by KJ Dahlen
He laid her gently on his bed and covered her up with a light blanket. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he studied her for a moment. With everything that had happened to her in the last twenty four hours her braid had begun to unravel, leaving wisps of her dark hair loose and it curled around her face and neck. He knew her eyes were a stunning shade of green and they held the fire of her soul, but he also knew that was only part of the story behind the woman she was.
His eyes traveled over her and he saw a small woman, she could be much more than five feet two but her figure was all woman. Her breasts were bigger than they appeared if he remembered correctly from the brief glimpse he’d seen of them this morning while he changed her shirt after Alexi pulled the bullet out of her shoulder. He hadn’t meant for his eyes to linger upon her creamy skin but his mouth had watered at the sight of her breasts filling out her lace bra. Her waist was tiny, her hips flared out and her ass he bet, would fit his hands nicely.
He shrugged, hell he was a man and as a man, he could admire her body if he wanted to. Admiration didn’t mean anything right? He wasn’t the type to force himself on a woman unless she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He was only going to kick off his boots and lay with her for a moment. He needed to hold her, to feel her in his arms again.
His eyes traveled up to her face again and he found her green eyes staring back at him. She hadn’t said a word but she was studying him like he studied her.
He wasn’t ashamed of himself in the least. He’d worked long and hard to stay in shape. With the life he’d lived, he had to remain ready to fight. He was tall and broad. His shoulders filled out his shirt to the point of bulging. His dark red hair hung to his shoulders and his silver eyes had crow’s feet on either side. He was older than she was but he didn’t look too much older. His beard was a bit darker color than his hair but it suited him. His arms and neck were covered in ink. They all had meaning to him, but he supposed she would think to ask.
Barron continued to admire her in silence.
If only she would allow him to be close to her. She was confused and upset right now and who could blame her. She had seen more tragedy in a day than most people did in their entire life. He felt truly sorry that her father was taken from her and the shop he had. All thanks to that filth who thought he owned everything, even on this side of the world and could smash what he felt like smashing.
Neither of them said anything but they did take in one another’s bodies with a fire burning in their eyes.
Then without warning, Barron leaned closer to her and his mouth crushed hers. A spark of electricity shocked both of them and he pulled away from her briefly. He wondered if she had felt it too. Her large green eyes told him she had.
Grace wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back to her. She groaned as he kissed her again and again.
Barron moved to cover her body with his and she allowed him to slide in between her thighs. He ground his pelvis against her and she groaned as she lifted her hips and ground her warm damp core against him.
She moaned as his lips left hers and began nibbling a path along her jaw down her neck.
He used his lips and teeth on her skin and she shivered as he made his way down along her neck to the top of her chest. His mouth closed over her breast but as she was still wearing his t shirt. The woman had too many clothes on to suit him. Then he leaned up and his hands reached down to the hem of her shirt and the next sound in the room was him ripping the material between them.
Her skin was cooled by the air but it soon heated up as he gently tugged her breasts out of her bra and his lips wrapped around her nipple. He had wanted to taste her this way for hours now. Finally, he had her skin in his mouth and nothing tasted sweeter. She reached out to touch his skin too and she got her hand under his shirt. Her small fingers were like hot fire on his body. This woman had now taken him by storm. She reached along his taut belly and up along his ribs. He shivered at the soft feel of her on soft fingers on his hard body.
“You’re playing with fire, moya devushka, little one you know that right?” he murmured in her ear.
She shivered at his words. “Maybe I want to feel the fire burn me?” she whispered back.
“You want me?” He was stunned, as she had been pushing him away since he’d met her. Almost holding his breath, he waited for her to answer.
“If I say yes, would that make me a slut?” she whispered to him.
“Nyet, in my mind, that would make you my woman though.” He growled as he ground his cock into her core. He could feel her heat through their jeans and she could feel his hardness. He reached down and undid her jeans, pulling them open enough to slip his hand down and reached into her underwear to find her heat. He groaned when he felt her wetness. Her wetness coated his fingers and when he pushed his fingers into her core, he groaned again as he sank into her sweetness. Her aroma hit his nose and he pushed even further inside her.
Then he reached for her jeans with his other hand to drag them and her panties downward. He pushed them off her legs and then she was open to his invasion. He quickly dealt with his own jeans pushing them down to his thighs, then ripping his shirt over his head he knew he needed them to be skin to skin and without warning, he plunged into her heat. He almost didn’t feel the moment he tore her innocence away, almost, but by then he couldn’t stop himself.
She wouldn’t let him anyway. Grace wrapped her legs around his waist and pulling him close to her and he couldn’t break the hold she had on him. He did not even want to try, she allowed him enough so he could pull out so far, then he plunged back into her.
Sweat broke out and beaded on his forehead as he began losing control. He couldn’t get enough of her. His strokes went harder and deeper while Grace just moaned and whimpered in a sensual haze.
