by SR Jones
She tosses her head in annoyance, and I smile a little. She’s going to be okay. Her anger, I can take; her sorrow, I cannot.
Her almost white hair settles around her shoulders, and I can’t resist letting a strand of it run through my fingers.
“I don’t want to do this. I hate leaving you, and I’m scared you won’t forgive me, but I can’t leave a threat to you and Eli out there.”
She might as well ask me not to breathe. Keeping Violet, and now our daughter, safe is what I do. Who I am.
“Well, you better damn well hope they don’t come here while you’re gone.” Her full lips tighten.
Her words are meant to hurt, and they do, but I know we can keep ultra-tight security here for a period. We just can’t do it forever, which is what leaving these fuckers alive would mean.
“There are people coming here to help, and I trust them.”
She gives a long sigh. “Great, more strange men with guns. Wonderful. Do I know them?”
“You know Reece, right? He’s going to be here. And do you remember Cole? Ex US Special Forces? Worked with Damen and Alesso?”
She nods. “He’s coming to stay. He’s been doing some shit out in South America, and he’s coming back. He’s been looking for a woman and hasn’t managed to find her yet. He’s coming back for a month or so to re-think things. He’s agreed to stay here instead of Athens, and he’s bringing a friend. Guy called Priest.”
“I barely know Cole, and I don’t know this Priest person at all. He sounds highly dubious with a name like that. I’m sure it’s some boys joke because he’s anything but pious. Probably a man-whore who drinks all day long and smokes cigars.”
I chuckle at that and pull her in for a kiss, but she slips out of my arms and storms into the shower.
I follow her immediately. She closes the shower door in my face and turns the spray on, her back to me. I take a moment to admire her perfect shape. Despite being small, she has long, lean legs, and that full ass, ripe and firm, a tiny waist, and slender shoulders. She’s perfect. Her waist is a little softer since she had our daughter, her belly too, and Violet hates it, but I love it. It’s a sign of her strength and what she went through.
Watching her give birth was the most amazing experience of my life. At the time I felt as if God had forgiven me. Now, I’m not so sure. Now, I think maybe God gave me that wonderful moment just to fuck with me, to show me how full my life was and how easily it could all be taken away again.
Pushing the door open, I step into the shower behind Violet and wrap my arms around her. She goes deadly still, and I wait to see if she’s going to hit me or let me stay. The moment she sags I know she’s letting me stay.
“I love you,” I breathe into her damp hair. “So much, zaika, and I swear to you, I’m coming home. And when I do, you will be safe. The crime world used to tremble at my name, and it seems some have forgotten. I need to remind them.”
She turns to me, her eyes burning with that fierceness she keeps deep inside. “If you must do this, then you do it to the best of your ability. You make these evil people fucking shake when they hear the name Andrius, and you come home to me safe. If you don’t? I’ll never forgive you. Never.”
“I’ll come home, baby. I promise.”
It’s a promise I pray I can keep.
Chapter Two
Violet
I didn’t sleep a wink after we returned to bed last night. Andrius fell into a deep sleep, but I laid awake all night until the dawn crept in.
He’s still sleeping now, or he was when I slipped out of bed and left him. I needed some space. Time to think. Eli had her early morning feed, and now I’m sitting in the kitchen sipping at a frothy coffee that Cassie made me.
She’s gone back to bed. To be with Konstantin. I’m all alone. The two maids, the ones who Andrius thinks I don’t know are armed, are cleaning. It’s so odd that they clean and polish as if they’re actual maids, when I know they’re anything but.
He thinks I’m naïve, but I know a lot more about what goes on than my husband realizes. Much of the time I keep it to myself because I know he believes he’s keeping me safe and stopping me from worrying, but this decision of his to go and fight these dark forces is tearing me apart inside.
There’s a lead weight of dread in the center of my chest. Konstantin is battling to get back to health after a serious injury, and Andrius had his own battles not that long ago, yet he’s going back out there to fight once more.
