Standing on the beach as the waves beat against the shoreline, he channeled his anger into her pleasure. And why not? She had been the only decent human being he had encountered in a while.
Finally pulling away, he slid her down his body and placed her back down on the sand below before things got too out of control. Only now, she wasn’t as brash as she had been before. That kiss had somehow tamed her temporarily.
Licking her bruised lips, Sanaa straightened her lop-sided top and cleared her throat. She had felt his erection, only for a second, and was stunned by the length.
Glancing toward the crotch of his pants, she bit her lip. “What kind of a monster are you?” she asked, embarrassed by how wet he had made her with the slightest of effort.
Meeting a man then sleeping with him on the first night had never been her way, but tonight, she was certain that she would make an exception. It had been evident since his eyes landed on her – as wolf-like as they were. Never had she seen eyes like that on a human, never had she met someone so gigantic. If she had been superstitious, she would have thought him supernatural, a mystical thing from childhood stories. But Sanaa was a smart woman, in control of her own mind, and she saw him for what he really was – vulnerable and alone.
Dmitry spoke softly, watching her every move. The wetness of her still lingered on his fingertips, and he fought hard not to taste them in front of her. “I’m the worst kind,” he warned. His chest rose as he breathed raggedly. “Do you still want to go to your place?”
“Yes,” she answered truthfully, “but I think no matter what you do, you’re going to make me regret it.” That was her cross to bear now, because there was no turning back.
“You’re probably right again.” Dmitry looked out across the bay and thought of his wallet. There was more than just his identification that was now lost to the sea. But he’d figure that out when the time came; for now, he had to get her somewhere private or else take her right there. It didn’t matter to him – nothing did.
His vulnerability was only second to his sensuality. Both seemed to have cast a spell on her. “Let’s get you cleaned up then,” Sanaa said, resuming her walk. “But next time you’re going to do something like that, warn me first.”
Faith Baptist Hospice Center
Downtown Memphis
Noon
Anil stood by his mother’s hospital bed in complete silence. His painful gaze was set on her closed eyes and the unflinching relaxation of her beautiful face. Can she hear me? he wondered inwardly. Can she feel what this is doing to me? Is she hurting right now? Does she want to go? Does she know how much I love her? The questions were endless and completely unanswered by Sanaa.
The night before, he had given the doctor permission to remove her feeding tube, hoping it might relieve some of her pain. They had also removed her IV. The only thing left was to remove her ventilation. He was certain she would not continue to breathe on her own. Instead, she would drift away, far from his reach.
A tear dropped from the curve of his cheek onto the thin white sheet covering her. Momma. He said her name a thousand times to himself, unable to grasp that this moment was here before him. Although the room had been busy with the Medlov family coming in going in shifts, per Anatoly’s advisement, he had felt all alone.
Each of the Medlov men had something in common – a very dark commonality. All of their mothers had been taken from them by death. His father’s mother was murdered by a john, both Anatoly and Gabriel had lost their mothers to cancers, and even Vasily’s mother had long been out his life through a massive heart attack. As far as Marat and Boris, their most loyal guards, he wasn’t sure if they were even human. Neither showed much emotion and never spoke of family or the desire to ever have one. But the point was that while the men in his family had all suffered the loss of their mothers, this experience was singular for him.
Once, long ago, before his father came into his life, he had acknowledged that his mother was going to die. In his own introverted way, he had gone through each phase of grieving and arrived at the point of acceptance.
But then they came here.
And after several months, when the doctor had expressed the promise of a meaningful recovery in her condition, he had started to hope again. Fool! Those brief moments of happiness in their long journey erased all the progress he had made mentally.
In this nice, clean, tranquil, climate-controlled sanctuary where his father provided every amenity the terminally ill could be afforded including fresh flowers delivered daily by Royal’s florist, the best nurses in the city to care for her, a view of the garden from her enormous private room, and the French doors that led out to the healing grounds, he had started to cling to the one thing he had been denied for many years – the chance to hear her voice again.
Man, she used to have an amazing voice. From time-t0-time, she would sing to him when things got tough as a child, hoping she could lull him to sleep even though he was going to bed on an empty stomach. Her laugh could cheer up anyone, and her accent always made her sound so sophisticated. Everything about her sound was unique.
Now, she was unable to speak. He had not heard her voice in over three years. The last time she smiled was six months ago. And since the moment she was diagnosed, he had been forced to watch his mother slowly slip from this plane, losing more and more of her with every stage of her cancer.
What was left of Sanaa Baptiste paled in comparison to her former glory. Chemo had taken away her beautiful, wavy black short locks. She was completely bald, bruised head covered by a soft white hand-stitched coverlet made by Valeriya. Her face was sunken, discolored from her sickness. Her once healthy body was a shell, withered and weak.
“Maybe the doctor is right,” Anil finally spoke absently as he rubbed his mother’s arm. “Withdrawing treatment is the kindest thing I can do at this point.”