Barron knew she was ready to fly and reached down to thumb her tiny button. She opened her mouth to scream out his name but before she could, his hand covered her mouth and he pushed inside her deep one last time. Now he moved his hand in time to cover her mouth with his own as he absorbed her screams of ecstasy.
When he broke the kiss, they were both out of breath. After a moment of gulping in air, he tapped her legs and she broke her hold over him. Sliding over to her side, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
Grace closed her eyes basking in the afterglow. She’d never felt this feeling before and even if she only felt it this once she didn’t regret what just happened. Turning her head slightly, she smiled at the look on his face. “That was incredible, thank you.”
“You allowed me to be your first?” He growled softly.
The smile slid from her face and she shrugged. “Why not?”
“Because my little one, your first time should be with someone you care about at the very least. We don’t know each other well enough for feelings to be involved. So again, I ask you why did you give me this treasure?”
“Why?” She took some deep breaths of her own. Anger rushed through her like hot fire. She rose up and pushed him flat on the bed then leaned over him and with frustration in her voice. “Maybe because I wanted to feel heaven at least one time before someone shoots me in the dammed head. Maybe I wanted to lose myself for a while before death comes calling for my soul. Or I just wanted to feel something I never felt before. Maybe just once, I just—I wished to feel loved, maybe even cared for in such a way I never have before.”
Red could see tears running down her face and he reached for her.
She pulled away from him reaching down to the floor to grab her jeans.
Still looking puzzled, Red reached out again, to pull her back into his arms but she shrugged out of his hands.
Grace stood and went over to her bag. “We have too much to do to lay around in bed all day. Your men need you,” she spoke with quiet dignity as she went in search for her bag and began pulling out another shirt.
Barron watched as she gathered her clothes and got clean ones from her bag. Her tears had hurt hi
s heart and the blame was on him. He just did not understand why... why she didn’t tell him she was innocent. He had taken something precious from her. He had never guessed she was still a virgin.
He took note of the fresh blood staining her shoulder bandage and made a note to have Alexi change her bandage when they got out to the main room. Sighing deeply, he exhaled and got to his feet.
He went and got a washcloth to clean himself and then got Grace one as he’d noted the red stain on her thighs when she stood. “Here you need to clean up.” He handed it to her. Then he turned away as she did so. He didn’t know how to feel. All he knew was he wanted to protect her even more now.
Red then pulled on his own jeans and tucked in his t-shirt. He reached for his boots and tugged each one on. “You are right. My men do need me. I will have Alexi look at her shoulder again.”
“My shoulder?” she whispered.
“There is fresh blood seeping through the bandage and I don’t want it to be neglected.”
Grace nodded but didn’t say anything, instead she turned and walked out of the bedroom.
Barron just stared at her. Only when she turned the corner to go down the hall did he shake his head and wonder what the hell he did wrong. His question had been a legitimate one. He felt so confused that she had chosen him to take her virginity. Up until tonight, she had acted as though she hated him.
When he joined her in the main room, he noticed she was sitting in a corner out of the way. His men were gathered around the front tables making plans about the next step.
He walked over to his men and turning to Alexi he asked, “How is Sasha doing?”
Alexi nodded. “He’ll be ok. Two of his wounds were deep enough for stitches and he lost a lot of blood but with rest, he’ll be able to fight another day.”
Barron nodded while feeling relieved at this news. “I need you to change the bandage on Grace’s shoulder as well. Her wound is bleeding again.”
Alexi said he would get right on that and walked toward Grace.
“We found the tapes she told us about,” Kolya told the others. “Her father had a system I’ve never seen before. Whoever he was in real life, he wasn’t a farmer or a simple mechanic.”
“He had many secrets,” Barron replied. “When our help arrives, we may find out what they were.” He only hoped they would help Grace, not hurt her. He looked up to see that Alexi and Grace were just now coming back from the hallway as he had changed her bandage.
Barron walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Glancing over at Grace, he noted she was sitting there alone now and seemed a little broken. He poured another cup and walked it over to her.
She looked up at him and accepted the cup but didn’t say anything.
“It’s not the best coffee in the world but it’s strong and hot,” he told her.
She nodded and took a sip then spit it back into the cup. “You’re right... it’s not the best coffee in the world. How do you even call that sludge coffee?” She set the cup on the floor.
He shrugged. “Only men live here and none of us cook all that well. We survive.”
Barron saw her shudder a little so he turned and motioned toward the kitchen. “Feel free to step in anytime. We take turns in the kitchen so have at it if you like.” Then he heard her stomach rumble and he realized he hadn’t seen her eat anything all day. “I’m sorry, we usually eat when we’re hungry and it’s getting to be that time again. I can have one of the men throw something together for a meal.”
“Never mind, I can feed myself.” Grace got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. Taking one look around, she sighed hard. The place was a mess. They ate off of mostly paper plates and they were stacked in several piles. Some clean but mostly dirty piles of paper plates.