I understand why. I get it. This morning, I spent a long time looking down on our beautiful, innocent daughter. Eli is the only reason I’m allowing this. If it were only Andrius and I, then I’d tell him to stay by my side and let the chips fall as they may. If it all ended tomorrow, so long as we were together, I honestly would prefer it to the weeks, or months, of torture ahead. Being dead doesn’t scare me. Living without Andrius terrifies me.
He’s right, though. We have responsibilities now, and Eli hasn’t lived yet. She deserves a life ahead of her, and her father is going to give her one. Even if it means endangering his own.
A shadow covers the table, and I glance up to see Konstantin looking at me.
He smiles. “Something I can’t see in that tabletop? Does it contain your future written in wood grain?”
I laugh. “I’m just thinking.”
“He has to do it, you know. As soon as I’m back to functioning levels of recovery, I’ll join him.”
His arm is still in a sling except for when the physio comes to see us. She’s searched and checked out every time she arrives, as if she’s a criminal, but she accepts it with calm equanimity.
“I know, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it, and if he gets himself killed, I’ll never forgive him.”
He laughs. “He loves you that much; he’d probably haunt you until you tell him you still love him too.”
He hefts the electric kettle with one hand and fills it in the tap. A lot of Greek houses don’t use a kettle; they boil their water for coffee or tea on the stove, but I insisted on one. Konstantin uses the elbow of the arm in a sling to push the tap open. He fills the kettle, places it on the counter, and turns the tap off.
Everything he does needs to be considered. It must be tiring. His face isn’t as drawn now, though, and Cassie says most days he gets by without painkillers.
He flips the kettle on and waits until it is boiling, then takes a coffee cup from the coffee maker and tops it off with hot water.
Expecting him to head back upstairs, I’m surprised when he sits at the table and sips at his coffee.
Konstantin unnerves me a little. The others, not so much. The way I see it, why would Damen or Vasily scare me when I’m with Andrius? You don’t fear the courtiers when you’re with the king. But Konstantin… He’s a king too, a different breed altogether from most ordinary men. The man is cold, calculating, and frankly, I think he’s a bossy bastard.
Cassie is a gorgeous person, inside and out, so this big, dour man must have some redeeming features… Or he's seriously good in the sack. I bite back a smile and sip my drink.
“Andrius has finally forgiven Zoey, I believe,” he says, in that gruff voice.
“Erm, yes, I think so. She’ll never be his favorite person, but he sees her with her daughter, and I think he understands when he looks at Eliana.”
I sip again, wanting to say more, but I’m nervous. Then I think, sod it. This is my house, and I need to stop being so in awe of this man. “I’m surprised you forgave her.”
Konstantin doesn’t strike me as the forgiving kind.
He laughs softly and lifts his hard gaze to meet mine. “Do you know why I forgave her?”
I shake my head.
“Two reasons. One is that she spared Cassie and my unborn child. Sometimes,” he muses, gaze drifting to the windows, “I honestly wonder if I have a heart. I thought it was long dead, but now Cassie is my heart. She’s right here.” He thumps his chest and gives me his intense stare.
I resist the urge to look away, suddenly wanting to know this man who is, after all, in some ways closer to Andrius than anyone else, other than myself and Eliana. They went through hell together, and that creates a bond like no other.
“When Zoey didn’t kill Cassie, she saved a part of me. That means there is a debt there. But then there’s a counter debt because she did this.” He gestures to his arm in the sling. “Here’s the thing, though. Vasily is loyal. I have learned the hard way this past year how much loyalty means, and how difficult it can be to find. If I would have killed Zoey, he would have become my enemy, no?”
I nod, not sure if his question is rhetorical or not.
“Also, Zoey feels terrible. Every time that woman looks at me, she feels guilt. She failed to do what she had to with me, but she stepped up and did it with our enemies.” He pauses. “How much do you know?”
