I wish I could erase every horrific memory of my past. But I don’t deserve to forget. I deserve every ounce of pain and torture that comes with those memories. I’m the one who brought hell straight onto my family’s doorstep. If I had been half the man I should have been, my parents would still be alive and my sister wouldn’t be haunted by a monster who took her innocence.
A shuffling noise behind me startles me out of my thoughts. Ronan walks silently through the hall and turns into my sister’s kitchen. A couple of minutes later, he remerges carrying two tumblers full of what looks to be Scotch. Walking over to where I’m sitting, he extends his hand out and offers me one of the glasses.
“How is she?” I ask before taking a sip. I’d come straight to Adriana’s apartment once I’d gotten his voicemail. In between consoling my sister, he’d managed to fill me in on some of what had happened. But I still don’t know enough of the story.
Ronan sinks into the oversize leather chair across from me. “She’s sleeping. Or at least she’s pretending to be.” He takes a long swig of his drink and then rests the tumbler on his knee. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in this bad shape, D.”
I study his worried expression over the rim of my glass. I know he cares about my sister, but this is a different kind of worry…a deeper kind of worry.
“I still don’t understand why she asked for you instead of me.” I can’t mask the irritation in my voice. The fact that my sister had reached out to Ronan first is a hard blow—even harder to accept once I arrived and she asked for him to sit with her until she fell asleep. She’s always needed me when she was frightened. I’ve nursed her through dozens of panic attacks. What’s suddenly changed?
Keeping his focus on the tumbler in front of him, he shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess because I live closer to her than you do.”
He’s lying.
“Besides, you didn’t exactly answer your phone when I called you earlier.”
I grit my teeth as I speak. “I came as quickly as I could. I had important business to take care of.”
“Since when did you start choosing business over your sister?”
“You know I always put her first. This wasn’t ordinary club business that I was dealing with. I was trying to figure out this bullshit with Lennox.”
Ronan shoots forward in his chair. “You met him?”
“The other night at the docks. He wants to use the club to scrub money for some local business he has here.”
Ronan bolts up straight. “You met with the motherfucker without talking to me first? Are you insane?”
His reaction is exactly why I didn’t tell him until now.
“He sent Natasha to my office. I only agreed to the meeting because I wanted to make sure he knew better than to come anywhere near Adriana or the club. That was before I knew he’d cross that line anyway. He’s always been good at sending messages.”
Ronan’s jaw tenses. “We need to figure this out, D. He can’t get away with this.”
“He won’t. I have a plan.”
“Then perhaps you should fill me on it, because you’re not doing this alone.”
There’s no way I can risk telling him my true intentions of this partnership with Lennox. If he knew the goal was to kill Lennox, he’d never let me go through with it. Ronan took an oath with the government to serve and protect. Our definitions of justice are too far apart on this. And I plan to get retribution, even if it costs me my life and freedom in the process.
“The less you know about this plan, the better. Let’s just say the agency won’t approve of what I have in store for Mr. Novak’s future.”
“Fuck the agency. This is personal.”
I narrow my gaze on my friend. “I know you care about Adriana, but she’s my sister. She’s not your responsibility.”
“Care about her? Is that really how you think I feel?”
“Do you want to enlighten me?”
“Ever since the day I met your sister, I’ve watched her get stronger, braver. And in one instant, that fucking monster puts all of that fear back into her eyes. I can’t stand back and pretend to just be her friend any longer, especially now.” He takes a few short breaths. “I’m in love with her. And don’t act like you’re fucking surprised about it either.”
I clench my jaw and stand, staring him down. “You love her?”
“Is that a problem?” His challenge catches me off guard.
Is it a problem? Is there someone else I’d rather care for her? Even if the thought of them sharing a bed isn’t one I want to imagine, I can’t deny that she’s safer with him than anyone else. Maybe even safer than she’d be with me, which is something I have to consider now that Lennox has her in his sights.
“And what about her? How does she feel about this?” I ask.
“Demitri.” We both turn to find my sister standing in the hallway. The men’s T-shirt she’s wearing hangs off her petite frame, hitting her just mid-thigh. Her long blond waves are a tangled mess. She looks so tired and broken, everything that I fought so hard to keep her from. “Please don’t fight over this. You’re my blood. But Ronan is… He’s everything to me.”
Ronan moves past me toward her. He stops in front of her and brushes her hair away from her face. “No more pretending,” he says before kissing her gently on the lips.
A strange feeling of envy grows inside me. Somewhere deep, I yearn for that kind of closeness with Katherine, but I don’t deserve it. She deserves to be cherished by someone who isn’t consumed with dark secrets and demons from an ugly past. And that someone would never be me.
Adriana wraps her arm around Ronan’s midsection, and they move into the living room together. I know from the anxious look on her face that she is preparing for my reaction. There is a lot I want to say, but now isn’t the time to get into all of that. I believe in actions, not words. If Ronan loves my sister as much as he says he does, then he’ll have to prove it.
“I want you to take Adriana and leave town,” I say.
Adriana objects first, tears glimmering in her eyes. “No, I’m not leaving. You’re the only family I have left, Demitri. Lennox has taken enough from me. I won’t lose you to him too.”
