I do believe you are the best person to educate me on your brother's work ethic." He moved closer to Anthony, who hung his head, whether in fear or in shame I didn't know. Nor did I care. "So tell me Sara, sister of Anthony. What do you think of this bargain?"
"What bargain do you mean?" I asked trying to keep my voice steady while feeling fear rush through my veins like hot lava. Did I really want to hear Nikolai put it in words for me?
Nikolai turned to Anthony and grabbed hold of his chin. "You see, Tony. The first thing you do in a business deal is ask questions. Like, what is the deal? What are you charging me? What will I owe you?" Then he looked at me and said, "Anthony here owes me a lot of money. He's been working for me for a long time now but it seems slowly he is getting more and more in debt to me. And usually when someone who works for me has a debt to pay they find a way to pay it. I am not a fussy man. And I am very lenient with the men who work for me. But Anthony here is a whole different ballgame. He thinks he can get out of his debt by transferring it on to his sister."
I sat stiffly in my seat again as I listened to Nikolai's voice. He had this fake charm about him but I wasn't blind to the danger that seethed within him. I wouldn't put it past him to pull a gun and shoot Anthony between the eyes.
I cleared my throat. "If you would be so kind as to clarify what the terms of that payment is?" I asked again, speaking but not really wanting him to answer, I was too terrified to hear what I thought I was going to hear him say.
"The bargain your brother is wanting to strike is that you, his sister, will pay his debt to me by prostituting yourself." He spoke the words with the brutality that I expected.
I cleared my throat again.
"Are you going to accept his offer?" I asked softly keeping my eyes on Anthony. He looked desperate, as if at any moment he might make a run for it and he didn't care that he could die in the process.
"Do you think I should accept such an offer?" Nikolai asked simply. The room was thick with silence, not even the sound of breathing dared to disturb it.
I lift my chin. "No," I say, watching Anthony as he winces.
"So your decision is that Anthony pay his own debt?" asked Nikolai.
"Why would I choose any other option? I don't owe you anything. I have no reason to pay off my brother's debt either. No reason and no desire."
"Bitch," growled Anthony and hunched over to lunge for me. "Ungrateful bitch. After everything I've done for you-" Nikolai lifted a fist and hit him hard on the side of his head. Anthony had been reckless moving forward like that. He'd made himself the perfect target getting down low in front of Nikolai.
Now he writhed on the floor, holding his head in his hand, mewling like an injured cat.
Nikolai bent low over my brother. "You will never touch her again." He spoke the words the way a knife stabs through flesh, vicious, uncaring and emotionless. "You will not speak to her. You will not touch her. You will not ask her for anything. Ever again." He spoke low but loud enough that I could hear him. He prodded Anthony's shoulder but my brother was a quivering mess. "From today she is no longer your sister. You hear me?"
There was an odd tone to Nikolai's voice and Anthony straightened a fraction, placing a finger on his broken lip. He caught my eye and sneered.
Nikolai looked at me. "I do apologize my dear. He seems a little uncooperative at this time. Perhaps we should retire for the evening. Perhaps Yuri can convince Tony here that it is
bad manners not to answer when someone speaks to you."
Anthony moved, dipping forward a little as if he is about to fall on his face. He said something and it sounded like 'Wait' so Niko rose a little.
"Fine. I'll do whatever you want. I won't contact her again. I promise," Anthony mumbled in response, with Nikolai leaning closer to hear his words.
"Not even to convince her to prostitute herself for her pathetic excuse for a brother?" asked Nikolai. The lines of his brow deepened as he pressed for an answer.
Anthony shook his head, his body shuddering as he moved. "No. Not even then." He still didn't look at Niko. Instead, he studied his damaged fingers and I wondered what had happened to him to cause those injuries. Deep down I knew exactly what they'd done to him but I wasn't ready to process it yet.
"Very well, Anthony. That will be all."
Anthony stared at Niko and it seemed he was unsure what to do next. His face told me he expected something else to happen but I can't imagine what.
"But, Niko," he implored, as Yuri grabbed his arm and pulled him along. Anthony turned back to look at me, the spite in his face clear. "Niko, what are you going to do with her?" he asked as they neared the door.
Niko turned his back on my brother and said coldly, "Now, that is none of your business."
Anthony's eyes were shuttered as he disappeared through the doorway into the hall. I couldn't interpret the look. Maybe he was just disappointed that I was no longer his bargaining chip.
And when Nikolai turned to me I sensed that the danger had not yet abated. This man moved like a sleek panther, all coiled tension and deadly threat. He came to sit beside me again. "I do apologize. I have been a terrible host. Would you like something to eat, perhaps have a rest upstairs? I will call for a doctor to look at your leg." The way he spoke, I knew I had little say in the matter but I refused to allow him to railroad me.
"Look, Mr. Nikolai. I am very sorry that Anthony has caused you so much trouble but I think it's time I left."
He looked at me for a short time then said, "I think perhaps it will be best that you see a doctor first, before you make any plans." He patted my hand and rose. "Then we shall talk. In the meantime I think the boys have taken your bags upstairs. Please feel free to use all the facilities and to request anything from the kitchen in the meantime. You will have dinner with me?" he asked and I couldn't figure out if he was asking just to be hospitable or if he had some hidden agenda.
