I hated feeling that one day I could be regretting this car ride.
“The plane is ready,” he said to me, as we arrived at the house. “You can leave when you want.”
I got down from the car and he was driven away into the night. Where I did not know.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Freya
The moment the taxi pulled up in front of my apartment, I experienced a feeling of relief. I had escaped my father’s tentacles in one piece.
I had survived and made it back, still unmarried and with my freedom intact. I was extremely exhausted but I knew Britney needed assistance. We had scored rooftop access at a residential property in Soho, and she was supposed to be managing a quick photo shoot with some model friends she had managed to convince to work for free. Really, she needed me there so I thanked the driver and hurried on to the house with my luggage. If I was quick I could be with her in less than an hour.
I put the key to the lock and the door pushed open. The door had been left unlocked. Or more accurately, as I looked closer, the door had been broken open. I listened. There were no sounds at all.
Dropping my bag on the floor, I reached into our storage basket by the door and grabbed an umbrella. Then I began to walk as quietly as I could into our apartment. My heart was pounding in my chest. My entire system was alert to the possibility that whomever had broken in might still be there. Perhaps even have a gun. No matter how fast I was, I couldn’t outrun a bullet so I shouldn’t be taking one more step forward, but I couldn’t stop myself because I was an idiot who wanted to see my enemies.
There were very few places to hide in our small apartment. I ran my gaze across the one couch and armchair we had in the middle, and the hideous bright red hanging chair that Britney had bought from the flea market.
There was no one there, so I headed towards the two bedrooms. Mine was empty, and so was Britney’s, so I returned to the living room to think.
Fortunately for me, I had found no one, but with the passing of danger I began to shake. I’d never been haunted like this despite all the enemies my father had managed to accumulate throughout the years. Anyway, where were the guards that I knew my father had on me?
I pulled out my phone to call him, but given the cold way we had parted, the last thing I wanted was to give him a reason to reiterate his point that I needed a man to protect me.
I needed to tell someone about this, and it had been instilled in me from a very young age that you never call the police. No matter what you didn’t call them. There was only one person I could think of. It was all his fault anyway. Until he came into my life, everything had been normal. I knew he’d already be back in town so I pulled out my phone and called him.
I got straight to the point as soon as he answered. “Someone broke into my apartment.”
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice calm and sure.
Something warm broke open inside me, and began to spread through my veins. I cleared my throat to rein in my focus. “Sure, I just thought to let you know, and to find out if you can think of a way to quickly bring this harassment to an end.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” he said.
Before I could protest or agree, the line went dead. I rose in a moment of instinctive panic. The apartment had been trashed, but then I sat my ass back down, refusing to be bothered by the complete mess.
I went into my room and busied myself with unpacking and putting away the clothes I took to Moscow and the four new dresses I brought back. Then I gathered all my underwear that had obviously been rifled through and dumped them in the washing machine. Bastards!
“Freya,” I heard my name called.
I walked out to see Maxim in the most casual form I’d ever seen him in. He had on a dark polo shirt and dark slacks. Suddenly, the most irrational and stupid thought crossed my mind. I wanted him to pin me against the wall and take me. Against my will.
My gaze moved restlessly over his body. I couldn’t stop staring at him.
The bulge of his thick biceps against the material and the way it molded to the ridges of his chest made me feel hazy. He rested his icy blue gaze on me, and I had to blink twice to clear my head.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice seductively velvety.
“I’m fine,” I replied, my body tingling with awareness of him. “You didn’t have to come over.”
He turned around to inspect my broken lock. I watched him as he dialed a number and issued out the instructions in Russian to fix my lock immediately. His voice was brusque, but the language had never sounded so sexy to my ears.
I needed to sit down, I was losing my mind. I didn’t want him. I wanted a career. I wanted a normal man. A normal life.
He turned to me, concern in his blue eyes. “Are you sure you’re alright? You look dazed.”
That snapped me right back to reason. “Um, I most definitely am not dazed, and I need to leave right now. Britney needs my help at a shoot.” All of a sudden fear gripped my heart. Britney. Was she actually safe?
In my state of shock I hadn’t even called to find out if she was actually okay and not been kidnapped or something. I scrambled for my phone and dialed her, but she didn’t pick up. I shot to my feet, terrified out of my mind.
“Pick up, pick up, Brit,” I muttered through gritted teeth, as I paced the ground.
“Is there a problem?” Maxim asked.
I spun around to face him. “Britney, my roommate. I need to find out if she is okay.”
“Do you know where she is supposed to be?”
“I’m not even sure. On some freaking rooftop somewhere.” I sounded hysterical. I turned my back on him and choked out, “Pick up, Brit!” The panic was so real, I felt as if I was being suffocated.
Maxim took the phone from me.
I spun around ready to fight him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Freya
“Calm down!” he said, his eyes narrowed.