Dmitry stood at the foot of the bed, quietly looking at the women he had barely known, and the son he had made with her. “You’ve made the right decision.” He kept his eyes down, afraid to show too much emotion. His wife stood to his left, trying to be as supportive as possible, but he still understood how uncomfortable this situation must have made her. And his son needed to draw his strength from somewhere. If Anil could not depend on him in this hour of need, who could he depend on. There was simply no room for his own emotions right now. “Just know she’ll be in a better place.”
Dr. Owens walked into the room with a nurse following a few feet behind him. Dmitry glanced over and nodded toward him. “Doctor.”
“Mr. Medlov,” Dr. Owens said, eyes darting around the room.
In the corner out of view, Anatoly and Marat stood watching the exchange. For the last hour, Anatoly had not said a word. Instead, he had worked with the security team to make sure all of the Medlov women had the opportunity to say their last goodbyes before being ushered back out of the facility to the estate – save one.
Royal refused to leave Dmitry or Anil’s side. She had come early in the day to bathe and dress Sanaa in a simple white cotton gown and put a little makeup on her so that Anil’s last memory would not be one of his mother looking her worst. She had brought in flowers and made sure everything was perfect in the room. She had tried…
Tears rushed down Royal’s face. Wiping them constantly, she sniffled, feeling overwhelmed by the idea that the sweet boy she had come to love in such a short time had been dealt such a horrible blow.
“I’m sorry,” Royal apologized. Her chest trembled. Glancing over Anil, she shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”
Anil smiled at her. “Thank you, but it’s not your fault. You’ve been amazing. Trust me, if Mom could express her gratitude, she would.”
Dr. Owen made his way to the other side of the bed where no one was standing. Uncomfortable with the pain he was causing all of them, he nearly stumbled over his guilt. If they only knew the role he played in this woman’s death, they would have killed him where he stood. And to make matters worse, the R
ussian spy parading around as a nurse was here to make sure he did the deed properly. Closing his metal clipboard, a little louder than he intended, he cleared his throat. “I won’t ask how everyone is doing. This has to be a very difficult day for all of you. Per our previous conversation, Ms. Baptiste has been removed from all other machines except the ventilator and the vasoactive drips, morphine and Ativan, as a part of our comfort measures. Now, I know we spoke as a team this morning, but…”
Anil rolled his eyes and cut him off mid-sentence. “Do what you came to do.”
Dmitry spoke up fearing his son would regret his haste in the future. “We should say a few words over her, first.” He glanced down at Royal. “Don’t you agree?”
“Yes.” Royal stood up straighter and wiped her hands over her face.
Anatoly watched the blonde nurse idly standing by with suspicion. While he had never been here before, something about her was off. Moving from the corner, he walked over and stood right beside her, invading her personal space on purpose to throw her off her game. He crossed his muscular arms across his chest and cocked his head to look directly at her side profile. “Papa, kto eta suka?” He waited to see her response after asking his father, Papa who is this bitch? Would she flinch? Would she cringe?
But the nurse didn’t move a muscle. After a few seconds of Anatoly staring at her, she finally turned to him with a clueless, stupid grin on her face. “Can I help you, sir?” she asked in perfect English without the slightest accent.
Dmitry turned slowly to his son and frowned. Did he miss something?
Royal did the same, confounded by his outburst. Maybe Anatoly was cracking up? Maybe this was affecting him more than he had let on? “Ana, are you okay?” she asked.
Anatoly sucked his teeth loudly. “No,” he said, still unconvinced. “Are you the normal nurse who works here?”
Anil glanced over at his brother and the nurse. He had been so consumed in the moment, he had not noticed her before. “No,” he answered for the nurse. “Where is Mable?” he asked Dr. Owen. Over the few months with his father, he had learned one thing, if nothing else, trust no one.
“Unfortunately, Mable has the flu,” Dr. Owen explained. “She’ll be out for a week.” It wasn’t a lie. His normal assistant was the recipient of her children’s germs, but normally, he would have insisted that she take no more than a couple of days off. However, in light of the task he had been given by the Russians, he had insisted she stay away from the facility for a week of paid leave.
At that moment, Dr. Owen’s stomach had shot up into his throat. If he did not play it cool, he would create more suspicion and with the most dangerous family in the city, no less. Begging his body not to betray him with the perspiration threatening to form on her forehead, he tried to guide the conversation casually.
“Georgia is my new hire, but I assure you that I will be personally handling all parts of the process,” Dr. Owen said confidently. “This is all about you and insuring your comfort level.”
“Well, if it’s about our comfort level, then just dismiss her,” Royal growled, aggravated by the sidebar conversation. She shot the doctor and the nurse a dirty look. It wasn’t clear why the woman had set Anatoly off, but whatever the reason, she was no longer welcome.
“Of course, Mrs. Medlov.” Dr. Owen turned to the woman, relieved to have a reason to get rid of the spy. “Leave now, please.” He could barely hide the disdain in his voice.
Anatoly stepped out of the way and watched the woman obediently exit the room without another word.
Anil dragged his gaze from the doctor back to his father. Now wasn’t the time for 20 questions about the doctor’s staff. After today, it would not matter who he had hired anyway. His mother would be dead. “Do you want to say a few words, father?”
