by Raven Rivers
Zoe turned to him. “Did you get there in time?”
Reaching for Bethany, he pulled her down into his lap. Circling his arm protectively around her waist, he tugged her close. “I should have never left my wife unprotected, but yes. She had taken a bottle of sleeping pills, and I got her to the emergency room in time.”
“It was for the best. Everyone lived.”
“Next time, I will send men to check on others who might be in danger and remain with my wife.”
Zoe cackled with laughter. “Don’t be silly. You can’t sit on top Bethany like an old mother hen. You gotta let her live.”
Glancing away, Valisy grumbled, “I will consider your words, Madam Zoe.”
“Madam is my stage name. You can just call me Zoe.”
Just then people began screaming that the deck was on fire. Bethany jumped off Valisy’s lap and gestured to a nearby closet. “The fire extinguisher is in there, sitting on the floor to the right.”
Grabbing it, Valisy ran around and began spraying the few flames. Once it was out, he cleaned the unit and tucked it neatly back into the closet. Moving along the edges of her huge family, Valisy’s eyes were ever on his new bride. Since her harrowing ordeal, she had bounced back with her typical sass. To everyone else, she appeared resilient and determined to get back to her regular life. Valisy knew better. Her dreams were still haunted and she still felt uneasy sometimes in public.
Polishing off his plate of food, he watched Bethany fill an extra container with leftovers. The only person without a holiday meal in their world was Dina. After learning how important the woman was to him, Bethany never missed an opportunity to show kindness to her. Her kindness and innocence made his chest tighten. He didn’t have it in him to tell Bethany what a hot mess Dina was these days.
No man on Earth deserved Bethany, but he’d try to be worthy of her. The truth was he was far too selfish to ever let her go.
She needed him. He knew this because they did everything together. Every night she curled up on his chest and promptly fell asleep. Without him at her side, she woke with nightmares. Once he figured this out, he made it a practice never to leave her sleeping alone. Being needed by such a beautiful creature gave his life meaning.
Pulling out his cell phone, he texted Dimitri.
Valisy: I have a lead on the shooters from Zoe’s house.
Dimitri: Good. Are you having fun with Bethany’s family?
Valisy: They act like I’m not here, mostly.
Dimitri: Too bad for you, my friend. They seem to love Mishka.
Valisy: Don’t remind me. How’s pretty boy?
Dimitri: Do not ask about things that are not your concern, Valisy. What lead do you have?
Valisy: Bethany and Zoe insist the shooters were there for something related to her, not us.
Dimitri: That’s interesting.
Valisy: They have only one clue. It has to do with the moon.
Dimitri: I will look for business with the moon in their logo and stuff like that.
Valisy: We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to clues, are we not?
Dimitri: Yes, but we will not stop until we figure it out. How’s Bethany holding up?
Valisy: Fine. How did you say Draj was doing?
Dimitri: Fuck off, you know we don’t even do turkey day.
Valisy: Trust me, it is for the best.
Dimitri: You don’t like turkey?
Valisy: Bethany’s family’s deck caught on fire while they were cooking their turkey.
Dimitri: Shit, are you kidding?
Valisy: Bethany has made a container of food for Dina. Can we get someone to deliver it?
Dimitri: Sure. I’ll see who I can dig up.
Valisy: Thanks. You’re smart for staying away from her.
Pocketing the phone, Valisy picked up his plate from the table and took it into the kitchen.
Chapter 18
New Beginnings
~ Valisy ~
As the horror of that day faded, it felt for Valisy like he had been reborn into another life, one filled with beauty, loveliness, and humor. Being with Bethany was unlike any experience he had ever known. His new wife was definitely made of the finer things in life. Her delicate emotions were part of what made her precious in his eyes. One thing was for certain: he would rather have no sex with her than everything else with anyone else.
Staring at himself in the mirror as he shaved, Valisy realized that he had almost let his overly emotional friend ruin the best thing that ever happened to him. He would have to guard against that in the future. She was still pestering him to take her out and spend private time with her, but he’d not allowed it.
Dina was a problem, and had been her whole life. All the guys now understood how destructive she could be. Most had washed their hands of her. Valisy hated to throw away people, no matter their problems. However, spending any amount of time around her would result in her doing something stupid that would cost him his tenuous marriage. There was no doubt in his mind about that.
The woman was a harbinger of bad luck, coupled with continuous poor decision making. When it came to causing trouble, that girl could create mounds of it, no problem. The one thing he could rely upon with her was that in any given situation, she would make the most wrong choice possible. The amount of disruption she had caused was nauseating. Chasing after her that night was a poor decision born of bad habits. That stupid move had cost him the trust Bethany had been so generous to give him at the start of their relationship.
Timur had forbidden them to have her around after she got caught red-handed sneaking small bills from the safe at one of his internet cafes. Steiv had talked their boss into giving her one last chance waiting tables at his fancy restaurant. Steiv’s argument was that getting her away from the copious amounts of drugs and alcohol to be had in the gentleman’s club would help her to stay straight. Steiv had begged her to go into rehab, but she once again refused. Nothing good would come of continuing a friendship with her, but he just couldn’t find it in his heart to ice her out completely. He had lost too many friends to the cold streets, and he vowed to never lose another.