The blood seemed to be rushing through my ears, my chest was heaving, and my hands were trembling. My chest felt so tight simply breathing was a feat. My vision blurred.
“Freya,” he called and shook me. “Look at me,” he said, his chest pressed hard against mine. “She’s fine,” he said to me. “She’s fine. She has no value to them. They have no interest in her.”
I stared into his hard eyes and felt a cold calm begin to wash over me. Even when my phone rang it sounded like it was coming from a great distance and of no urgency.
It was only when Maxim held it out to me that I came to my senses and grabbed at it, my heart nearly gave out when I saw it was Britney.
“Where are you?” I almost screamed.
“I’m still at the shoot. What’s the matter with you?”
Thank God, she was on a rooftop. I could hear the bustle of streets and the honk of vehicles that nearly overpowered her voice. “Nothing’s the matter with me.”
“Good. When are you going to get here?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said to her. “Be careful.”
I heard Maxim’s phone vibrate and I turned around to see his watchful gaze on me as he listened.
“Yes,” he responded and I wondered whom he was answering to. “She’s alright.” He ended his call. “A man was spotted leaving through the fire escape in your bathroom.”
“Oh shit,” I cursed and immediately began to hurry towards it, but he caught me and for a second my feet actually left the ground as he pulled me back. Setting me on the ground, he went ahead. I was left staring dumbfounded at him. Eventually, I followed, and watched as he inspected the open window and poked his head out to look down at the street beyond. He pulled his head back in a few seconds later, secured the latch, and turned around to face me.
“It’s not safe for you to be here,” he muttered.
“Well, it only started becoming dangerous since you came into my life,” I retorted, unable to hold myself back.
I needed to sit down
, so I exited the bathroom and collapsed on the sofa. He followed and stood in front of me, his hands jammed into his pockets.
“Was it one of your guys on the phone?”
He nodded.
“Why didn’t they stop the break-in in the first place?”
He sighed and folded his hand across his chest, which was mighty distracting and not good for what was left of my energy. I was trembling in a way I hadn’t since my mom died.
“Because they have been told to stand down. Your father keeps a vigilant team on you, day and night.”
I groaned. “My question is why do I keep getting attacked if there are people guarding me?”
He shrugged. “It could be something to do with the fact that you weren’t in town.”
I chewed my lip. “Look, until all this blows over would it be possible for you to send someone over to guard Britney?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
I quickly gave him the address where Britney was shooting. He immediately called someone and gave him instructions to get there.
“Oh, and please don’t tell my father about this,” I said when he looked up from his phone call.
“About what exactly,” he asked quietly.
I met his gaze. “That you’re involved. It’s just going to make everything even more complicated.”
His mouth twisted at the corners. “I’m pretty sure he’s already heard. It would have already been reported that I am here.”
“Does this mean I'm going to have full-time, never-out-of-my-sight bodyguards before midnight strikes?”
“That’s exactly my intention,” he said, his voice hard and determined.
I looked at him with irritation. “I don't need that. What you really need to do is figure out why I am being haunted. I am very sure all this has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
“Both you and Britney will require full-on security from now on.”
Suddenly, I wanted him gone. He was beginning to overwhelm me. Every time we met it was the same thing. After a little while in his presence I started to feel as if I was being drawn to him, as helpless as an iron filing to a giant magnet. “Thank you for stepping in, I really appreciate it.”
“I’m not leaving until they fix your door.”
He went over to the armchair by the corner then, and lowered himself into it. Ignoring me he read something off his phone. I rose and escaped to my bedroom. I closed the door and leaned against it. I took deep breaths to calm my heart. It was beating so fast it was almost fluttering. Just as I had expected, I could do nothing but stand by the door and calm my over excited body. I needed to call Britney.
I pulled the phone out of my pocket and got through to her. After apologizing that I wouldn’t be able to make it because of the intrusion.
“Oh my God,” she gasped and I felt sorry for her. She had not signed up for any of this. “Don’t worry everything will be fine,” I assured her. “All this will pass.” As soon as I get Maxim out of my life.
“Are you alright?” she asked breathlessly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“What’s going on, Freya?”
I sighed. “I’m almost certain it has something to do with Maxim. I was living in relative peace until he showed up.”
“Hmm …”
“Anyway, someone is going to arrive soon to protect you so when he comes, please call me so I can confirm with Maxim that he is the one. We need to be extra careful.”
“Uh, what do you know? I think he just arrived,” she said.
“Describe him,” I commanded tightly.
“Well, he’s in a badly cut suit, bald, brick wall broad, and very vicious looking. He just came onto the rooftop and is standing by the door all military like, but silent. Should I go over to him?”
“Just a second,” I replied and hurried out of the room.
“Maxim,” I called and he looked up from his phone. “Who’s the guy …” A better idea occurred to me. “Britney, send a picture of him real quick.”