Shaking her head, she started in cleaning up the mess and began washing the few dishes that they had used. Once the room was tidy, she began searching the cupboards for food. She found the coffee first and made a fresh pot. While that was brewing, she opened the refrigerator and found it had plenty of food.
Since she was in need of something that would remind her of her father, she began taking out eggs, some vegetables and several different kinds of meat. She wanted to be alone for a while so she closed the kitchen door and began to cook her father’s favorite meal. Baked eggs.
She warmed up the oven and began cooking the meat. She’d found bacon, ham, sausages and pepperoni. Digging through the cupboards, she found four cake pans and set them out. She took a couple of dozen eggs out along with some butter and bread to begin mixing everything together.
When she poured the mixture of eggs, vegetables and meat together and into the pans and put them in the oven, she decided to make up a large batch of soda buns to go with it.
Finally done, she poured herself a cup of decent coffee and waited for everything to get done.
She then went back out to the main room, set out the coffee on the serving table and disappeared back into the kitchen. She had gotten looks from the men but she ignored them. No one else said a word to her. Before the food was done, she heard a disturbance in the main room but as the kitchen door was closed, she didn’t pay any attention to it.
When she took the baked eggs out of the oven, just the smell of the food made her stomach growl. It was then she noticed the serving door between the two rooms. She cut the eggs and put the buns in a bowl then set everything up. Plates, silverware and napkins.
She took her own food first and then opened the serving door setting it all on the large table out there, making everything available to whoever wanted to eat it. Taking her plate, she walked back to her own little corner of the kitchen and sat down.
Only then did she notice the extra men. Raising her eyes, she found at least a dozen men staring at her, as they were standing with Red, Kolya and Leonid. Grace didn’t know what else to say except, “Food’s ready.”
One of the new men walked over to her and knelt down beside her. He was older, like Barron but he had the look of command about him. Dark hair and intense eyes. Almost like he was the man in charge. He smiled and she could see he was a good man, maybe he intimidated others with his height and that muscled form, but his eyes said he was an honest man and she knew right away that she could trust him. Grace hadn’t felt any bad vibes from him at all, so she smiled back.
He closed his eyes a moment then breathed deeply. When he opened them, his smile grew wider. “I know that scent. My wife makes that dish at our home too. She calls it comfort food.”
Grace nodded. “I needed comfort tonight, so I made my father’s favorite meal.”
He nodded. “I’m here to get justice for your father and all these men.”
Grace cocked her head and studied the other man. “You know something? I believe you.”
He smiled again. “My name is Yuri Anatoly. I represent the Bratva here in America. We have come here to help Barron and his men find the man who killed your father. I understand you have a tape of the shooting?”
Grace nodded. She motioned toward the men behind Yuri. “I’m sure one of the men has the copy. He states his reason for killing my father on the tape. You’ll forgive me for not knowing anything about it. My father came here, changed his name, and never said a word to me why. I don’t know if he thought this would just go away, and he chose to hide here under a different name or didn’t want me to know what he’d done, but he never told me about what happened.”
“I was told you took a small bag from your father’s safe.” He seemed to study her. “Do you know what was in it?”
Grace set her plate down on the floor beside her chair. She got up and walked out to the main room. She unzipped the bag that held the tapes and other stuff from her father’s safe room. She took out the small bag Yuri was talking about and went back to him as he now stood at the entrance to the kitchen.
Handing him the bag she said, “My father had some paperwork he never talked about. He always said one day, he would share his secret
s with me. That day will never happen now. I don’t know what’s in that bag but when you’re done digging into it, I’d like those items back.” Tears rolled down her face as he took the bag from her hands.
“May I open this?” Yuri asked softly.
“Yes, that bag is everything my father ever was... everything he ever stood for. I have no idea what’s in there. All I know is that this bag is his life...” She paused. “...was his life and when you’re through with it, I’d like it all back so I can find my father again.” She then went back, sat down, and picked up her plate. She began eating it, but she didn’t taste the comfort in the food at all now.
Not one of the many men in that room spoke at all.
Grace got up after she was done eating and took her plate to the sink, rinsing it off she put it in the dishwasher and left.
She didn’t stop and talk to anyone. She made her way back to Red’s room and shut the door behind her. She looked at the messy bed but couldn’t go there. Grabbing a blanket off the bed, she wrapped it around her shoulders then went over to the corner and slid down the wall. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms and the blanket around herself, she laid her head on her knees and closed her eyes.
Tears ran down her face wetting the blanket as she whispered, “Daddy, I miss you. I can’t believe I’ll never see your face again. Why did you leave me here all alone? We both should have run the moment we saw his fucking car. You could have run with me then you would still be alive.” Grace again wept for the only parent, the only family she had in the world that was now gone. She was now alone in the world... So alone.
Chapter Seven
The men all helped themselves to the food Grace had provided and while they enjoyed it, Barron looked over at Kosta. Smiling, he told the other man, “The years have been good to you my friend.”