He just had to figure out how to proceed. For the life of him, he just couldn’t envision a future where he was happily married that included Dina in any way, shape, or form. Wiping the excess shaving cream from his face, he walked out to the bedroom and looked down at his sleeping wife. Her beautiful bronze skin contrasted against the stark white sheets. Long, luxurious eyelashes rested against her soft skin - the skin he longed to caress and kiss. Wanting nothing more than the trust of that first night back, he thought about how very close he’d come to losing her. Taking a stuttering breath, he tried to put the situation out of his mind.
Heading to the kitchen, he sat alone at the table, waiting on his coffee, waiting on his breakfast, waiting on his wife and his day to start. Something about sitting there alone seemed like a stark reminder of how he’d live the rest of his life if he didn’t keep Dina away from his marriage and figure out who was after his lovely wife.
Their food came and his wife woke in a good mood. The dull, throbbing pain in Valisy’s chest eased up a bit. He loved to see his Bethany happy. Having random weekdays off was nice. He could get a lot done in a day if he weren’t fighting his way through the Christmas crowds.
“My Bethany, what are you getting me for Christmas?”
She didn’t look up from buttering her toast. “Aren’t gifts supposed to be a big secret?”
“I am a curious man, indulge me.”
“Umm, I don’t know. Have you been a good boy this year?” Her voice was light and playful. Valisy was an extremely naughty boy. However, he had absolutely no intention of owning up to that today, especially with tokens of affection to be claimed. He bit his lips together to keep from laughing.
“In my personal or professional life?” He fully recognized most men wouldn’t need to make that distinction.
“Let’s not count your p
rofessional life, shall we? We both know that would automatically land you right on the naughty list.”
“Well, I have been good, except that one minor indiscretion. Are we counting that?”
“I’m afraid you have been into much more than that. The way I hear it, you have a history of sexing your way through every female in the tri-state area. As far as I’m concerned, you belong on the naughty list. Guess you’ll be finding lumps of coal in your stocking this year.”
“Fair enough, I suppose. I will have to work on making my way off the naughty list for next year, then; unless you can think of a way for me to earn extra credit for this year. I really want to be on your nice list.”
“You can start by taking your wife shopping. We’ve had a lot of danger and drama lately. I’m ready for some fun.”
“Consider it done. Anything else come to mind?”
She twirled a bit of her hair around a delicate finger. “Maybe if you purchase some Christmas-themed lingerie for us, I might see fit to let you work on an extra credit assignment. Or better yet, you can pick something for me and I will pick something for you.”
Valisy couldn’t keep the smile from creeping onto his face. “I am grateful for the chance to earn extra credit, Miss Bethany. You are a beautiful, yet confusing woman. I thought we were on a break from romance.”
Putting her coffee cup down, she stared at him. “After everything we’ve been through, why not? We deserve some fun, after all.”
“I think you are teasing me, Miss Bethany. However, I will play your game. You can school me in the ways of earning extra credit this holiday season.”
Rolling her eyes, she replied sarcastically, “I’m a good teacher.”
“I will strive to be a quick study.”
“As I remember it, students learn more rapidly with stern teachers. I would hate to have to paddle you for not putting forth your best effort.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll work with my sleeves down on it.” Suspecting she didn’t understand the Russian saying, he decided to change the subject. “Shall I have Mishka pick up a tree for us?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“He normally gets our trees. He is actually good at it.”
“Couples choose their Christmas tree together. It is a sign of unity.”
“In that case, I would very much like to choose my tree with you.”
“Glad I’m at the top of your list to select trees with. We’ll shop first and pick out a tree on the way home. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Give Mishka the day off, and then let’s get out of here. As my dad would say, we’re burning daylight.”
“Strangely enough, I understand the expression.”
Chapter 19
Sugar and Spice
~ Valisy ~
Valisy muscled them through a throng of shoppers. He ignored the urge to complain about the number. It wasn’t quite Christmas yet and most stores were standing room only. Who would have thought so many would be out before the American turkey day even arrived. He glanced down at his little wife. She seemed happy and content, so he tried to be as well. He was well aware of the fascination women had with shopping, and steeled himself to tromp in and out of every store. Just when he was beginning to really regret agreeing to come, he noticed that Bethany seemed to have a plan that involved targeting only certain stores.
“My dear, if you will tell me what shops you are intent upon visiting, I will navigate us to them as efficiently as possible.”
“Great, I haven’t shopped here very often. I forget where everything’s located. I can remember near enough, just not exactly.”
She rattled off her choices, Valisy pulled up a quick schematic of the mall and got down to the business of getting them out of there as rapidly as possible. His new little wife could get a lot done in a short amount of time. She was in and out at lightning speed. Before he could get turned around, he found himself carrying multiple huge bags stuffed with all manner of gifts.