I waited and had to look away to avoid meting his gaze. I could feel his eyes on me. It made me so self-conscious I wanted to scratch my skin off. The bud between my thighs throbbed so painfully that I kept shifting my weight from one leg to the other.
When she sent the picture I stood at a safe distance from him and turned the phone towards him. “Is this your guy?”
He got out of his chair and without warning reached for my hand. My grip instantly loosened and the phone fell to the ground.
I stared at my wrist in wonder. His touch had burned me. I didn’t move to pick the phone up, so he leaned over, retrieved it, and looked at the image. “Yes, that’s Viktor,” he confirmed. “He’ll keep her safe.”
“Thank you,” I replied and he handed the phone back to me.
I was extra careful not to make any sort of contact with him, but after I ended the call I suddenly felt hot and bothered. “Do you want something to drink? Tea, coffee, water?”
“Coffee would be good.”
Britney had brewed some that morning, but it would be yuck by now so I walked stiffly towards the kitchen to make some more.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Maxim
I was intensely aware of her, but I knew she was watching me so I didn’t raise my head and let her know how much satisfaction just being in the same room with her gave me. Hell, I could have spent the whole day with her. And considering the waspish mood she was in, it was some feat for me. I have never had time for other people’s dramas.
“Does love mean nothing to you?” she demanded suddenly.
I lifted my head. “Excuse me?”
She swept her hand towards me. “You said that you were willing to marry me because the request wasn’t too bothersome. Don’t you want to be with someone you’re in love with?”
“I’m not in love with anyone,” I replied and returned my gaze to my phone but she had my rapt attention.
“Well don’t you ever want to be?” she insisted.
I felt the impatience in her voice and almost smiled. It was too easy to bait her. I lifted my gaze to watch her. “What does being in love mean?” I asked.
That got her attention. “You really don’t know or are you just taunting me?”
“I’ve never been in love,” I answered honestly. “And since I have a suspicion it makes fools of men, I'm more than willing to settle for mutual respect and responsibility.”
“That sounds dull,” she said.
I didn’t have a response.
She folded her arms under her breasts, drawing my eyes to them. “Actually, you also seem pretty dull.”
I lifted my gaze to her and knew that was just what she wanted; my attention.
“Did you always want to be a mafia don, or did you have some other dream? Bianca told me Levan’s was always to be a brewer.”
“Yes, I have a dream,” I said just as my phone buzzed with a message. I looked at it. The locksmith was coming up the stairs.
“What is it?” she asked.
I rose to my feet. “It’s to keep those dearest to me, safe. Now I have to go. The locksmith should be here any moment now and I have people watching you, so you can rest easy.”
Both of us heard the tread of the locksmith in the corridor. As I passed her I wanted to reach out and stroke her cheek. The impulse was so strong I had to clench my fist to stop myself.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Freya
I watched him leave and felt my heart drop into my stomach. The cold bastard. How could he be such a block of ice? Did nothing affect him? I had wanted a chance to at least come close to him again… To perhaps elicit a kiss from him, but of course nothing like that was possible with him. Anyway, why the hell was I thinking such thoughts about him? I hated his guts. Confused, I thought of Levan and how deeply he cared for Bianca. Why couldn’t he be like that?
“I’m here to replace a broken lock,” the locksmith said. He had a mop of curly hair and his hands were blackened a
nd dusty.
I nodded and pointed to the front door.
“Righto,” he said, putting his bag down.
“Would you like some coffee?” I asked.
He grinned. “That would be awesome.”
I went back into the kitchen and stood next my freshly brewed coffee. I tried to stop replaying everything about him in my mind. From the soundless way he moved, to the way that he had held me in the midst of my panic attack, or the way that he spoke, but especially what he’d just said.
My dream is to keep the people dearest to me safe.
He may have been severely lacking in the romance gene department, but even I had to admit those words sounded genuine, unpretentious and pure-hearted. I felt my heart soften and realized immediately that I was playing a dangerous game. By the time I left the kitchen with the locksmith’s coffee I had hardened my heart again.
Britney sent me some of the shots she’d taken and I began to curate them. The locksmith left, I began to put everything back into place again, and life as I knew it kicked back into motion, but all day long my mind kept straying into the forbidden territory that was Maxim.
I couldn’t stop thinking of him.
Even when I forced myself to remember the hate I had for him over Anna, that too had seemingly faded in intensity in light of his explanation.
Britney came back. The night stretched intolerably. The next day was long. I kept looking at my phone. I wanted to call him, see him, touch him. Way too many times the sudden urge for him to touch me again completely overwhelmed me. At night, I thought of him and touched myself. The orgasm was so intense I nearly cried out. When daylight broke, I felt like a junkie. Even Britney commented on my appearance at breakfast. We worked together in silence. Then I left for my evening job for the first time since my injury.
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