I shrug. “More than Andrius thinks. He told me we’re in a war with some group called The Starz Allianz, but other things he keeps from me.” I wonder if I should tell Konstantin what I know about the maids, but I decide against it. If he tells Andrius, my husband will be angry and feel I’ve betrayed him. One day, though, I will tell Andrius I know who and what those women are. “I hear things, too. You men aren’t quiet, and sometimes I hear you talking. Plus, when you’ve seen your husband’s close friend shot, and witnessed your husband pistol whip another man, well; you know he isn't an accountant. And let’s not forget how I met Andrius. I was kidnapped and given to him. I know what he does … or did. I know what his world is like. So, as I say, I am aware he isn't an accountant, or an insurance clerk.”
Konstantin laughs at that. “Perish the thought. I didn’t want to overstep is all. We don’t generally talk business in front of our women, but this isn’t merely business anymore. It’s life or death. A war. And whilst you may not be an active soldier in this war, you’re most definitely part of it, as is Cassie, and all the people we love. I think in this instance, honesty is the best way.”
“If it keeps us safe then honesty is paramount.”
He sips and gives me a smile. It’s not as warm as Andrius’ smile, which transforms his face, but it’s better than the cold, hard set of his jaw when he’s not smiling. “I agree. So, as I was saying, Zoey feels terrible, and that makes her a great asset. We don’t have many women who fight by our side. Zoey will. Firstly, because she owes us a debt. Secondly, because she’s guilty and wants to make amends, and thirdly because, deep down, she’s a fighter. Vasily won’t like it, but he also owes me a debt. I let his lover live, when by rights she should be six feet under by now. Zoey, she lives, but she becomes a soldier in this strange army we are building, and Vasily stays loyal. I wouldn’t want to have that man against me because he’s a fighter to the death. So, you see, Violet, I didn’t forgive her out of the goodness of my heart. I forgave her because debts cancel debts, and I can control my emotions enough to let someone live who has put me through a world of hurt—if it meets my ultimate goals.”
I swallow thickly. Yep, cold and dangerous. “I’m glad you’re on Andrius’ side,” I say softly.
He purses his lips and rubs his stubble covered jaw. “Andrius sat in a stinking hole full of piss and shit with me, covered in the brains of our dead comrade, as we counted down to go over the top. He’s like a brother. He’s also pretty much the only person in this world I’d be scared of having as an enemy. So yes, I’m on his side, and he’s on mine.”
I wonder if the feeling is mutual. Does Andrius see Konstantin as one of the few people he fears?
“I’m terrified he’s going to get himself killed,” I whisper the words, scared to give them the power of using my full voice.
“There’s always a risk, but right now, they don’t know how or when we’re going to hit them, and they have distinct weaknesses. The thing about The Starz Allianz.” He breaks off and laughs. “What a fucking shitty name. The thing about them is they’re incredibly violent, and so they’re feared. They have no morals, no boundaries, and people are terrified, but do you know what else they don’t have?”
I shake my head.
“Discipline and skill. We have that in droves. They’re a million miles from what I’ve built, from what Stamatis has built, and even from someone like Allyov. Hell, some of the Bratva are so mainstream now, they’re legit businessmen. I was. Add in the military training we’ve all had, and that makes us so much more prepared than they are for this war. They’ve used bold moves to take territory from older, weaker crime families, but now with us? They’re up against something they aren’t used to. Andrius is deadly. He’s better with a gun than anyone I’ve ever met. If I had to have one person with me in any stinking foxhole, it would be him. So yes, there’s a risk, always is, but the momentum is on our side. We’ve already taken out their leader. They’re rudderless. Add in to that the fact they’re from many different nations, and I’d bet anything there are internal rivalries we can attack. We are focused. Precise. I believe, deep fucking down, Violet, that we will prevail. Then you, Andrius, and Eliana can live free the way he wants.”
I nod and find myself blinking back tears. I fervently hope Konstantin is correct.
A thumping on the door makes me jump. God, why do those Spetsnaz guys always do that?