“I don’t need reminding of what we’ve lost, Adriana. I see it every night when I close my eyes. I thought I was protecting you when I brought you here to the States. I thought by starting a new life, we could put the past behind us. But as long as Lennox breathes, neither one of us will ever be free. I have to end this… For the both of us.”
“Then we do it together,” Ronan says. The vengeance in his eyes reminds me that he’s in this fight. For his own reasons but for ours too. This is personal for him now.
“No,” I say firmly. “Adriana can’t be alone.”
“We can keep her close and still keep her safe. Think about it. Lennox will expect you to send her away. He won’t expect her to be right underneath his nose.”
I let his words sink in. As much as I hate to admit it, he might be right.
“She can stay with me at my place,” Ronan offers, pulling her against him.
I shake my head. “If either of you have been sleeping over at each other’s places—which I’m sure you have been—that’s not going to be safe. I don’t know how long he’s been watching her. It’s got to be somewhere she’s never been.”
“I can stay with Katherine,” Adriana suggests.
No way that’s going to happen. “Out of the question. Her father is the Attorney General. The last thing I need is for him to be asking questions about why you’re staying there.”
Ronan suddenly pales. “Shit.”
The way he says it sends chills up my spine.
“What?”
He pushes up from the couch and paces to the other side of the room. “Katherine was at the coffee shop when this all happened. I was so focused on calming Addi down, I didn’t think about—”
I bolt straight up and take threatening steps forward. “You didn’t think about
what it might mean to send Katherine out there unprotected?” I jerk my thumb toward the door, fresh panic sliding into my veins. “Fucking hell. If they’ve been watching this place, they’ve been watching mine too.”
Adriana’s voice is a small reminder that Ronan and I aren’t alone in this conversation. “She’s a friend, but we just met. I don’t know why they’d go after her.”
The silence becomes thick between us. She’s staring at me like only a sister does. Like she’s about to call me on my bullshit. All my lies.
“Demitri, how do you know her? You never gave me a straight answer that first day I met her.”
I run a tense hand over my face and exhale heavily. “We’ve been…seeing each other.”
Her jaw falls slightly. “For how long?”
“A while.”
“Like a year?”
I work my jaw, not liking the look on her face now any better. It’s full of accusation, and somehow I just know Katherine’s talked about us. God knows what she’s said. All I know is I deserve every ounce of blame and all the venom my sister’s sending my way.
“You’re an idiot, bratr.”
I nod tightly. “I know. I need to make some things right between us, and I will,” I promise. “But first I have to find her before Lennox does.”
Chapter Fourteen
Katherine
A strong winter wind slams into me as I step out of the department store, my arms heavy with shopping bags. With Christmas a few days away, I decided to pick up a few small things for Charlotte and my parents. Adriana too. Even though I know Ronan is taking care of her after the incident this afternoon, I feel bad for leaving her so upset. I can’t imagine what would send her into such turmoil. Then again, I haven’t known her very long.
I’m ready to hail a cab when a familiar sweet aroma makes its way to me—the bakery across the street. I tug my coat close to my body and quickly cross over. I’m not sure when I’ll see Demitri next, but when I think about what he might like from the massive sugary display, I let myself go overboard and leave with plenty of selections.
The large bronze clock hanging in my building’s lobby strikes six o’clock just as I step through the front doors.
“Evening, Cinderella.”
I halt at the sound of Derrick’s voice. Clenching my jaw, I shoot him a narrow look.
“Don’t ever call me that again. You may be on my father’s payroll, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take your shit.”
He smirks. “You know I’m not the bad guy here, right?” Derrick steps closer, raking his eyes down my body before settling his gaze on my chest. “If you want to stay out late, like I heard you did the other night when I was off shift, I’m more than willing to keep quiet about it.” He caresses his fingers along my exposed collarbone. “For a price, of course.”
I slap his hand away. “Get your hands off me. I’m not paying you a dime. Hit my dad up for cash if you need it so badly.”
A wicked grin spreads across his face. “I wasn’t talking about money, sweetheart. I’m more interested in another forms of payment.” Dropping his hand, he adjusts his crotch.
I avert my gaze, feeling sick to my stomach suddenly. “Stay the hell away from me.” I stagger backward and head for the elevators.
His laugh echoes in the lobby. “Think about it, Katherine. It’s a win-win. I get what I want, and you get what you want. Besides, you might just like it.”
I’m relieved to get to my apartment, away from Derrick’s prying eyes and indecent proposals. I drop the bags in the entryway and tug off my coat. One look at the pastries, and I remember Demitri. We don’t call each other a lot, but things feel different now. Like there might be a path forward. I take the box to the kitchen and pour a glass of wine, hoping to ease a little of the tension of the day before I brave a call.
A faint bang near the front of the apartment yanks me out of my thoughts. I set my glass down and listen. Footsteps. My heart starts beating wildly. So loudly I can hardly hear the steps as they get closer. My phone. It’s still in my purse.