They broke for lunch and Valisy took their packages out to the trunk. So far, the shopping experience hadn’t been half bad. They didn’t hang around the same store for hours. He had never seen someone spend quite so much money in such a short period of time. The only thing that could possibly make him happier would be if she were spending his money. He supposed she was quite not comfortable with him that way. As soon as he arrived back at the restaurant, he could tell something was wrong. He stalked over to their table.
“Bethany, what is it? You look frightened.”
Her big brown eyes stared up at him and she swallowed hard. “Noth-nothing. It was probably nothing. I felt a hand on my neck. I turned around and no one was there. Maybe I just imagined it.”
Not wishing to compound her fear, he agreed. “It may have been by accident when someone walked past. The restaurant is very crowded today.”
She nodded and relaxed again.
Valisy surveyed their surroundings. That’s when he saw it. A table behind Bethany had a glass of water with melting ice and a menu on the table but no diner. To his mind, it meant someone was sitting there and left prior to ordering. The question was why. He looked around for security cameras. After finding them he settled in for lunch, intent on making distracting conversation. After lunch they hit the very last shop on their list. The lingerie store was a bit overwhelming. While Bethany shopped for him, he approached a sales associate. She perked right up.
“How may I assist you today, sir? Are you shopping for your girlfriend?”
“My wife.” He could hear the pride in his own voice and it made him smile. “She is shopping in the men’s section of your store. I would like every single set of holiday lingerie in your store bagged immediately as well as everything you have in red and green. All in a size six, please. And don’t forget stockings. I really love stockings on a beautiful woman. Just give them to me in every color you have.”
The girl stifled a giggle. “At least you know what you want. It’ll take the three of us a minute to get that together for you.”
He nodded and began looking around for other things of interest. The girls were surprisingly fast. They had him checked out and his purchases loaded into three huge bags with handles before Bethany made it to the counter to check out.
She shot him a strange look. “How many women are you shopping for today, husband?”
“Just one.”
“Did you win a lifetime award of lingerie or something?”
“No. I did not.”
“Why did you buy so much? Was it an inability to decide?”
“Are you certain you want to know?”
“It apparently pertains to me, so yeah. I want to know.”
“I don’t want to feel guilty when I rip pretty lacy things from your beautiful body. If I buy it, I don’t have to feel bad if I break it.”
Her eyes got big. “Plan to do a lot of ripping, do you?”
“Yes. Much ripping. Are you ready to check out? I would like to go home now.”
“Alright. You’ve been a good sport. Want to stop for a tree or skip it?”
“I would prefer to stop and choose the unifying tree with you, if that is alright.”
She smiled faintly and shook her head. Even though she shook her head no, she said yes. “I think that is an idea I could get behind.”
Choosing a tree was more fun than Valisy had anticipated. Somehow the idea of purchasing a unifying tree sounded like a solemn occasion. The experience turned out to be quite the opposite. It was rife with fun and laughter as they looked over the tree lot. When it was all said and done, they chose a large tree with long needles. Valisy thought they would be lucky if it fit in her home.
When they arrived back home, his world was shaken to the core. He noticed it as soon as he walked into the kitchen. Their breakfast dishes were still on the table, but his coffee cup had been moved. The handle was definitely pointing in the wrong direction. He was very much right handed. The handle should have been
point right. He had sat the cup down with it pointing right. Now it was pointing to the left. Such a small thing., and yet it proved that someone had overridden his home security protocols.
He approached Bethany cautiously. “Have you given our security codes to anyone? A friend or relative? Maybe to feed your pet while you were away.”
He knew the answer before he asked. She had only been away once. That had been to see her parents for a three-day weekend. Mishka had already reported that she took her pet with her. His friend had been fascinated by the idea of special containment unit for transporting small creatures. He described it as a huge hamster cage with a handle.
Her brow furrowed. “No, of course not. The only people who know it are me, you, and Mishka. The whole point of security is to restrict access. If my family wants to visit, they can ring the bell like everyone else.”
“Was there anyone present when they installed the system?”
“Just Draj and Stan, the chest starer.”
While she went to sort through her latest acquisitions, Valisy alerted everyone about his suspicions that someone was following Bethany. Dimitri volunteered to work on getting ahold of the security camera from the restaurant. Mishka offered to provide an extra layer of security by shadowing them. An hour later, his smart phone jingled with the footage from the restaurant. He could make out the blurry vision of a male, possibly Stan, walking by her just before she jumped.”
Valisy could feel the rage building in his gut. He felt violated on Bethany’s behalf. That another male dared to touch her without her approval was almost more than he could bear. He sent Dimitri a text and his friend texted back an hour later that the address Stan had given turned out to be a fake.
He was pulled from plotting Stan’s slow, painful death by his lovely new wife modeling elf lingerie for him. To his mind she looked more like a delicate fairy than a Christmas elf, but that was beside the point. She looked good enough to eat, so he followed her to the bedroom.
“I wish to see you just like this every night until Christmas.”