Konstantin pushes himself out of his chair with his good arm and goes to the door, peering out. His good arm rests on his gun holster. I don’t even know if he can shoot it with that arm? Why he’s so worried anyway, I don’t understand. It’s bound to be one of our guys seen as they’re knocking on the back kitchen door, and no one can get onto the property, but Andrius and Konstantin are being incredibly careful.
He opens it, and the soldier who knocked steps in. I don’t know his name. He’s a strange looking man with small, beady eyes, but a nice smile. I peer around him to see two large men. One is good looking, and the other is … he’s simply huge and rough. Scary.
Behind them I see a familiar face and grin. “Damen,” I say, getting up. “Come in. I’ll go fetch Andrius.”
Damen pushes past the other two men, and grins at me.
“I’ll go grab Andrius. I need to make a quick call anyway.” Konstantin slaps Damen on the back and heads out of the kitchen.
Damen enters, grabs my shoulders, and kisses both my cheeks. “Violet, you look well,” he says in that deep, rich baritone of his.
The two men follow him inside, and one of them, the good looking one, I recognize. I’m not sure if I’ve met him, or simply seen his picture before; maybe when Andrius and Konstantin were going through the men they were looking to hire. The other is a as big as Damen, but very different in appearance. He has long black hair, deep blue eyes, a rugged, lined face, and silver rings on his fingers. He looks like an overgrown rock star, or a biker.
“Violet, this is Cole, and this is Priest.” Damen points to each man in turn.
So this man is Priest? I smile at them both. “Would you gentlemen like a drink?”
“Love a beer,” Cole says.
It’s only early morning, but I shrug and go get him his beer.
“Juice for me, if you have any,” Priest states.
He’s American, like Cole. His voice is deep but soft.
Footsteps have me looking up to see my husband enter the room. “Drink?” I ask.
Andrius shakes his head. “You let me sleep in.”
His hair is ruffled and messy, and it makes me smile. So different these days from when I first met him, and he used a gel on it that made it shine dark and sleek.
“Andrius,” Cole says with a grin.
The two men greet one another with a backslapping handshake. Then Andrius says, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out finding Pamela.”
“I haven't given up,” Cole replies. “Damen’s still on it, and we might have a possible lead, but we were wasting time down there, when we could be helping here. You know that if something solid comes up, I’ve got to go.”
It’s a firm statement, not a question. �
��Of course, totally understand. Have a seat.” Andrius gestures to the table, and the two men sit.
I get Priest his juice and Cole his beer.
Andrius raises his brows. “Bit early, isn’t it?”
Cole laughs. “I don’t know what time zone I’m in, so not really. My body still thinks it is nighttime.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Andrius tells them.
Damen is leaning against the sink. And his face lights up into a smile when Cassie and Konstantin enter the room.
“Ah, Cassie. Would you be willing to make an old man one of your wonderful coffees?”
“Old man,” she says with a giggle. “As if. And yes, I would. Anyone else want one?”
Since they moved in here for the duration of Konstantin’s rehab, the house always smells of lovely coffee aromas. Cassie brought the fancy machine into our kitchen the day they moved in. The funny thing is, she doesn’t drink it much, says she prefers tea.
She sets about making coffees, taking everyone’s orders. The men joke with one another, and for a short moment, it all feels normal, but I know there’s something dark heading our way.
How will I cope without Andrius? We have a young baby, and she’s needy. I’m tired. I hate him being away at the best of times, never mind now.
Leaving the men to talk, I head out of the kitchen and into the living area, where I curl up on a sofa and stare out at the gray day.
“Hey.”
I jump and look over to Cassie who comes and sits nearby. “The coffee will take a moment,” she says. “Are you alright?”
I nod, but then pause. Instead of lying, I go with the truth. “Not really.”
“Me either,” she says. “As soon as he can fight again, K says he’s joining in this awful war. I hate it.”
“Yep, me too,”
“I wanted to say, if you’d like me to, I erm … I could stay. Once K has finished his rehab I mean. I could stay and help out. With the baby, and with things around the house. And we’d be company for one another, but also I totally understand if you’d prefer to have me out of your hair.”