Then I hear them. The voices of two men. I can’t understand what they’re saying, but I recognize the accents. Could they be friends of Demitri’s? The prospect doesn’t make me feel any better about intruders. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay focused. I could hide out and wait for them to leave, but the apartment isn’t that big. My phone is near the door. I can run for it and get out the door quickly. Maybe before they notice.
I’m shaking, but the prospect of waiting to see what they want is worse than making a run for it. So I do. I duck around the corner and sprint for the door. In my periphery, I see one of them coming out of my bedroom.
“She’s here!” he shouts.
I have to get out of here. Fast.
I trip over the shopping bags and scramble for my purse. The second I get my hand around the phone I feel myself being pulled back by the collar on my shirt, then my hair. I scream. The phone flies out of my grasp as I struggle to break free. The man swings me around, sending me stumbling deeper into the apartment. I straighten just enough to have him give me another shove onto the living room couch.
“Stay,” he barks.
There’s laughter behind him. Then another man’s face comes into view. He’s shorter and better-looking than the other one. Well-dressed in a crisp suit. My guess is he’s not the henchman but the boss. But who on earth are they?
“What do you want?” I can’t help the faltering in my voice.
My adrenaline is pumping so hard. I’ve never been this terrified in my life.
The boss saunters closer and takes a seat adjacent to me.
“What’s your name?”
I frown. If he doesn’t know who I am, he doesn’t know who my father is either.
“Katherine.”
He nods, his gaze traveling over me. “Pretty. Do you play at Nicoloff’s little club?”
I’m getting lightheaded, so I force my breathing to slow down. I shake my head.
“No? Why not?”
“He doesn’t want me there.”
He tilts his head to the side as if he’s genuinely intrigued. “Interesting. You must be special to him.”
I lock my jaw tight. I have no idea what I truly mean to Demitri, but even if I did, I wouldn’t tell this intruder.
“Who are you?”
“I’m an old friend of his. Name is Lennox.” An impish grin curves his lips. “I was hoping to find a way to work together, but I worry Nicoloff is going to drag his feet. I just don’t have a lot of time to play games. I came to see if you might send him a message for me.”
I swallow hard. “What kind of message?”
He licks his lips, his gaze wandering over me again. He takes his time, letting the silence hang awkwardly between us. “I was going to have you give him a little reminder. Tick tock. But now that I’ve met you, I wonder if he might need a stronger message.”
“I… I can call him if you want.” The possibility of getting Demitri on the phone…of letting him know I’m in danger and badly in need of his help is overwhelming to think about.
The panic is turning into something else. Desperation. It’s tightening my throat and burning at the backs of my eyes.
The henchman hands Lennox my phone. He takes it and casually flicks his finger over the screen.
“He’s called you. Many times.” He smiles again. “He must be worried.”
He tosses the phone aside, and I feel the tears threatening harder now. Why the hell did I have my phone on silent? Did he try to warn me? Did he know Lennox would come here?
“He’ll come for me,” I warn. I pray he will. He has to.
“I think he will. Not before we have some fun, though, all right? I want him to know I’m serious. Serious as I was last time his family tried to fuck with me.”
His family… Demitri’s parents. Adriana.
Everything clicks together. But it’s too late. He nods toward the henchman, who lunges for me.
>
I scream, but he’s not deterred. He flattens me onto the couch, holding me down with his knee on my chest. I can barely breathe but manage another feeble scream when I feel tugging at my jeans.
“No!”
I claw at anything I can reach, but the knee on my chest feels like a kiss once my wrists are wrenched into his viselike grip.
I can’t even pull enough air into my lungs to cry out, but I try. I beg for help and for Demitri. Hot, angry tears slip down my cheeks and pool in my ears. I kick against the man I can’t see, whose hands are tearing at my clothes and grabbing at my flesh.
“Please,” I beg. “Please don’t.”
A loud bang pierces the air. My ears ring, but I can suddenly breathe. The weight is gone. The furious clawing at my body has stopped. Then I see the blood. The henchman’s hands are drenched in it seconds before he drops onto my carpet. First on his knees. Then the rest of him collapses into an unmoving heap.
“Nothing happened.” Lennox is at the foot of the couch, hands in the air.
I scramble to a seated position. That’s when I see Demitri and he sees me. His muscles are coiled tight, but his face is ashen.
“Katherine.”
Ronan pushes forward, a handgun tight in his grasp. “On your knees, Lennox.”
“We can work this out,” the man says, dropping to his knees on command.
Ronan laughs roughly. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you. Even though you fucking deserve it.”
Demitri’s gaze darkens. He moves past Ronan, gaining on the man who nearly raped me. If they hadn’t gotten here in time…
I can’t finish the thought before Demitri takes him by the throat and slams him against the wall. “You vile piece of shit. I should crush your throat. Watch you fight for air. Watch you fucking die.”
“Nothing happened. I didn’t hurt her,” Lennox rasps, barely able to get the words out.
“D, don’t. He’s not worth it. I’ve got agents on the way. He’s done anyway.”
“He needs to pay,” Demitri growls. “This needs to end.”
Ronan glances between me and the scene playing out before us, his eyes betraying his worry. Demitri wants to end Lennox. But he can’t. I won’t let him ruin his life for vengeance.
Misadventures with a Master Page 7