Dmitry gave his full attention back to Anil. “Yes.” Taking a deep breath, he stood up straighter. He had thought about what to say all morning, and the only way he could commemorate her life was through sharing something that neither Anil nor Royal knew about Sanaa, about how they all had come together to be in this place. He only hoped they received it as he intended.
“Sanaa was a strong-willed woman. I only knew her briefly, but in the time that was…around her,” he swallowed hard, feeling his wife’s eyes burning through the side of his face, “I found her to be extremely insightful.”
Anil found himself intrigued. Either Dmitry was about to commit marital suicide by saying something profoundly stupid, or he was about to share something truly insightful.
“I met her on the Maracas Beach near dusk right after I decided to walk into the ocean and right before I actually did it.” Dmitry’s voice was light now recalling one of the darkest days in his young life and the turn of events.
Royal’s red eyes moved from critical to shocked. When he had said before that Sanaa had saved his life, she didn’t know it to be a literal statement.
But Anatoly was still in the zone. He had half a mind to go out into the hall and find Georgia, make her give him her ID and run it. With his eyes planted on the floor, he stood quietly, unable to hear anything but his thoughts.
“It was Sanaa who told me about you,” Dmitry continued, looking over at Royal. “The morning I prepared to depart Trinidad for London, she told me she had dreamt that I met my wife in a far-off land and she was a virgin queen. And that I shouldn’t give up on life, because life hadn’t given up on me.”
A tear ran down Royal’s face. She wasn’t expecting that.
Anil smiled. That sounded like something his mother would say. She was always prophesying over his life.
Dmitry gripped Royal’s hand in his own afraid that his nervousness might get the best of him. “I wish she had dreamt about you.” He looked over at Anil. “I wish she had told me that you were coming into my life. But no matter what happened or did not happen, she found a way to bring us together, didn’t she?”
Anil nodded in agreement. “She did.”
“Da, da. She was a very strong-willed woman, and she will never be forgotten for her sacrifice to give our son the best life possible and her strength to hold on to ensure that I would do the same.” Dmitry lowered his head. “Good bye, Sanaa. Rest well.”
Anil didn’t want to say what he felt out loud for everyone else to hear. He didn’t want to expose himself any more than he already had. The night before, after hearing the news, he had returned to her bedside and confessed all of his dreams, his faults and his pain at her feet. Today, he just wanted to make the pain stop for her once and for all.
“Do you want to say something?” Anil asked Royal. She had done far too much not to be given an opportunity to say something before the doctor pulled the plug. After all, she had opened her doors and welcome him in without every denying him an ounce of love or affection. All the Medlov women had been beyond kind to him, but he felt it was because of her.
Honored that he had asked, Royal stepped closer to the bed rail. “Sanaa, I believe that you can hear me. As a mother, I understand how hard this must be, to love and be forced to let go, but I promise you that I’ll take good care of the men you loved so much. Thank you for giving your son to us. Thank you for giving me another person to love. I will do my best to carry on your mission to ensure Anil has only the best in this life.”
Dmitry felt guilt wash over him as he listened to his precious wife. He had been cruel the night before, and he did not realize how selfish until this very moment. Royal had never asked for much. The baby she wanted to carry in her womb was a far cry from being an excessive gift, yet he had denied her without considering how much she had given to make him whole.
“What about you?” Anil asked Anatoly only to cover his bases. He didn’t really expect his big brother to engage. Everyone knew he would rather shoot himself in the face than be forced to discuss his feelings.
“Why not,” Anatoly answered, planted in his position. He exhaled a breath like it hurt him to talk. “Sanaa, I didn’t know you, but you never left Ani
l, never kicked him out or sent him away, you stayed until the bitter end and you didn’t marry someone just to pay the bills. In my book, you’re a saint. God bless.” This entire experience reminded him too much of his own life and all the things his mother had denied him thinking she was protecting his interests. In many ways, he envied his brother. “I’m going to step outside and wait,” Anatoly said, worried he had said too much as all eyes landed on him.
As the door clanged shut behind Anatoly’s abrupt exit, Anil nodded warily toward the doctor. On that broken note enough had been said, he didn’t want to drag it out any longer. “We’re ready.”
Dmitry made his way to his son’s side and put a protective arm around his shoulder. At first, they both stood watching Dr. Owen work. But with every motion by the doctor, he could feel Anil tremble more and more. Gripping his son tight, he turned him around and hugged him tighter, protecting Anil from seeing as the ventilator went off line. Tears wet his shirt as they transferred from Anil’s eyes and just a few seconds later he heard the soft sobs of his son muffled into his right shoulder. He held him even tighter, refusing to let him go, refusing to allow him to feel alone.
When the ventilator system was down, Sanaa Baptiste did not breathe on her own, instead, she drifted away.
Dmitry knew that Anil didn’t need to be there anymore. It was time to take him home, allow him the opportunity to rest and recover. Guiding his son out of the room as the nurses came rushing in to work beside Dr. Owen, he felt Royal come to his other side to hold Anil up.
“There, there,” she said in a soothing voice. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Dmitry's Redemption: Book One (The Medlov Men 7) Page 15
